Logosol "Big Mill Timberjig" First cuts

[1947wdx]

Hey guys,

I recently ordered the basic Logosol "Big Mill Timberjig", and while getting it here was a hassle It arrived last week.

Here are a couple pics of it attached to my 394

(Pay no attention to the dog, he's just being impatient as he wants to go up in the woods to look for squirrels...)

For the most part, things went together fairly well. The instructions were fair. (Even if they were obviously translated by a non-native English speaker...)

There were a few issues that I'll have to fix. Mostly related to manufacturing tolerances I think. The first can be seen in this next picture. There is a 1/4 inch bolt that runs up from the base plate and connects with the bar for support I guess. On my saw it was barely long enough and only contacted the plastic part of the lock nut by a couple threads. (I'll have to get a slightly longer one or loose it in the woods...)

The other issue you can't see. The two front plastic rollers are meant to ride against either the guide boards, or the previously cut edge of the log. They should both turn, but due to a slightly too short spacer, one does and one does not. (Unless I loosen it up, and then it falls out due to vibrations.

While overall I like the timberjig, and think it is decent quality, there are a few items I need to address still. (As I said, I think most of these would be fine, normally, and they aren't show stoppers by any means.)

 

[1947wdx]

Here are some pictures of some maple I milled with the timberjig this weekend.

Sorry for the fuzzyness on these. I forgot my camera this weekend, and had to use the one on my cellphone... (The pictures in the previous post were taken last weekend.)

 

[deeker]

Looks great!!!!

 

[BobL]

Nice boards 47' and good looking dawg too!

RE: Quality issues on the mill.
That would irritate the heck out of me, pay good $ and still have to fiddle with those problems.

 

[1947wdx]

Nice boards 47' and good looking dawg too!

RE: Quality issues on the mill.
That would irritate the heck out of me, pay good $ and still have to fiddle with those problems.

Thanks!

I'm of two minds with the quality issues. While I can understand how they happen, I don't like that they did with me. Especially after the hassle I went through to get it here. (That's another story. Suffice it to say the customer service at Northern Tool earned their pay on the shipping of this one.)

The overall design is fairly good, and with a little more attention to the little things, I think it's a much better jig then the Granburg mini-mil. I can understand cutting costs, but dang it, not to the extent that it starts affecting quality. Maybe I should take a page out of your book and just start making my own!

 

[sctstoys72]

hey i love the truck,you'll love the 4bt,i have one in my m715,but if you got the room i would rather have 6bt. iwould trade my 715 for a 68 W300 any day.

 

[BobL]

hey i love the truck,you'll love the 4bt,i have one in my m715,but if you got the room i would rather have 6bt. iwould trade my 715 for a 68 W300 any day.

I love this post because I had absolutely no idea what you were referring to but dropped "4bt" and "6bt" into google and ended up killing about a half hour reading up on this stuff.

 

[sctstoys72]

its one of my other addictions,DIESEL powered everything,i want one of those diesel Jonsered saws.

 

[BobL]

its one of my other addictions,DIESEL powered everything,i want one of those diesel Jonsered saws.

I have a diesel powered toyota van. It's only 3L but it gets me and my gear where I want to go. I was a bit tentative about getting it but now I have had it for 18 months I really like it. FIts my big mill too.

 

[1947wdx]

hey i love the truck,you'll love the 4bt,i have one in my m715,but if you got the room i would rather have 6bt. I would trade my 715 for a 68 W300 any day.

Thanks, the truck in the pictures in this thread is my '46 half ton. In the '47 power wagon, the 4bt fit's nicely. A 6bt would be nice but would require quite a bit more modification to the firewall.

There are more pictures of both trucks over in the "Reader's Rides" section:

http://www.arboristsite.com/showpost.php?p=1207826&postcount=27

It is still a work in progress, but with job changes and moving across country last year things have stalled a bit. (I need a better garage to work on it in the winter, plus more time, $$$ etc... Don't we all... )

 

[olyman]

I have a diesel powered toyota van. It's only 3L but it gets me and my gear where I want to go. I was a bit tentative about getting it but now I have had it for 18 months I really like it. FIts my big mill too.

you suck, ya know that???? how come youse people down under get all the good vehicles--that we cant have in the usa--becuase of the greenies screaming emissions?????

 

[1947wdx]

you suck, ya know that???? how come youse people down under get all the good vehicles--that we cant have in the usa--becuase of the greenies screaming emissions?????

I agree, they have a lot of nice vehicles down under, but we have quite a few here as well. The number of diesel vehicles here is increasing, but the new ones are still way out of my price range...

 

[mtngun]

Nice saw, nice boards, nice truck, nice dog.

 

[dave k]

I had the very same issues with my Big Mill same bolts, which I never bothered to change ! and one of the wheels which I added a small washer to and solved that problem.
Other than that, same as you I feel it's well built and uses good steel etc.
Ive made a few changes to mine and Im sure that in common with most members here you will do the same to suit your needs.
So lets see more pics and have fun I know I do when milling !

 

[OhioGregg]

1947wdx, I have the Timber Jig also. Mine seems to fit well, on my 385xp, wouldn't think there would be much difference than the 394. I took the depth setting guide off mine, cause I use it on a M7 type aluminum rail and just be in the way. I do have to take off the outer bucking spike to have it fit right.

Was noticing in your pics, I don't see the large flat washers under the outer bar nuts holding the jig to the saw. If there in between the jig and stud spacers, that might make the bar support bolt to short. Just a guess here The roller guides all work well also on mine, the outer two (towards the log) both free to rotate. The brass colored bushings hold them tight, and the aluminum colored ones allow ithem to spin.

Heres a couple older pics I have of mine, its not on the saw at the moment.

Gregg,

 

[1947wdx]

1947wdx, I have the Timber Jig also. Mine seems to fit well, on my 385xp, wouldn't think there would be much difference than the 394. I took the depth setting guide off mine, cause I use it on a M7 type aluminum rail and just be in the way. I do have to take off the outer bucking spike to have it fit right.

I had to take off the outer dog as well. The inner one seems to fit OK, so I left it on...

Was noticing in your pics, I don't see the large flat washers under the outer bar nuts holding the jig to the saw. If there in between the jig and stud spacers, that might make the bar support bolt to short. Just a guess here

Yeah, that's where they are. On the inside. I thought that is where they went as the bar nuts usually go on exactly as they are, sans-washers... Guess I didn't read the manual as well as I thought...

The roller guides all work well also on mine, the outer two (towards the log) both free to rotate. The brass colored bushings hold them tight, and the aluminum colored ones allow ithem to spin.

Here's a couple older pics I have of mine, ...

Thanks for the pic's and additional data. I think adding a fender washer under all the rollers will fix things. The one front roller that doesn't turn is due to the slot being just bit enough that the end of the spacer/nut slide down into it just a bit. Enough to negate the space needed to let it to turn. Placing a fender washer under all rollers so they are all the same height, should fix it. And moving the other washers you mentioned to the outside may fix the other issue as well...

 

[cpm]

I just wanted to add to the thread,

That I too have a timberjig, and was less that impressed with it overall.

I own a M7, which was fine, went together well, hardware was good quality and the
fit and finish was up to snuff.

The timberjig, much less so.

First, the thing I received wasn't what I thought I bought. At the time the timberjig
pics and video at the logosol site, as well as on the demonstration tape showed a
device made from cast aluminum pieces, and looked to have good fit and finish.

The thing I got was a like a cheap imitation of that .

All in all, with some fidding, it works well enough, does what it's designed to do.
But it did leave a bit of bitter aftertaste.

I principally use it with my older husky 285 'lite' to quarter larger logs for milling on my M7. For this,it's fine.