Keep an Eye on These Sawmill Maintenance Items
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
- Keep an eye on these sawmill maintenance items to keep you up-and-running more often when. out cutting wood. After several years of using. thisWoodland Mills HM130, I've learned a thing or two about how to keep it up and running. On today's episode I'll share with you my monthly checklist that I go over to ensure the sawmill is ready to cut wood when I am. From a reliability standpoint, I've been quite happy with this sawmill but that doesn't mean there aren't spots that I keep an eye on. These things I mention today are the ones that I find most often need attention in order to prevent failure. Some of these things you'll notice fail more often than others and I'll show you why I pay special attention to them. If you're like me you want to spend your time making real nice lumber and less time repairing equipment. Hopefully some of the experiences I share with you today can help keep you fine folks making dust more often and for longer. Also be sure to keep a few of these spare parts I mention on hand as you'll notice that some of them break when you least expect it.
Sawmill in the video: 2017 Woodland Mills HM130
After watching basically all of your video's, I am 67 years old and have been wanting a mill for many years. Well I bit the bullet yesterday and ordered an HM122 Bushmaster with the trailer. I upgraded to the 9.5 hp, adjustable blade guide and parts package. Should be here by Nov. 30. Wish me luck. Thanks for all of your info.
That's great to hear Warren. You won't be disappointed. Great chance to get out and make some dust! Have fun!
I like the ball valve for your lubricant
It has worked well for sure.
Fantastic video Sandy, Thanks!
You should paint your deck boards with all your used motor oil. It works great as a preservative. I do it on my trailer boards. They last years longer. Great video.
I've done that on a trailer as well. Great tip
Excellent video! I have 14 hours on my new HM126 and have learned so many helpful things from you. Thanks Sandy! keep up the good work!
Great to hear Jonah!
Great video Sandy, I haven’t pulled the trigger on the mill yet but it’s getting close. I’m 90% sure it’s going to be a HM126. I live on 25 acres and most is wooded so I’m trying to pick out the best spot to have my set up. I really like the shed you built and how your set up is. You have some great ideas to assist someone just starting out. Keep up the great videos.
Appreciate the feedback AJ. Hope your sawmill purchase goes well
I just bought a 130 and am in the process of building my own hill billy hide out. I have gotten a lot of really good ideas from you and hope you keep putting out the vedios:)
Great to hear! Hope your build goes well
My mill just showed up a month early it felt like Christmas I will definitely be going through your videos
Great to hear! Have fun! Happy sawing
Thanks for the informative vid Sandy, I’m just over a month out (hopefully) from receiving my new hm130max with an extension and a maintenance kit. Also going to look at a 40hp tractor this weekend. I hope to have the sawdust flying well before the snow flies this fall. Your videos were an integral part of my decision to go with Woodland Mills, so thank you.
Great to hear you’re going to be getting your sawmill soon. I hope whatever tractor you get you enjoy getting out there and cutting some lumber
A great Canadian mill built in Ontario. Nice! Good maintenance tips. Always listen to the guy that uses it regularly. Thanks from the southern shores of Georgian Bay.
Hope the weather is treating ya well today Don. Good to hear from ya
@@sawingwithsandy Always enjoy you vids.
Thanks for the maintenance tips. I also lube the log stop/supports and log clamp screw/bolt threads.
Glad we’re on the same page Paul. Thanks for watching
The foam cover on the air filter is a pre filter most off-road stuff has them
Great headstart with your valuable information....thanks Sandy!!!
Right on! Glad it helped Wayne
I like that you mentioned the engine mounting bolts. I recently had my hm122 start dancing on the rails and after MUCH problem solving realized the engine had moved and misaligned the drive belt. I now also include a quick torque check on these bolts. great video! 👍
I think you’re maintaining your sawmill very well! 👍🏼
Thanks Mike! Happy cutting
Good video Bill! Just cleaned out my woodland today. Had way too much saw dust built up inside I think. Need to turn down my water feed.
Always nice getting it all cleaned off and ready to cut again!
The sign looks good there 🙂
I agree! It’s sure is a well made sign. Appreciate the gesture!
@@sawingwithsandy your welcome I enjoy watching your videos
It's cool to see the upgrades Woodland Mills have made over the years. Everyone has made some wonderful suggestions regarding maintenance and such. So here's my 2 cents after a time consuming error when calibrating the blade guide on my new mill the other day. I failed to read the part about only adjusting the BOTTOM v-roller, instead I was screwing around with the 2 top ones. READ EACH STEP THOROUGHLY! When I cut into my first log tomorrow all the hard work will be worth it! I've already named her, Milly! Great and informative video Sandy! Wish me luck and best to you!
Glad to hear you’re cutting into your new log! Hope it goes well. Be sure to let us know how you make out
@@sawingwithsandy It was so freaking awesome!! Took a 12" diameter log and made 4 4x4s the first time! I used a log that was pretty checked but can still utilize most of it for odd projects. Took about 8 pulls to get Milly started but after that she purred like a kitten. Tracks great! I was expecting to have to adjust the idle but it was perfect. And best of all I didn't break the blade! I also like that you dont need a torques wrench to tension with the 2021 model. Wish I could share the video we took of it with you. You have helped me so much from choice of mill to just general information about running one. You are known in my household as my Canadian brother Sandy! Thank you for everything! 👍🤗❤
Hi Sandy,
When you showed cleaning the belts of saw dust buildup it brought to mind what Josh of Woodland Mills told me as possibilities when I had a blade issue where it kept popping off every time I tried to use the mill(issue ended up being one of tracking mostly). He told me that a bit of build up is a GOOD thing as it adds friction to help the blade stay on...and with a new belt to actually run a log or two without lubrication in order for this to happen. Now large debris on the belt should , of course, be taken off, but having a small amount of saw dust on the belts can actually be beneficial I now no longer keep the belts clean as you do. Prior to Josh telling me this, I thought it would cause issues, especially one of vibration but it has not.
That brings up a good point and now he’s got me thinking. I appreciate you passing along this info. I may end up having to do just that
Had my 130 max for 1 1/2 years love it
Great to hear you’re out making dust
Always good info on your channel,I have the same saw but it’s on the woodland XL trailor I would add to make sure the turnbuckle nuts are tight as I recently found out in transit hitting a set of train tracks the head jumped a little and pulled the remaining threads out allowing my cables to pop off because the rings straightened out. Keep up the great vids and happy sawing.
Thanks Bill I appreciate that
I don't have a sawmill but I want to get one. Very good information on the maintenance of one. I enjoy the videos & the sawmill being used.
that’s great to hear Rodney. Appreciate you tuning in
Hay Sandy nice job on your video. my old saw has Kohler 13 hp has only 1200 hours on it all I do is change oil like you and air filter. I had to clean the carburetor one time I left gas sit to long. I have not replace any bearings yet. belts yes. Now & then I get sawdust under the belts build up when the wood is extra wet or certain kind of green woods.
Sounds like we both have had good luck with the motors. Good to hear others have had the same experiences
Thanks for the video Sandy. It would be nice to have a compressor at the Hillbilly Shack 2.0 to blow out those tight spots and parts. Maybe an air tank would do the trick. Who knows it may be worth a trip to Canadian Tire!
Yeah you may be right there. Only trouble is no hydro out there
Ty sandy ...keep the sludge handy
Always! Thanks for watching Todd
awesome video it sure helps a lot. i am soon up for a month checkup thanks
Glad it’s helpful Wallace! Thanks again for being a regular member of the channel
@@sawingwithsandy i am sure glad i found your channel. to start buy watching your channel and the review you gave help me buying my mill. i am very pleased with her. thanks again
Anytime I can help I’m happy to do so
thank you for all your video's i have ordered a woodland hm 130 max woodland needs to give all you you tubes free bees you are ready helping them. looks like every body has saw into there log holder at lease once.some guys are using wood mizer 11/2 blades say they dive less and last longer.i order sharpener, tooth setter,2 more tracks and the parts kit. hope to get it in 4 months. wood mizer, hudson, linn, board walk and other are more than a year wait. i will have to rewatch your video and ones from other when it comes. thank you again take care and be safe.
Yeah the wait on the sawmills sure are lengthy now aren’t they. I’ve been meaning to try some other blades just to compare with Lenox. Hoping once my current blades wear out I’ll do that.
@@sawingwithsandy I think you should try the ripper37 when you do. The juries out yet whether it actually gives you 37% more cutting time that is claimed, but I have noticed it has about a 1/16th inch deeper gullet and have found that it leaves less sawdust in the mill casing than the Lennox from Woodland Mills. Even if it is the same as a Lennox it is about $10 US cheaper per blade.
Hey Sandy, Give Simon Honig a call at Honig Blades. They are in Ontario. I ordered 10 Ripper37 and what a difference over the Lenox. And to boot for whatever reason I was sent the Ripper37B which is the bimetal version so they stay sharp way longer, close to 12h of cutting on my little 125” Hm122, should do even better with the longer HM130 blades.
Thanks appreciate that. I looked into ordering from there before and may do so in the future once my stockpile of blades runs out. Happy sawing
Hi Sandy another great video. i think your better in showing people then the people from woodland mills. Anyway that said , I have never seen you making shingles on your mill. Have you tried to make them on your mill? I'm interested to see the possibilities.
This is great Sandy, thanks. I’ve got the same mill, and appreciate the maintenance tips. Cheers.
Always welcome Rob
I am just getting going on an HM130. Your vids have really been a help. Having never run one of these before I found there was a lot to think about as I got going. I wondered how a digital readout would work instead of using the scales. So I got one and attached the hardware involved with some 3D prints and strong magnets. I really like it and probably won't go back to the scales. I work in metric, i.e. multiples of 27mm for one inch boards. Also judging just where the first cut will go was something I have a tendency to over analyze. I thought a laser line down the log would be helpful. So I got a laser and again used 3d prints and magnets to mount it and it's associated components. I have not had a lot of time using it yet, but I do find it to be helping me get into the cuts faster. I have one more "upgrade" but I'm not going to mention it because you will think I have gone completely overboard. Anyway, thanks for sharing your experiences and I look forward to seeing more of your videos.
Sounds like the new 3D scales you’ve come up with will work great. Don’t be afraid to share your ideas. As they say, necessity is the father of invention
Yes I would like to know what else you've come up with. I have spoiled dog and 2 cats, I'm a different sort of crazy. Let's hear it!!🤗
@@lumberjill6598, I have ruined a couple blades by hitting the log stops. The mill has a bumper by the blade guide that will prevent hitting the log stops if it is positioned to do so. The problem is that some logs will have a shape that will also be hit by that bumper . So the bumper gets turned to be out of the way of hitting the log and then no longer provides protection for the blade. My mill is up on a trailer and with a log on there it is impossible to see the log stops without leaning over the log(sometimes difficult) or going around to the other side(time consuming). So I thought I would figure out a way to be able to see those stops without leaning over or running around. Turns out that now days you can buy a backup camera and small monitor for really cheap. That is what I now use to see how close the blade is getting to the stops. I have the small monitor mounted where I can easily see it when operating the mill. I made mounts for the monitor and camera using the 3D printer and attached everything with magnets. I also put a second laser on the other side of the mill which works in conjunction with the camera. It puts out a line that shows very plainly if it crosses the log stop. And those laser lines are lined up very close to where the blade will go. The lasers need 5 volts and I get that by using DC to DC power converters. Those converters are basically just small circuit boards which needed to be mounted in something. So I made small boxes to hold them with the 3D printer. The cover for one of the boxes has the switches for turning the lasers and the monitor/camera on and off. I also have a switched small bit of LED strip lighting in that box. The LED's shine down onto the digital display for the scale. The digital display is a little bit small and it is a liquid crystal display. (as in not luminous) It is a bit hard to see when in inch/fractional mode. The LEDs which are just inches away make it easy to see. So my purchase for these upgrades included the following:
1 100 milliwatt green laser
1 50 milliwatt green laser
small rocker switches
2 DC to DC power converters. (to change 12 volts from the mill battery to 5 volts which the lasers need)
1 el cheapo backup camera and monitor.
16? Neodymium magnets with center holes for mounting. I used #6 countersink machine screws to attach the magnets to the 3D prints.
1 in-line fuse which protects the Mill 12 volt electrical from the circuits used for the lasers and the monitor.
Total cost of these items was about $150.00.
I may have used $10.00 worth of printer filament getting my designs for mounting everything just right. (I always seem to need a least 2 revisions to the first attempt on any of my designs).
Now I just need to get in the habit of using that monitor on every cut, and hopefully I won't hit those log stops again. (don't let people talk to you when you are running a sawmill)
@@brucelahmayer2414 Wow Bruce! I love that you have the skills and knowledge to do all of this! This is the first week that I've ran my new hm130 and seeing the log stops was also difficult for me. Lucky my wife was there to be my spotter. I also have a hard time knowing where to place my first cut but I figure with experience I'll get it. I like that you saw a problem and your genius allowed you to solve it. Your like the creators of Woodland Mills! I'm very happy with my mill and can't wait to put some board feet through it. Thank you Bruce for sharing your awesome ideas and inventions! Pretty cool man!
@@lumberjill6598 You know I forgot, there are two more sawmill addons that I did by using the 3D printer. These aren't as technical as the lasers and the monitor, but they do help. One was to make a holder for that knob you have to unscrew to open the doors for getting at the blade. Typically I would just set the knob on top of the sheet metal housing for the blade. But I have forgotten about it there and started operating. Naturally the vibration would make the knob fall off and then I would have to search for it. So the holder is just a little cup that also has a place for a carpenters pencil. It is on one of the front covers and is held there with a magnet. The knob kind of wedges into the cup so it is securely held there when the doors are open. The last thing I tried to improve involves the log dogs/clamps. Working by yourself with hardwood logs that are not so straight, you probably know already gets to be a hand full. To get clamped in place, the log sometimes needs pressure by holding it against the stops with a cant hook, and at the same time you have to get that clamp in position and apply the clamping force (which involves applying pressure in 3 different directions at once). Inevitably I will at times have the log roll out of position and I loose control of it. Somehow the clamp then ends up upside down and falls out onto the ground! I don't like that of course and I thought an improvement would be if the clamp would at least hold the extension I want without me doing it. That means it would not fall out onto the ground either. Then maybe I only have to apply force in 2 directions for clamping, not 3. So I made some things I would refer to as a yokes that allow me to apply some friction to those clamps where they slide up and down. With those on there, I can slide the clamps up and down, but they will hold the position I set them at.
Since you are just getting started, there is one more lesson I will mention that I learned the hard way. That is to avoid logs from fence rows or peoples yards because of possible metal buried in the wood. If I have to cut a log from those locations I check and recheck the log carefully with a metal detector.
No genius, but I like to think I am self motivated to just always work on improving my resilience for things involved in day to day living. That probably is true of you also and likely the same for just about anyone who would buy a sawmill of this type. The 3D printer is a relatively new thing for me, but it fits well with that mind set. It has its limitations, but it has become much more useful than I originally thought it would. It is finicky, and learning a 3D design program was a bit of a challenge. But I wouldn't be without it now and I do in fact entertain thoughts of getting a second one.
On the VALLEE SAWMILL the bearing on those wheels are standard TRAILER TIMKEN WHEELS BEARING, so if they get loose a bit you can adjust them , I have mine vallee sawmill since 2015 and I never touched those wheels bearings and never had to had to adjust them either. And yes I do cut lot of wood .
To clean my belt I use steel wire brush while someone made it turn not too fast and ready to stop all turning thing in case of something happens…. Safety first ,,, well second in this situation….
I put some dishes soap in my water tank , it help a lot to keep the blade clean from pine resins.
Thanks for passing along those tips Patrick
i dont have the sweeps on my rail and wheels but would like to add them ...what i do to keep pitchy dust from building up on my wheels and rails is a rub a thin coat of transmission fluid on them once a day when in use and i have not had that problem since. but only use transmission fluid because regular motor oil colects dust and will cause other problems later
Great idea! Appreciate that idea
Outstanding instruction.
Thanks Thomas!
Thanks for another great video. It was really informative. The videos are always relaxing and pleasant to watch.
Good to hear that feedback from ya Terry
I agree...I find them relaxing as well due to Sandy's calm presentations. Part of my enjoyment, of course, is watching someone else working hard instead of me! :-))
answer for Mike Christensen yes my hm 126 can cut a log up to 29 inches in diameter but can cut only a board of only 21 inches across that is the distance between my two Gide that are fix in place so i was talking how wide of a board i can cut they says 29 in diameter but i did but even bigger log then that on it
Okay...understood now! :-)
What is the make of your Blower for cleaning up? Yours seems to have more force than others I've seen. Thanks.
Husqvarna BTS580
Scotch pad ,dry , to clean belt
Sounds like a good idea! Thank you
Oil is the lifeblood of any engine, there are cheap hour meters on amazon that work good. Personally I think oil change every 100 hours. Oil is cheap , motors are expensive.
Kohler recommends changing engine oil after the first 5 hours and then every 50 hours for a 2:1 reduction ratio engine such as the CH440. The reason why is because that there is no oil filter on the engine and as a result, carbon builds up in the oil at a much faster rate from combustion blow than it would if there was as oil filter on the engine. Carbon build up is the reason oil turns black. The problem with the oil and the reason it needs to be changed so often, is not that the oil breaks down or loses viscosity, it's that the carbon particle build up in the engine oil acts like an abrasive inside your engine once it reaches a certain level and the more carbon particles the higher the abrasive level becomes. Is Kohler overly cautious (probably) since their warranty is for 3 years with no regard to the amount of engine hours. But changing your engine oil is as Colbie says "cheap" especially so if you want to maintain compression and power. But going cheap by not changing 1.4 quarts of engine oil in a timely manner is penny wise and pound foolish in my book.
Since you cut a lot of pine, you didn't mention what you do to reduce/remove pine pitch which inevitably gets on the bunks and about everything that's touched during milling. I use some WD40 and a rag on the bunks along with the height crank, push bar and throttle lever.
If you think of it, when you change your blade, can show how much play you have in your right bandwheel ? Thank you. Great video.
Sure thing Steve. I’ll try to get to that before long
hi. How long will a blade last, before it needs to be sharpened, if say, you cut 20" pine?
enjoy youre videos, and i am going to buy a sawmill myself, inspired by you.
thank you.
Sorry for the delay. Didn't see this comment. I'd say I can mill big pine for a good 4 hours before I start thinking about switching out blades for a sharp one
Not being one of those safety preachers but Please wear eye protection when running that blower . Love your vids btw !!
Glad you’re liking the videos ! Thanks for watching
Take that blower around back and clean your footings, your blower may also have a summer/ winter vent in the air cleaner, now's the time to add the head board on the wood rack.Whats your time line for a solar kiln?
I’ll be sure to check the blower. I haven’t seen it before but I’ll look a bit closer. I’ll need to finish off the equipment shed first then look at other projects like the solar kiln
@@sawingwithsandy My stihl blower has a trap door to the side of the engine for winter heat.
Would used three gal used oil and half Gal of Decile work on your sawmill platform check it out at first only a small area..
Great video on servicing your HM130. I have the exact same model - 2017 as well. It has been sitting outdoors since new - in a Norwegian costal environment, so tracks are a little rusty, but nothing bad. Change the oil once a year and do light maintainance and adjustments when needed. I have had zero problems with mine so far - it cuts great and engine starts mostly on first pull - sometimes it needs a 2nd pull even way below freezing. You still run the red polyeurethane belt on the follower? Haven't changed mine yet...
My red belt is still original come to think of it. Good to hear from ya Torsten. Hope things are well since we last spoke
Sandy if you got the money to buy a cheap batteries air blower get one after each day that i use mine i blow every thing and scrape my belts clean mine is a hm 126 2013 is outside but i got the cover from woodland to through on it when done every day the only things other than regular maintenance those bearing you talk about and that is only once but my clutch did give me some problem and had to replace it but i kind of blame myself on that one cutting hard wood that was over 20 inches wide and i think i was pushing to hard i almost stalled the machine a few time but now i take more my time for those let the machine do it's work my mill cuts only 21 max so 20 is almost full capacity
Good idea with the battery blowers. Sounds like some real work outs with that hardwood. Glad your sawmill is working out well for ya. Good to hear that others are also having good life from there’s
Strange that your 126 can only cut a 21 inch...I have a HM122 and have cut a 23 inch log on it.
I have the same mill as you, same year ... 2017, received in early 2018.
You have a silver colored, curved lever near the rear of your mill that is not in mine.
Question: what is it?
Lap siding adjusting lever. It's an add-on kit from Woodland mills. Sandy posted an install video on this kit
Thanks!
Another Great video Sandy! I was curious if you have ever had any issues with your throttle cable stretching/fraying. I have lost rpm's a couple times had to tighten the cable back up. Not a huge deal but was curious if that is normal.
Hey Chris, no issues since new with the throttle cable. There very well could be some slight stretching that I haven’t noticed but so far so good
When you are milling just reach over and push the throttle lever on the engine and see if you get more rpm. Mine has been a bit of a pain but seems to be good now. Easier to notice with the autolube as it only turns on when you hit wide open.
@@offgridtech1138 Thanks good tip.
Wouldn’t be difficult to Velcro on a piece of tyre inner tube as a discharge chute
Only issue I have is the post the sawmill passes by when cutting logs is really close. a discharge chute may contact it
@@sawingwithsandy only need be short just to use the curve of the tube to guide it away. 🤷♂️
Rubber will flex as it brushes past the post
Is there an easy way to get the sawdust off the deck while cutting? Some sort of rubber chute that wont interfere with the beams.
i havent done this with my mill yet so its still hear say but i hear that if you hang a bucket from the sawdust port while your cutting to collect the sawdust in it helps a lot
One of those rubber mats that Sandy used under the snowmobile in the new shack. Put it just under the left side of the bunks and slope it down so all the sawdust falls to the ground.
Nice Video! I am awaiting delivery of my HM126 , hopefully tomorrow! I ordered the 10 blade pack, track extension, spare parts kit and also the motor upgrade. I figured do it once, do it right. I recently bought 65 acres here in coastal Maine, COVERED in douglas fir. Have you sawn anything thats super pitchy? any tips for that? the pitch is literally dripping right out of those trees right now
i saw a lot of doug fir but not green doug fir i wait a year that helps some ive been useing cheap dish soap in my water and that has been working well for me but the constant water spraying on the roller guides do wear out because of the water im useing ...a local sawyer told me to switch to vegtable oil and set it to drip 1 drop per second and that will keep the pitch off
Thanks man. so you drop it and let it sit a year? Do you do anything like seal the end cuts or debark it or anything? our weather here is brutal, and stuff on the ground rots so fast. I would assume you stack it or sticker it off the ground?
Good to hear you got some land with great trees to mill. I try to avoid cutting down pitchy trees in the warm months and instead cut them down in winter and saw in cooler months and the pitch doesn’t seem to be an issue. If I can’t avoid it I find the soap and water helps for lubrication
@@diggingupnorth3453 i only have 6 acres but i do cut afew trees from here but most of mytrees i mill i purchase 0 yard dump truck loads for 600 bucks as fire wood logs that are between 6 feet and 14 feet long and half of them are good quality logs these logs are fell threw the winter and the logs i intent to mill i pile up on a log deck with a couple of smaller logs under them for stickers to keep them off the ground and as long as i am going to be milling them the following year i dont worry about the bark
@@Grizz270 Thank you man. I do buy tree length firewood every few years as well. I will have to keep my eyes open for good saw logs in there. The guys here try to keep them around 6-8 inches so people can handle them well, but there are always a few big guys in the load
How about upgrading to ceramic blade guides
I haven’t looked into it too much but I’m sure others may have a better idea how they work
How many hours?
My sawmill doesn't have an hour meter so I'm not entire sure but I'd say I replace these bearings on the guide wheels about every 8 months or so
Use brake cleaner on the engine to clean tight spots
Thanks Colbie
#? What about fuel do use stabilizer in the petro or use a non ethenol reg gasoline ??
Hi Robert . I’ve been just using regular 87 octane with ethanol from the gas pumps
@@sawingwithsandy been finding premixed fuel for chain saws its good when keeping long time between usr
I use fuel stabilizer all the time. Add to my 5 gal containers before I make a run to the gas station. It has eliminated stale gas issues for me in all my small engines. I also use the fuel shutoff and run fuel out of the carb if I know it will be sitting for a while.
I'm not calling you out but I believe your bed is off level left to right just a bit. Judging by the position of your doors while open.
I’ll have to check it. Very well could be
Is that a 300 MPH blower.?????
It’s a fast one that’s for sure
Ah alittle sludge.
My favourite!