# First experience using the Mister Sawmill



## jeffreythree

First of all, I hate forgetting my camera. Took a couple with my cell, they are all right. Cut about 100 bdft of cedar out of a collection of random logs I cut yesterday morning in aobut an hour and a half. Definitely a learning curve, but much faster than the Ripsaw. Biggest one was 12" by 8' long, so lots of work for little outcome. I made one really cool set of bookmatched 10/4 pieces with live edge from a 45 degree leaner with ray fleck and crotch figure, hopefully they stay straight. Broke a blade and no clue why. It happened 4" from the end of the last cut. I looked up all of the reasons last night, but forgot to bring a piece home to see where the cracks were. I only found about 2/3rds of the band. I think the guides may not be set right so they touch the back of the band all of the time. The guide uses a double bearing on top, a brass block on bottom, and a bearing in back(see pic). 








I also was not using much lube. The sawmill is very well built. I think there may be issues with the attention to detail on assembling it. They did not put the band wheel drive pully in the right spot, and this leads me to think the band wheels may not be in line too. When I picked it up, I asked for a demo and the belt rolled off. An hour later and all was good. It would not surprise me if the guides were not in the right place also. I am going to need to adjust the lift wench mechanism. I don't think it is quite square to the bed of the mill. It is a quick turn of a bolt, but I want a better ruler than the tape measure I had with me. Well, the good thing is they have a 1 year warranty on it. The other pic is of where I set up, the previous owner lit off a big burn pile ere so it is nice and open.


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## TexasTimbers

Man I remember these days. Still have them. Broken blades are due to heat (to much friction) and alignment (stress, which equals too much heat). Tension and alignment are the culprits. Lube is right there with them given the circumstances. I cut some species with no lube at all. 

You say the back of the band "touches the guides" all of the time; adjust that. The back of the band cannot ride on that flange all of the time without creating too much heat. You say you broke a band today but have no clue why? Heck you are your best resource for answers.


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## Kirk Allen

Jeffrey,
Check the gap on the bottom block to the blade. Wood mizer uses a block as well and if the gap is to tight heat is created at that point. I suspect that before I would the blade riding on the back bearing as the bearing turns with the blade. 

The gap I keep on mine is .008-.010 per WM specs. 

Blade guide alignment will show itself in the quality of the cut. If your getting flat boards then I suspect the guides are aligned properly. If after time you get wavy boards its probably a warn blade. Blade Guide alignment has to be "way" out to creat enough heat to break a blade and if its that far out your going to see it in the quality of your boards. 

If the blade back is riding against the bearing all the time and is creating enough heat to break a blade you should see your water drip turn to steam on the blade. If you have a blade tension gauge you can see the tension drop as the blade gets hot. When you run water on it and it cools you can see the tension go back up. This is a quick indicator of something creating to much heat.

With that, I dont think you will see it with ERC but with hardwoods and a wide cut you can create a lot of heat if the set is not right on your blades. To little set and the blade is contacting the wood more and creating heat, then because the blade is hot, tension is decreased and then you can see the problem in poor quality lumber. Look for wavy lumber that comes and goes. Begining of the job everything is cool and cut fine. Later in the cutting when problems start creating heat the quality of the board reflects it.


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## Nate1778

Jealous in Kentucky............


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## TexasTimbers

Jeffery, Wood mizer recommends a gap of 1/16" between the flange and back of the blade. Working on memory but I think that's right. It's important to find out what your manufacturer recommends. You can have too much also.


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## joasis

I just noticed your mill is opposite of mine in operator station. I stand on the right side of the head, and you obviously are on the left.


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## jeffreythree

Yep, I get to walk through the sawdust. I have seen quite a few mills set up this way. Ignore where the log and head are placed, that was just where I stuck that log to get it off of the ground the other day. Dead, dry cedar is nice because I can just carry it around:icon_smile:.


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## Daren

jeffreythree said:


> Yep, I get to walk through the sawdust. I have seen quite a few mills set up this way.


That is the way my TA Schmid is also. No walking in the mud after just a few cuts :thumbsup:, just sawdust I keep back dragged with my skidsteer.


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## jeffreythree

Think I got the band issue solved, but gonna take some fiddling with every band replacement. Finally took a pic of the bookmatched cedar boards and opened up a cedar elm just for grins to see what something other than limb wood looks like. Cedar, if you look close you can see the pith is less than 2" from the outsides of the log and the 45 degree angle cut on the bottom was actually level with the ground when the tree was standing:








Cedar elm, pretty two-tone and the light color has stayed on the one in my garage that has been air drying for 1 year.


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## Nate1778

Still jealous in Kentucky............


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