I finally got around to making a setter for the mill... We have a automatic sharpener, but I'm too tight to shell out for a nice setter so I finally got around to making one that will work with the blades we buy. It isn't veristile or automatic, but it will set six teeth at once. I still have to get a wall mount bracket on it and the handles on the top plate to mash the set into the teeth, but I have tried it using a C-clamp and it works so far and everything lines up good. Here are some pix of how it's going so far: 3 on top and 3 on bottom. When the plates get pressed together the set screws push the tooth tip into the 3/8" hole on the opposite plate. The amount of set is adjustable for each tooth. I'm still playing with it to get it dialed in. Here's a video of the spring action of it popping back open after pressing it closed: I'll post some more once I get it wall mounted and press handles on it.
Nice ! I still send mine out for sharpening I have no floor space in the shop for s sharpener and way to busy to add on at the moment JB
It's more of a hobby for me at this time and just make lumber for around the farm and some quartersawn stuff for projects. Maybe when I retire from my full time job in a few years I'll get a little more serious with the mill. I'm just trying to get things in a position where we're kinda self sustainable for riding out retirement... Too many things, not enough hours!!!
Nice, heard pros and cons ( more cons ) on the purchased ones and they are not cheap ( course they a bit fancy in as much as they self index, and that is where the rub comes in ) on semi or full auto units relying on a pusher mechanism there are inherent problems - always been that way whether it be band or circle saws.
Props to you for making that. I hope it works out for you. I have a Woodmizer setter that came with our mill, I have used it a few times but it is such a PITA, and it seemed to make the cut quality worse when I used it. I gave up and found I can get 4-5 sharpenings out of a band before it was scrap (w/out setting). That was good enough for me.
That's about what we get here also, but we hit a nail now and again and that takes the set right out typically. Hoping to recover those bands and get a little more life out of them.
need to set up a dial indicator to see how much you are off setting the teeth. Too much and things will go south in a hurry.
MAF143, I might have a setter from Woodland Mills that I will be selling if you are interested. It is brand new in the box and never used. Not 100% sure about selling it until I get a different one that goes with the sharpener I have on order , as soon as I get the sharpener I can let you know if you might be interested. Can I ask what you have for a sharpener ?
Everything gets mic'ed and the set points are all adjustable to ensure it all will be stable and consistent. I'm pretty intent on ensuring everything gets dialed in so it performs well. At this time I'm targeting .020" set on each tooth and will dial it in to match the factory specs of the blades we buy. We always buy the same blades and convert them from 10* to 7* at the first sharpening. The standard 10* blades are usually much less expensive and easier on the budget. We'll cut some pine or poplar with them stock and only use the modified to 7* on the locust and oak woods. We have the Woodland Mills branded sharpener. It is private labeled and made by another company. I have modified it to have 5 low friction band supports instead of just the 2 metal supports. This seems to assist in smoothing the advancing motion to get more consistency sharpening each tooth. The herky jerky advancing motion was the only real con I found with this sharpener and it seems to work well for us. Again, I'm not a production line, just a simple hobbyist.
I got some time to play with it today. Welded the mounting plate on the bottom plate and handles on the top plate. I took it out and mounted it in the empty side of the woodshed this evening so I can tweak and adjust it when I get some more time. I'm not a very good welder, but it will stick together... It looks like crap, but I'm not a sexy guy as long as it works... LOL
I did play with it and got it working with the set screws about 40 to 45 thousands proud of the plate. I got two bands set and I had to use so much pressure on the handles that they were beginning to bend a little. A friend that is a welder had a Stihl 290 he wanted "warmed up" a little is welding new heavier handles on it for me since my welding skills are somewhat "limited"... His saw got a rework with MM and timing advance and he paid for just the parts. He also pruned an apple tree for us. Hoping to have the setter back together in a week or two to finish up several bands that are needing set. So far seems to work as planned.
