10-30 Lucas

**Sigidi** · 28th March 2010, 11:01 PM

So I'm totally ashamed and if it wasn't for makin sawdust today, I'd have to think about not calling myself a sawmiller anymore...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
But I got to make 10" vertical sawdust today... Here’s the proof...

And here is a pic of the ground to let Carl know I got some of my own sawdust now – thanks anyway mate...

So I sliced up 3 smaller logs today, 2 of which where 1.7m (5’8”) and 1 was 2.2m (7’4”) I finished the day with

• 8x2 2 at 1.7m long,
• 10x1.5 3 at 1.7m and 2 at 2.2m
• 10x2 1 3 at 1.7m and 1 at 2.2m
• 6x4 2 at 1.7m and 2 at 2.2m

Total sawn volume of 0.5175 cubic metres from 1 cubic metres of log and it took 1.3 engine hours to slice, tail and stack myself

So that works out at 0.77 log cube per hour (geese, I hope that will be good enough for the Festival sawmilling competition

)

I found a heap of difference with Bo Derek as compared to Larry, some I think are fantastic, others I can see I have to adjust some old habits to get used to...

The first habit I’ll need to adjust; how I line up the vertical cut for the next layer, the new aluminium gearbox totally cuts off any line of sight to the blade from standing in the operators position, you can easily see it from behind the perspex safety curtain, but I think this habit will get broken pretty quick.

Second thing I will have to get used to is the ruler on the endframes; I like how Lucas have added a cable tie so the ruler doesn't ‘slide’ down the pipe when raising and lowering the rails, but the ruler is only 10” long, over my time milling I have gotten a habit of dropping at least 1” lower than the measurement I want and then wound up to the measurement, therefore taking up any slack in the winch and chains. So when doing a full 10” vertical drop I have to be careful not to drop the black plastic indicator off the ruler and possibly lose my place.

Third habit to get used to, the swing handle catch; once today, I didn’t fully engage the swing handle behind the catch for the vertical cut, I was doing a 2” vertical and before I realised the saw had pulled it’s way down almost 3” in an arc as the blade generates so much force the gas strut can’t hold it. With my model 6 I just used to swing it and let it go half way through, then the strut had enough strength to hold the blade in the vertical position, but the model 10 has so much more power I have to get used to making sure the swing handle is engaged behind the catch.

Yeah I know I’m rather picky and the above are all things I just need to break old habits with, new owners won’t know the difference and therefore won’t need to break any habits...

So here are the things I think are terrific differences over the two models and 6 years;
The yellow handles and ‘wind down’ sticker on the winch’s

The yellow handles make it a bit easier to see and although I didn’t do it often, on my model 6 I did smack my head on the handles a few times – nothing to create brain damage before anyone asks.

The carriage brake, has been modified...

I tried it a couple of times at various different track angles, tried fiddling with it while trying to push the carriage along the tracks, it sure does a good job holding the carriage and doesn’t look like it will ‘open’ like the older version could have.

Another difference which showed it’s colours was the anti bounce strut...

It’s quite simple really and I’d think it could be useful on all models if it can be fitted. When using the model 6 and doing a full depth vertical cut, there was a probability of the carriage ‘bouncing’ it’s way through the cut, I learned to do different things to settle this down when using the 6, such as having the logs close to end frames, applying pressure to the top of rails or altering pull speed to ease the bounce, but with the strut in place and doing a 10” vertical cut I found it great, I could get stuck into the cut and not worry about the blade bouncing and making marks on the next layer, no more messing around with how to ease out the bounce. You do have to be steady on the last 12-18” before exiting the log as the strut is no longer in play, but I’d rather take care of the last 12-18” of the log and leave the strut to do the rest of the log.

Having bright yellow paint on the end frame stays...

Helps to show up the stays much better even in the fading afternoon light, just an added thing to help make stuff visible I suppose and the red and yellow marking on the end frame bottom rails helps to make them more visible too, but I think these bits will not last long. I’m not going to get too precious with mine, the end frames bottom rails are in the dirt and often covered in sawdust, so if it doesn’t last long, I don’t think it will matter.

Also I did notice the end frames stood taller than on the model 6, so I won’t have worries about duckin my head under the top rail anymore.

Well I hope you all liked my afternoon playing with Bo Derek as much as I did.

**Woody60** · 28th March 2010, 11:07 PM

Very Good Alan - what does you wife think of the time spent with "her"?

**Sigidi** · 28th March 2010, 11:41 PM

I've cashed some good will cheques today, now I'm gonna be saving up the rest for my 4 day milling 'holiday' at the Ultimate Steam Festival

I think by the end of the day Wifey wanted me to stay out milling, as I kept coming in saying hey come have a look at this...!

**pjt** · 29th March 2010, 12:51 AM

Originally Posted by Sigidi

I think by the end of the day Wifey wanted me to stay out milling, as I kept coming in saying hey come have a look at this...!

LOL

yeh and see what I did here, and this bit, and let me tell u about this, eyes glazing over, I have to pee she says as she rushes off.....

I know what u mean, Al

Pete

**tlbsg** · 29th March 2010, 02:06 PM

and its about time you can do what a peterson mill can do

**charlsie** · 29th March 2010, 08:53 PM

allan,one thing i do is put a black texta mark on the outside of the clear plastic to line stuff up and whoever banged their head on the wind handles? personally i hate it when you haven't got a proper hold on them and release it and cop the handle on the back of the hand ouch. anyway like others i supose I'M JEALOUS have fun cutting all those stair treads and stringers

**funkychicken** · 29th March 2010, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by Sigidi

The first habit I’ll need to adjust; how I line up the vertical cut for the next layer, the new aluminium gearbox totally cuts off any line of sight to the blade from standing in the operators position, you can easily see it from behind the perspex safety curtain, but I think this habit will get broken pretty quick.

Line it up before you lower the mill

**weisyboy** · 31st March 2010, 09:32 PM

Originally Posted by funkychicken

Line it up before you lower the mill

but u cant see the blade 4 the cast aluminium swing frame.

not a good design idea there.

**funkychicken** · 31st March 2010, 09:46 PM

Originally Posted by weisyboy

but u cant see the blade 4 the cast aluminium swing frame.

not a good design idea there.

You can see it when the blade's horizontal

**weisyboy** · 31st March 2010, 09:49 PM

i wouldnt know.

i line up in horasontal as i can see where the blade has gone as it leaves verry slight sawmarks.

allan are you trying to line it up in verticle you idiot

**Stumpkicker** · 31st March 2010, 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by weisyboy

but u cant see the blade 4 the cast aluminium swing frame.

not a good design idea there.

If its not too different to the 8/30, I leave it in the horizontal (before lowering) and you adjust/set your first cut while walking backwards. Blade scribes a faint line and you lock it when you've got the desired depth ie as far left as you have timber. Works better than trying to site it down the blade for me, no bending and quicker. Should keep that quiet till after the 10th.

**weisyboy** · 31st March 2010, 09:58 PM

thats how most of us do it, its amazing how we all pick up the same things when we havent been shown.

allan must be lighining up on the vert.

**Sigidi** · 31st March 2010, 11:05 PM

Well lads, here's the thing....

Charlsie, the plastic 'curtain' on the model 10 has a slight cut out on the bottom right hand corner (as you look at it) on closer inspection, the corner of this is in line with the blade in vertical position, so it turns out I don't need to 'look through' the gearbox/swingframe to see where the blade will be in the vertical position for the next layer, or bend over to sight down the blade or anything like that.

Funky, I do line it up before lowering it, as I am on the way back to lower the 'rear' endframe, this way I'm not doing an extra trip; 1 trip to line up the next layer then another trip to drop the endframes for the next layer.

Carl and Funky, yep I could 'line' up the next layer while the blade is horizontal (from when the last off cut is removed form the right hand side of log) but then I have to flip the blade before doing the first vertical cut on the next layer anyway, also by lining up with the blade vertical I can see exactly where the kerf is going to run and I can squeeze the cut right over to as far left on the face as I possibly can without cutting with wane in the board, it may only give me 3-5mm, but that could be the difference of getting another full width board out of a face.

Stumpkicker, I always line up the first vertical cut with the blade vertical before lowering the rails. If the log is showing tension and rising, I run a trim layer to keep board thickness regular, but otherwise after doing a normal layer, the blade doesn't show any other marks on horizontal.

Carl - yeah I'm lining up on vertical... I don't think the solid Aluminium gearbox is a bad design, I reckon it helps stop a heap of sawdust getting in ya engine (or your starter

) and also stops the odd bits that hit you in the face at times - I just need to re-learn new habits

and I'm having so much fun re-learning them

**Sigidi** · 3rd April 2010, 06:56 PM

Well I got to double my pile of sawn timber with the 10-30 today

Got a few trash logs I can sacrifice to getting used to the new mill... I offered one smaller one to the log gods so I could make minor adjustments to the blade and get the sawmarks the way I like them - I was so excited last weekend I forgot to have a look at how it was cutting until Carl pointed it out to me

Also through the 6-18 into it's new carriage and got it on the tracks with the 10-30 - funny though Larry (the 6-18) created a bit of an illusion and tricked the boss into thinking it was bigger than Bo Derek...

**Manuka Jock** · 10th April 2010, 05:31 PM

Nice garden seat Allan , are ya gonna paint it or oil it ?

Thread: 10-30 Lucas

Thread Tools

Search Thread

10-30 Lucas

setting 1st vert cut on 10/30

Similar Threads

New Lucas

Lucas comes through again

New Lucas Mod.

Lucas woes

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions