Thanks for the video. I am on the bandwagon saying you probably need to adjust the tracking of your wheels on your saw, and your guides if you are having problems with the blade wandering. I run an WM LT45hd with 25hp and cut a lot of dead standing burr oak and black locust. My max board width is 24 inches and I try saw everything to max width. I use mostly 1.25 inch blades with a thickness of 0.045. Thicker blades will break before they wear out unless you have big band wheels. It's frustrating to throw out premium blades because they broke on the second sharpening. If my saw is properly adjusted and I have the right tooth angle and set, I will cut perfect boards all day everyday. If my blade wanders I change the blade. If it still wanders then I check the saw guides to ensure they are keeping the blade dead level. If the blade still wanders, I adjust the wheels back into alignment. A good cheat for a slight misalignment is to increase the set on your saw teeth to give the band more space to pass without rubbing the wood. On my saw, when it is well aligned, I only need 20 thousandths of set to run true. If I am just a little out of alignment 30 thousandths is fine. Woodmizer sets their teeth to around 32 thousandths and I set mine to 25-34 thousandths when I sharpen. Also, tooth angle and gullet size is super important for hardwoods in my experience. I prefer 7 degree with a large gullet. WM 747 blades cut fast and straight. If you are cutting very difficult logs then 4 degree blades are best, but you are going to cut a lot slower. I would avoid 9-10 degree blades. The 1.5 inch blades have more beam strength, but is not needed on my saw for 24 inch cuts unless you use bands with a large gullet. For large gullet bands 1.5 inch is better because the teeth are so much longer. Example WM 747 blades are better with the 1.5 inch width. Also, if you want your band to last a long time. Provided you have already aligned your guides and wheels. First,the band should stay clean while being used (very important). If your blade is not staying clean, spray it with WD-40 or diesel in a squirt bottle every minute or so while it is cutting to clean it off. Second, don't use non hardened blades they wear to fast. Use induction hardened blades as a minimum. Bimetal blades last even longer and are probably even more cost-effective (if they are not to thick causing them to crack early) unless you hit metal. If you are going to hit metal then just use induction hardened blades. Third, try to avoid dirt and sand. Sand in the bark will wear your blade out faster than anything (excepting rocks and metal). Something else to consider. If you are not using guide rolers wit bearings you are going to have a difficult time sawing straight lumber. Rolers push the blade down slightly to isolate the cutting part from the vibrations of the wheels, and give the blade strong support without causing friction. Guide blocks can not push the blade down slightly to remove vibrations from the band wheel without rubbing the blade and also are more effected by dirt and pitch on the blade. Good luck with your sawing and keep your wheels and guid bearings aligned!
Hi would you please describe with a short video about how you had to widen your blocks for these better blades ? and if you want a sharpening video would be helpful
I run a 30hp diesel mill and use .42 1 1/4 blades which cut great and straight using all the power the diesel has. most times 600 to 800 bf, 10 to 15 smaller logs or a couple of big 350 bf logs. The best thing you could do is get rid of those ceramic guides and put on some roller guides from Cooks with 1/4 down pressure. 1 1/2 .55 cost way too much and will break way sooner
Just bought a woodland mills 126 and will be delivered in sept. Going to build a off grid cabin on my property using pine off the property. Thanks for the info on the blades
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. I can relate 100% to everything you said. You really hit the nail on the head for me. Been going nuts trying to perfect the levelness of the mill, only to be disappointed with waves and varying thickness from the beginning to the end of the slab. Let me ask you, do you find better results with silvertip or double hard blades on the turbo 7s?
Thank you for the forthright thoughtfully put together lessons learned bro-han! I just put together my HM-122. Very impressed. It is a robust machine. I know I am a real greenhorn, but I am like a sponge and should ramp up quick in this swim lane as has been my custom in life. I ordered a bunch of RIPPER 37 Blades from the UK. I will start off with the factory blade and then move on to the R37. I will be cutting mostly Yellow Tulip Poplar and Pine. I am going to build my Saw Mill Shed first then a Post and Beam Garage. I am always engineering it in my mind and drawing/drafted to scale these two structures. I could not be more excited about something! :)
Hey, how did this go for you? Which blades do you like best? Putting together my HM122 right now and curious what you have found out in the last two years since you got yours. Thanks!
Don't own a mill ...just watch a lot of saw milling videos.... just noticed how many reply's to questions in your comments section . Thanks for taking the time to reply . Learn a lot.👍😁😀😎
I have a woodmizer lt27 and i ues woodmizer blades and i cut up to 20 logs before changing blades with 1 1/4 blades.If I dont hit any rock or dirt I cut for 2to 3 hrs before changing blades
Check your mill for cross alignment, I have a Woodland HM 122 and it was out quite a bit. If you have a tensioned blade on the wheels and you turn the wheels backwards and the blade trys to run off the back you have cross alignment. It actually causes a twist in the band blade. A wider thicker band will mask the problem. I was the sawyer at a mill that ran a Sanborn with 5" bands, had wavy cuts, turned out to be cross alignment. On horizontal bandmills the tracking (tooth over hang from the front of the wheel face and back overhang) is adjusted on the horizontal alignment of the wheels. Cross alignment is corrected by the vertical alignment. Another check is with a tensioned blade on the mill take a 1' level and check the vertical plumb of the wheels. If the bubble is different they are cross aligned. It's adjusted similar to blade alignment. Take your guides off the mill. Put a tensioned band on. Check wheels with a level vertically. Adjust the alignment bolts on the top and bottom of the driven pull til they are plum with each other. Also the belts and bearings in the wheels must be in good not very worn condition. Count the flats as you go as a reference. Just like adjusting the alignment back the tension handle off one turn before adjusting the bolts. Then tension to spec, turn the wheel forward (cutting direction) then rotate it backwards, when correct the band with remain in position and not move forward or rearward on the backwards rotation. Now if the wheels when plumb with each other are not level with the sawmill log bed that can be adjusted by the wear slides that the head moves up and down on. I am probably clear as mud trying to explain this. If it doesn't make sense I'll try to explain it better. Kevin Also I'm not saying a wider thicker gauge band isn't better, the more metal to resist the forces the better. It's just the thicker wider bands can mask the underlying problem that causes poor performance.
The small blades I used cut fine but was not very durable, the biggest problem I had was hard woods like hickory it would cut them but I would have to change the blade pretty much as soon as I cut one hickory log. Your right about the alignment but when it comes to performance of blades in my opinion the turbo7 out performs any of the small blades that I have tried especially in durability. I’m not sure a hm122 would run the thicker blades because the blades are shorter so it may make the blades to stiff to get them cut that short.
@@TheOutdoorsGuy the thicker gauge would be tight on the small wheels of the 122 for sure. I understand the durability issue I wasn't disagreeing that point, just that the wider higher gauge blades can mask alignment issues. I'll say the Woodland mill has the best assembly manual for a mill I've seen. Operation and tuning of the mill not so much. The tech department said they'd rather have someone call if they have issues...
Well said ,I pay 24.00 a blade from an old Sawyer who has a sawmill and I found the only problem I noticed was the sawhead was losing tension because it only tightens with a Jack bolt so until I can fix a hydraulic tensioner I just make sure of the tension every cut and everything stays true
thanks so much man. i had the same problems and really hope these blades do the trick !!!! i did subscribe and will come a patreon( if these blades save me money you might as well get some, Right?) are you able to order online and do they deliver in canada. im cutting alot of cedar, any tips.
I’m pretty sure u gotta call and order they are some great people I’m pretty sure they will deliver anywhere! Thanks for the subscribe I appreciate it very much! The blades are great they are the only thing I run now
Do you have the 14hp Kohler on your hm126? I was looking up these blades and wood mizer suggests 25hp+ for the thicker .045 and larger blades and also suggest higher HP for anything over 1¼. Obviously you're having a good experience with them on your hm126 which is the same mill I have but just wondering if you put a bigger motor on it or if you experienced it bogging too much in wider logs? Can you confirm the thickness and width? Video mentioned .055" thick by 1½ wide. I've used Lenox and WM 1¼x.042" blades and like you said, ~3 pine/cedar logs out of them before they dull. Little more from the Lenox than the WM but have been curious about trying something different. Ours has the 14hp kohler. thanks
Where did you order. How many teeth per inch? Juniper is really hard equipment. 1 1/2 x 144. Harbor freight sawmill it was used, didn’t have a engine when I bought it, but $1200. I have a 10hp electric start for free. Works well for me on pine. Just looking for blades hold up to juniper. Thanks for info, anything could help at this point. Fifty logs 8-10ft long fifteen to twenty dia.
I just subscribed to the channel. Interested in the blade supplier info. My mill uses 177 ‘’ blades. Definitely looking for a good blade supplier. Thank you for the information
When you use the wider blade( 1 1/2") do you keep the teeth proud the same amount as the 1 1/4" and let the extra hang out on the back of the wheel 1/4". or is it split 1/8" + front and back. thanks
I just left my bearings set where they were and let the bl;ade stick out. they have worked great since I made the change he recomended. Woodlandmills HM130
Great video and information, Ive owned my 126 for about the same time frame and cannot get the waves out. I like my woodland but frustrated on the cut. Planning on ordering those blades you recommend
Really great video mate, I have suffered from waves cuts and have tried to stay on top of all the other ‘setup’ aspects, but still have issues sometimes with Aussie hardwoods. One question I had was about blade position on the wheels, they recommend the back of the blade is just flush or slightly proud of the back of the wheel, in your experience was this the same for the wider blades or did you need to increase the overhang of the blade?
My HM 130 and I are not getting along well. I hope this helps. I will order some tomorrow. . Every time I fire it up I am nervous and tense. Is the blade going to fly off and break some teeth? Is it going to dive? Not enough water? Too much water? It knows I am afraid of it - like a horse. I saw black walnut, oaks, hickory. I have some great boards to show for it but it seems like I struggle more than most. Glad to hear you say your WM gives you some challenges. When I call them, they act like I am the only guy with challenges. Thanks!
Tension and your guides should be all you ever mess with after it's set up right. Tracking is a finicky thing but if set up right it makes a world of difference with day to day sawing.
loosen the bolts on your carriage. all the ones on the big black brackets on each side . shake the hell out of your mill roll it back and forth and re tighten.
I like your video " I'm a Cajun man from da Louisianne my frand ! I just bought me a 126 ' I love it ' i'm from around Lake Charles Louisiana ' we got plenty of trees to mill here ' 2 hurricanes a month apart ! Oh Yeh .
There number and the names of the blade is in the video description. I’m not sure u would have to call pipers and see if the blades would fit I know they can cut them any length u want
That's good to know. I have an HM126 Woodlander and I will give that a try. Do you know if i can still sharpen them with my 1.25" WM sharpener and tooth setter?
I also just got my woodlands mill 126 and the book that tells you how to put it together, well either I’m missing pages or doing something wrong cause a lot of the book don’t tell you how to completely put it together, and I couldn’t see where you got your blades from or site
I have a 126 also and I agree. The lennox blades aren't what I was hoping they would be. I bought 4° blades from Kasco and I will say my little mill has come alive. That little 14hp feels so much more capable in large hardwoods and there is no comparison. I'm not knocking on lennox, they make an awesome blade, it's all about the grind profile and tooth set. Lennox should of suggested to woodlands a different blade configuration altogether. I had no idea just how that issue affected performance. I assure you it does.
I'll never buy another lennox woodmaster blade ever again I tried dozens of lennox blades and they are poor quality They almost never have the correct set
@@joshuaadams7618 no, I use 1 1/4" .045 blades. Plenty of steel to sharpen when I can justify buying or building a sharpener. There comes a point when Hp lost becomes a thing no one wants to waste. As these little mills sure have value they are a bit short on hp to drag such a large blade. I almost want to see what effect an even smaller blade has to offer compared to what I currently use. So this is my opinion take it for what it's worth to you.
Hey man thanks for the video, I am definitely feeling your frustration. I’ve been sharping and setting my own blades with little success. In my neck of the woods it cost $15 to have blades sharpened and set “professionally “, plus shipping. That kinda makes milling inefficient cost wise.
Hey thanks for the tip, I ordered the blades because of the waves in the wood, do the wide blades sit the same as the 1-1/4 flush on the back of the wheels or do you push them back a 1/4”?
1.5in 0.55 steel does cut flatter but you gotta have the extra HP to pull the coil stock. I run 2in 0.55 on a large 70hp bandmill and can cut flat even in large live oak. Truthfully, many smaller sawmills don't have th hp to pull 0.55 coil stock. Price also goes up exponentially when you graduate from 1.25 up to 1.5 or 2in stock. Munksfur makes the best quality coil stock for the price. Just my 2 cents.
I can't tell a diiference. My 14 hp HM130 does just fine wiht the 1 1/2. The teeth are the same and that is the only thing that produces drag for the engine to power. You don't need a bigger motor - Just better blades!
Great video! Thanks for sharing that information. I have an HM122 and mainly cut red oak. I use a good steady flow of water/washer fluid and go slow on anything over 10" wide. No problems with the 1-1/4" blade but minimal lube will cause me to have a wavy cut. Also, I cut mainly in the fall/winter so the operation does run cooler anyways. For this machine with only a 7hp engine, I think a 1-1/2" blade might be pushing it over the edge. The HM130 appears to be a much bigger machine that can handle the 1-1/2".
It wasn’t clear how you were sharpening and setting your blades, when you said you got 3 logs from a blade. I will say that the stock hm126 blades, which I believe are Lennox blades, sharpen just fine, but you can’t really set them, so you’re limited to a few light sharpenings. If you’re getting that much wave there are two things to look at - sharpness and tension. Even with the stock blades I only ever got waves if I let them get dull.
Thanks for the insight on the blades. Are you finding that stepping up to the inch and a half blade on your wheels if they are braking quicker? If you could what size wheels are you running? Any insight you have would be helpful to me. Thanks.
Thanks. I’m in the middle of building a sawmill and I have 18” wheels. I’m wanting to run a 1 1/2 blade but I’m reading 18” radius might be to tight for a that size of blade. So I was wondering what size wheels you have and if it has been an issue ? Thanks
@@TheOutdoorsGuy Would have been helpful if you mentioned the torque change in the video. it makes sense that thicker width and thickness of the blade would need less tension. How did you come to the 16 lbs. conclusion? did you start at 25 and lower gradually. What made you lower the tension. BTW this is a great video with excellent information. Also maybe show what yoiy did with the guide. Thank you.
@@chasjacks9378 to be honest I use to hand tighten every blade then check it with a torque wrench and 16 lbs was the average so I stuck with it and it’s worked perfectly for me and at the time of this video I hadn’t purchased a torque wrench
I presume that you've accounted for all other variables in the setup of the sawmill to conclude that the 1.25" wide blade is the culprit? Ie blade tension, sharpness, tracking, etc
Pitch and set very important also. I have Doug Fir and Western Larch, Lodgepole Pine, Spruce primarily, and occasionally White Birch. Factory blades from Norwood, Woodmizer and others do not cut as long as Custom ones from a local Saw Specialist, which are quite reasonably priced. Good Video. Thanks.
I have been thinking of going to a wider blade on my msg ,and for my 1 1/4 blades I pay 24 .00 so 18.00 a blade would be a god send I'm sure the bigger roller guides are a little spendy but I'm sure it would work out in the long run.i scribed to your channel so I could get more info on this,which might help me out since I am making an extension on my mill so I can cut 20 ft. Beams
just was on the website for the turbo 7 blades and they want 0.055 x 1 1/2 x 144;739° $27.09 is that right you were saying 15.00 am i on the wrong path
