Paul Garrity has been sawing logs for over 28 years. His present mill is a Woodmizer LT-40-HD and it has made a workhorse for a very long time! Paul shares some great tips on mill maintenance that has helped him keep sawing and reduce the amount of downtime:
The most important maintenance tip of all is keep any metal-on-metal parts greased, oiled or lubricated. Sawmills don't make good lawn ornaments; they need to be used regularly and kept lubricated.
Next - Sawmills produce a lot of sawdust. Keep air filters clean and sweep off excess sawdust.
Thirdly - Always cut with a sharp blade. Replace blades sooner rather than later.
For more information about Paul Garrity's business or to contact him with questions, please visit the website >>
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Jim Hart
Brookside Farm
Sawmill Services
Scottsville, VA
Jim Hart from Scottsville, VA is another veteran miller with over 27 years of experience. Jim's present mill is also a Woodmizer LT-40-HD and it has sawn a huge number of logs! With his almost three decades of experience, Jim has some great tips on mill maintenance that has helped him be productive and greatly reduced the amount of downtime:
1) In order to cut well-manufactured lumber, you need
to have your mill properly aligned. Often times your owner's manual will have a good procedure for aligning the mill. Follow that procedure whenever you suspect a problem with the alignment on the mill.
2) Engine maintenance: oil changes and air filter changes (per manufacturer recommendation). If your mill does not get run regularly try to use a non-ethanol gas and a fuel stabilizer. This would be if it sits for long periods of time (i.e., more than a month or so).
3) Another item to keep check on is the greasing of all the grease fittings at least every 30-40 hours run time. Automatic transmission fluid is good for lubing chains and other metal surfaces to help keep corrosion to a minimum.
Check out Jim's Facebook page to learn more about his business >>
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Manufacturers Guides
to
Sawmill Maintenance
Beyond the great advice of the two experienced sawmillers, most all of the major portable sawmill companies offer great on-line guides with maintenance information for all components of the sawmill system. A couple of the companies ask you to "request" a service guide but they are still available at no cost.
Following is a listing of maintenance guidebook links for the more popular sawmills, click on the company name and it will take you to the online resources:
There are also numerous YouTube videos on sawmill maintenance and repair hosted by both the companies and owners. All you need to do is search based upon your make and model. You will be amazed at the wide variety of topics that are covered!
