Greatest Sawmill Secret! - Diesel (In the Lube Tank!) at Hobby Hardwood

[@richardwatts4544]

When the wood is of prime quality and excellently cut, it creates an excellent product. This makes a big difference in woodworking. So glad we found Hobby Hardwoods

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks for the compliments!

[@inthewoods5640]

I run diesel And I love coming home smelly like an Exxon Oil spill ! 👍

[@melissatuason2395]

blah Ha ha ha

[@sambow4u]

Finally ! Someone with some sense ! I even Mix a Little Diesel with my Chainsaw Blade oil !

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes, its very good for this, Thanks for watching!

[@avoidtheherd7066]

A suggestion for anyone wanting to try diesel for blade lube before committing to the modifications: put some in an industrial grade spray bottle (one that will shoot a narrow stream a few feet) to apply to the moving blade as you cut. This works best with a manual mill such as my WM LX25 where the operator walks beside it, pushing by hand. Holding the clutch in with the same hand you're pushing with can be a challenge, so some sort of quick-release clutch lever could be rigged up. With engine off, I engaged the clutch and wrapped a few turns of single-strand 12-gauge Romex-type at the top of the clutch lever. The wire holds the clutch in while sawing but slides down easily with a quick push to disengage. Not sure this method is suitable for other mill brands. I don't spray any diesel on unless I notice the saw bogging down or noticeable pitch buildup. As the man said, "Don't overdo it."

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Good tip. Thanks for watching!

[@gregm312]

real nice looking boards

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thank you!

[@fricknjeep]

hi there real nice show john

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

[@jerrylittle8922]

Thank you.👍🇺🇸

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Our pleasure!

[@jaywolfe6147]

thanks very good info

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ArrBee6]

Thanks, your telling is much appreciated. Cheers

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Glad to help

[@brenchuckswood3826]

100% agree been using diesel for over a year works awesome.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks for watching.

[@erickdanielsson6710]

Hey Rob, Finally I was able to turn on Notifications. Thanks Pard! Doug As always great video, Audio was good too.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

That’s great. Clean audio is difficult for me, there is always a machine, a loud hum or a diesel in the background. Plus I try to find music that fits the job and the moods. Thanks for the feedback.

[@firewaterfarmsawmill]

That’s all we have ever used is diesel. We also spray it on the rails of the sawmill sometimes when sawing real sappy pine. We would probably fry our fish in it if it wouldn’t taste funny 😂. Great video man keep them coming

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks. You are right, it would be very hard to get the diesel aftertaste out after eating deep fried diesel fish or chicken.

[@TedAlexander24]

Your videos truly keep getting better every upload. Very glad that Nathan Elliott mentioned your channel some time ago. I milled pecan today and have a few more days to go. I have a dehumidification kiln and wonder if you have any tips for drying the pecan. Air dry to 20 MC? Do I need to dry slow? Thanks for the videos!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes, air dry to 15% to 18% if possible, 20% is OK, but getting near a threshold in pecan where you may induce stress when you remove the bound water. Then set to 110/98 until you are at about 13%, or the wood stalls, then go to 120/98 to finish.

[@jimbenton7191]

Spot on! Great advice, sir!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks for watching!

[@PaulWhitedWoodStoneIron]

I enjoy using diesel for sure over water no watery mess all over the boards which isn’t the worst thing when handling them but nice to not have to have wet sawdust hands all the time. And the diesel just keeps my blades nice and slick and clean and not rusting when sitting around either waiting till I sharpen them again. I also use a felt wick to rub the blade and the diesel just drips a bit on it to keep it lubed up. This keeps the diesel to a minimum on my wheels and I have no problems with it sweeping the rubber. Glad to see someone else feeling the same i as do about diesel as a lubricant. Love the videos.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

A wick system is very good, I may try to add that, is would be a good next step. Thanks for watching the videos.

[@PaulWhitedWoodStoneIron]

@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama oh ya. Love the videos.

[@brittcofarms5620]

I enjoyed your video and find that it helps with my sawing, Thanks!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Great to hear!

[@brittcofarms5620]

@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama slowed the fuel oil down to a small drip and was a big help and still keeps the blade clean

[@dee73]

Another great video Robert always learn something when I watch you thanks keep up the good work Buddy PS I found those spiral stickers

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks and that's great, you will like them. A little pricey, but worth it, especially in the hot summer.

[@lornemartin3845]

In most places Home Heating Oil is less expensive and is same as diesel but slightly lower grade. Often less taxes on it.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I'm not sure heating oil would have all the detergents that diesel would have in it, but it might work well. Thanks for the suggestion and thanks for watching!

[@angussmith4305]

Thankyou my ch

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks for watching!

[@WILSON.1]

Very nice. I switched to diesel years ago for the exact same reason, pitch build up on the blade. It makes all the difference. Do you use 1 1/4” or 1 1/2” blades on that big Woodmizer?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I use 1-1/2", .055" bands on this mill. Thanks for watching!

[@kirkswater]

Hi Mr. Milton - great content and production as always! Thanks so much for all you and your wife do. What piece of equipment did you decide to use for Wood Chips and Dust Blower to exhaust the mill?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

We use a pretty nice dust collections system. Here are some videos of the install. Thanks for watching!kzbin.info/aero/PLKWLwjnwxvVqwlkDTzDaIOhT0Nneu9j9q

[@patrickshull4462]

I've never understood the need to be squirting diesel (even small amounts) around my job site when Dawn dish soap has always proven adequate for me.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I've experimented and used pretty much every type of lube and detergent out there, including testing for lubrication companies, and working with competition saw millers. I know saw millers who don't even use lube, but run dry, but they are not creating the level of heat that requires band cooling, they are not sawing pitchy hardwood and not sawing hard and fast, or are sawing the equivalent of balsa wood. The detergent and lubrication required to keep a band clean and cool is a function of the wood being sawn, how hard it's being sawn, as well as other factors. The harder the sawmill is pushed, the better the lubricant and cleaner required. Dawn is very good, but does not work as well as an oil based lubricant and cleaner, whether it is diesel or a water soluble oil emulsion, which I also use. Dawn can be improved significantly by adding a little Murphy Oil Soap to it, or Cotton Picker Spindle oil. Commercial production sawmills use oil because the band and blade need lubrication, cooling and cleaning. Nothing does all of those as well as some sort of oil and detergent mixture. Anyway, to each his own, but if the bands are not shiny clean, and the guide rollers are not shiny clean, then the sawmill is not performing to its optimum, and if the band and mill are not at optimum performance it cost the business money. Thanks for watching!

[@MrGwdvideo]

This was great, thanks for taking the time. I would also like to understand how you stack for drying. What is your recommendation for the stickers, and do you do anything different for harder woods like this video discusses. As always it is a pleasure to learn from you.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks for watching. I change my sticker stacking configuration based on species, thickness, internal stress and its tendency to sticker stain. Lots of variables, but the simplest way is sticker every 16 to 18 inches, with one close to each end, air dry in the shade, and in the summer be very careful for heat induced enzyme sticker stain. I may make several videos on these topics in the future, but it's fairly "dry" and I'm not sure who would stay awake long enough to watch them.

[@MrGwdvideo]

@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama I think we would enjoy a quick lesson in how you arrange. I have seen the one where you make your sticks, and the pallet is genius, so keep it coming. We are all learning. thanks again

[@drycreek3204]

I drilled out my tank and put a threaded PVC fitting in & put a PVC cap on.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

That will work, thanks for watching!

[@melissatuason2395]

One the mill manufacturer told me never to use diesel, but yet all the old timer high production sawyers seem to use diesel only. The man said it could create a fire which is hard for me to believe, because diesel ignites at high compression or extreme heat. Im very new at the game one of the many issues I have is build up on my blade, so I have a question for Mr. Milton. When is water pine-sol dish liquid etc. even worth using ? It its only a drop/4ft of blade travel that diesel will go a long way.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Great comment, and I may do a video on this, way to use soap and water plus additives to at least get a decent band lube and cleaner. You are correct, diesel is used by most commercial mills as a lubricant and band cleaner, but it is a petrochemical so is potentially flammable, however, it's important to understand that very, very lilt is actually used so that really mitigates risk, and certainly, at any sawmill, with all the flammable sawdust and wood chips, fire precautions should always be take. I love using diesel, everything just works sop much better, however, s an alternative, I just did a video using a non flammable water emulsion oil, here is a link, kzbin.info/www/bejne/npyqe2qLasd8qM0feature=shared and I use this a lot as well, it's in my tank right now. It is almost as good as diesel and 10X bette than Pine Sol and water and is labeled as the "Oil that will not Burn, Cotton Picker Spindle Cleaner." . However, when using Pine Sol or soap, keep upping the concentration until the sap finally begins to get cleaned. Also, add some oil to it, such as Murphy's Oil Soap, Available at Tractor Supply, some stuff like that.

[@jeffg.679]

I’m curious if the diesel in the sawdust, on the lot, where the sawdust sits is monitored? Why not vegetable oils?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

The sawdust is sucked up by a very substantial commercial dust collector and is discharged directly into metal bins and sold for various uses. It never touches the ground. However, it's important to note that for all intents and purposes, the lubrication required is so small, that the system is essentially turned off, which is the the goal of this system, as shown in the video. Instead of using large quantities of messy water and detergent such as in conventional sawmill, this uses a very small, minute amount applied directly to the band, and that's all that is required to keep the band clean. No smell, no mess, no issues. Its very clean and closely mimics the lubrication system of commercial saw mills. Vegetable oils work to a point, but they gum up when it gets cold, and carbonize when they get hot, so can be messy. Actually, there are several commercially sold oil, or oil and water based band cleaners used by sawmills, but the only other one I have used that is equivalent to this is Cotton Picker Spindle Cleaner, used for cleaning and lubricating million dollar cotton picker machines. Thanks for watching.

[@mc1817]

Was curious as to how many hours you get out of your blade wheel belts and your roller bearings. . Was told that petroleum products can cause the wheel bearing to wear out quicker and was wondering, isn't it packed in a petroleum based grease? Thanks

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Band wheel belts are disposable, I almost never wear them out, but broken bands will kill them with regularity. So resharpening and reusing bands is a risk, because they have a relatively short fatigue life, and trying to save money by resharpening bands more than a few times will cause breakage, which then trashes the bandwheel belts and wastes time. Typically, I sharpen in batches, and once a couple resharpened bands pop, all get disposed of. I buy my belts off Amazon.

[@rexhavoc2982]

What degree hook angle did you use? Are you grinding or shipping out the blades? thanks.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I'm using 7x39 -1.5inch .055" thick bands. I sharpen and set the bands myself, as I have found that with even minimal effort I can produce higher quality results than any professional resharpening shop I have used, including the manufacturer. I will probably do a video or two on sharpening and setting, I don't know how exciting it will be, but it would be very useful for high quality sawing.

[@johncollins719]

Beats the heck out of cleaning the pitch off a used blade. I Sharpened my own and getting the pitch off was the worst part. I'd fill a utility sink with water and a pound of lye high enough to submerse 5-6 blades. Let them soak 20 minutes and put 6 more in, rinse and repeat. Still after that the bands often needed to be wiped off to get the residue off. No fun. I was aware of the diesel fix but never used it. It would have been cheaper in the long run, and much easier. Got a buddy that has an LT40 WH now, and I need to tell him about this if he doesn't already know.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes, diesel is that good. However, the biggest mistake I see is using too much. If you can smell it, then it’s too much.

[@newtonframes]

I'm willing to mill bone-dry pine logs (debarked!) on my sawmill tomorrow, had previously heard about the diesel but will it actually make a difference on these logs ? My mill setup has two separate lube tanks, I was thinking to try diesel on one and water on the other, they will wash out of the same tube at the same rate...

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Diesel will help if you have any sap residue at all on the bands. They should always be shiny clean, as if they were brand new out of the box, even after hours of hard sawing. Diesel should be used very sparingly, as discussed in the video. Water is a very poor band cleaner, however, with pine, adding a good amount of Pine Sol will help the water. However, nothing is as good as diesel or any other water soluble oil. Remember that "Band Lube" is actually used as a band cleaner. Clean bands cut fast and straight.

[@shawndmiles6747]

Thank you for the information about using diesel fuel. I chainsaw mill so I'll experiment with adding diesel fuel to the bar&chain oil to help keep pitch off the chain. I'll probably use mixture in the auxiliary oil tank.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

We used to chainsaw mill, its very hard on the blade and the chain will dish it out where the center of pressure is, so is it very important to keep it well lubricated and cutting straight. Thanks for watching!

[@johanneslaxell6641]

There is a manufacturer in Alabama (if my memory serves me right) that use felt wipers and recommend diesel, one drop per second through the sight glass... The name had something to do with food: fry, boil, cook or something like that. It was no bakery 😉🤭😅.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yeah, I know them. Diesel is generally regarded as the best lube for sawblades.

[@fallentreesawmill5126]

Not speaking ill of other saw miller youtubers but watching your operation and several others that are professional operators there is a huge difference in the production you guys get and what I would call a hobby sawyer, which is where I would probably fall. However if I want to get better I'm watching guys that do it for a living. Not saying I don't watch sawyers of all levels, I do and learn something new every day. Even if its sometimes what not to do about the only person that can't learn something new is the one that already knows everything 😀. Not sure if it was on this post or another but you mentioned running a shorter belt. Do you mind telling what brand belt you run and length shorter than factory. My mill runs a B-57 and I think the manual calls for a Gates. It looks like Woodmizer now sells Goodyear supposedly made to there spec don't know if thats true or not.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I appreciate it. I watch videos too, all the time, I learn something new very day. Sometimes...I get belts from NAPA, local farmers cooped, etc as well as WM, and I run a half an inch shorter. They should be slightly tight on the rim, not slack. The main thing is to find the ones with the flat top, many have a slightly rounded top.

[@JerryTip]

Robert how do you keep your blades Rust Free? I see you have alot of blades outside most of the time and I live in the south too. The moisture has been killing me if I don't use a blade for a few days. What's the secret?? Thanks for your hard work!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

The key is using an oil based lube, and before taking the band off, let it run a few seconds getting sprayed by the Lubemizer or drip system, to give it a good coating of oil, and it will not rust.

[@JerryTip]

Thank you Robert for taking your time to answer my questions, I truly appreciate you, your hard work, and your plethora of knowledge!

[@trunkmonkey427]

Do you think jet fuel would work similarly (I might have access to it for free)? It is closer to kerosene since it doesn’t have as much additives in it as diesel. I understand we are talking in the PPM quantities, so I have to imagine it would be at least very similar.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I wouldn't use it, it has a fairly low flashpoint, and I have no experience sawing with it so don't know if it would clean the bands anyway. Diesel is generally accepted across the industry as the best band cleaner and least dangerous. Manufactures such as Baker, Cooks, etc use it routinely, so it's odd that WM prefers soap and water, but the industry uses diesel, not kerosene or jet fuel.

[@trunkmonkey427]

Thanks for that, I honesty did not consider the flashpoint. If not for this I probably would have tried it eventually. With that, I’ll stick to generally accepted lubricants. Thanks again!

[@fallentreesawmill5126]

I want to try diesel after watching this. I have used detergent and pinesol and still get pitch build up. Do you have to have a pressured system and a needle valve to get a consistent application? Can I just use the gravity fed set up that came on my old LT40. Concerned that just a drip on the blade would not cover the blade like a spray head that pulses by a timer, am I over complicating this? I've seen some videos where others are using felt to wick it on the blade but looked like it made a mess of collecting sawdust. I saw where you started using diesel when you had an LT40 did you do any modifications? Again great information and along with that comes newbies "how be it and 69 old newbie" asking you a ton of questions.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Gravity works OK, because only a drop every few seconds is all that is needed. You may have trouble slowing it down enough or controlling the flow. Droplets are fine, as long as they hit the band just before the band roller, which will roll over the droplet and flatten it out and spread it across the band. A wick world fine also, but I never used one. The real issue is that the amount required is very small, so if your place smells like diesel spill, you are using way too much. Most people use WAY too much diesel.

[@mc1817]

When I said that about the petroleum causing things to wear out, I was referring mostly to the seals.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I'll get several hundred hours out of the bearings, they will last much longer with diesel as a lube, vs water. As a matter of fact WM recommends squirting some ATF onto the bearings at the beginning of the day. The seals do leak some, and even if they didn't, water vapor will condense inside the races, so it's important to keep them lubricated even though they are "permanently sealed" because they are not.

[@mc1817]

@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama I've asked woodmizer too and told me NOT to squirt ATF on them because it would shorten the life of them by wearing out the seals. They also say not to use diesel because it'll take the paint off the mill. . On the other hand, I see people like you and other Sawyers I know, who have actually used these mills, who have learned by trial and error. . A sawyer I've known for years also uses diesel and I don't think he'll use anything else. . It almost seems as if woodmizer is getting something from promoting dawn and pinesol. . Thanks for the reply and thank you for the videos.

[@homemademeds1164]

That’s it I’m switching to diesel! Did your mill come with “hydraulics everywhere” feature or did you add a second contact strip?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

My current LT70 has engine driven hydraulics anywhere, my older LT40 I converted to hydros anywhere by running a power line so I didn't need a second contact strip. Hydros anywhere is a game changer!

[@dklancar]

Hi. Did you notice maybe that wheel belts gets demaged because of diesel? I have used diesel for a while but my blades were falling out of the wheels. If I use water and detergent this never happened.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes, when I couldn't turn the flow down low enough. Rubber swells when it gets in contact with oil, so its important to get the oil reduce to a minimum. I see to cut a belt every few bands I break, so I replace them pretty often anyway, so they never really get a chance to get damaged by the oil. However, if a belt is suspect, I will take it off and put on a replacement and in a couple weeks the belt isn't swelled anymore and I can reuse it. Also, with too much diesel, the belts get too slick and if the tracking is off just a bit, they will have issues. Also, as much as I hate to admit it, WM blades are not always welded correctly, with enough camber, so they will try to dismount anyway, and with a slick belt, they may. BTW, I also don't use WM belts anymore, I order mine off Amazon, and they are less expensive and just as good. I have also dropped one belt size, I like the belts to run slightly tighter.

[@zakbrinkhoff324]

​​@@HobbyHardwoodAlabamado you notice less jumping over knots with a tighter belt or what is the reason

[@oknean]

@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama What belts do you buy from Amazon?

[@TheRedhawke]

Really enjoy all of your videos. Where do you find those long pallets to stack lumber on ? I watched your video on drying lumber and have not been able to find those long pallets or wide weed fabric like you showed.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks for watching. Like most things, we were never able to find exactly what we wanted so we have to make our own. If you will notice, there is no bottom in these pallets, because when they are stacked on other stacks, they would trap moisture and cause sticker stain. Another very good topic fora video, and one of my sayings is "Good pallets make good lumber." The fabric is a canvas tarp from a local store.

[@TheRedhawke]

@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama would love to see that video and the details of how you build those drying stacks and the type of canvas you make the covers from.

[@johnkoehler4834]

Does the diesel mix with water?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

No, just use it straight, and only a few, couple drops per cut.

[@larrybourne8430]

Robert, I have an LT 40 but not with the lubemizer attachment and I tried but couldn’t get diesel to drip correctly. I called the Woodmizer service number and was told that I probably ruined the solenoid in the drip system. Does this seem reasonable to you and do you have other thoughts? Thanks

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

That’s typical Woodmizer trouble shooting, I love their equipment, but their problem solving skills are more of a replace everything sort of strategy. Solenoids are pretty hard to mess up, I had a LT40 with drip system and I used Diesel and it’s doubtful your solenoid is ruined, at most a 50 cent O ring may have swelled and may be causing problems. As a general rule, if a solenoid opens at all, and closes with no drips its working, and the problem lies elsewhere. If it opens and only drips slowly then the solenoid is fine, and it’s a clogged filter screen or line issue. There may be an inlet screen on the solenoid that needs cleaning. The Butyl or rubber O rings that Woodmizer uses are the least expensive and compatible kind, they should be using Viton, which cost about a penny more. Actually, I only lost one solenoid, it was due to freezing. Also, isn’t there a filter or screen between the tank and the solenoid? I don’t remember. I would pull the solenoid off, clean it and test it by putting voltage and air pressure across it, (not too much). I would bet it’s a filter or line issue, even the little filter screen at the tank fitting clogs quite a bit. it’s the one that looks like it should go on a garden hose.

[@larrybourne8430]

@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama Robert, thanks so much for your assistance. Also enjoy reading your comments on the Forestry Forum! Take care.

[@willcoe8419]

I'm a new subscriber , I've used diesel for years but I never get 800 board ft out of a blade. What blades do you use?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I do not use WM Double Hards anymore, I have switched over to custom made bands from SilverTip resaw stock and use .055 x 1.5 - 7 x 39. I can get 600 to 1,000 bdft per band routinely. If you have a debarker, you should be able to get that. However, blade life depends on many things, most importantly is blade alignment, including roller shoulder scrubbing, lubrication, and even sawing speed as the faster a blade is fed, the cooler it runs due to the water in the log.

[@willcoe8419]

@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama thanks for taking time to reply. I use a cooks mill made in your home state. No dedarker. I do get several sharpenings on a blade but cut through dirty bark a lot.

[@matthewhaaland4004]

I could never get the water/detergent mixtures to work very well. I tried diesel and I’ve never turned back.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I agree

[@andrewmabry8995]

Could I just spray the blade from a squirt bottle on an LT15? Squirt every few feet?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks what some people do, but it’s hard to keep doing it year after year. Some people also build a wick wiper, where felt pads about where the blades guides will wipe fluid into the blade. It only takes a minimal amount, but the smaller the amount applied, the harder it is to apply it evenly across the blade.

[@oldtimeycabins]

I use water with pinesol

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks for watching!

[@robertmurphy5573]

Robert, is this 100% diesel? And do you have a video on making your pallets?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes, straight diesel. I haven't done a video of us making the pallets, but that is a great idea to put on the list to do. They are crucial to making straight lumber.

[@royramey5659]

Dosen't the diesel stain the wood?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

No, there should never be so much used to do that, it should be applied so slight that it would be no different than wiping the band with an oil soaked rag to slick it up, a couple drops per cut. If you can see it, smell it, or notice it, then way too much is being used.

[@Toonseskat]

Add a pint or so of automatic transmission to a gallon of diesel, works even better!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I'll try that, thanks!

[@nonickname6985]

i only use diesel for all woods i stopped using soap

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yep, it works great. Thanks for watching!

[@integr8er66]

Man, I can't imagine smelly oil all over my mill, drive wheels, and ruin the awesome smell of fresh hardwood. I just can't imagine this for anything but firewood

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Me either! I said many times in the video "If you can smell it, if you can see it, if you can tell it's there, you are using too much." Woodmizer is just about the only production sawmill in the world that recommends flooding soap and water as a lubricant and band cleaner, while the rest of the lumber production world uses a super light coating of oil on the blade, either through wick or drip. That was kind of the whole point of the video.....I don't think I'd like the smell or taste of deep fried chicken cooked in a 5 gallon bucket full of PAM, but a light spritz coating on the frying pan is about the best non stick coating around. Same with using oil on a band blade. If you can smell it ...I won't say it again...yes I will....if you can smell it, if you can see it, if you know it's there, you are using too much. Do you know who I learned it from? The professional and legendary Competition Sawyer, Earl, at Woodmizer, years ago.

[@tracymiller833]

Diesel over $5 a gallon...Your crazy...There is gotta be a better (cheaper) way...

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Let’s see, $75,000 for the mill, $85,000 for the tractor, $30,000 for the dust collector system, up to $1,000 per log, depending in species, $45 per band, two bands a day, 6 gallons ($30) of diesel in the engine per day, and maybe 2 gallons ($10) of diesel for lube in the tank per day to keep my bands sawing straight and clean so I don’t make a bad cut and ruin boards. Yep, you are correct, I am crazy.....but I was hoping no one would notice :). Actually, and unfortunately, band lube is one of the least expensive things of the whole operation, but every dollar counts these days, so I certainly get your point. Thank you for watching and commenting.