Secret Sawmill Upgrade - The Best Thing You Can Do! Don't believe it? Watch This! at Hobby Hardwood

[@TheOldManAndTheSaw]

NOW I understand why your drawback fingers work better that everybody else's!! GREAT idea; simple but great. Thanks, Dave

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes, it's a very simple idea but amazingly effective.

[@thekiltedsawyer]

Guessing Nathan will be doing this soon!

[@andrewlewis9300]

Your idea of "slow" is a LOT faster than what I consider cutting slow! You are cutting much faster than I do with my LT15 Wide.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I had an LT15, it's was a good mill. Thanksfor watching!

[@s.mullarkey7851]

I just want you to know how much you are helping me to understand sawing. I'm building a mill and you have saved me from many mistakes I could have made.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

That's great!

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

nice job Robert, I need to add those to my 70,

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Bring yours down, I'll weld them up for you.

[@allenvinson]

Awesomeness! Mr. Robert

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks!

[@johnschuster9192]

Great tip! Thanks for great sound on the video...I didn't have to strain to make out the words...

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks, trying to get quality sound with all the background noise is very difficult. I appreciate that you mentioned it.

[@johnschuster9192]

Wowser! really slick on the board drag..The crotch pieces that are split would make a top to a side table..cut in the cross pieces then epoxy with clear...I can see them now..Thanks so much..

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks!

[@d6c10k4]

Drag-back mod works really nice! If they haven't already, WM should steal that from you. Amazes me how fast the LT70's cut. My old LT40 will do about 25% of that speed. Been working on it to increase the band tension, which helped. Should upgrade the guides too, and I need more HP!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

They are aware of he shoes, but I can't understand it either, other than they are worried about infringement issues. My LT-40 was a pretty fast mill, also, but it took months of tweaking to get to hold power and cut straight. Keep at it, it will cut very fast once it gets dialed in.

[@mikepruitt5997]

Love the drag back....il be putting some on mine ...

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

It will significantly increase your production.

[@mikepruitt5997]

What the purpose of the swinging fingers

[@ArrBee6]

Yes it ia a big thing, thankyou

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks! Yes, I wouldn't own a mill that I wouldn't put one on. It's that good!

[@bryanbradford2742]

Awesome!! Now I just need to buy an LT-70 and I'll be ready to go😅

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I built my first dragback for an LT40, and many people use them now on all different brands and styles of mills.

[@erickdanielsson6710]

We could use some of this Rain Now in July.

[@smity7096]

I like that idea. My 40 super Diesel needs this soon.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Once you do it, you will wonder whey they install them as standard equipment.

[@KPVFarmer]

Thank you

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

You're welcome

[@truevinetoday1398]

Looking good

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks 👍

[@allenvinson]

Rain or shine it's sawing time!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes it is!

[@thekiltedsawyer]

Good morning sir, I was wondering when you were doing a band change. Are you able to rotate to the other end of the mill to operate? Thanks for your time and knowledge about milling and sharing those with us!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes, with control system I have, I can put the control console at any location, front, back, or even off to the side 20 or 30 feet away. It uses a cable to communicate with the mill. I like it where it is because I can see the band where it enters the mill, and that gives me the most information on the cut. Thanks for watching!

[@roxannemccarter8974]

Amazing 🤩

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks 🤗

[@BenedictSawmilling]

Love this idea. Curious: Did you take the dragback fingers off the mill to weld, or did you weld them while they were on the machine? Thanks!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I took he arms off, welded them and reinstalled them. With all the electronics on the mills today, I hesitate to ever electric arc weld on it, for fear of having a stray current or weak ground fry something. These these things really work, and significantly improve the performance of the mill. I was so used to them on my LT40, when I got my LT70, the Woodmizer guys even mentioned I wouldn't be able to do the same thing, so they are aware of there mod. After about 5 minutes of sawing with the LT70, I was getting very frustrated, couldn't stand it anymore and welded them on.

[@Z-Bart]

Y'all being from Alabama...you ever run a Cooks Sawmill?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I've never run a Cooks mill, but I have run and owned other Cooks equipment.

[@andycobbcobbbroslogging7125]

Impressive! AC

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks!

[@austindicus4746]

How many oak logs can you saw on a blade before changing it?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

It depends, but about a thousand bdft and its starts to get replaced. Sometimes as low as 300 bdft.

[@TheOldManAndTheSaw]

What blade do you use for oak?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I'm using .055 x 1.5 Woodmizer Turbo 7 in Silvertip, not Double Hard, which is counter to the current WM propaganda. I've kept lots of these "little secrets" close hold for awhile, but I thought I would start letting them out to the people who might be able to use them.

[@TheOldManAndTheSaw]

@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama It would be a great idea to explain this secret in a video. There is a big difference in the cost between the Silver Tip and the Double Hard. Thanks.

[@johnclark5153]

I have the LT40 wide with 38 hp engine. Would it be better to run the same blades as you? Breaking issues? Currently run the turbo 747. I cut oak, maple, poplar and pines. Thanks Robert for a great video.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

That's a great idea. In short, Silvertips are designed for high speed re-sawing in clean wood. The tips are hardened once, the bodies are not. Doublehards are also hardened but are much more brittle, and work harden and fracture more quickly. So they will work better in muddy logs, but are not an advantage in clean wood. In fact Silvertips are designed to have a longer flex life, so will actually last longer in clean wood. However, with any blade it's important to use the thickest possible, to increase beam strength and sawing speed.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

That's a great idea. In short, Silvertips are designed for high speed re-sawing in clean wood. The tips are hardened once, the bodies are not. Doublehards are also hardened but are much more brittle, and work harden and fracture more quickly. So they will work better in muddy logs, but are not an advantage in clean wood. In fact Silvertips are designed to have a longer flex life, so will actually last longer in clean wood. However, with any blade it's important to use the thickest possible, to increase beam strength and sawing speed.

[@benrudman3917]

Man if that’s sawing slow on white oak I have been sawing at a turtles pace!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

You ought to see me cut a soft wood, such as basswood or similar. The LT-70 really flies.

[@ozarkscarguy540]

Same here. Idk if I've ever been able to send the Lt50 through a log that fast.

[@gregm312]

those feet lookeg like 1in squares ?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

1" x 5/8" to make the lip. It doesn't have to be exact, it just has to be there.

[@bilcoferentine3567]

It's been raining ninety percent of the time all by science control .

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Is it as wet in the summer as cold in the winter?

[@WilsonForestLands]

People say wow at the wood I cut with my LT15. I say wow at how much faster your 70 is than my 15.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I had an LT15 many years ago. It was a good mill, but it couldn't cut quite as fast as this one. I've done videos where I was on pace for 1,000 bdft per hour with our Super 70. Thanks for watching!

[@ozarkscarguy540]

There are days I'd rather run a lt15 than the lt50. But our 50 is pretty much wore out and I work on it more than I use it. My point is the 15 is still an impressive small machine.

[@chris3m98]

Sir, I'm going to send this to Outdoors to the Morgans for their knowledge. Mike is getting a new sawmill soon, his current mill is sure outdated. I'm 89 years old & just watch youtube videos instead of TV.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

That’s fine, it is a huge upgrade for such a simple device. I’ve done it on an LT40 and also an LT70.

[@trailrider0194]

I liked the way you invited your viewers to stop by. I was subscribed to another channel that I really liked until that person made a couple of videos telling his viewers in no uncertain terms that he did not want anyone stopping by his place and he would not take calls. He even went as far as to say he may only read the first few comments maybe. I know there are some commenters that will give you a hard time but watching those videos made me feel like I was intruding on his personal space or something. I had never made a negative comment on any of his videos however I simply commented that I wouldn't watch anymore to which he replied "Thanks videos like this separate the wheat from the chaff". Rude person!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Ultimately, we own a sawmill and lumber production business that makes the occasional video, trying to teach people things. I enjoy milling and enjoying talking to people who also like it. We are not a video company who sells videos and never has to interface with the "customer." Big difference. I appreciate the comment, and feel free to drop by. Robert.

[@taftamick54]

If that is cutting slow then show us what fast is... Holy crap I thought that thang was flying through that oak...

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I was just easing through it, white oak is pretty tough. When I'm sawing fast, I get done with the cut before I even get started! Just joking, and thanks for watching!

[@integr8er66]

Sure is funny what people call pretty these days. I would be very unhappy if somebody sold me boards with a big defect down the middle like that. 😁

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

We don't sell it to them, they buy it. It's a big difference. They have the choice of buying the highest grade, zero defect cherry in the country from us, basically perfect boards, and they also have the choice of buying these, with a beautiful full length crotch feather down the center of the board. It's the customer choice, no different than buying FAS or burl, each has its own customer base. Obviously these weren't sold as FAS and better, but they were sold within a couple days of putting them on the sales rack. Unlike some companies, we let people have the complete freedom to buy exactly what they want and for the project they have. That's why we are in business, to give customers a choice and to buy what they want as it suits their tastes. Thanks for commenting, and your log cabin looks great.