Mod to the hand crank on a WM LT-28

[SDB777]

While this probably won't interest too many, some may find it actually useful? If you've ever thought about adding a 12v 3,500lb winch to the WoodWizer LT-28, in place of the hand crank 3,500lb winch....read on.

Guess I should tell folks, the only reason I'm doing this. I've just had my second back surgery in 6 years....and I am reducing the amount of effort required by 'me' in order to keep doing what I like doing! Even going as far to have a reduced rate for customer off-bearing on the mill so I don't have to do much of anything-other then walk back and forth with the mill head(and if I wanted, I could fix that at some point too).




We all know what a hand crank for the WM LT-28 looks like, okay, maybe some don't.....here it is. Unbolted and laying on a brace near the first unmoveable bunk plate.


Not much to look at, but for a healthy fella, this hand crank will load an extremely heavy log. I've personally brought a 32"diameter x 16'long piece(just for giggles, that's WoodWeb calc'd at 5,237lbs) of just dropped Southern Red Oak up the ramps using just this and some much hated bending and cranking in low range.

And this is a photo of where it comes from.


And another shot, showing the placement of what I call the "don't bend plate"(orange piece just in front of the black bracket). This 'plate' keeps the assembly from bending towards the mill main beam support....



The Warn Terra 3,500lb winch arrived! A little bigger then I had envisioned in my minds-eye while clicking on 'add to cart'....but it'll work. Just not in the horizonal I had hoped for due to the planetary gears(bottom of the photo). They would have had to hang to far under the support and thereby interferring with the main beam and mill carriage... So I'll have to mount it just as it is in the photo on the bracket I am making for the mill.



WoodMizer has a 'no weld' warranty. That pretty much means as soon as I touch the mill in anyway with a welding rod....poof, no more warranty. So to get around that small issue(cause my mill is still really new), I am using a 6x6 piece of 5/16ths inch angle to bolt on and then bolt the winch to that. Here's an early mock-up of the angle....



Now the Warn Terra 3500lb is actually sold as an 'ATV/UTV' winch...at least that is the crowd they are after. I can't image needing 3500lbs of winch to get an ATV un-stuck! But I guess if you are that stuck and a couple of snatch blocks on a 2000lb don't get it out....well, I guess it's stuck until the ground dries enough to get a trachoe in after it? The winch it's self is just part of the package...there is a ton of wiring for this thing. It comes with the ability to set-up as a handle bar thumb switch, a wired hand-control, and the solenoid has it's own big pile of necessary wiring. Since I'm not using the 'thumb mount', it can stay in the package.... So what to do with a bunch of wiring? Last thing you really want around a sawmill is a trip hazard(there's already enough). So I spent $7.53 and got this!



Grabbed a 1/4" thick piece of Eastern Red Cedar(it can be pretty), and mounted evrything I was going to need on the board, made a little room under it to hide some wiring.....and BINGO! Got me a self-contained control box.



Got one more mock-up before I drill the last set of holes, and then I'll take all the stuff off the 6x6 angle, soak the angle in some vinegar(to scrape off the mill scale), then shot it with a few cans of black matte rattle can. Wait for that to dry and then mount everything up for good. I am using all grade #5 bolts and nuts, not too sure what WM uses for the bracket mount, but it looked sort of zinc covered(cheap)... Why not #8? Figured I'd rather they stretch some before they snap under strain(and maybe I'd see it before it happened......I'll be watching close on those first bunch of mid-sized logs....really close).


Until next time!



Scott (got some time on my hands) B

[bennybmn]

Looks like a fun project! If you're worried about it breaking, you could rig up a safety chain or something.

[daddo]

You have to think ahead. What happens when you get a thumb cramp and can't push the button?

[SDB777]

daddo said:

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You have to think ahead. What happens when you get a thumb cramp and can't push the button?

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That's an easy one! Call it a day...go home and rest.



Scott (I get lots of cramps) B

[SDB777]

Another day of rain, guess I'll spray another coat of rattlecan onto the angle? Everything is ready to go out there and be put on for 'good', but mama didn't raise a fool....I'll wait for the skies to clear a bit.


Scott (guess this is one of those 'cramps') B

[SDB777]

White vinegar did the trick! Twenty-four hour soak, and the mill scale almost fell off(mill scale is the super hard outside 'crust' from the fresh steel hitting the air 'fresh-from-the-machining'). If I were to have to grind/sand this stuff off, I'd still be working it over. But instead I was able to just use a rag and a wire brush in a few stubborn spots. Wiped it down with some acetone and let it dry.... Since it only rained for a week, I decided to put plenty of 'rattlecan' on it. Ended up shooting five coats on.




Mounted the plate back on the original bracket location with five new grade #5 bolts, and all the extra 'candy' to keep them tight!




The hard part was wiggling everything around to get the bolts to go in from every direction at the same time. I would recommend that if you attempt this, find a few extra hand to get in the way. I ended using blue painters tape to hold bolt/washer combo's in one hole while I worked on another. The most difficult one was the one I figured would be the easiest, and vice-a-viser on the one I thought would be the hardest. While I tried my hardest to keep most of the bolts-n-nuts using the same size socket/wrench, it wasn't to be....the winch has meteric threads(10mm to be exact).





So.....everything bolted down tight, and then re-check everything again. I wound the winch cable back through. Let me pause here, I stated I was going to use the original cable and spool it onto the winch. I did not end up doing that....I spooled the winch line all the way out, and determined it to be too big of a pain in the backside to do that. I ended up taking the pulley under the mill, by the log roller out and replacing the old line with the new. Of course, WoodMizer uses a 'clamped fitting' to hold the hook on....so I used my bigger Warn hook.
Everything is run through the mill the way it's supposed to be! Got the 'control box' out and wired everything-it's all color coded, so I only had to double check three times to be sure things were where they needed to be. Hooked up the 845CCA Deep Cycle, and then plugged in the actual hand controller. It would have been nice to have an extra three feet on wire on the handle control(to use when it's time to place the log roller in the travel location). Other then that 3' there is still plenty of wire to more then adequately see everything that is happening while using the winch. Here is one-way I might end up using this set-up....toss everything on the ground!






Thanks for reading this 'tutorial' I guess, on putting a winch on an LT-28 WoodMizer. I hope someone, someday can do this too!
Oh! Total cost: $475.45(including everything)




Scott (saved $1,024.55_BINGO!) B