Sawmill

[RivennHewn]

how do you stop it when it’s done for the day?


Several of my gas power tools stop by grounding something, do you have a stray ground? One was a stray wet leaf near the spark plug.

“Fuel-Safe” fuel shut off valve.

 

[RTM]

Do you turn it off on the rewind too? Is there a clutch ?


Looking at a manual for a Kohler Command Pro 14hp engine shows an on off switch on the side of the engine

 

[RivennHewn]

Do you turn it off on the rewind too? Is there a clutch ?


Looking at a manual for a Kohler Command Pro 14hp engine shows an on off switch on the side of the engine

No on/off switch on mine.
See pic below .
Fuel shut off valve “ Fuel Secure “

I Just read this regarding clutch

 

[RivennHewn]

Is my eye off, or is this a weird color?

 

[PugetDude]

Does it taste chalky?

 

[harley jim]

Looks like it has condensation in the oil, keep it outside? or in the cold? Short runs on a cold motor wont drive the moisture out of the crankcase, it will look like creamy coffee.

 

[RivennHewn]

Looks like it has condensation in the oil, keep it outside? or in the cold? Short runs on a cold motor wont drive the moisture out of the crankcase, it will look like creamy coffee.

It’s outside, with lots of short runs.

Wonder if that is what caused the sensor to fail. If it is the low oil sensor.

 

[RivennHewn]

Does it taste chalky?

The wife says No

 

[harley jim]

It would be a real good place to start.
Could be a corrosion thing. Those short runs cause lots of issues like that.
Back in the day I pulled wrenches for a living, saw a lot of Ford vehicles suffer with that problem, some were as thick as cake frosting!

 

[RivennHewn]

It would be a real good place to start.
Could be a corrosion thing. Those short runs cause lots of issues like that.
Back in the day I pulled wrenches for a living, saw a lot of Ford vehicles suffer with that problem, some were as thick as cake frosting!

I remember pulling the cap off my old ford, and it being covered in coffee yogurt

 

[RTM]

No on/off switch on mine.
See pic below .
Fuel shut off valve “ Fuel Secure “

Your second pic was not loading last night. Per a Kohler page, your Fuel Secure is a switch and valve in one piece. So you may want to poke there to see if it is grounding your ignition / spark if you have enough oil in it. But yeah, that oil looks ugly

• 
  Fuel Secure Auto Fuel Shut Off (Fuel shut off and ignition kill in same lever)

 

[RivennHewn]

Your second pic was not loading last night. Per a Kohler page, your Fuel Secure is a switch and valve in one piece. So you may want to poke there to see if it is grounding your ignition / spark if you have enough oil in it. But yeah, that oil looks ugly

• 
  Fuel Secure Auto Fuel Shut Off (Fuel shut off and ignition kill in same lever)

Thanks for the link.

I’m looking at this as an opportunity to better learn my machine. Never been a small engine guy, and those I have owned were old technology, so getting some help here is appreciated.

 

[RivennHewn]

Besides not being a small engine guy, I’m also not an electrical diagnostics guy.

Had to poke around online a bit today - feel free to check my approach.

With the engine flushed and maxed out with oil,
the float on the sensor should be up, not making contact. So, if I put my continuity tester on the wire and the block, I should not have continuity.

The meter just reads 1. If I had continuity, it should read close to zero. Something like .02.

Which, I believe tells me that it is not the low oil sensor.

Whatcha all think?

I also put a tester on the plug , and got no light.

Meaning no juice to the plug.

 

[RTM]

The meter just reads 1. If I had continuity, it should read close to zero. Something like .02.

Which, I believe tells me that it is not the low oil sensor.

not a small engine expert either, but

1 on the meter means open circuit, off scale high resistance, did you test oil sensor when empty for continuity?

I forget how the plug works, but won’t be continuous connection to the plug, it has something that turns it on at the right point in the piston stroke, hoping one of the small engine people step in and tell you how to test that.

Somewhere on that oil sensor circuit are other devices that all ground to kill the engine. Your off switch should also be grounding and ungrounding when you move it, which is why I was focused on it (it’s not a fetish, honest). Other safety equipment like motor guards, blade guards etc should also kill it when removed. (History from a branch shredder, the snorkel sensor wire failed)

 

[harley jim]

When you touch the two leads together on your meter, that shows continuity, when you seperate them that reading shows full resistance.
From the engine block to the wire you want to see full resistance, or, an open circuit.
If it shows continuity when you touch the wire and the block it tells you it is grounding out your ignition. The same theory will apply to the wire in your fuel shut off. I believe most small motors work on this principle, grounding the ignition will kill the motor.
That's the best my brain will allow! Hope it helps.

 

[RivennHewn]

Thanks again for input.

I didn’t test before I filled it. Should have.

There aren’t any safety stops on the mill.
Once you release the throttle, the blade stops pretty quickly, and doesn’t move at idle.

Ran out of daylight, hoping to do some more head scratching tomorrow, if it isn’t raining.

I did find a pick of the oil sensor, looks like it mounts from the inside out

 

[harley jim]

I am a lurker on some racing lawn mower groups, one of the first mods they do is to open the engine and remove that oil shut off and of course, the govenor!

 

[RivennHewn]

I am a lurker on some racing lawn mower groups, one of the first mods they do is to open the engine and remove that oil shut off and of course, the govenor!

Something like this?

 

[glennm]

I believe there is a safety switch that cuts off the motor on the blade housing? You most likely checked that but just in case I thought I would throw it out there.

 

[LXCam]

If that’s a one wire sensor it grounds out the ignition when it does it’s job properly. Just leave it unplugged and see if she’ll run. If that’s it, looks like a suckass job having to replace it.

 

[RivennHewn]

I believe there is a safety switch that cuts off the motor on the blade housing? You most likely checked that but just in case I thought I would throw it out there.

Glenn,
I looked again, and no safety switch on the housing. There are no wires that leave the engine.

 

[RivennHewn]

If that’s a one wire sensor it grounds out the ignition when it does it’s job properly. Just leave it unplugged and see if she’ll run. If that’s it, looks like a suckass job having to replace it.

Cam,
I tried unplugging the low oil switch, and no change.

I pulled the cover off and checked continuity of the switch and wires of the fuel shut off. All seems good here.

I’m still thinking it’s the coil, so I started looking at it, and decided it’s time to take it to a Kohler Authorized tech. I don’t feel like pulling the whole thing apart to get to it. I need to check, but I’m sure it’s still under warranty.

No point in me voiding it

 

[PCustoms]

Did you check this switch is functioning correctly?




Seems you correctly have the fuel, and the micro switch, in the OFF position.

 

[RivennHewn]

All happy now.

 

[LXCam]

Good for you, now WTF is that?. Looks like a capacitor to me.

Whatever it is, you should pay homage to it and mount it over your fireplace as it gave it's life to save your engine

 

[RivennHewn]

Good for you, now WTF is that?. Looks like a capacitor to me.

Whatever it is, you should pay homage to it and mount it over your fireplace as it gave it's life to save your engine

Had an interesting morning on the Kohler phone tree and website.
Typed in my zip code in the Authorized Service Provider finder.
Got shops all over the West coast(including Canada).

Called the closest ones. One isn’t a shop, and had never sold/serviced Kohler. More interesting was a couple that no longer do warranty work for Kohler, something about never getting paid.

Finally found a shop in Oak Harbor. Had me diagnosed in about 30 seconds. He referred to this little silver box as a trigger switch. If I understand it right, the sensors go through this switch which does the actual grounding.

Per his instructions, I bi-passed it, and the thing started on the first pull!

Kind of an expensive little ******, but I ordered it through him. Might have found it elsewhere cheaper, but he provided great service. I don’t mind paying for that.

My day got even better when new blades showed up early, and I got to sweat it out for a bit in my kiln.

 

[harley jim]

Something like this?

Something like that but not quite! I would drive that in a minute.
Did you ever see my shopping cart, not as fast but still fun.

Glad you found the problem with your Kohler, happy cutting.

 

[RivennHewn]

Something like that but not quite! I would drive that in a minute.
Did you ever see my shopping cart, not as fast but still fun.

Glad you found the problem with your Kohler, happy cutting.

I remember your cart!

I tell myself that if I ever get a chance at an old International Cub Cadet diesel, I’ll jump on it.
Hasn’t happened yet, so the fact that my wallet is empty hasn’t stopped me yet

I’d love to turn one into a trailer/crawler. Looks like fun!

If I call it a log puller, can I write it off?

 

[RTM]

Finally found a shop in Oak Harbor. Had me diagnosed in about 30 seconds. He referred to this little silver box as a trigger switch. If I understand it right, the sensors go through this switch which does the actual grounding.

Per his instructions, I bi-passed it, and the thing started on the first pull!

Kind of an expensive little ******, but I ordered it through him. Might have found it elsewhere cheaper, but he provided great service. I don’t mind paying for that.

You are going to take that little Devil apart and see what’s inside, right? Or try to get Kohler or the mill company to reimburse you for it, then take it apart?
Glad it’s fixed, and we can go back to living vicariously thru your efforts.

 

[Firstram]

If it runs without it, why bother installing the new one?

 

[harley jim]

I remember your cart!

I tell myself that if I ever get a chance at an old International Cub Cadet diesel, I’ll jump on it.
Hasn’t happened yet, so the fact that my wallet is empty hasn’t stopped me yet

I’d love to turn one into a trailer/crawler. Looks like fun!

If I call it a log puller, can I write it off?

The status of our wallet has never factored into the formula of whether we can justify the purchase or not,
(The Gentleman's creed)

 

[RivennHewn]

The status of our wallet has never factored into the formula of whether we can justify the purchase or not,
(The Gentleman's creed)

Modus operandi

 

[RivennHewn]

If it runs without it, why bother installing the new one?

Just want to keep my warranty

 

[RivennHewn]

You are going to take that little Devil apart and see what’s inside, right? Or try to get Kohler or the mill company to reimburse you for it, then take it apart?
Glad it’s fixed, and we can go back to living vicariously thru your efforts.

Just might have to open it up, if I can find a can opener that small

 

[RivennHewn]

Finished up the last of the cuts of the treated pole.

Time for a major clean up.

I have the option to go get a couple more lengths of it, but it’s just to much clean up.

Think I’m going to pass.


I also passed on an order for 750BF of Hem/Fir.

The timeframe was to tight for me to pay for/pick up logs, and get them milled.

Passed it on to another guy, who has a more flexible day job, and logs on the ground at his mill.

Maybe next time

 

[WisJim]

This thread about your sawmill reminds me of a friend from about 40 years ago that decided to build a new house. He bought a used sawmill and a 20 acre piece with lots of pine suitable for construction lumber. He sawed almost all the lumber used in his house and sold the land for a profit when he was done.

 

[RivennHewn]

This thread about your sawmill reminds me of a friend from about 40 years ago that decided to build a new house. He bought a used sawmill and a 20 acre piece with lots of pine suitable for construction lumber. He sawed almost all the lumber used in his house and sold the land for a profit when he was done.

That’s how ya do it right!

 

[RivennHewn]

Sett’n up for a little siding party.

I had a Grizzly Rebel router table. Loved it, but it was getting trashed from riding in the back of the truck, getting left out in the rain, general abuse.

I sold it, planning on buying a new one. Went to Grizzly, and the price had doubled.

So, I’m using a cheapo plastic Husky that’s trashed from riding around in the back of the truck, getting left out in the rain, and some general abuse.

It’s gonna work, and I’m going for a rustic look, so no need for ultra precision

 

[RivennHewn]

Today I got home early enough to start the edge detail on the shiplap siding, only to find that a lot of it had bowed. Had to re-edge them on the jointer, then tablesaw them parallel.

Then, I got to give my Husky router table set up a workout.

Pretty happy with the outcome.

Hoping to get the backsides all coated tomorrow.

I still had time and energy to set ablaze a lot of smaller offcuts and scraps. It’ll be nice being rid of it.

 

[RivennHewn]

A friend of mine decided to show off his sense of humor, and his Photoshop skills



And I did get the backsides coated