Best angle to slab hardwood with csm

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

benberg

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
Oct 29, 2015
Messages
11
Reaction score
4
Location
muswellbrook nsw
I've started doing some slabbing with an MS880. Mainly ironbark and different hardwoods. Haven't tried any softwoods yet.

Question I have. Is there an optimum angle to slab at with the csm relative to the direction of cut? Ie. Is it best to try to get the saw at as much angle as possible to cut more with the grain rather than straight across it?

Cheers
 
I've started doing some slabbing with an MS880. Mainly ironbark and different hardwoods. Haven't tried any softwoods yet.

Question I have. Is there an optimum angle to slab at with the csm relative to the direction of cut? Ie. Is it best to try to get the saw at as much angle as possible to cut more with the grain rather than straight across it?

Cheers
I deal with two angles as much as possible. The angle of the log off horizontal for the gravity assist in feeding downhill. Which can be enough at the beginning of the first cut with fresh sharpened chain. When the cutting edge starts dulling I've been known to turn the bar from 90* with length of log to an angle that the motion of the chain cutting helps to push or pull the csm down the guide (usually ladder 4 me) to minimize the need of my pushing the csm thru the cut.
Pictures exist of BobL. sitting in lawn chair a couple metres to the side of a csm slicing downhill on a wide log. Some day such luxury may be mine (-;
 
This has been discussed a few times.

Angling the bar does indeed line up the bar with the grain theoretically making for an easier cut but it also makes the cut longer so the two effects usually cancel each other out until you reach really high angles requiring the bar to be nearly as long as the log..
For example even with the bar at 45º you are still cutting half cross grain and half noodle,s but the length of the cut is now some 40% longer than straight across the log.
If you are not convinced try timing cuts.

The belief that this might help comes about because (especially newbie) CSMers often start a cut at an angle and feel how easy it is (remember its not cutting as much wood) but before they reach full cut width seesaw the bar the other way so they never mill across the log at full width.
This seesawing is not usually faster and can also lead to a poorer finish because the seesawing effect slightly twists the mill in its frame and will produce an uneven finish.
There are a few times when I do seesaw towards the end of a long wide cut, not for speed but to take some load of the powerhead as the chain gets blunt.

In terms of finish, it's usually better to stick to one angle and apply firm constant pressure all the way down the log. If possible I don't even stop add wedges etc which s why I use the log rails for every cut - then the wedges and hammer can sit on top of the previous cut and the mill slides over them because its on rails.
 
Thanks fellas. Makes sense! I guess it all comes down to feel of how much load is on the saw and how well its cutting too. In softwoods where a big saw can power through and pull the chain across a wider cut having the saw on somewhere around a 45degree angle might work ok. But not for hardwoods where it already works so hard to rip through.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top