Csm

[clintb]

A little more progress on my experiment. I'm thinking about making a cart at the other end of the bed with a 5hp engine driving a 10 or 12" circular saw blade. I'm thinking of cutting a slab off with the chain and then make either 2 or 4" cuts spaced for the boards that I want, then cut off with chain. Will a 5 hp run a 10" blade or maybe 2?

 

[woodshop]

Interesting... you are going to rip the boards to width down the log, and THEN come along with the csm and slice them off, making several boards at once? Do I have that correct? As for whether a 5HP will run a 10 or 12 inch blade, sure if it's geared correctly. Most 10" cabinet table saws are only 2 or 3 HP motors, and they can rip 3 inch thick no problem with a good quality sharp blade.

 

[clintb]

I have no experience milling lumber,but that's what i'm thinking, either cutting 2" or 4" deep and then cutting them off with the chain. That way I won't have to roll the log and try to keep it square.

 

[woodshop]

I have no experience milling lumber,but that's what i'm thinking, either cutting 2" or 4" deep and then cutting them off with the chain. That way I won't have to roll the log and try to keep it square.

I guess I'm not quite understanding what exactly you are planning on doing here. Why would what you are doing keep you from "rolling the log to keep it square"?

 

[davvyd]

I am really not the person to offer advice on this...so i wont. I just wanted to say I have no idea what you are planning on doing with that, but if you built that, it is really cool. I assume that the blade glides along the rails much like a band saw mill. is that correct? good luck. wish i could help more

 

[clintb]

Just like those swing blade saws, where you keep cutting of the boards until it's all used up without having to turn the log. Except have a horizontal chainsaw driven by a 16hp engine on one end of the tracks , and on the other end a 5 hp engine driving a shaft mounted 10" circular saw blade, making the vertical cuts.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

That way I won't have to roll the log and try to keep it square.

TURNING the log is how you end up with "quality lumber" instead of just a pile of boards!!

Rob

 

[clintb]

What makes quality lumber, like I said I've never sawn the 1st pc of lumber? Is there a search word or term on this site that will explain it?

 

[aquan8tor]

quartersawing is what you need to know about. I'm just getting into milling myself, so I'm not going to offer too many words of advice yet. As far as the circular saw blade, it sounds like you're talking about running an edger before the saw is actually cut up. Cool idea in theory, but on the curved surface of a log, you're not going to get down into the wood much at all unless your gearing is to the outside, which might make gearing awkward. I really like the idea of having the edger on the same carriage--you still can make the edges square afterwards, just by putting your newly cut planks up on something to keep them off the metal. cool design.

 

[aquan8tor]

even though you've already got the sawmill part under control, I'd suggest getting a book or two about seasoning wood, etc. I got a couple from amazon before I bought my saw & alaskan;
wood and how to dry it, by taunton press-fine woodworking, and the proper conversion & seasoning of wood,.
both were less than $20 and more detailed than I even wanted to know;

they explain what to look for in a log, and what happens to boards made from trees that may have had a pronounced lean to them, or had a lot of growth stresses one way or another. A good read for anyone trying to get some info.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

What makes quality lumber,

When you saw through and through, you are takeing what ever is there, BUT if you turn the log as you saw, you will see that most times the boards from a different side will be of MUCH higher quality... Maybe they will have much better color, better figure in the board, or "that" side won't have knots in it.... Maybe turning the cant will put the knots at the "edge" of the board so they can be "edged" out?

Turning the cant, always takeing the best boards possible will give you MUCH higher quality boards that are worth more if you choose to sell them. If your going to build furniture with them you have less waste, much better looking end product, and boards with LESS stress in them so the product last longer.... They will also dry straighter and flatter.

Now, you need to learn to read the log to see what side is the "best" side to open first!!!

Rob

 

[woodshop]

I agree with sawyer rob... being able to "read" a log is the key here. Takes years of experience and lots of mistakes. More expereince and mistakes than I can say I have. I have gotten to the point though where I often know what NOT to do in situations. Aquan8tor gave the best advice, get a good book on milling and drying wood like the one he suggested. I myself learned a lot from that very book. Hoadly's "Understanding Wood" is also a good one that I pick up and read over and over. Their section titled Water and Wood is one every woodworker should read and then read again. Jump on Amazon.com and do a few searches on the above titles or author, and you will find them.

 

[smithie55]

wood and how to dry it, by taunton press-fine woodworking

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...180036631400&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=008

 

[Ianab]

I run a swingblade mill, and although you dont turn or move the log, you adjust your sawing pattern to get the best recovery. I can cut an 8x1 board, or a 1x8 board, depending on if I want flat or q-sawn. I can take some q-sawn boards and some flat sawn boards from the same log and change the dimensions I'm sawing to work around defects and make the best use of the log. With a bandsaw or normal chainsaw mill you move the log to recover the best boards as you break the log down.
It's just a bit of a different mind set, but we are achieving similar results.

I'm sure it's possible to engineer what you are thinking off, and I have seen bandmills with edger blades attached. But like the guys say, I dont think it's going to be very efficient, and only being able to cut in one orientation will limit your options when sawing. You are going to have some flat sawn boards and some quartersawn boards from each log, irrespective of what would actually give the best boards. Quartersawing is often not the best way with some species and some logs, where in other logs it may produce the 'best' (most valuable) boards

Cheers

Ian