Edging slabs

[poleframer]

Carvingmark and I both use carridge type CSMs, others do too. So far I've used a worm drive skilsaw to rip my slabs into boards. Without a clean edge to work off of a tablesaw is kind of a PITA.
I'm thinking of making another carridge or adapting my saw carridge to mount a circular saw in (with an adjustable mount) so I can edge and rip my slabs. Whatcha think?

 

[dustytools]

Cool idea.

Its always fun for me when I try to make stuff and then it actually works when I am done. If you figure something out I would like to see a picture. But in the meantime how about rolling thelog 90 degrees after making your first pass then slab the log? This should give you a flat edge for ripping lumber on the tablesaw.

 

[woodshop]

Like dusty, I try and mill so at least one side is slabbed, thus I have one good relatively strait edge to work with after it's dry. On small logs or those with natural edges, I throw the board on a pair of horses, and either use a jigsaw with a very coarse tooth blade or more often my skillsaw to knock off the edge (bark and or sapwood) before stickering. As for taking that rough board to S4S lumber, the routine is board on jointer one side, thickness planer for other side, back on jointer for one strait edge, then tablesaw to get the other edge. You now have a board that is flat, same thickness and width end to end. A true 1 x 6 or whatever.

 

[poleframer]

I'm off grid. Can't run a tablesaw fer long ,unless I fab a engine powered one. Cheap as I am w/my setup seems to me I can arrange the saw to cut the wood easier than the wood to the saw (didnt really plan on chunks this big when I put it together- they just keep commin!)
Rolling the log 90 degrees would be a PITA on my rig, I think makin another carridge to run the same rails (vertically) might be easier than movin the logs. Could be wrong (I was once-haha). Thanks fer the input.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Although time consuming, I use a piece of Uni-Strut, 10' long as a fence to run the circular saw down both sides.

 

[carvinmark]

Carvingmark and I both use carridge type CSMs, others do too. So far I've used a worm drive skilsaw to rip my slabs into boards. Without a clean edge to work off of a tablesaw is kind of a PITA.
I'm thinking of making another carridge or adapting my saw carridge to mount a circular saw in (with an adjustable mount) so I can edge and rip my slabs. Whatcha think?

Darn it!!!! Now you got me thinking.That would be so easy to build. Well,now I have another project
Most of what I mill I want live edges for rustic furniture. Sometimes I still need to have a straight edge.I use a guide and a circular saw or my table saw,then the jointer.You should see four guys trying to joint a bar top that is 4"X28"x12'long.Good thing I use pine for these!

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

You might be able to rig a second small chain saw to your existing carrage to cut vertically and make both cuts in the same pass. You would want to make it adaptable as possible, though. It could be a lot of effort for little benefit if it's not well designed.

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

These scribbles might help to explain what I said. With your mechanical ability it should be a snap to attach it to your elevating mechanism some how.


You could also straight line a stack of live edge slabs with a beam machine type guide. Just throwing out ideas...

Keep us posted if you build anything.

 

[poleframer]

It could be a lot of effort for little benefit if it's not well designed.

HAW HAW HAW! If you saw my scrap pile of failed projects you would realize how many hours and pounds of welding rod I've wasted, to no benifit, drinkin beer in the shop, not doing what I'm supposed to be doing...

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

HAW HAW HAW! If you saw my scrap pile of failed projects you would realize how many hours and pounds of welding rod I've wasted, to no benifit, drinkin beer in the shop, not doing what I'm supposed to be doing...

Yup, that darn beer has cost me a few hours.

 

[carvinmark]

What brand is that black saw?LOL:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

What brand is that black saw?LOL:hmm3grin2orange:

It's the new poulan- Night Rider!:biggrinbounce2:

 

[TedChristiansen]

Poleframer,

It seems to me that it would be faster to make the first three cuts to get the barked slabs off. Then put the round side down and make boards that are already edged. This is what I do.

I started this madness with a Logosol TimberJig and Husqvarna 385XP in April 2005 and cut quite a bit of wood with it (walnut, cherry, ash, red oak, maple, elm). I just upgraded to the Logosol Woodworkers Mill and really like it. The biggest benefits are its lightweight, not having to push the saw through the wood, and being able to stand up while milling (not on the knees). I live in a subdivision so all of my milling must be done on site.

This is a great forum, I have enjoyed reading these threads immensly! The problem solving creativity is really impressive!

Ted

 

[carvinmark]

Poleframer,

It seems to me that it would be faster to make the first three cuts to get the barked slabs off. Then put the round side down and make boards that are already edged. This is what I do.

I started this madness with a Logosol TimberJig and Husqvarna 385XP in April 2005 and cut quite a bit of wood with it (walnut, cherry, ash, red oak, maple, elm). I just upgraded to the Logosol Woodworkers Mill and really like it. The biggest benefits are its lightweight, not having to push the saw through the wood, and being able to stand up while milling (not on the knees). I live in a subdivision so all of my milling must be done on site.

This is a great forum, I have enjoyed reading these threads immensly! The problem solving creativity is really impressive!

Ted

Thanks for posting and welcome to AS Ted,
Mark

 

[poleframer]

Hi Ted. my scene is pretty primative, rotating the logs in it would be difficult. 'Course a bandmill with hydraulics would be tits, just a few grand out of my boardmaking budget.
Considering how much bend I see in a typical log I work with, I've found that if I put the bow up or down, slab the log, then rip one edge of each slab, then tablesaw to dimension I end up with two cants and a bunch of thin bark strips.
My hippie shack and shed are board and batt, got lots of batts and exterior trim to do so I'm using the top and bottom slabs for that, savin the better center cuts for other work.
I am getting some logs too big to fit (I max at 24") and will probably have to put a big alaskan together to rip them into chunks that will fit, and hopefully get quartersawn wood with straight edges.
Russell

 

[brian660]

hey poleframer how bout a cheap lister engine and a generator, their cheap, simple and run forever, mine puts out an honest 10k watts and cost about 700$ to build.

 

[olyman]

hteres a site www.utterpower.com he sells listers--and the cost of the engine is waayyyyyyyy more than 700--where did you get the gene and engine for that amount--??

 

[poleframer]

hey poleframer how bout a cheap lister engine and a generator, their cheap, simple and run forever, mine puts out an honest 10k watts and cost about 700$ to build.

??? I'm off-grid to boot, run a small hydro for house power, a Miller Legend welder/generator in the shop fer power. Guess where I'm coming from on this is wanting to keep my milling bug inexpensive. Buying too many toys cuts into my beer money. And I just HAVE to use up these piles of junk...er VALUABLE PARTS I've been saving.

 

[Lakeside53]

Straight-edging in a table saw is really simple.

I just lay in an 8, 10 or 12 foot section of 2x6 cedar that is dead straight, then attach the wood to be cut to it with a tab at each end (screwed, clamped, whatever) from the 2x6 to the wood to be cut. Sometimes if the crook or bow is too bad I'll trim it off the bad part by eye with a skill saw. For 8 foot or less, a 6 inch strip of 3/4 ply works great

I do the entire stack one edge first, then I have an edge to work with for the other side for for cutting to width.

 

[clearance]

So you are using a worm drive, they are cool for framing. Can you not just snap a chalk line on the board and cut it, I can cut using a chalkline pretty good, like never out an 1/8, not even a 1/16 if I take my time. Chalkline, like $10 with chalk, try it.