hey, cool! Are you just freehanding those planks?
Yes I am actually. Those are the nicest ones I've done yet, out of the whole shed's worth. I've got some poplar I did that's 1/2" on the ends and 3 1/2" thick in the middle, pretty hideous looking ! But those cedars, man, they were nice. Between 1/2" and 1 1/2" thick on all of them, I did one that's got about 1/2" difference from thickest to thinnest !
Amazing the difference a ripping chain makes. I believe that's the reason the other batches I did were so crooked, the standard full comp chisel can cut circles if you want it to. The ripping chain is at LEAST twice as fast, maybe more. I did one cut on a plank that was 12-13" wide, and 13' long, almost full length with a single tank of gas. 3 weeks ago I was into poplar half that thick, refilling on an 8' cut, so there's a huge difference there. I can't believe that there's that much difference in wood density to account for such a difference, there's gotta be something with the chain as well. I've got some more to do to finish the shed, so I'll know more this week or weekend coming.
I've heard about a guide you can buy for a saw, that allows you to adjust the depth of your cut, just some rig you bolt onto the saw. Anyone heard of such a thing ?