Best speed to enter a log?

[WLC]

Still an utter novice and still learning how to saw on my LT 28.  When entering a log or cant I wind up having more "chatter" marks in the wood where the blade enters the wood.  Any way to stop or minimize this?  Faster entry, slower entry?  BTW, my mill is manual feed if that makes a difference. Thanks.

[Magicman]

Flutter can be affected by less/more blade tension.  I enter the log at sawing speed.

[ladylake]

  I enter the log slow as most that I saw are hardwood and dried out on the ends which makes tough sawing for the first 6 inches.  Steve

[LeeB]

I enter at only slightly less than sawing speed and ramp up as soon as the blade is buried.

[bandmiller2]

I'am never in a rush and mill at a moderate rate, I will slow down when coming into knots or notice the band starting to dive. I enter the log the same speed I mill the rest of it. Frank C.

[Dave Shepard]

I enter at only slightly less than sawing speed and ramp up as soon as the blade is buried.

This, usually. It depends on species and quality. Clear red oak or black cherry and i can fly.

[4x4American]

I enter at only slightly less than sawing speed and ramp up as soon as the blade is buried.

This, usually. It depends on species and quality. Clear red oak or black cherry and i can fly.

Same.  Except if I'm sawing a really wide piece of hardwood then I'll enter two bits more slowerer just for fun not for serious

[Lumber Grader]

You should be able to enter a log at sawing speed. There is an article written about this. It is called, "Are You Ready To Saw Production". It is written by Tim Cook, an owner of Cooks Sawmills. They are one of the FF Sponsors, so all you have to do is click on the link on the FF to their website and they have some great articles written by Tim or either his brother Steven. These guys know their stuff and the articles are their free to read and will help you in the daily operation of your band sawmill.

[Larry]

When the band hits the log it slows down.  When the band slows too much a wave results.  With a small gas engine the band slows much more than with a high horsepower diesel.  Do what works for you, not what somebody with a high horsepower diesel does.

I hit a 12" pine log fast, today I was sawing 24" white oak with dried out ends....I hit the log slow.

[DYank]

You should only enter a log as fast as she will let you. :D :D

[Peter Drouin]

Around 20 miles an hour. ;D

[fishfighter]

With a small hp mill, I really listen to the motor. That dictates how fast I go in and thru the cut.

[ladylake]

When the band hits the log it slows down.  When the band slows too much a wave results.  With a small gas engine the band slows much more than with a high horsepower diesel.  Do what works for you, not what somebody with a high horsepower diesel does.

I hit a 12" pine log fast, today I was sawing 24" white oak with dried out ends....I hit the log slow.



  I'd like to see anyone with a 1 1/4 band hit a dried out 24" white oak at full speed and not have the band go up or down.  Steve

[Magicman]

I would hate to hit a dried out 24" white oak at any speed.   :D

[Larry]

Wasn't bad at all....it was the nails that were the killer. :D :D

[paul case]

I would hate to hit a dried out 24" white oak at any speed.   :D

When you do that, EVERYTHING says WHOA!

PC

[bkaimwood]

I would hate to hit a dried out 24" white oak at any speed.   :D

I did just last week...heard the drive belt squeal... had to back down...either the belt was givin' or the diesel was givin'...the diesel wasn't givin'...got her sawed, 39" small end, 9 footer...

[OlJarhead]

Hmmm....WM told me to enter slow and turn up the speed once in the log...been doing that a long time now.  Said it was hard on the band to enter at sawing speed but I notice when I'm milling a CANT down to lumber if I enter faster it seems to cut smoother.

Maybe I'll try going in quicker in the future.

[4x4American]

If I'm down to a small cant I fly through it, enter at sawing speed and just hammer down!

[sandsawmill14]

it all depends on how fast you are sawing  ??? if you make cut in 15 seconds you are hitting the log alot harder than if you make a cut at 45 seconds i have never seen a wm saw in person  but i can tell you the b20 will jerk a small log out of the clamp if you hit it at sawing speed and i think it only has a 28 hp gas engine but in the small logs i am cutting fast fast enough to pull the rpms down to about 3/4 of no load wot if i push it any harder it will get slow enough to get wavy ;)
how fast you can enter the log depends on alot things such as hp type of wood and type of mill you have

and unless you have alot more hp than you need any governed engine will perform better if the load is applied slowly as it gives the engine time to get back to speed at full hp  diesel engines fair better than gas engines but it helps all engines   keep in mind this 1/2 to 1 second so it not long
anyone ever broken a crankshaft or maybe a drive shaft ??? i have only broken 3 cranks and know why on all 3 ;D :D :D :D

[Magicman]

It's easy to forget about the many variations of sawmills/engines and not take into consideration that there is no "one size fits all" regarding many sawing operations.  Since a run a Diesel, I had never thought about a gasoline engine having to "governor up" and adjust itself to the sawing load.  Yes a Diesel also has to adjust, but because of the torque available, this happens almost instantly.  There is no "hunting".  (At least with mine.)

For several years I was experiencing ~6" of ripple at the beginning of many cuts.  I finally realized that this was being caused by my entering slow and speeding up during that 6".  This ripple was eliminated when I began entering the log/cant at or near sawing speed.  If my engine slows down when I enter a log/cant or if the blade moves/jerks the log or cant, it's past time for me to get a dull blade off.

[Deese]

Everyone has pretty much covered this topic,  but having sawed around 100,000 board feet on a 13hp gas manual mill, then upgrading to a high HP diesel hydraulic, I can tell you from my own personal experience that they are worlds apart. But not in a bad way, but in a technical way.

[sandsawmill14]

i should have added to the last post that with the s&w 125 30 hp electric you can enter the log as fast as you want it will either saw or lock the belts ;D if you hit it to hard in the bigger logs   but as mm said there are so many mills/engine/motor combinations only experience can tell you whats the best for your setup  

[grouch]

7 HP gasoline + manual saw + novice here + almost always dead standing stuff = eeeease into that log to see what's going to happen. If that goes well, try faster entry on the next cut.

I can go as fast as I can walk when sawing just a few inches wide at a time. ;D

There's an old dried out white oak around 20 inches waiting for me to figure out how to saw it. Glad to see some experienced sawyers speak on such things.

[Kbeitz]

Just a habit for me but I enter slow. I was never around a band saw mill
and it's just the way I started out.