10 degree vs. 7 degree blade VS. 4 DEGREE BLADES.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

In another thread I showed pics of a dried White Oak job that came into the mill. The thread turned to blade angle and the best blade to use.  So I'm starting a new thread on blades.
I ordered a box of 4° blades but have not had a chance to use them on the dried Oak logs.

Woodmizer sent me 1  7° blade to try out.
Some other members said I would love the 7°blade if I used it to saw Pine, which is 95% of what I saw.

I opened the box with the 7° blade and I could not tell the difference.
Ahhh....but there is if you look close.

Here's the 7° is on the right. You can see it stands up more.


 

Well it was time to try it in Pine.
I picked the BIGGEST, KNOTTIEST Pine I had on the lot.


 

To my amazement, the speed I could travel through this log was almost double the speed I went with a 10° blade. What was really amazing was sawing 19" wide slabs off this log and the 7° cut it like hot butter.

But I have to be honest, I pushed the head as fast as I could saw with my 29HP''s tongue hanging out and I did get a little wave on a few knots. I mean.....I just had to find out.  ;D So I then slowed down a little and got nice boards.....but was still going faster than using the 10°.
All and all the 7° did a way better job sawing this knotty Pine and saved time vs. the 10 ° blade.
I recommend the 7° if you saw logs like this.

I will take pics and let ya know what I find out about the 4° when I saw the White Oak again.



  

 

[SAWMILL BUDDY]

See. I told ya so.  :D. Nice job

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

See. I told ya so.  :D. Nice job

I thought about you the whole time I was sawing this log. 
They'll be a little something in the mail for you.  :D :D :D

[woodNthings]

Ok I'm sold! Will be ordering them directly. Down this way I saw a good bit of longleaf and slash pine.

[Dodgy Loner]

Very nice, David. That's some ugly, pretty lumber. Not to be confused with pretty ugly lumber ;D

I think Red Clay Hound just ordered some 7° blades to give them a whirl.

[Kingcha]

Thank you, thank you.  I guess I now know what blade to use for my pines.    Is that Red Pine?  It looks like what I have and mine are red pine.   

I love the that lumber.  I am planning on using my pine for my flooring in my next house.

matt

[Red Clay Hound]

Thank you, thank you.  I guess I now know what blade to use for my pines.    Is that Red Pine?  It looks like what I have and mine are red pine.   

I love the that lumber.  I am planning on using my pine for my flooring in my next house.

matt

I doubt that's red pine unless Poston has made a road trip up north! :D  Don't think you'll find any red pine in SC.  My guess is loblolly.

I haven't ordered my 7 degree blades yet but will soon.  I've got a guy who wants me to saw some wide knotty pine boards to make rustic farmhouse table-tops.  Sounds like these blades might do the trick!

On another topic, I just got my Accuset 2 delivered today - plan to install this Saturday.  I'll have a short learning curve since I have a 4000bf job to saw next week!

[Peter Drouin]

for me the 7s are the best, I use them on hard and soft wood, even frozen wood.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

You're right Red Clay...Loblolly.

You absolutely will not catch me going North in January. 

[MartyParsons]

Hello,
The smaller Hp mills may have issues running this blade. It likes to be feed fast, this may be trouble in low hp mills. The 24 hp Onan works but the 25 hp Kohler has not quite enough power. The Kohler Fuel Injection engines with 28 or the 29 hp really work well and anything larger is fine. If you have a lower hp mill and it works let me know. WM does make this in a .042 and I have run this on the LT 15 with good results.
There is a new blade coming out soon called the Turbo. More info to come. I ran it at the Baltimore show last week and this week in York PA. I will be using it at the Virginia Farm Show next week in Fishersvile , VA




Marty

[John C.]

hi tried 7s on some half frozen red oak (14"-20" dia.) noticed alot of sawdust on cants and lumber.also some wavy cuts.any thoughts?

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Good info Marty. My 29 HP G did not bog down at all. The 7° seems to fit my HP very well.

But when I put the 29hp on last month, you told me I would get good results......and I have. Thanks.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

hi tried 7s on some half frozen red oak (14"-20" dia.) noticed alot of sawdust on cants and lumber.also some wavy cuts.any thoughts?

What mill are you running John? I had a lot of sawdust on my cants too but no more sawdust than I have with a 10°.
Most of my sawdust on my lumber and cants was my fault....I wanted to push this blade. This was a GREEN, SAPPY, KNOTTY LOG. I poured the lube to it to keep the blade clean. Therefore getting WET sawdust and it not being able to be thrown out the Shute.

[drobertson]

Paul Harvey, and this is the rest of the story!  every thing changes, but what works, works, there is a place and time for everything.  Glad all is well for you David,,,,,,   david

[John C.]

postonlt40hd,i have wm lt 40 with 33hp kubota.i will try less lube. i saw alot of green ewp and got used to alot of lube(cascade and water).wm told me to go fast with the 7s so i will try different speeds.
thanks john

[levans]

POSTONLT40HD,
How did you go about getting a blade from woodmizer to try out, I have some free blades coming from another company and would like to try them against a woodmizer 7 degree blade. 
Thanks

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

POSTONLT40HD,
How did you go about getting a blade from woodmizer to try out?

I ordered a box of 4° blades and just out of the blue, the guy told me he wanted to send me a 7° to try free of charge.
I would suggest to give them a call and tell them what you are planning to saw. They may send you a demo.
Someone else may know the answer for sure.....but I would call. 

[mmartone]

I'm glad you tried and made some discoveries! I have been wondering which blades to order for all this pine I have in my pile. Guess I'll get a box of 7 degree razor tip blades from WM. Thanks alot

[Magicman]

Razor Tip or Double Hard?   There is a difference.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Razor Tip or Double Hard?   There is a difference.

And this is why I always tell Wood-Mizer what I am sawing. They know what I need better than I do.

[Peter Drouin]

Do you run double Hard 7s MM

[Magicman]

I run Double Hard, but 10° blades which is what WM recommends for Pine which is the majority of what I saw.  I could easily get 7° blades by telling WM ReSharp to replace my rejects with 7° instead of 10°.  I have just never seen the need.

I do have three 7° blades that I reserve for White Oak, etc.

[Peter Drouin]

I was not sure MM ,Im glad  the 10s work for you. we all need to find what works for what your cutting. I don;t know how many kinds of trees we have in the US, I think I have 7 just on my land :D

[mmartone]

I went through the WM buy blades online deal and thats one of about 5 it suggested.

[Magicman]

Mississippi list 35 different Oaks, and I probably have 5-6 of them.  Of course what I saw is customer's logs.  I do not market lumber.

10° was the top listing for my usage.  Then 9°, 7°, & 4° are listed.  Actually 9° was listed top for knotty Pine.

[mikeb1079]

hey peter or marty, can you guys comment on the difference between the 7 and the 4?  i've been running 4's on my 16hp mill with decent results.  just thought maybe there'd be something better?

i look forward to david's experience but i thought maybe you've run them against each other?  my sawming is exclusively hardwoods.  oak, walnut, cherry, birch, etc....

[LeeB]

I have not tried any Wm 7° blades but did try a 7° from another supplier yesterday. It cut good with a great finish but dulled quickly. I suspect it was the log that caused it to dull. The log had been down for a good while alongside the creek and I had to pull it across the creek to get it out. I resharpened the blade on a cooks catclaw at 8°. I put it back on today and was making 12" wide cuts in red oak (same log as I dulled it on). I pushed it harder than I normally do and it seemed to cut better. It came with a .18 set. I would imagine it's at .17 or less after sharpening. I also discovered that my adjustable guide arm was loose and one of the guides was too far back. This may have been causing my blades to break. Hopefully adjusting everthing will make the rest of my blades work better. I ususally run WM 9°, but they are all 8° after the first sharpening.

[ND rancher]

I tried a 7°from another company and just loved how it cut. I was using  10°. There was a big difference all around.I have some WM 4° and 7° coming and hope to try next week.

[Slab Slicer]

I've been sawing all kind of logs with 10 degree blades. (Red Oak, Normay Spruce, Ash, White Pine, Poplar , etc, etc.. I'm using my LT 15 w/ the 18 HP Kohler. Would going to a 7 gegree be too much for my mill to handle. The spruce was the worst if there were knot. I had to slow way down to keep the blade from diving. I'm worried that running that slow would overheat the blade, and in turn, cause it to dull faster. Would waiting for the spruce to freeze, make the 10 degree blades work better? I did break one blade after sawing alot of the spruce also. Can this broken blade be repaired? It broke right at the weld point.

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

I've been sawing all kind of logs with 10 degree blades. (Red Oak, Normay Spruce, Ash, White Pine, Poplar , etc, etc.. I'm using my LT 15 w/ the 18 HP Kohler. Would going to a 7 gegree be too much for my mill to handle. The spruce was the worst if there were knot. I had to slow way down to keep the blade from diving. I'm worried that running that slow would overheat the blade, and in turn, cause it to dull faster. Would waiting for the spruce to freeze, make the 10 degree blades work better? I did break one blade after sawing alot of the spruce also. Can this broken blade be repaired? It broke right at the weld point.

Well, it is possible to repair a broken blade using a blade welder. Generally it's not done because usually if a blade breaks in one place it's about due to break in several more.

If this is a new blade and broke at the weld, perhaps the blade vendor will replace the blade (assuming blade broke due to a bad weld...) Can't hurt to ask them.

Good Luck and Be Careful!

Herb

[Peter Drouin]

hey peter or marty, can you guys comment on the difference between the 7 and the 4?  i've been running 4's on my 16hp mill with decent results.  just thought maybe there'd be something better?

i look forward to david's experience but i thought maybe you've run them against each other?  my sawming is exclusively hardwoods.  oak, walnut, cherry, birch, etc....

When I had a lt 40 with a 24 h onan I use 1 1/4 x35x10s. When WM came out with 7s I got some but there were 1 1/4x55x7. that 55 cut good on soft wood, but on hard wood the hard wood was to much for the onan, so I use the 10s on soft and 7s on hard wood. but now I have a cat 51h, all I have is 1 1/4x55x7s now. but what has help me is to play with the set.

A new blade has 25 degree set, when I sharpen them I go to 30 degrees,and for me it works on all kinds of trees. but I don;t have sweetgum trees :D :D :D

[taylorsmissbeehaven]

I was very surprised at how well the 7s did for me on my lt15. I was cutting dry poplar and they moved through it much quicker than the 10s I normally use. I have three dry pines on deck right now that will get cut Saturday. Lookin forward to it!Brian

[WDH]

Taylor,

What is the HP on your LT15?

[taylorsmissbeehaven]

I have a kohler 15 hp. so far it has worked out very well for the amount and type of cutting I do. It is a hobby for me that sometimes makes some money. How about yours, and do you have any pros or cons with the 10 vs. 7 vs 4 debate on an lt 15? I'm always interested in what others have learned! Brian

[drobertson]

I think If I had the smaller hp machines, I would try at least one of the 4's just to see for myself. I think I understand the hp issue they claim about running the 4's, but I am thinking if you run the feed at an acceptable feed it should work, just me, Not sure what the gain would be, I just cut some hard pin oak, lightning hit and dead as a door nob, bark completely off and the 7's did real good at the widest, 16" not that wide but wide enough. 

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Well.....I learned something today about the 7° blade.  ;D

When it comes to 7° or 10°........when you hit metal, they are all the same.  :D :D

And I'm guessing the 4° is no different when introduced to a galvanized 16 penny nail.  >:(



 

The blade ran South in the cant when the nail was hit.  And I loved that 7° blade.


 

 

[mesquite buckeye]

Well.....I learned something today about the 7° blade.  ;D

When it comes to 7° or 10°........when you hit metal, they are all the same.  :D :D

And I'm guessing the 4° is no different when introduced to a galvanized 16 penny nail.  >:(



 

The blade ran South in the cant when the nail was hit. 


 

 

One day we were cutting a big and not so great mesquite log and the saw caught onto something and jammed. After prying off the cut and backing out, I found iron, started pulling and pulled out a complete chain attached to a leg hold animal trap that had been inside a hollow inside the tree. I'm guessing something got caught and crawled into a hole into the hollow and died there.

[WDH]

David,

That is what you get when you saw that DanG wood.  That stuff is bad  :D.

Taylor,

I have only used the 10 degree blades.  I had a 15 HP Kohler on my LT15 that I used from 2001 to the Fall of 2012, but I upgraded to a 25 HP LT15 a couple of months ago.  I am interested on how it would handle a 7 degree blade.

[MartyParsons]

Hello,
Answer to questions.
The WM 10 degree blade has a 30 degree back angle.
The 4 degree has a 32!degree back angle.  Sorry! I had incorrect back angle.
The 7 degree has a 34 degree back angle
9 degree is 29 degree back angle.
Sorry I don't have the set In each profile in my head but I can get that later.

Yes I would run or recommend the 4 degree in low hp mills and they work well. If you think about what the angle means it is taking less of a bite than a higher hook. So less hook would be a good choice for low hp mills and tough frozen or other woods. The down side to less hook is a slower cutting rate or feed rate.


If you are running the 7 degree and getting wash board or pancake flour on your lumber you need to increase feed rate. If when doing so you change blade speed from running out of power you need a different style of blade.

The profile of the blade is something that every blade manufacture experiments with. The profile = hook angle , back angle, tooth height and gullets depth and set.

We always ask for one blade to cut all but no one that I am aware of has found it. Lots of variables , even the sawiers habits are a big one.

Hope this helps.

Marty

[Slab Slicer]

Thank you Marty. I'll be looking for some of those 7 degree blades when I pick up the trailer unit for my LT 15. Are these something you have in stock? I''ve been cutting with 10 degree blades (18 HP Kohler) with good success, but anything that will make things easier on the engine and myself would be great.  That's if I'm understanding you correctly about the 7's

[Full Circle]

I look forward to hearing how the 4° blades work for you in the seasoned white oak, David.  I was milling some antique flooring from old, white oak beams for a customer with 7's and they worked very well in terms of quality of cut.  The feed rate was slow, but that was to be expected.  They dulled quickly, too, but this stuff was HARD.  I thought that might be a good application to try a 4° after reading some of the guys comments, here on the forum.  Thanks for posting!

[tommone]

Marty, thought the 4° WM blade had a 32° back angle or I have I misread somewhere. Tom

[taylorsmissbeehaven]

WDH, this might not be the proper thread but would love to know about the difference between the 15 and the 25hp. I would give the 7 degree blades a try, I was very impressed. Sounds like the 15hp went the distance for ya! I hope mine will too.Brian

[bandmiller2]

I'am not a stickler for details,and don't think a degree or two ether way has much effect,in fact it pales next to the keenness and proper set of a band.That said my bands are now 6 degrees,I have no problem with the 10's I order, and as I sharpen them they end up with less hook.By all means try different hooks and sets,all that really matters is how the boards come out.Frank C.

[drobertson]

Frank, are you running the Super Sharps?

[Magicman]

Also, the power of suggestion usually affects our opinions.  If you want or need a product to perform better, then it usually will. 

I am not suggesting that a 4°, 7°, or whatever won't perform better in some instances because surely they will and do.  Just that there is not a "magic bullet" that will overcome all of our sawing obstacles, but continuing to look for it can be fun.

[bandmiller2]

Drobertson,I tried a supersharp,a very good band and a smooth finish but no real gain over my standard Timberwolf bands.I would rate supersharps right  up with the better bands. Frank C.

[drobertson]

I have heard this, thanks for the response, I run the Cook's for now, they work for every thing I cut so far, although, some of the older wmz blades I have pulled out have done real well just the same.

[learner]

Spoke to a blade specialist at WM.  They are sending me a 4 & 7.  The difference is they will be .055 thick rather than the .042.  It seems that with the 51 Cat, my feed rate should be higher than what i'm getting.
The blades we are using are the ones reccomended by the original owner.  But He just saws cedar.  Most of the logs we saw are hardwoods though.
So I'm going to try the new blades but the blade specialist couldn't answer One question for me.  Didn't have the figures available at that time.
Normally, the spacing between the guide block and blade is .080-.010.  Does anyone know what it should be with the thicker blade?  I don't want to be pealing metal off anything but I also don't want the blade fluttering.  Can anyone help me with this?

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I always gage mine with a business card or take a dollar bill and fold it into. If I can barely slide it between the blade and the block on top and bottom, I'm good to go.

[Jim_Rogers]

Does anyone know what it should be with the thicker blade?  .....................  Can anyone help me with this?

It, the space, should be the same. It's just that the blade is thicker so you have to move the block down to allow the space to be the same.

Jim Rogers

[learner]

Does anyone know what it should be with the thicker blade?  .....................  Can anyone help me with this?

It, the space, should be the same. It's just that the blade is thicker so you have to move the block down to allow the space to be the same.

Jim Rogers

Excuse me Jim but thanks for pointing out the obvious.   :D  I feel about 1 inch tall and really stupid right now.  Really, Thank You Sir.  The answer just seemed to keep slipping away from me.  I had my oldest friend tell me once that sometimes I can be the dumbest smart person he knows.  I should call him and tell him he's right!  ;D  Thanks again Jim!

[Jim_Rogers]

Learner:
I have always told everyone who asks me a question, that there are no stupid questions. Only questions that need answers.

Don't beat yourself up over it. I have asked some questionable questions myself many times.

Jim Rogers

Here's one, I like to tell about myself.

I asked an old time sawyer once when we were talking about a water wheel sawmill, how did the clutch work to stop the saw when you wanted to sharpen it.

He told me that there was no clutch to a water wheel sawmill.

I asked him then how do you disengage the wheel so that you can stop the blade to sharpen it.

He said you don't; you just stop the water.......

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Sorry Learner, maybe I misunderstood your question. But I was close.

Thanks Jim for finishing my answer for me.  :D

But Jim.....I don't know if I would have told the water wheel story or not.  :D :D :D :D Good One.  ;D

[Magicman]

The only "stupid question" is an "unasked question".    

Even if you think that you know the answer to a question,  another person's answer to that question may very well be different or answered in a different way, so we all gain knowledge and insight.

Since becoming a member of the FF, I have learned much that I did not know and did not know that I did not know it.   ;D

[Jim_Rogers]

But Jim.....I don't know if I would have told the water wheel story or not.  :D :D :D :D Good One.  ;D

I had to clean it up a bit from what the old time sawyer called me, when I asked the question or my post would have been in the woodshed for sure.

Jim Rogers

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Well I finally sawed some more White Oak today and tried the 4 degree blades.

I recommend them for dried Oak. If I had to compare them against another blade set up, I would have to say sawing WO with a 4° is like sawing Dried Knotty Pine with a 10° or sawing Red Oak with a 7 degree.

I did saw a knotty Pine with the 4° today and could not tell the difference between the 4° and 7° on Knotty Pine. The 4 and 7 worked great.

What I will use is a 10° for is Cedar, Poplar, Green Clear Pine and Dried Clear Pine.
I will use the 7° on Red Oak and the 4° on White Oak.

The 4 degree did seem to pull a little better through a wider cut and I just sawed at normal speed.

I still want to see how the 7 and 10 do on Sycamore and other species that I do not saw very often.

But I am convinced that having the 4,7 and 10 in your game bag is a good idea if you saw a lot of different logs.
I do not have frozen logs in my area, nor do I saw a lot of the species some of you guys saw........ so you'll just have to experiment.

[drobertson]

I have been in frozen logs for  a lil while now, the cook's super sharp have got the job done.  I like the wmz blades, but the .042 super sharps' have really done well for me. One angle setting on the sharpener, and really good performance. For those who use outside sharpening services, I suppose what works, works,can't argue with success.  $7 bucks a blade is steep for me, plus shipping when a simple face grind does the job. just my opinion.     

[Tee]

Poston (and others),
      I just got a box of 7 degree .055's Friday for oak or anything of that nature. I've got a hundred questions about blades, but I think it boils down to what combination of blades will it take to be capable to mill most anything that may show up but still not have a dozen blades to accomplish this. I mean .045 or .055, 1 1/4 or 1/1/2 and the degree differences (4,7,9,10, or more). I've come up with an idea of setting my guides to the new .055's and when I'm using the .045's that I have put a piece of .010 shim stock in the cavity under the little wear pad. But,,,, as far as 1 1/4 vs 1 1/2, I don't want to get into that change over very often if ever. It's been a while since you posted this and have had some time with the new angles. What's been your favorite combination lately? I guess mine will be a little different with a little bigger engine, but like I said earlier surely this want take a dozen combinations.

[mikeb1079]

tee what mill and engine are you running?

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Blade thickness, blade width, degree of teeth, setting, Green hardwood, Green softwood, dried hardwood, dried softwood, is the log knotty or fairly clear, how wide of a cut am I trying to slab, what horse power am I running, what lube am I using.......

All these and probably more variables will depend on the finish appearance of your lumber plus the time it takes to saw it.

I run a 29 hp Kohler using the .045 blade. I saw with 4, 7 and 10 degree. Logs are different...when I'm sawing a big job of the same species, I consider all these variables and find out which blade works the best to give the customer the best lumber.

I know I'm not giving you a straight answer but it's only because I can only vouch for my mill and what works best for the situations I encounter.

But I can tell you this, just personally I would not change my blade guides. My high performance blade guides are set for .045 and I keep them that way.

And like I always say....this is what works for me. 

[Tee]

It's an lt40 as well with a 34 diesel, so not a lot much more than Postons.

[barbender]

I always gage mine with a business card or take a dollar bill and fold it into. If I can barely slide it between the blade and the block on top and bottom, I'm good to go.

Poston, I heard that you use a $100 bill for that, Easy Money ;D

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I always gage mine with a business card or take a dollar bill and fold it into. If I can barely slide it between the blade and the block on top and bottom, I'm good to go.

Poston, I heard that you use a $100 bill for that, Easy Money ;D

Yes....but folded in half.  ;D

[Tee]

How do ya'll quote particular lines only? Actually, Poston you are helping me answer questions. I am coming up with more at the moment though. You mentioned different lube types; what all do you all use for what? Mine still has diesel in it that came in it. (by the way I've been getting a couple fryer oil jugs from restaurants to use a lube jugs)(ie free) Also, what are hi-perf blade guides? Mine are the roller on top, pad on bottom kind.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

How do ya'll quote particular lines only? Actually, Poston you are helping me answer questions. I am coming up with more at the moment though. You mentioned different lube types; what all do you all use for what? Mine still has diesel in it that came in it. (by the way I've been getting a couple fryer oil jugs from restaurants to use a lube jugs)(ie free) Also, what are hi-perf blade guides? Mine are the roller on top, pad on bottom kind.

The High Performance blade guides are to the inside of each roller. when your blade is installed, you should have the thickness of a business card between the blade and guide plate on the top and bottom. They can be adjusted and it shows how in the manuel. They work great on higher hp engines.

For my lube, my mill has the pump and sprayer. I do not run diesel through my lube pump for fear it may harm it. I use, in my lube tank, Cascade dishwashing liquid....about 5 glugs per 5 gallons, (thanks Magic  ) Cascade will not foam. HOWEVER....I do keep a spray bottle full of diesel and when I see and hear sap building up on my blade, I spray it with diesel to clean it. Water and Cascade not only help keep your blade clean but helps keep it cool. I spray diesel to clean my blade when it is not in the log.....and right before entering the log, the Cascade and water will wash the diesel off and your blade will be all shining and clean.

[mesquite buckeye]

I'm liking the 7's for the hard stuff. 4's for ridiculus stuff.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I'm liking the 7's for the hard stuff. 4's for ridiculus stuff.

:D :D :D That's a good rule of thumb!  :D :D :D

[Tee]

Any of you have any pics of these hi-perf guides in your albums?
O,, and thanks for the Cascade idea. I've heard folks say water and pinesol but haven't heard of the other.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

How do ya'll quote particular lines only?

When you want to reply to a certain line.....click on "quote". Then delete the part of the lines you don't want.

Then under the last word "quote" at the bottom, start your reply.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Any of you have any pics of these hi-perf guides in your albums?

If know one else posts a pic of WM blade guides, I will take a pic tomorrow and post it. 

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

 

 

If you zoom in, you can see the blade guide in front of the roller. I can get a better close tomorrow.
You can adjust these guides to actually tilt your blade and you have a tool that slides on your blade about 14 inches long to keep your blade level.

[Tee]

I found something like it on the WM site but I'm not clear if they will fit mine. It says for a super. Mines not. but they aren't as much as I may have thought. There again where I'm looking at them they are a new mill option not a older mill addition.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Tee, call WM when you get a chance. Tell them what you have and ask if the guides will fit your mill.

The HP guides help me a lot.

[Tee]

I'll do it. Thanks again for your input. Maybe I'll get to meet you up around Hendersonville if that comes to be.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I'll do it. Thanks again for your input. Maybe I'll get to meet you up around Hendersonville if that comes to be.

Sounds good. 

[justallan1]

My question would be if I'm not to worried about speed to much, I have a small 6.5 hp engine and I'm sawing pine, what's the best blade to go with for longevity?
Allan

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

My question would be if I'm not to worried about speed to much, I have a small 6.5 hp engine and I'm sawing pine, what's the best blade to go with for longevity?
Allan

Well, if ya held a gun to my head I would have to say a 10°. Woodmizer has tested all types of blades and they say the 10° ( and I agree ) is the best all around blade for Pine. But as for longevity....we are back to all the variables again. So many things can dull and blade QUICK. But as for Pine, I use a 10° and can saw a lot of board feet unless the Grimlins show up. 

[Tee]

My question would be if I'm not to worried about speed to much, I have a small 6.5 hp engine and I'm sawing pine, what's the best blade to go with for longevity?
Allan

I know with you reading my questions above, I'm lost in the sea of blade possibilities, but I'm guessing your going to get 4 and 7 degree suggestions.

This is a modify statement but boy was I at the wrong end of the spectrum.

[5quarter]

Allan...to get the most out of your engine, use 1"x.035"x 1"tooth spacing. with fewer teeth, you are putting more power to each tooth when its in the wood. the reduced thickness of the blade coupled with less set required by each tooth means that the blade has to cut a kerf around .070", as opposed to a .042", which makes about a .090" kerf. a non issue with high HP mills, but with 6.5HP it a huge difference. the caveat is that the 1" .035"s are very flexible and have little beam strength compared to the bigger bands. push them too hard or let them dull even a little and the blade will deflect in the cut, regardless of tension. the keys are a steady feed speed and a sharp band; important for any sawyer, but especially if you need every advantage to maximize the limited HP. Just my 5 cents (inflation adjusted).

[justallan1]

Thanks guys.
When I bought the mill I got an extra dozen bands and am happy with them, I just want to see if I can do better. Sawing 14" to 18" logs with the burned bark left on I got 300bf and still have the flitches to trim, so I would guess nearly 400 bf. I'm fine with that, but figured I may just get what I can for the same money.
I will say this, that little engine thinks there's about 3' difference between 10" and 18". :D
Allan

[Tee]

Allan, what blade configuration are you using now on that size mill?

[justallan1]

Tee, I have 1-1/4" x .042 with 10*, I was told. To be honest I haven't tried figuring out what all the little dots on the blade say.
Allan

[learner]

Poston has the right of it.  It's all a matter of what's involved.  Or physics if you want to get technical.  Technically the Only saws that really need lube are metal cutting saws & chain saws.  Or the really large band and circular saws.
Jig saws, skil-saws, small band saws and the band saws we use rarely need lube.  It's used more to cool and keep the band clean than lube.  I use 1 oz liquid Cascade & 1 oz Pine Sol per gallon of water.  Just adjust to suit your needs.
I adjust the lube for how wet the log is i'm sawing or if it is really sappy.  Oh, I also increase the flow for the wider cuts, in order to keep the band cool.
As for the bands themselves, it all depends on the HP of the saw & size of the log.  From there it's just a matter of learning what works best for your saw.  The less the HP the smaller and thinner the blade the better.  Then you just adjust the feed speed for the best cut.
For the LT 40 we run, the 1&1/4 .055 number 7's are the best for us.  But then I saw everything and i'm running the 51HP engine.
For that the number 7 is the best blade for the many different woods, without having to switch to a 10 for the softer logs.  During the winter i use 4's when the logs are hard and frozen green logs.  For the softer frozen green logs the 7 will still work fine for me.