tried something new today(updated w/pictures 7-12-05)

Part_Timer · July 02, 2005, 11:17:13 PM

A neighbors son came over with a friend today and wanted to know if I could resaw some 3/4 walnut boards in half for him. Seems that he makes guitar tops and was looking to bookmatch some pieces.
Well I never tried this but why not I didn't want to work on a basswood order anyway. I sent my son to the shop for a couple of 3/4 boards and some deck screws and we screwed one piece to the other and formed an "L" shaped "sled".
I then took a piece of 1 1/4 thick 18" wide crotch walnut I cut yesterday to experiment with. I layed this on the sled then clamped the whole thing down. Then the sawing started. Well I cut the first piece in 3 thin slabs. I figured now or never so I started on his boards. Well it worked out ok. The boards he had were very dry and the cut was not as smooth but they were fine.
I sold him the 3 crotch pieces and I split a piece of ambrosia maple for him. All in all not a bad deal had about 1/2 hour in it and made 20 bucks.
Even sold another neighbor 2 walnut 2 1/4 thick slabs 16" wide 7 feet long for a dining room table project.
Wife said I was buying dinner this weekend. ;D

Now I have to admit something I guess i should fess up since Jeff was man enough to. I cut my first metal also. I just grazed the the log clamp but sparks few 4 feet. Not even enough that the blade won't cut straight but man there is a nice flat spot on top of the clamp. I suppose my streak is over. I almost made it 2 years without sawing my mill. Oh well I'll just call it a custom modification for cutting gutar tops. ;D

In the morning BASSWOOD. I might even make it over to get the Osage and Red oak by afternoon. We'll see

isawlogs · July 03, 2005, 08:50:30 AM

Part_Timer
You would not happen to have a pic of your sled now would ya .
Nice going , Samills and music and dinnner on top of that 8)

Frank_Pender · July 03, 2005, 10:16:08 AM

Yes, I too would like to see the sled. The fella at www.Newman'sKnees has some sort of sled ads well. I sure would like to see how they are put together. :P

beenthere · July 03, 2005, 12:44:12 PM

A WM I worked with had a 'sled' with it, that was a 2" (not a required thickness) planed timber about 12" wide, with a 3/4" thick board, 2-1/2" wide, glued/screwed to one edge. This 'sled' with its' lipped fence kept any material being resawn from sliding away from the band while sawing was taking place. The 'sled' was easy to throw on the bunks and clamp, and was also used to saw quarter-sawn lumber out of log 'quarters' from the two faces, meaning the height setting of the band saw remained fixed for the thickness desired, and just the 'log quarters' flipped after each cut to always saw the 'widest' face.

Part_Timer · July 05, 2005, 10:18:14 PM

Hang in there guys I'll get some pictures of all the cutting we did and of the sled in a day or two. They took Kates mom to the er tonight. Not sure what's wrong yet. I don't do the picture thing yet but need to learn. just give us some time

Part_Timer · July 12, 2005, 11:26:11 PM

Well here are the pictures. This is a 1 x 12 with a 1x screwed to the side. I put the slab on top and cut it down to 3/16 in pieces. when I got to thebottom board I just sawed through the side board for the size I wanted.

The logs just kinda followed me home this weekend. i have a friend (John)who has an excavating company. He called and asked if I wanted to have some logs? Yah right. I went down to the creek and found them bulldozing a pile of trees over.

Basically it works like this. Normally I saw for John on a 50/50 basis. there are so many trees that we changed the deal a bit. I come down and saw the logs I want and they push the rest into the burn pile. THey taught me how to run the skid steer so I can load my trailer. I'm getting better I'm not rolling logs off the back side now. (well sorta :D). Instead of 50/50 we worked out a percentage of the sale price. It works for me because I don't have to pay till the lumber is sold and I get to use their equipment for loading and moving the logs.

What I have brought home so far is walnut and cherry. The cherry is all mine no deal there I just have to cut it fast and get it out of the way. The walnut is on a percentage. there is going to be some red oak coming end of the week. John wants it and wants to trade 1 for 1 on the walnut. That is fine by me I have plenty fo oak. I'm cutting some cribbing out of hackberry for the guy running the dozer (Denny). In return he is teaching me how to drive it. 8) It is a 175 international. I'm getting better on it but it is still kinda funny watching me run it. John says that he is going to teach me to run the track hoe when we get to an area where I can't break anything. 8) 8)

The picture shows about 1/3 of what is going to be in the yard in a week or two. I'm going to scout camp with my son next week and john and Denny said that they were going to bring a bunch of logs down while I'm gone and bury my mill

I think maybe i brushed against Kirk at sawlex and some of his luck rubbed off on me. Next time I'm going to try and trip over him and see what happens :D

Well stay tuned and well see what happens

Octoman · July 13, 2005, 02:18:42 AM

Part Timer, great work with the sled, I could use something similar. At the moment I end up with the standard minimum cut of 1", not much good when sawing 3/4"!
What I cant make out from the pics is how you clamp the slab on top of the sled? Does the blade clear the clamp on these thin cuts? Saw in your original post that you sawed metal (clamp)

!

Another question for WM hydraulic users, does the system lower the log clamps/supports automatically for you as you lower the height of cut, thus avoiding metal cuts???

Part_Timer · July 13, 2005, 08:18:23 AM

Octoman

I don't clamp the board to the sled.

I have one of the new style WM clamps. All I do is put the sled down. Then put the board on top. Use the mill clamp to push the board against the back of the sled. holds fine. just have to watch your clamp height :(

iain · July 13, 2005, 05:52:33 PM

"Another question for WM hydraulic users, does the system lower the log clamps/supports automatically for you as you lower the height of cut, thus avoiding metal cuts??? "

Octo where would the fun be in some thing like that ;)
you would never become a PRO with that system ;D

iain

DanG · July 13, 2005, 10:43:45 PM

Way Kool, Parttimer! 8) That's some pretty wood, and a nice job with the pics. Now, what was the outcome on MIL,s trip to the ER? ??? I assume everything is ok?

Part_Timer · July 13, 2005, 11:15:58 PM

Hay DanG

everything is fine with the MIL. SHe is mean as ever

. Turned out that she had a case of food poisioning. They gave her some pain killers and a bit of antibiotic with an IV and out the door she went.

Thanks for asking

Tom

Weldrite · July 15, 2005, 04:30:05 PM

Part_Timer,
Glad to hear the mill is doing Ok and on her way to a full recovery. Looks like you have your work cut out for you, just be carefull not to slice through one of those nice blue tools I see in your photo. The bills for the Medi-Vac flight to CT would be huge ;). Nice work with the mill and it's always nice to see our tools in use.

Part_Timer · July 15, 2005, 07:23:56 PM

Weldrite

They show up real good against the orange mill. not much chance of sawing through them. My helper in the picture kinda adopted them and keeps them out of the way. Now they are hers :D

Tom

customsawyer · July 15, 2005, 07:45:56 PM

Just a little trick that I use when I'm milling with what is called the new clamp. The clamp is 1" thick so on my 3" or 4" pass I reach over and make sure that I can fell the edge of the clamp below the edge of the board if you don't cut below 1" and you can fell the edge of the clamp than you can't hit it.