white oak logs

[Polly]

   i have got white oak logs approx 18 inch dia that are probly at least 10 yrs old when i found them they had been laying suspended about a ft or so off the ground all the bark was gone i drug them out and figured i could saw up and use for log cabin logs today i put one on my woodmizer i took off one slab and second pass off came the blade  is this log to old and dried out to saw i dont believe i hit metal the blade did go through a couple of nots on first pass should i try again or cut the logs up firewood  any suggestions or how should i approach sawing them thanks

[zopi]

nah...yer hatin' it...send em to me for 'disposal'... <G>


lotta water and slow feed...maybe some 4 degree blades...oughta be some pretty wood in there..

or sink em in a pond for a few months...if you could make them sink..

[LeeB]

I wouldn't go with too much water myself. If they are fairly dry the water will make the fiber swell and drag on the blade. Try cutting without lube and see what that does for you.

[ladylake]

I cut a bunch a while back, up to 15 years old , no bark and hard as a rock.   What worked best was 4* hook and a little extra set and it still cut crooked once in a while.  Had to change the blade every hour.   Steve

[okie]

If you got a bunch of em and have a circle mill nearby I would hire that job out as it sounds like a real pain. I cant imagine a sawyer charging you too awfull much to cut 2 or 3 slabs off of your logs, I may be wrong though.
Then again with just a few cuts per log you may get the whole pile done with one blade.
Where are you located?
If you're pretty close to me I could help you out if you wanted.

[Polly]

    thanks for the offer i am in north central ky  i am gonner try again before i give up

[okie]

Oh, That'd be a bit of a drive. Hope you get it all ironed out.

[backwoods sawyer]

I am also a big fan of extra water as in a garden hose nozzle aimed where the saw enters the cut. The wood will not swell that fast but the water will wash the sawdust out relieving friction. Take it slow as it sounds like you just pushed the saw off the wheel. Crawl thru the knots and ease thru the rest of it. Change saws if you feel you are pushing harder to get thru the cut. Low hook angle and lots of set if you sharpen your own saws.

[MartyParsons]

Just a perspective: They saw Hickory, White Oak and other types of wood every day that comes from old barns and factory buildings. Dirty, Dry, Hard and sometimes full of hardware. Most common blade is 9 degree and some 4 degree. One customer starts the blade sharpner before he starts the mill. Sometimes you dont get many bd/ft from sharpening to sharpening. I have heard about the wood swelling as listed above. I would also flood the blade with water to keep it cool in White Oak. A little lube will help as in Pine Sol in the water. Pine Sol is made from Pine oil and sticks to the blade this helps lubricate and cool.
Hope this helps. You should get some nice lumber if the logs are good.
Marty

[ladylake]

When I sawed those old white oak logs brand new 9 or 10 * blades wouldn't work. The ones I sharpened a 4* with lots of set worked the best.   Ran lube about normal.    Steve

[treebucker]

I agree with the 4 degree and slowing down.

Want to bypass the water arguement?...then use a 50/50 bar oil deisel mix slow drip.

North Central Kentucky is such a hard area to define. I'm near Fort Knox. Are you portable? Maybe I could send a job your way?

[Polly]

 :)fort nox is about a2 hr plus drive i am close to maysville ky i am set up inside a barn the saw and i are to toold to  travel  tires on mill are bald and so am i have a good day  :D :D

[WH_Conley]

How close to Maysville? I am about an hour east of you, member Warren is about an hour west.

[mike_van]

I've sawn locust that was dead standing, you won't find much harder wood in New England. No lube, i'm not setup for it, 10d hook, like I use on everything, .015 set, 4800 fpm on the blade. With a good sharp blade, I might only get 100 bf, maybe a little more? I was making  6x6's & 2" out of them.  I also cut a white oak 10x12 for a guy that had been inside & dry for years. That stuff is hard, but it's not impossible.  Slow feed rate helps too.

[woodmills1]

only hickory makes me think about 4 degree blades.  Go slow and shoot a little diesel and bar oil on the blade.  I cut lotsa old oak with my 10 degree all pourpose self sharpened blades

[ladylake]

There's a lot of difference between 4 and 10* hook cutting that tough wood, sure if you go slow enough 10* will work but with a good 4* blade I can work the snot out of my 30 hp diesel which has way more power than the old 27 hp Kohler. With 10* I have to keep the feed rate slow to cut straight.   Steve

[Polly]

 :)my exact location if you look on a map of ky that shows county lines is where bracken co mason co and robertson co meet in that corner is home to me   8)