sawing yellow poplar - whats the secret?

[dad2nine]

I mainly saw hardwood and my mill does pretty good at it, as a matter of fact it's rare I saw any softwood. But yesterday I tried to saw up a some poplar and the blade wandered all over the place :(

My customer also had 8 Red oak and 4 hickory logs that I cut up good and straight. After I messed up two tree top poplar logs, I gave up and told the him I would come back after I figured out what I was doing wrong. Thankfully he was pleased with the hickory and red oak and paid me for that lumber. He also understood that I was having problems and said no problem. Seems when the blade hits a knot it would throw the blade off and it would rise or dip. What's the secret to sawing poplar on a band mill?

[customsawyer]

If you sawed hickory with out any trouble then I would think poplar would cut pretty easy.

[ladylake]

Normally poplar saws like butter, if the logs were a little dry try more set.   Steve

[Chuck White]

Lots of times, Poplar does it's moving "after" the blade gets through it.

I don't remember the band being deflected while sawing Poplar on my mill.

Usually the knots are fairly soft and almost go unnoticed as they are being sawn.

My only suggestion as stated in the earlier posts, make sure you have enough set.
You might also keep an eye on your blade tension.
Did you try reducing your feed speed?

[Ron Wenrich]

I can't comment on the band mill, since I saw on a circle mill.  I've sawn millions of bf of tulip poplar.  Some logs will move after sawing.  Poplar moves more than red oak.  You also get into problems if you have spiral grain. 

[ljmathias]

Wow, that's a puzzler- I've got a WMLT40 and have cut lots of yellow poplar.  If I have just one or two logs of that stuff, I save it till my blade starts to get dull, then put it on- like the man said, it cuts like butter, even with a dull blade.  Never had anything weird happen with it...

Don't mean to offend, but you sure it's poplar?  Maybe he cut some sweet gum and thought it was?  Maybe a picture or two would help- poplar that I've cut always has a distinctive texture and lots of color- hard to mistake for anything else.

Sorry, but I'm not much help on this one.  Hope a new blade gets it done.

Lj

[Brad_S.]

I echo that yellow poplar cuts like butter. Did you put a fresh sharp blade on? To go from a hardwood to a soft with the same band will cause you problems, especially from hickory. Some don't realize there is a difference between cottonwood and yellow poplar, lumping them both under the poplar umbrella. Cottonwood is a little tougher to cut straight in but not that much different.
If you tried a sharp blade and still had issues, then it sounds like your blade may not be parallel to the bed or your guides are worn. IMO.

[Faron]

It sounds to me like you are sawing long logs,and 1 1/2  inch thick or more  lumber out of the upper, smaller logs. I have had problems with poplar under those conditions.  The DanG log flexes enough to make your blade dip and rise.  The only solution I have found is to shorten those problem logs if you can.  If you need 4/4 lumber, get it out of those logs as well.  I generally don't have a problem with larger, lower logs.

[Qweaver]

I have also sawed many thousands BdFt of Poplar without the problems you are having.  In fact, I just sawed 2 hickory logs and then went straight onto poplar without changing blades with no problems.
But saying this does not help you with your problem.  I guess I'd just put on a sharp blade and try it again.  The only time that I've had a blade move around in poplar was after I hit some iron with the blade.
Good luck finding the problem.
Quinton

[Magicman]

Being able to saw the Hickory and Oak, says that your mill is OK.  That leaves the blade and the log.

Diving blades generally indicate that you have hit something.  Also, a very dull blade pushed too hard may dive, but your sawdust will tell you that the blade is dull before then.

Logs will certainly move either up or down as stress is removed.  You were going through knots which indicate that you were sawing the smallest and least stable logs.

Fresh blade and a fresh start would be my advice.

[dad2nine]

After thinking a little more on this - I think it may be the blades...

What hook angle you guys using?

I'm using 4° - I see running the Wood-Mizer Blade Selector http://www.woodmizerblades.com/bladeselector/index.aspx I should be using 10 or 13° - I'll have to order a box and try them. I've only ran 4° on this mill.

Thanks

[Dodgy Loner]

I use a Wood-Mizer blade with a 9^o hook for poplar (and everything else, for that matter) and it saws like butter. I've never had experience with the 4^o hook, but I've always heard they were for very hard woods.

[Chuck White]

I neglected to mention that I use Wood-Mizer 1¼ .045 10° blades exclusively.

I saw mostly W/Pine, R/Pine, Hemlock & Poplar.

I do saw some hardwood, but not a lot.

I really seem to have good luck with the 10° blades.

[Weekend_Sawyer]

My Norwood does not like poplar, I have to have a very sharp blade or it cuts waves or dives in the cut. I have to change out blades often when cutting poplar. I even wash as much dirt out of the bark as possible. I cut oak, walnut and white pine mostly and do not have this problem with any of them.

[WH_Conley]

I saw a lot of yellow poplar. If the board has sawdust that is not cut clean, looks like it needs a shave, blade is dull. Little or no sawdust, too little set in the blade. Worst diving occurs when the blade is just starting to get dull, cutting clear wood, then get close to a knot. I think the reason is I am already cutting the full capacity of the blade and  the wood density changes.

[west penn]

  I've always used 1 1/4 blades with 10* hook.  If your log surface is clean with no sawdust after taking a cut, use a little more set.

[sdunston]

Sawing yellow poplar with my LT28 I use 10deg blades and have had good luck
Sam

[MartyParsons]

The 4 degree would have a low set and a tall tooth height. I would think a 10 degree would work much better. I have heard that using water on the blade will make the blade hydroplane in the cut. Green Poplar has a high moisture content and adding water makes it even higher. I have also heard that the blade will follow the growth rings if you use to much water in Poplar.
We saw lots of Poplar here also. Depending on the HP we would use a 10 degree or a 7 degree blade.
The 4 degree would be for Hickory or Frozen wood.
Hope this helps!
Marty

[Dave Shepard]

I sawed about 5,000 feet of tulip this winter. When I started, I was using .055 10s, but then the wood froze, and I had to switch to .055 4s, then it cut fine again. I've got another 1,000 feet to saw on Wednesday, I'll start with the 10s and see how it goes. I did not use any lube on the poplar.

[ladylake]

 I buy new blades at 10* and sharpen them to 4* and they both cut like butter in poplar, I'd try some more set , sounds like they come without much set.   Steve

[dad2nine]

I appreciate everyone's replies - thanks

[farmer mark]

Before I bought my mobile dimension mill,  I had an Amishman with a band mill saw for me.  I had a few poplar logs that had been cut a while.  He said he would saw them but they would be wavy.  He was right.  But the fresh cut logs sawed nice. 

[ladylake]

 After sawing 30 red oak, white oak and white ash logs today, got ot ther first poplar at about 2 pm, put on a just sharpened blade that was a little low on the set it dove 1/2" in the first 2 feet, then put a blade with good set that straight for over 2 hours. It's the set.   Steve