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Edge of boards have a wave?

Started by WoodChucker, May 09, 2003, 10:16:26 AM

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WoodChucker

I'm having a problem when cutting pine logs on my LT-15, the face of the boards seem flat but the edges always have a wave in about 4 different places on 8' logs.

 The wave is about 6" long and no more then 3/16" deep, and it looks like there always in the same area on each log.

I did level the mill when I set it up about a week ago and I've not check out anything as of yet. I'm going to read the Woodmizer book and see what it says, but I thought I'd ask you guys first,  just in case it's something easy and you could save me some time.

Oh, yes I'm a rookie, so don't expect me to know what your talking about if you get to technical,  :D

BTW, i tried different feed rates and it didn't help.

Thanks, R.T.
If a Husband & Wife are alone in the forrest fighting and no one is around to hear them, is he still wrong anyway?

Bibbyman

Are these boards you have edged? As in - they were boards you cut off the outside that had bark on one or more sides that you stood up on the mill and cut the bark edge off?

If so,  are you moving your blade guide arm in to be near the board thus limiting the amount of unsupported length of blade.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

WoodChucker

Bibbyman, as a matter of fact once i seen the wave in the boards after cutting, I stacked them all on edge and thought I could cut the wave out but it didn't work, it just cut with wave in it again. And yes, I moved the blade guard arm near the stack of boards and when I was cutting i checked it with each cut.... Thanks!  
If a Husband & Wife are alone in the forrest fighting and no one is around to hear them, is he still wrong anyway?

Bibbyman

Humm ???  It's real puzzling that it cuts flat boards but leaves waves on the edge of edged boards.

If you have not tried it already,  you may try putting on a new blade or one you know cuts good.

Also, check your guide arm and guide mounts to see if they are mounted tight.

I would think any amount of gunk on the track that would cause this much of a problem would show up as resistance when you crank (or push) the head along. It would feel like you had square wheels.

Humm ???
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

Minnesota_boy

As my blade gets duill it tends to follow a curved grain in the wood, making a wave.  The wave will be in the same place as you recut because the same curved grain will be there too.  Try a new blade and see if it changes.  If the logs have been cutr for some time, they get much tougher to cut straight.
I eat a high-fiber diet.  Lots of sawdust!

WoodChucker

I'll check the flats again when it stops raining, could be it's got a wave to and I just didn't see it, it started raining so hard i had to quit, so i was in a bit of a hurry. I'll also try a new blade and then let ya know what happens....Thanks for your help!

R.T.
If a Husband & Wife are alone in the forrest fighting and no one is around to hear them, is he still wrong anyway?

WoodChucker

QuoteAs my blade gets duill it tends to follow a curved grain in the wood, making a wave.  The wave will be in the same place as you recut because the same curved grain will be there too.  Try a new blade and see if it changes.  If the logs have been cutr for some time, they get much tougher to cut straight.

Yeah you could be right too, these logs were cut last fall by the county and stacked on the back of my property, i did go and seal the ends..... Thanks!

R.T.
If a Husband & Wife are alone in the forrest fighting and no one is around to hear them, is he still wrong anyway?

D._Frederick

Woodchuck,
If I remember correctly, the Lt15 has short lengths of track bolted together. I would look to see if the track is straight. See if your dips come were there is joint in the track.

Tom

I think you have a "following-the-grain" problem too and the blade swap will help or fix it.  

I have turned the boards end for end to trim so that the blade enters from a different direction to see if it helps and if it can identify the problem.  

Something else you can do when edging multiple boards that have "wander" on them is off-set the boards a few inches from each other so that the grain doesn't match up.  The straight grain of one board may help keep the blade from wandering in the other.

Minnesota_boy

Tom,
I've done that and got 2 or 3 dips instead of 1. :D  Usually a fresh blade takes care of that.  Sealing the ends of the logs will help, but pine loses moisture out through it's bark too.  The end seal will help control the cracxking as the end drys out.
I eat a high-fiber diet.  Lots of sawdust!

WoodChucker

QuoteWoodchuck,
If I remember correctly, the Lt15 has short lengths of track bolted together. I would look to see if the track is straight. See if your dips come were there is joint in the track.

D._Frederick, I'm not sure, but i don't think thats it, because the logs are only 8' long and because i have the trailer package I'm able to place the log pretty much center of a section. So i don't think it's an alignment problem. Would that be good logic?

Thanks for your input!
If a Husband & Wife are alone in the forrest fighting and no one is around to hear them, is he still wrong anyway?

Tom

 :D Yeah it could work the other way and cause dips in the straight boards too, I guess.  :D  Usually I have 8 or 10 up there at a time and can offset enough that the straight areas prevail.......I  hope. :D

These are really diagnostic things rather than operational because, once identified, the problem needs to be fixed.

I've never bothered with sealing the ends of pine logs.  The pitch usually does a better job than I can.  'Course, logs that have been down for a long time have many secret obstacles hidden inside. :)

WoodChucker

Tom, yeah I'm trying to check these logs the best i can, I don't have a metal detector yet and these logs were taken from my property line along side a county road, so i'm worried about nails from signs being posted in the past. :(
If a Husband & Wife are alone in the forrest fighting and no one is around to hear them, is he still wrong anyway?

WoodChucker

Well you guys were 100% on the money, changed the blade and no more problems.:)

Thanks everyone, i really apprecate all the help!

R.T.
If a Husband & Wife are alone in the forrest fighting and no one is around to hear them, is he still wrong anyway?

ohsoloco

Now that you have a new blade on the mill I'm sure you'll find some of those nails  :D  I'll sometimes push a dull blade farther cuz I know there's probably other nails in the logs I'm milling, but I don't hit them until I put on a fresh blade  :(

biziedizie

Loco speaking of blades can you dig way back in your brain and remember the name of those 2 new blades that I got off you. Man oh man are they ever good blades but they don't have a name on them. :(
  They cut a little bit slower then the Lennox blades but the finish is excellent! They also last about 50% longer.

      Steve

WoodChucker

QuoteNow that you have a new blade on the mill I'm sure you'll find some of those nails  :D  I'll sometimes push a dull blade farther cuz I know there's probably other nails in the logs I'm milling, but I don't hit them until I put on a fresh blade  :(

ohsoloco,

yep, that would be my luck too, it's bound to happen sooner or later, but I hope it's later. :)
If a Husband & Wife are alone in the forrest fighting and no one is around to hear them, is he still wrong anyway?

ohsoloco

Bizie, are you talking about the three brand new blades I never cut with?  Those are the ones I got from Ace of Blades, and according to their website they were Morse blades.  A lot of the other ones were the same brand with a sharpening or two on them.  Those do cut really well when they're fresh.  I can't seem to get much footage out of a resharp for some reason.  The other day I took one of the blades I sharpened myself to cut up a hunk of walnut 5ft. long, and about 24" dia.  Man those first few cuts were just whizzing right through, but by the last cut I was really leaning on the carriage, and going really slow, to finish the cut.  Wish I could figure that sharpener out  ???  

biziedizie

Thanks Loco, you are right there were three, I just looked at the two in the box and forgot about the one on the mill :D
  Jump over to Norwoods forum as the big guy there posted this:
Norwood carries different cams for the sharpener. We have designed cams for most commonly used blades. Just call us and we will gladly tell you if we have a cam to match the type of blade you are using.
  I would think that a call to them might help you with the sharpening problems that you're having.

   Steve

ohsoloco

I'll have to check that out.   I thought that different cams were just used to sharpen different pitched blades, maybe there's more.....

WoodChucker

Well I'm not out of the woods yet, I checked all those boards with the wave in them (about 40 8 footers) and they have the wave in the face also.

Problem is, i don't know how to fix them, i don't think my 12" planer will work because the rollers would bend with the boards (i think?).

So is there another way to fix them? There all 1 1/16" thick and about 6 1/4" wide. Or is it now firewood? :(

Thanks, R.T.  
If a Husband & Wife are alone in the forrest fighting and no one is around to hear them, is he still wrong anyway?

DouginUtah

R.T.,

Yes, you can save the boards. What you need to do is run one face over a jointer before taking them to the planer.

-Doug
-Doug
When you hang around with good people, good things happen. -Darrell Waltrip

There is no need to say 'unleaded regular gas'. It's all unleaded. Just say 'regular gas'. It's not the 70s anymore. (At least that's what my wife tells me.)

---

WoodChucker

Ok thanks DouginUtah, one thing for sure, I'll pay more attention to this kind of stuff from now on, I can't believe I didn't see it before i got as far as i did. Just got into a hurry because of the rain, I should have just quit.

Do you think i should let these boards dry before i run them through the jointer and planer? I'm thinking all the sap in the pine will be a problem.

Anyway, thanks for your help!

R.T.
If a Husband & Wife are alone in the forrest fighting and no one is around to hear them, is he still wrong anyway?

Minnesota_boy

For sure you want the boards to be dry when you surface them.  They may decide to move a bit as they are drying and you can take that out when you plane them.  Once surfaced, you haven't enough material to remove to redo them.
I eat a high-fiber diet.  Lots of sawdust!

WoodChucker

Minnesota_boy,

ok thanks, yeah I'll be lucky to end up with 1/2" boards by the time i get done playing with these things, and then theres the ware and tear on my machines, starting to think I'd be better off chalking this one up to experience and turn them into firewood.  :-[
If a Husband & Wife are alone in the forrest fighting and no one is around to hear them, is he still wrong anyway?

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