Cutting Hard Wood

crtreedude · April 09, 2008, 07:00:12 AM

I have a quick question. We have a Baker bandsaw and it cuts everything very well except it seems the very hard woods. Now, I am not talking oak - that hardness it cuts like butter - I would think Osage Orange might be equivalent.

Think wood so hard that it won't take a nail. (Corteza, Tamarindo)

It seems to start to lift up (i.e. not track straight) while cutting. Oh Gurus of bandsaws, can you tell me what we are doing wrong - or should we not be trying to cut 30" wide logs of this material?

Fred

isawlogs · April 09, 2008, 06:29:04 PM

Quite frankly Fred I think when it comes to wood that hard one really needs to be using a circle mill with carbide tips or a chainsaw mill.

crtreedude · April 09, 2008, 06:34:18 PM

That is what I wanted to know - the swingblade of Harolds does a great job on this wood - much better than it does on the really soft stuff we have in fact.

I just might be looking at a swingblade in the future for the really hard stuff.

Besides, some of these logs are huge!

beav39 · April 09, 2008, 08:20:33 PM

FRED,IAGREE CIRCULAR IS BETTER ON TOUGH HARDWOOD ,BAND SAW ONLY DOES SO GOOD OF A JOB SCOT

Ohio_Bill · April 09, 2008, 08:25:46 PM

I have very good luck with Woodmizers 4 deg blades on hickory and locust .

Kelvin · April 09, 2008, 08:35:09 PM

Not knowing anything about tropical stuff, are you using the 4 degree blades? As thick a body, and wide a band as your horse power can handle. Sharp blades with accurate set for width of cut. Sawdust spillage causes problems when you use the wrong set for the width of cut. Do you have sharpened or do you send out? Using double hards? Need to know about your blades, maybe lube as well.

crtreedude · April 09, 2008, 08:50:20 PM

We are using the stock blades that come from Baker (I can check and see what they are) - we send them out to be sharpened, but the current ones are out of the box.

We have a 20 HP motor -

The lube we are using is water I would think - is there something else? We don't worry about ice down here.

crtreedude · April 09, 2008, 08:52:37 PM

Quote from: Ohio_Bill on April 09, 2008, 08:25:46 PM
I have very good luck with Woodmizers 4 deg blades on hickory and locust .

I don't know much about those two woods - can you drive a nail into them? You can't in the woods we are having problems with.

To give you an idea - we have a bridge we are taking apart right now - it has had logs buried in it for 20+ years (perhaps 30) in a low land tropical rainforest. The logs are still good.

Corteza is so dense it doesn't absorb water - I see logs in fields cut down that are 10s of years old - still good.

customsawyer · April 09, 2008, 09:27:20 PM

I don't know if this matters or not but if the logs are that old, they would be dry on the inside so you have to turn the water off or it will make the sawdust swell. This will bind your blade and make it do some strange things.

LeeB · April 09, 2008, 09:29:08 PM

I think Baker markets Lennox blades. You might try the Bi-Metal blades by Lennox. 30" is a wide cut for any band mill and with 20hp real wide.

crtreedude · April 09, 2008, 09:46:14 PM

What I need to do is create 1 x 5 (or 6) boards. Perhaps I could use a chainsaw to split in the middle (we have a Stihl 090 that will do it) or cut off a chunk that is say 12 inches wide and then saw that up with the baker.

Less kerf loss.

Good point on the water - hadn't thought of that.

Dan_Shade · April 09, 2008, 09:53:03 PM

Fred, a 4^o band may help, but you also may be underpowered. It wouldn't hurt to try it.

farmerdoug · April 09, 2008, 10:06:28 PM

Fred, This is a little off but if you cannot drive nails into, what are you going to do with the lumber?

fencerowphil (Phil L.) · April 09, 2008, 10:08:57 PM

Now, Fred, if you go the 090 route,...

have a little pity on the operators, uh,...

unless you plan on handling that job personally, of course.
;)

crtreedude · April 10, 2008, 04:20:16 AM

Quote from: farmerdoug on April 09, 2008, 10:06:28 PM
Fred, This is a little off but if you cannot drive nails into, what are you going to do with the lumber?

You can drill into it and it is used for building barns that last 30 years, truck beds, gates, etc. Even decking.

crtreedude · April 10, 2008, 04:22:16 AM

Quote from: fencerowphil (Phil L.) on April 09, 2008, 10:08:57 PM
Now, Fred, if you go the 090 route,...

have a little pity on the operators, uh,...

unless you plan on handling that job personally, of course.
;)

Since we are a business (Harold is self-employed and married to a Tica, different rules) I am not allowed to be an operator as much as it pains me. ;D

Those who handle those saws get paid more - they are not complaining. It is the way most wood is cut here.

ADAMINMO · April 18, 2008, 02:38:37 PM

I didn't see this post till now ...... Did you manage to get the right blade to cut the hard stuff. Chances are that the blades you got from us were probably 3/4" tooth spacing and on something that wide and that hard you will probably want a wider tooth space such as 7/8" or even 1" if you can get it.The larger the tooth space means larger gullet which will hold more sawdust as it cut.Small tooth space means less space to hold sawdust causing problems with wandering blade and unneeded stress and heat on the blade, but it sounds like you had plenty of suggestions to get ya back going.Hope you are up and going again.Let me know if there is anything I can do.

crtreedude · April 18, 2008, 07:51:14 PM

So, Adam - want to stuff a few blades in your suitcase and come visit? I promise not to make you off load... ;D

ADAMINMO · April 21, 2008, 09:41:17 AM

I would love to but I have other things to do at home for the wife before I can take any kind of vaca.

Mo · April 21, 2008, 02:00:34 PM

I would suggest a 4 degree hook angle. Also if you use a mixture of vegetable oil, liquid soap and water might help.
Give me a call if you might want to try a sample of the 4 degree.
Gary

crtreedude · April 21, 2008, 02:49:53 PM

I would appreciate one - but the challenge is getting it here in timely fashion.

beenthere · April 21, 2008, 03:28:25 PM

Mo
Welcome to the Forum.

Pull up a stump, and tell us more... ;D

Mo · April 22, 2008, 08:25:05 AM

Thanks, nice to be here. I reminded him we have a Rep. in Costa Rica, so he might have some help in his back yard so to speak.

Dan_Shade · April 22, 2008, 09:15:48 AM

vegetable oil? i haven't heard that. I use pinesol and dish detergent, about 12 oz/5 gallons. Does the VO and soap keep the sap off of the blades?

Ironwood · May 08, 2008, 08:34:52 AM

Mo,

I am interested in both the 1" pitch and the 4 degree. are they one in the same? I just bought a used mill and while it comes with some blades, I need to sort out my needs and order a bunch to have on hand. I am going to be pushing the 23 hp and 24" width of cut to the max so give me some feedback. I am not opposed to getting into your Resharp program even though I have access to a fully automated sharpener system (I think it is a Woodmizer, as the fellow runs one of your top of the line mills).

Thanks Ironwood