Milling red spruce

[hersnsh#590]

I'm pretty much a rookie hobby sawyer.  I have some red spruce on our property that is past mature, and I mill it when it uproots or snaps off above the stump.  Two instances today I found interesting.

I've experienced stress in the spruce before, but today I had the blade dive 1-1/4" in one foot of travel.  The band popped of the wheels with quite a clang.  I cut the log with a chainsaw just in front of the band, and with some effort got the band out of the resulting chunk.  I remounted the same band, and continued the cut for the rest of the log with no problems.  All I could think of was the stress was very localized in the log, and I got most of the way thru it before the aforementioned incident.

I've always struggled to mill  consistent red spruce lumber.  I've only used 8* blades, but have wanted to try some 4* after some of the FF comments on the 4*. 

 At the NE Logger Expo recently Ross and Maureen Clair  (Wood Mizer / Maine)  arrange for me to receive two complimentary 4* WM blades.  I used the first today, and what a difference.  I milled the best spruce I have ever produced.  So first of all,  thanks to Ross and Maureen, and secondly,  if anybody is having problems with knotty spruce I'd recommend trying WM 4* blades.

While I'm rambling, thanks to Pete Drouin and Bruno for the event last weekend at Pete's.

Dale

[Bruno of NH]

Dale
I'm glad the 4° bands worked well for you in the spruce.
It's my go to band in spruce and knotty pine.
It was great meeting you at the Project
Bruno