edging against the cant

DDW_OR · April 23, 2017, 01:35:30 PM

I was reading this thread
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,95750.0/all.html
and thought of asking a question but thought i maybe hijacking his thread. so i started this one.

am i correct in my thinking?
log with side A up, then cut 1,2
rotate log Counterclockwise and cut 3,4,5
rotate log Counterclockwise and cut 6,7
rotate log Counterclockwise and cut 8,9,10
rotate log Counterclockwise - just realized i do not have to rotate

then place slabs from cuts 2,4,5,7,9,10 against cant and then do cut 11 at 1.5 inches

slabs from 1,3,6,8 are scrap = firewood

WV Sawmiller · April 23, 2017, 01:51:52 PM

DDW,

I start off as you show. I open a face of at least 4" as a 4" wide board is normally the narrowest I save. I toss the slabs you mention as scrap on the scrap heap and all flitches on my loading arms. Once I have the squared cant I cut finished boards using my Simple Set from a predetermined mark on the 4th face. Once I get to a mark below 4" (Normally 3-1/4" if I am sawing 4/4) then I stop and stand some (about half) the flitches against the cant. I edge the 1X6's then put the rest of the flitches to make 1X4s. Then I reset my mark at 3-1/4" and saw the cant to the rails.

If I am cutting a larger log and will have some wider flitches I may stop as soon as I cut below the 6" mark then edge my wider boards then repeat the above to edge my narrow flithes into boards.

Depending on my mood I may even cut some 1X1X? strips for drying strips or tomato stakes.

I hope that answers your questions.

OlJarhead · April 23, 2017, 04:16:08 PM

Same as above.

Magicman · April 23, 2017, 04:22:18 PM

Opposite from above.

I very seldom edge against a cant.

paul case · April 23, 2017, 04:29:33 PM

I think if you are going to edge against a cant it would work better with less handling to put them against the cant only when you intend cuts to make the size desired. IE 1x wide is going to edge different than if you only want 1x4 and 1x6.

I cut a lot of pallet stringers and I used to cut deck boards too. here is a thread about edging on the mill. https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,52752.0.html

PC

YellowHammer · April 23, 2017, 05:01:36 PM

Quote from: Magicman on April 23, 2017, 04:22:18 PM
Opposite from above.

I very seldom edge against a cant.

Me too, I can't remember the last time.

WV Sawmiller · April 23, 2017, 05:36:45 PM

I don't save up my flitches. I normally edge them against the cant they came off. I used to stack them all up against my cant as soon as I squared it off then come down in 1" increments. Every time I got a completely clean cut I would flip that flitch. When both sides were square I stacked the finished board. This was time consuming, messy and yielded odd/random size boards. Using my current technique I normally end up with 1-2 sizes of finished boards and only flip each stack one time. If I'm edging 1X6s and I see I i won't get a clean second edge I leave them laying on the beds and add the rough edge to my second cut on my 1X4s and finish them all together.

Magicman · April 23, 2017, 06:44:38 PM

I edge as I go unless there are only 2-3, at which time I will wait and add them to the next batch.

I find that it is not necessarily what is behind the flitches but rather what is between them and the clamp.

Here is a new replacement White Oak "stick" that spans between the two side supports giving the flitches ample support to keep them from bowing when clamped. It replaced a broken Cherry stick that I had used for several years. The orange distinguishes it as a tool and prevents it from being discarded.

Larry · April 23, 2017, 07:32:50 PM

I don't really think there is a right way but it always helps to re-examine ones methods. If a step can be eliminated it aids production and more importantly means I do less work (very important).

Normal procedure is to push flitches off the cant into the loader arms. If I can avoid pushing a flitch off into the loader arms by edging it against the cant I've eliminated two steps....pushing it into the loader arms and bringing it back up. If I can than use my dragback to bring the edged board with the offcut back I've eliminated maybe half a step.

If I had to lift a board on the mill deck to edge with, that seems like an added step. Wouldn't work well on a TK as the flitches would be out of easy arms reach for this fat boy.

Than there is a difference in mills. I think the WM is easier to edge with and I would change some of my procedures if I ran one.

bandmiller2 · April 23, 2017, 08:52:57 PM

A sawyer needs to be flexible as each log is a little different. I always edge agents a cant as my two plain clamp won't travel all the way to clamp a couple of boards to the uprights. I set boards needing edging aside cut the cant down to about 5" then stack the boards agents it and edge to a standard size. Frank C.

JD Picket · April 23, 2017, 11:54:01 PM

I'm new to milling but if I'm cutting 1x's I will put the flitches next to the cant and cut stickers so I will have them for later. I cut a lot of 1x's for fence boards.

Chuck White · April 24, 2017, 07:58:47 AM

I always edge against the cant!

The cant will be 5 inches high when I'm going to edge to 6 inches!

Same goes with all other edging, the cant will be 1 inch lower than where I'm going to edge to!

This way, I don't leave saw marks on top of the cant!

69bronco · April 24, 2017, 08:52:33 AM

What Chuck said!

drobertson · April 24, 2017, 09:52:43 PM

All I can and will say is forget the fancy illustrations, saw to your target, until you get an edger, keep it simple. One log, boards, flitches edges, next log, ect...

WV Sawmiller · April 24, 2017, 10:18:20 PM

??? ??? ???

Are you saying just saw through and through from the top to the rails then edge the flitches?

Chuck White · April 25, 2017, 07:39:40 AM

For some of us mobile sawyers, an edger isn't feasible or cost-effective!

sandsawmill14 · April 25, 2017, 01:30:53 PM

i never edge against the cant unless i only have 2 or 3 boards as the clamp wont close up enough to hold that few but i normally have alot of edging piled up and run through the edger but when i edge on the mill for custom sawing i dont use a cant and saw everything before i edge the first board

the most i ever had piled up was a little over 14 mbdft

after it was edged ;D the edger guy never let himself get that far behind after again :D :D :D what he gets for goofing off instead of doing what he was paid for ;)
and also it was pallet stock so i didnt have to worry about stain

OlJarhead · May 02, 2017, 01:43:21 PM

I still edge against the cant after each log. I mill to below what I'm milling (as Chuck does) and then stack them up against the cant, edge and get back to the cant to mill it down.

one thing I also do is edge to usable sizes based on what the customer is using (unless they don't want the flitches edged which does happen). For example, If I'm making 2x8's and a flitch I can clean up to 11 3/8" I'll then drop the saw to 7 5/8 and rip the flitch into a 2x8 and a 2x4 at the same time

Killing two birds with one stone so to speak.

I find that it all depends on what help I have though. If alone I don't edge until I have to and set the flitches aside (I like the sawhorse idea but haven't used it yet). Once I've done everything I can I'll edge the flitches enough at a time that I have plenty to clamp and use the middle side supports to keep them from bowing. I've also taken to clamping them, releasing them and then clamping again as I find it seems to get them settled better (first clam tends to push them around but when I back off they drop, shift settle better and then I clamp again taking care not to shift them off perpendicular to the deck. Seems to work for me.

In the end though, I always try to mill flitches to standard sizes the customer might use.

Magicman · May 02, 2017, 01:59:44 PM

Many times I give the tail gunner a shaking motion with my fist telling him to shake and settle the flitches down. I almost always clamp, release, and then re-clamp.

I also use my stick (a 2X4 or 2X6 laid flat would serve the same purpose) in front which extends the clamping pressure to the side supports, but each of us develop methods and means that achieve our purpose.

Sixacresand · May 02, 2017, 11:03:54 PM

Yesterday, I needed 20 1 x 4's pretty quick out of 24 inch log. ( this was my only 13 ft log I had close by and needed to make 12 ft boards). So I milled one inch slabs off all sides and set them aside. Then I moved the cant out the way to the loading arms and put slabs back om the mill and edged them into 1 x 4's. The edging was done against a 4 x4. Extra work but seemed to get the hardest part done first. An edger would have ideal.