Soft wood circular sawmill??

Cooper Talley · March 25, 2017, 04:22:41 AM

Ok folks, first post here, but I have been searching the great reaches of this site for some time now. I am the proud new owner of an old JA Vance number 10 sawmill. I am in the process of getting it set up, but there are a few things I am trying to get figured out. One of which is that the old man I bought the mill from kept telling me that this was a cedar saw. Or a softwood saw... so I'm not sure if he was talking about the teeth in the saw, or the size of the blade? 60". So my first question is, what makes a circular sawmill a softwood or hardwood sawmill?

thecfarm · March 25, 2017, 06:03:57 AM

Welcome to the forum. put vance in the search above and I found 2 pages. Change This topic to This board,as long as you are in the Sawmills and Milling board

bandmiller2 · March 25, 2017, 06:50:49 AM

Welcome Cooper, first I've heard of a dedicated softwood sawmill. I would think its the saw that is set up for softwood, size and number of teeth. Can you read the number/and letters stamped on the shanks or off the box if you got spares. A 60" saw is a big wheel and will take some serious power to run it. Up here in the northeast circular mills switch back and forth between hard and soft wood with little thought to the bits. I'am sure someone will come along that knows more than I on this subject. Frank C.

Ron Wenrich · March 25, 2017, 07:13:09 AM

One thing you ought to get is Lunstrum's book on circle sawmills. It's free and here's the link: https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/misc/circsaw.pdf

Your saw is probably a softwood saw. A mill will cut any kind of wood, as all it does is move a log back and forth and index the headblocks. The saw does the cutting.

On your saw, you will find either numbers or letters. The newer saws may start with B, D, F, 3, 2½, 3½, or something similar. It is stamped on the shank. The ones starting with a letter are called a double circle style of tooth and absorb shock better than a single circle style (which have numbers). Double circle also resist spreading.

The lettered shanks are for hard hardwoods and hard softwoods. The numbered shanks are for soft woods.

You will find a number on a double circle shank. It would be something like a B-8. The 8 is the gauge of the saw. I've only run F or B pattern saws, so I'm not certain the single circle shanks have such designation.

If you can't find anything on the shank, I believe the numbered style has 2 holes and a slit in the shank.

dgdrls · March 25, 2017, 07:51:07 AM

Welcome to the FF,

Lots of knowledge here and I'm certain
folks will be able to get you answers quick,

post some photos, they always help with the questions

D

Dieseltim · March 25, 2017, 10:50:07 AM

Cooper,

The mill that I'm rebuilding is a Belsaw m-14. The friend of mine that owned it many years ago told me that it was only good for cutting pine and other soft woods like cedar.

But, what I have read is that most likely it was just under powered. He was running it with a Red seal continental engine, so probably not a lot of HP to keep up the proper speed of the blade.

I am replacing all of the bits and shanks, and adding a turbo diesel engine of about 130 hp. So, I'm hoping to be able to saw most any kind of wood with this setup.

moodnacreek · March 25, 2017, 08:17:29 PM

Sounds like a 21\2 saw with lite power. Both can be changed if needed. I cut hardwood with a 2 1/2 when that's all I had but a B saw is better.

Cooper Talley · March 29, 2017, 10:30:46 PM

Thanks a lot for the feedback guys! I tried to load pictures, but it's not letting me for some reason. I am pretty sure this saw has 2 1/2 bits. So that is part of the problem. And I would imagine based on what I have been finding out, to be able to cut hardwood with this saw which has 72 teeth in it, at 60" I would need some major HP. Which, as most folks, I don't have the money to throw at it. And I hate to chunk these bits on another set because these are brand new. So I need to change to a "B" in the future if I want better results on hardwood. Now to get my power plant going. New thread on power units available anywhere? Thanks a million guys!

bandmiller2 · March 30, 2017, 07:03:16 AM

Cooper, its not the bits that is the problem its the gullet size, they are small. If the gullets are too small in larger logs they can fill with sawdust and cause the saw to hang, that is bind and stop in the log, not good. I have never used a 2 1/2 saw but believe if you feed at a slower rate and keep the real big stuff off the mill you can do fine until you find a different saw. For a power unit I would not consider anything but a diesel of at least 100 HP. A large farm tractor would also work. Look through old posts their is much written on the subject. Coop where are you located.?? Frank C.

Chuck White · March 30, 2017, 07:14:41 AM

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Cooper Talley.

Cooper Talley · March 30, 2017, 10:00:04 PM

I am thinking a good sized farm tractor around 100 HP would do the trick. And I should be able to find one without much trouble. And I am right across the GA line from Chattanooga TN. Thanks for the input on the gullet sizing. I'll have to do some measurements and see what I have. I have another saw blade the old man threw in with the deal, so I may be in business. Just have to see what all I've got.