Sawing 4x4's

[CLL]

What is the fastest way to cut 4x4's. I usually open, then turn 180 and saw. Would open then 90,90.90 be faster?  Another thing, sometimes I get a 4x4 that all the sides are at an angle,it still measures 4x4 but is lopped sided.

[beav39]

what kind of mill are you sawing with seems that your cant isnt square

[ARKANSAWYER]

 


  Yep! you saw them like this.  Shove one in nose to tail as fast as the men on the other end can catch.  Make from 100 to 200 an hour.
  On small logs it is hard to turn 90 after each cut and get a square cant.  Your back stops have to be square to the bed both standing up and about 1/4 up in order to make square cants.  Also if you have hydralics you may be clamping to hard and lifting the cant.  Cutting 180 always worked better for me and I flipped most of the small logs by hand and if I had a helper I just had them do it.  Manual mills are faster in cutting these small logs like cedar.

[Kevin]

sometimes I get a 4x4 that all the sides are at an angle,it still measures 4x4 but is lopped sided.

Check your dogs for being square to the bed by using a square.
Be sure to check them with outward pressure applied as they would be when a log is clamped and pushing on them.

[zopi]

I open, 90, slab at a multiple of 4 or take a board to reach a multiple of 4, cut 4" cants roll them on the square side and cut to the bed.

[New Brunswick]

  I flip 180, and also keep a framing square below the dogs to check on the 3rd flip every once in a while . Check your blade height in between rollers to make sure there the same, and I agree that the dogging can be the culprit at times.

[clousert]

There are alot of variables being left out of this question.  Are you sawing pine 4x4's, or hardwood?  Do you want any board sidecuts, or not?  Are you on a horizontal cutting mill, or a vertical cutting mill?  These questions all make a difference.

Assuming you want pine 4x4's from a horizontal cutting bandmill, and you want them the most square, cut the top slab, turn 180, cut the bottom slab, and cut boards to the finished measurement of an increment of 4 inches plus your kerfs.  I.E. 4 inches, 8-1/16 inches, 12-1/8 inch, 16-3/16 inches increments if your blade is 1/16 inch thick.

Turn the log 90 degrees, cut your slab, turn 180, cut your slab and then boards until you reach a dimension listed above.  Then cut 4 inch cants to finish the log, moving 4-1/16 inch each advance.  Keep these planks in place as you cut the next line.

When finished, turn this group of cants 90 degrees if they are wider than 4 inches.
Now, with all the blocks in vertical position and clamped, advance blade 4-1/16 inches and cut everything out.  Remove 4x4's as they yield, or let them there.

I have trouble with more than 8 inches of wood on top of my blade because of pinching, so in really large logs this may be a concern.

[CLL]

Arkansawyer, you need to bring me the Morgan for a couple months. For everyones information I am sawing 4x4 cedar cants. Its very possible I am clamping to hard trying to hold 6-8" logs. Since I'm going to be sawing just north of Springfield, I'll just let Will due its annual check-up, that way my wife says she will know which nut is out adjustment, mine or  the mill. Want to take bets? :D :D

[Tom]

I would open a 4" face and take a 4" drop and kick it off of the mill.
Whether I turned 90 or 180 would depend on how good I was at keeping the cant square.  Turning 180 usually is easiest to keep the cant square.  Those cants or 4x4's with Parallel opposite sides but lacking 90 degree corners are parallelagrams.  If all 4 sides are the same length, it is a Rhombus.  To most of us sawyers, it is a Diamond Cant and represents a mill that is out of square.   You are right in assuming that clamping too hard can cause it, it can.

Once the outside 4/4's were gone, I would cut the remaining square cant into 4x4's.

If the log is too small to take side lumber, I would almost definitely turn 180 to help get square timbers. 

[CLL]

Thanks Tom

[woodmills1]

small logs that will only support one 4x4 I will use the 180 turn.

On large logs I really like to peel the outside to some 4" multiple like 8x8 or 12x8 then pass at each 4" multiple, in both planes.  The product really piles up fast when the logs are big.