WM 747 doesn't fly in knotty spruce🤷‍♂️

[barbender]

I ordered 5 747's to try, 1 1/4" x .045 DoubleHards. I've been sawing white spruce,  some of it smaller diameter dead standing, and some big knotty stuff. It was not "flyin" in either. To be honest, I wasn't really expecting them to, knotty spruce is REALLY tough to saw straight. Even with low expectations, it was pretty bad. I'm talking 2x4s I can't sell with a straight face bad😂 I'll save the rest of them to use on red and bur oak I have to saw, and see if they are all they are cracked up to be there. I also have a box of 7° Kasco blades I got from Cutting Edge that I haven't tried yet as those are 1 1/2" and I'm set up for 1 1/4" at the moment.

[frazman]

What model of mill are you using? I'm asking because I have the HM 126 Woodland mill and have collected a number of white spruce logs same as what you described to start milling soon. I hope I don't have the same problem you have cutting 2 x 4 lumber.

[thecfarm]

I tried spruce, once, with a 10° blade. This was before I knew about the FF. I myself don't have much spruce on my land. If I would of known it sawed that crooked I would of just skipped the sawing part and go straight to the brush pile.   I only saw for me, so I won't be sawing spruce again.
Need a certain degree blade to saw that stuff.
A member will be on to help out.

[Ianab]

I think the problem with spruce is the knots are super hard, so it's like you are cruising along in a regular sottwood, then suddenly hit a spot that's like White Oak. A "softwood" blade will understandably be upset by that, and wander off track. 

So possibly the better option will be to use a band that's designed for real hardwoods. It will be slower in the soft parts, and overall through the log, but it should handle the tough bits better.  So maybe a 4 deg band?

[Bruno of NH]

DW bands with the frost notch 
Will cut that spruce and flat

[Ianab]

DW bands with the frost notch
Will cut that spruce and flat

Designed for cutting frozen hardwoods?

[Remle]

The other day I was cutting some old logs from last year, one of them was a dead white pine that had stood for several years before it was cut down, it was harder than any thing I've ever cut. I opened it with a 7 degree blade and it wandered up and down. In my sample box of Woodmizer blades was a new 4 degree. So, on it went, well I was truly amazed at the results. It cut so straight and smooth that I could not believe it. Can't wait to try it on an old dead cherry that blew over last night. I always scoffed at using such a low degree as 4 for sawing, but not any more. Your success may vary, but give a 4 a try as Ianab sugested.

[terrifictimbersllc]

My answer was to set the blades to 30 - 35 thousandths.  But I always had 42 or 55 HP.  10/30, 7/34, or 7/39 for the former, and 7/39 for the latter. Have to recognize when a blade has lost its initial sharpness.  Even so, any spruce which is wide or more dry is an uncomfortable place to be.  Try everything you got.  Also break down the logs with one blade and put on a fresh one for re-trimming and final cuts in clean wood.

[moodnacreek]

Spruce can be tough with the circle saw. There where times when all I had to saw was big open grown and very knotty spruce. You just have to learn what saws and teeth to use and when to slow down and when to go.

[lazyflee]

Sean @Woodmizer Montana gave me 4 degree blades when I told him all I had was Spruce to cut. They cut great. I slow down a bit at the knots

[GAB]

To date the worst I have tried to saw was lawn grown Colorado Blue Spruce.
I was not proud of my sawing that day.
GAB 

[WV Sawmiller]

   I'm with lazyflee on the 4 degree DH blades. Its always going to be a challenge going from such extremes of soft to hard in such short distances. I have a patch of Norway spruce (Overaged Christmas trees) on my place I occasionally salvage. It has a row of limbs every 16-18 inches with hard knots and I tried splitting a dead 5-6 inch diameter piece for kindling with a splitting maul and got absolutely nowhere.

[barbender]

Thanks guys. I have a bit of experience with this stuff, it is tough to saw straight. It goes from about the density of basswood, to aluminum at the knots. I think more than that, is the the way the grain of the wood rises around the knots. I guess this post is more of a statement on the 747, they are supposed to be the new "Wonder Blade" and I'd say they did worse on this stuff than a regular 10°. 

[Percy]

I guess it show to go you :D that there is a good reason for so many differnt blade profiles...I cut Sitka Spruce alot  and it can have these plate sized knots that are harder than my head. As opposed to Barbender, I've had great success with the 747 profile(055x1.5). Out of the box, they cut spruce straiter and faster than any blade Ive used prior. Very seldom I run out of power(42 hp Kubota) but can bogg the 17 year old engine easily with excessive feed rates in the sitka....I have yet to cut a dead dry sitka(most miserable) with these blades so.....time will tell ;D ;D

[SawyerTed]

+1 on 4° bands.  I have zero experience sawing spruce.  I do have experience sawing many 1000's of board feet of white oak.  I have tried Turbo 7° blades and a couple of 747s.  My problem with the 7° bands is they dull quicker than 4° bands in hard wood and logs with hard knots.  It's just simpler for me to saw with 4° all the time.  I cut 900 hundred board feet of white oak with Turbo 7s two weeks ago.  The cuts were true but I used 4 bands where with 4° bands I would likely have used two or maybe three. 

I cut most every kind of hardwood with 4° bands and will use my Turbo 7s in pine or poplar. Once the 7° bands are gone I'll use 4° on everything.

If I've learned anything about blades, some of us tend to try to get "all the good we can" out of a blade when it really is better to "leave a few board feet in a blade."  

[ladylake]

 I've been using 4° blades on everything  for at least 16 years. It's amazing how dull they can get and still saw straight.  Steve

[DPatton]

If I've learned anything about blades, some of us tend to try to get "all the good we can" out of a blade when it really is better to "leave a few board feet in a blade."  

Guilty as charged :-\.

[Bruno of NH]

DW bands with the frost notch
Will cut that spruce and flat

Designed for cutting frozen hardwoods?

Yes for frozen hardwood but i find they work great in all hard to cut logs.

[Sixacresand]

I bought the same deal as Barbender and got the same kind results in knotty pine.  I called the WM  and told the salesman what was happening, suggesting that I always had quality cuts with 4 degrees and could I trade the unused 747's .  He stated that WM would ship me a replacement box of five 4 °, .045, doublehards, no cost. And keep the 747's  

That is great customer service, IMO.

[barbender]

That is good customer service it seems you can always expect that from WM👍I'm saving the rest of my 747's for hardwood and see how they work there.