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Wavy Cuts

Started by woodman58, September 03, 2010, 08:41:22 AM

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YellowHammer

Unfortunately, to eliminate variables, it's best to try with a new blade and new bandwheel belts.  Most of this below can be done in a very few minutes.  

Check band tracking on the bandwheels.

Check the band roller guides for flat spots or grooves cut into the back shoulder.  Check for flat spots on the contact surface with no band on. 

Check to make sure they are rolling smoothly with no band on, and with no wobble.

Check the make sure the idle side blade guide arm is rock solid, with no band on.  Tug on it hard, back and forth, up and down.

Make sure your HP blade guides are rock solid with the band on and are not touching the band.

Make sure both guide block assemblies are still rock solid.

Check their alignment.

Check the main drive belt tension (very important any time there is a loss in cut quality). 

Check band alignment.


YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

Bandmill Bandit

Lots of relevant advice BUT, MM nailed it! "Owning a saw mill dont a sawyer make"!

If some one showed up to my place with "mangled components" hanging off his mill, he wouldn't even get a chance to set up. if he is too dumb to KNOW that blade lube is NOT optional, he is to dumb to understand MOST of the principles of cutting good lumber, weather it laziness or his "give a *DanG is busted"! He DON'T deserve patronage ($$) from me or any one else.

A good owner and operator will produce good lumber no matter the mill brand.

Its just that a good operator can make more good lumber faster with not as much work on a Woodmizer. ;D  :D    
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
2018 F150 FX4, Husqvarna 340, 2 Logright 36 inch cant hooks and a bunch of stuff I built myself

Brad_bb

All these posts and the OP has never said what type of wood was being cut or how frequently the waves were occurring, whether the wood being cut was knotty or not...

These will help focus or eliminate what might be going on.  

If you are getting fairly consistent wavy lumber from him, I'd lay a bunch out and inspect it with him.  If he blows it off and tells you it'll get flat in planing....then that tells you he doesn't care.  If he want's to trouble shoot it with you, then that's a good thing.

Among the other causes that have been listed, my waves have been caused by 1)the band, 2)drive belt tension(too loose), and 3) the wood itself.  Milling really hard wood like osage, I'll get more waves than normal because it's so hard and the the band will sometimes try to follow changing grain direction.  I also proved the same thing when cutting Honey locust.  It's pretty hard too, but the knots are extra hard, and depending whether you're cutting up or down the tree when you hit the branch knot, affects which direction the blade wants to go- up or down.  When cutting really hard wood, or wood with really hard knots, you need to slow your feed rate down for sure for those. If you try to continue at the normal feedrate, when it hits hard and quickly changing grain direction, the band will try to follow-  the path of least resistance.  Slowing the feed rate down so the teeth can cut through the knot fibers before the blade advances.

This thread is a good reminder to me to check my drive belt tension.  I'm going to be cutting a bunch of osage soon and I need to make sure it's correct before I do.
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

Bandmill Bandit

Quote from: Brad_bb on November 06, 2019, 04:52:25 PM
This thread is a good reminder to me to check my drive belt tension.  I'm going to be cutting a bunch of osage soon and I need to make sure it's correct before I do.
You are bang on that one Brad!
I have learned that I can do hand check of the belt by raising the head and reaching in from the bottom. I check it cold and then again after a log is cut every time I fire up the mill. That way the belt don't get a chance to delivery wavy lumber. Having said that, WHEN I do see a wavy board it is the FIRST thing I check 
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
2018 F150 FX4, Husqvarna 340, 2 Logright 36 inch cant hooks and a bunch of stuff I built myself

GDinMaine

It could have been a the wood as well. A bone-dry spruce, cherry, ash, oak and so on, will do funny things to the blade and makes you scratch you head as for what might be wrong. For me dry spruce presents the greatest challenge. The knots are very hard and in the transition the blade makes waves. I tend to see smaller, but more frequent waves caused high feed rate in tough wood as opposed to long, more gentle waves caused by dull blade issues. The first thing I try is slow the feed down. Sometimes way down. If that does not help I put on a fresh blade right away. If I do make some wavy lumber I always point it out to the customer and immediately start looking for a solution, even if they say they don't care. I hate doing a bad job and I get very frustrated by crappy lumber. 

It's the going that counts not the distance!

WM LT-40HD-D42

Percy

Quote from: GDinMaine on November 07, 2019, 07:22:26 AM
  For me dry spruce presents the greatest challenge. The knots are very hard and in the transition the blade makes waves. I tend to see smaller, but more frequent waves caused high feed rate in tough wood as opposed to long, more gentle waves caused by dull blade issues.  
I couldnt agree more...Dry spruce, specially the bigger ones, the blade sounds like its cutting a rock the whole way down the log.... :D :D
GOLDEN RULE : The guy with the gold, makes the rules.

rastis

Quote from: John Bartley on September 03, 2010, 10:49:22 AM
My experience is this:

1 - bands that are dull but properly set for the type of wood, will cut slowly and will load the engine down. They also seem to gather the most dust and pitch.

2 - bands that are under-set for the type of wood they are cutting, will almost always produce a wavy cut, regardless how sharp they are.

3 - bands that are over-set will produce more sawdust then is necessary, but if they are sharp, they will cut just as well as a properly set and sharpened band.

that's all I got...

John

Is there a guide available for type of band and tooth set to use for various wood species? I've been contemplating getting the gear to sharpen and set my own bands. We cut pine, maple, oak, cherry and walnut or whatever species the wood fairy happens to deliver.

CCCLLC

Wood Mizer site has some lists and guides on that in their blade selection pages. Maybe a copy for Sawyer as a curtisy as well. 

Stephen1

I am always going to sawmill jobs where I am asked if I am going to cut wavey wood. How often did the last guy change his blade, i ask? change a blade they say, he used the same blade all day. 
NO I do not cut more than 1 wavey board as I change the blade, adjust what I need to make sure we are sawing perfect or near perfect lumber. 
I am seeing wavey lumber at the kiln now from someone elses sawing, slabs cut thru the pith and then they wonder why it spits and moves in the kiln.
I really do not want someone swearing at me and giving me a bad name because they had to send a board thru the planer numerous times.
IDRY Vacum Kiln, LT40HDWide, BMS250 sharpener/setter 742b Bobcat, TCM forklift, Sthil 026,038, 461. 1952 TEA Fergusan Tractor

JRHill

Well, *DanG.

Broke everything down, inspected and back together with a fresh blade but not new wheel belts. I got the Woodmizer tool out and checked all the blade alignment specs. A few weren't "perfect" as the millennial kids say but well close enough. I buttoned it up and loaded the lube jug, checked everything again and it ran a perfect cut.





It is just another of those things where ya fight it and then when ya put it back together the problem evaporates. you never get to find out what was wrong. But thanks for all the input.

bushhog920

So what do y'all set to for different types of wood? I cut mostly pine and shoot for .025" 

JRHill

Quote from: bushhog920 on November 10, 2019, 09:22:55 PM
So what do y'all set to for different types of wood? I cut mostly pine and shoot for .025"
Not sure what you mean... .025 straightness in the cut? I don't have any difference in pine from Doug fir, er when I'm not battling an elusive weird thing like the above. 

bushhog920

Tooth set on the blade sorry should have been more clear. .025" seems good for me if I over set to .030" my boards start getting a rough surface finish.

Chuck White

I cut mostly W/Pine, Hemlock & Cherry and I set my blades in the .025-.028 area!

If you try to get them set to the "exact" number, it can get very frustrating!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

dougtrr2

Quote from: gator gar on September 04, 2010, 05:34:28 AM
If he has been cutting for 15 years, he has it figured out by now. My opinion is that he just don't care and has little or no pride in his work. I'd find another person to saw for me in the future.
There is a difference between "cutting for 15 years" and "cutting for one year 15 times".   Maybe he just isn't learning.
Doug in SW IA

Bandmill Bandit

FYI Re dry spruce; 
And this don't always work.

I like to load small end to the front of mill BUT have spun the log end for end after a first cut that showed waves where ever I hit a sizable knot in that first cut. Most times that will solve it. Other time it just changes which way the blade deflects.

Hit the log from the small end blade tends to dive at the knot and hit from the butt end blade tends to climb. I thought I was bonkers the first time I noticed it but its pretty much the way it works out MOST of time.    
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
2018 F150 FX4, Husqvarna 340, 2 Logright 36 inch cant hooks and a bunch of stuff I built myself

Poquo

Yesterday was milling Pine everything was working fine then the blade started diving in the cut . Checked almost everything on the mill , put new blade on still dived , finally noticed lube was stopped up and barely dripping . Unclogged line mill cut fine after that .
2015 Woodmizer LT40HD26

chickenchaser


Kicking this one back to the top as it does me good to review/refresh....
Is it legal for me to do that?
CC
WoodMizer LT35HD

JD 3720 w/loader. 1983 Chevrolet C30 dump. 1973 Ford F600 w/stickloader. 35,000 chickens.

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