I have some white oak logs that have been down for I think at least two years bark is falling off. They are hard as concrete.when I saw them on my WM LT 35 I keep getting waves around anywhere theres a knot. Blades sharp tension is proper but I cant get a smooth cut . I know green would be easier to cut but is a old dried out log useless to try to cut smooth? Im using WM double hard blades maybe the newer 747 blades?
I use a 4° blade with a shallow gullet which cuts that old dried out white oak good. Are you running 1/4 down pressure on your roller guides. Steve
Quote from: Arkyrick on March 26, 2020, 05:52:38 AM
I have some white oak logs that have been down for I think at least two years bark is falling off. They are hard as concrete.when I saw them on my WM LT 35 I keep getting waves around anywhere theres a knot. Blades sharp tension is proper but I cant get a smooth cut . I know green would be easier to cut but is a old dried out log useless to try to cut smooth? Im using WM double hard blades maybe the newer 747 blades?
Also be sure to check to see that your drive belt is tensioned correctly. 4 degree blades would be a good choice as well.
White Oak varieties certainly test the blade to its extremes. Old logs get harder to saw. Post Oaks and Swamp Post Oaks seem to be the most challenging. Chinquapin Oak and Burr Oak are not as hard to saw. Seasoned White Oak logs don't seem to be any harder to saw than similar Red Oaks, imo.
Sharp blades are a must, and they get dull faster when sawing drier harder Oaks. As others have said, lower degree angles help. Wider and thicker bands help if you have the HP. Might try other types of blade lube. Every mill adjustment and component should be in specs and good working order when sawing the more difficult woods. Sawing "from the small end" is advised. My experience is, if you find it *impossible to make good cuts from the big end, there is something amiss. The wider the cut the more likely you are to get less than perfect cuts. Tooth set can affect how a blade behaves in wide cuts.
Are you using blades that have previously preformed well in similar logs? Did the waves begin immediately after beginning sawing these logs or did the waves show up after some time sawing? Did you find a source for sharpening blades? As always, the blade is the first thing to check and confirm. Do you clean the logs or debark? Is the blade getting too hot and losing tension?
Good Luck.
Ill try the 4 degree blades but I usually use 10 degree double hards but I recently ordered 10degree 747s not here yet
I found a guy to sharpen blades in MO and am giving him a try
What is the widest bade you can run on a LT 35?
I have had trouble in the past with wavey cuts on older oaks around knots always.
Its frustrating that a brand new LT 35 cant do better
Thanks for all the advice!
I would try a notched toothed blade like I use in frozen logs.
I'm using them in all the hard to cut woods with great results.
Not as fast as 747
I use the 747 in everything else.
I run an LT35 with the 25 hp Kholer and I use the 4 degree double hard blades and I am very happy with the performance. If I could only take one band it would be the 4 degree and over time I am slowly phasing out the 7 & 10 degree blades in stock and replacing with 4's. JMHO.
The ends dry out and get hard first. Sometimes you can cut a few inches off and they saw a lot better. On my old mill I only had 16 HP and ran WM 9's that I re-ground to 6 degrees for the hard stuff.
On my TK I'm running 1-1/2" .050 7 degree Kasco's. They cut anything with flat cuts. The flex life is also better than the other 1-1/2" bands I've tried. Try em all until you find a band that works for you. Probably won't be the one I use.
As far as the blades on hard stuff my experience has been 7's turbo 7's and 4's will saw it fine. I have not used the 747's but sure they will also the job. I would say with any of these blades something else is amiss if not sawing well. Those 10 degree are basically useless on hard stuff as far as I am concerned. They became obsolete in my opinion as soon as the first 7 degree came out. Reason I say that is there is nothing that a 10 degree will cut that a 7 or turbo 7 will not cut better and faster in my experience and you also get the benefit of being able to saw the hard stuff as well that a 10 degree will not.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7013.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1579653488)
They don't get much older than this White Oak log that I sawed in January. I have 4° blades but I left the Turbo7° on and sawed it quite nicely.
I phased out all of my 10° blades several years ago and have not used a 4° blade in well over a year. I have not tried the 747's but they seem to be a replacement for the T7°'s.
When I saw big burr oak that has been laying around like that, I find it takes a fresh sharp blade and a well tuned mill. Also, typically I change the blade after each log, or I'll try to make the opening cuts on the next log and get the bark off, and then put on a fresh blade. It's a catch 22. It takes a very sharp blade, and a blade won't stay very sharp, very long on this type of wood. I've sawn a burr oaken and rolled a red oak on next. The blade that was just struggling to cut burr oak cuts red oak like it's new🤷🏽♂️
I bought the 747 blades and what a difference they cut through it like butter smooth as glass! Thanks guys for all the great advice!