sawing white ash

[Ed_K]

 I cut the white ash logs yesterday, and sawed them today, used a 3/4 pitch 8 deg hook. I couldn't cut a straight board. Up and Down, tried pushing fast and slow, no help. This is a manuel mill. What am I doing wrong. No water either. the mill wasn't set up for blade lube. The logs seemed like they where dried down to 6 %.

[Kevin]

Were the boards moving when the band left the cut?

[tawilson]

I've only cut three logs on my mill so here I am giving advice! I was getting waves until I slid the blade guides in closer to the log. It especially got squirrely when going through knots. I also didn't have the blade tight enough. I was getting vibration(slack) in the blade before it went through the log. I may be babbling, if so, please, gently, let me know. I am in a learning curve here with mainly this forum to help me.

[Jeff]

When I saw white ash I would not be able to tell you how the lumber comes out. My eyes swell near shut, my throat swells and i start to wheeze and choke. I get hives on my arms, hands and on the back of my neck.

I don't saw ash anymore.

[EZ]

Ed, I'm sure your ez baker mill was just like mine "was". With the blade guides stationary and no blade coolant on it, I use to have a heck of a time sawing anything. Both are a must.
Since I redone my mill, ash is one of my favorite to saw now.
Except for all the dust,  ;D
EZ

[Ed_K]

 Good Morning All, thanks for the comments. I may need to make moveable guides. The guides are set at 15". I was sawing small logs, 8" to 10" x 63" long into gradestakes. Vibrations was bad around knots, in the past I have tried to tighten the blade more, only to have to blade break, within 100 bf.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  EZ has done a fine job with mods to his mill. I would definitely take any advice he offers. 8)

[sawyerkirk]

When we saw ash, we run alot of blade lube, as the pitch builds up on the blade quickly. This solves our waveyness.
Jeff B. I am the same way about ash, I am horriby allergic to the dust! Unfortunately, we get alot of ash, and it makes a beautiful stake. Kirk

[oakiemac]

Jeff B, it sounds like you had a big ashed dust attack! ;D ;D

[tawilson]

I've pretty much resigned myself to wearing a respirator whenever I'm doing anything to make wood dust. I was showing a friend the new mill and cut off a couple of hemlock boards and didn't bother to go get the respirator and I payed for it last night. I'm about 3 months into my allergy shots. Hope they help. Speaking of milling, I also got a lube setup going about the same time I wised up enough to slide the blade guides in, so that probably helped in the wave department. I'm using just water, do you guys put anything else in? Somewhere I heard about using dishsoap?

[Larry]

I can't saw ash without a lot of water with soap or a moderate amount of kerosene and bar oil.  Without lube the pitch build up on the band gets so thick within two cuts the bands starts going all over the place.

A home built lube system is cheap and easy to set up.  Couldn't do without one for any species.

[Kedwards]

I cut quite a bit of white ash and it really is easier to cut than white oak. I do add a touch of soap in my water cooling tank on my lucas mill for higher lubricity.  By far the toughest stuff for me to cut on the Lucas mill is Black Locust.

[Wes]

White ash has been the most difficult for me to saw, the pitch or dust buildup on the blade has to be constantly cleaned off and no matter what I tried with the lube it diddnt help much. The only thing I havent tried is kerosene.