How low can you go?

Patrick NC · February 19, 2023, 03:44:02 PM

Seems like different manufacturers are all over the board with how close to the deck you can cut. Lately I've been getting quite a few orders for 3/4 inch boards. With a little tweaking I got my hd36 to cut 3/4 with room to spare.

Dave Shepard · February 19, 2023, 04:17:11 PM

Could probably get 7/8", but that would be very close. I cut 1" all the time.

GAB · February 19, 2023, 04:25:46 PM

I had a customer that wanted 3/4" thick live edge cherry boards.
Not being too bright and not wanting to saw below 1", I sawed down a bit over half, then rotated 180°, lifted the half log up with the hydraulic clamp, put two 4" wide pieces of plywood between the cant and the bed of the mill, then sawed the rest. He was happy as he got what he wanted.
GAB

Crossroads · February 19, 2023, 04:41:28 PM

I cut down to 3/4" pretty regularly on the lt40, but I have to be paying attention when I set my clamp. With some effort, I think I could get down to 5/8", but it's not worth it, so I just tell customers that 3/4" is it.

kelLOGg · February 19, 2023, 05:34:00 PM

Just barely get 3/4".

KenMac · February 19, 2023, 05:42:35 PM

I can get 7/8 but I don't really try very often. The pucker factor isn't worth it. I tell customers that the bottom board will be 1".

Magicman · February 19, 2023, 06:17:45 PM

I can cut down to 1" and probably a bit lower but I don't. I start so that the dog board is usually @1 1/8".

I always advise the customer that I do this to make up for any "stress sins" that the cant may hand out as it is sawn.

WV Sawmiller · February 19, 2023, 08:57:09 PM

I routinely saw down to 3/4" but if sawing anything thinner I built my cheat sheet to leave a 1" dog board. When sawing to 3/4" I also have to be sure both front and back edges are cut square. Any rounding and my clamp may fail and the board/cant will slip free.

JoshNZ · February 20, 2023, 03:24:31 AM

We do 17mm boards occasionally. guess that's 11/16". A part of me doesn't believe it will do it every time I'm looking at it but, clearance is clearance. If it does it once it'll do it again.

terrifictimbersllc · February 20, 2023, 04:21:16 AM

Mine will go down to 3/4 but auto-down or pattern mode wont do it. For example if pattern mode programmed all 7/8 to the bed the last drop wont do anything it will stay at 1-29/32. Have to lower it by hand.

I usually tell customer that last board is 1". Most asking for thinner dont know what they want anyway. :D

thecfarm · February 20, 2023, 06:02:43 AM

One inch on the Thomas that I own.

cutterboy · February 20, 2023, 06:50:00 AM

My Lumbermate 2000 is designed to make a 3/4" last board but I don't go less than 1". Lower than an inch would be too stressful for me and sawing should be fun, not nerve wracking.

Rhodemont · February 20, 2023, 07:24:42 AM

1 1/4 is as low as I go. I get so nervous trying to go any lower it is not worth it.

Cedarman · February 20, 2023, 07:46:45 AM

I have sawn quite a few 1/2" boards.
Cedar usually lays flat and doesn't bow. I rotate 180 several times sawing 1/2".
For last board I take a 1/2" board and place underneath a 1 1/8" board. I leave the boards stacked as I saw so have all that weight on top is keeping things flat. Make the final cut and all boards are 1/2". Doing this when sawing orders of 100 sq' or less. Otherwise, run cants through the multihead. Makes 10 boards a minute with resaw.
A lot of times just saw so that I have 1" left over.
We saw huge amounts of 3/4" to make T&G.

Stephen1 · February 20, 2023, 08:05:29 AM

I do 7/8" all the time, for B&B. I use the inch scale for my cants and drop 1" making 7/8"

SawyerTed · February 20, 2023, 09:51:04 AM

I'm in the 1" camp and figure that dog board is there to allow for any movement errors to be there.

If the customer doesn't want/need 1" boards, usually they need/want stickers so the 1" boards become stickers.

RAYAR · February 21, 2023, 07:16:38 PM

My custom built mill will cut to 3/4" and I have no fear of cutting down to this if I need to.

WV Sawmiller · February 21, 2023, 07:36:48 PM

Timely topic. I had a repeat customer call today and ordered some 3/8" X 3.5" X 8' strips. He uses them for crafts and was cutting them from old pallets but decided it was too much work and had me cut him some as a test. It must have worked as he is out and ordered more. They are very easy to cut as I just make 1/2" drops on my SimpleSet and with the 1/8" kerf I leave a 3/8" board. I was thinking I needed to add a new column on my cheat sheet for 3/8" then I realized if I start anywhere on 1" or a .5" mark, drop 1/2" per cut then stop when I reach 1" I am golden.

For anything less than 1" thick I bill by the square foot so I really like orders like this.

taylorsmissbeehaven · February 23, 2023, 06:32:54 PM

I dont saw below one inch either. I will saw whatever the customer wants above it. I have nicked my clamp at several different heights electricuted-smileyso I may be a bit saw shy!!!