Things I have learned about swingmills

Nate Surveyor · January 26, 2007, 07:13:13 AM

I have learned that there is a rhythm to it. Cut, swing horizontal, cut, remove board, adjust for next cut, swing vertical.

And repeat.

You learn to watch for knots, so you can slow down a little through them, to keep everything nice and even.

I also know what blade striking metal sounds like... >:(

But I have a good saw doc.

I have learned that different blades, act differently.

One of them goes to a wider kerf, when the saw rpm slows down. Maybe tensioned wrong, or different. It goes straight when at 3600 rpm.

And I have learned that I want/need a mechanism to fast release the HIGH track prop, and put it back, while keeping the adjustment.

I have learned that you really do need a system to handle the cut lumber, and the waste pieces. That stuff accumulates pretty fast. And the sawdust does too! ;D

Nate

Captain · January 26, 2007, 08:20:02 AM

Nate, have you seen one of the newer style "slide up" high track supports?? You should have the old threaded kind.

Captain

Nate Surveyor · January 26, 2007, 08:48:09 AM

No, Cap'n I can't say that I have.

Thanks,

Nate

Ianab · January 27, 2007, 02:47:01 AM

Yup.. thats pretty much what I've learned too ;)

And the BEST sawing is when you have BIG logs, set up around them, run through the adjust, swing, cut, swing, cut, repeat... routine for a while. Then load out 1,000 bf and leave the sawdust in the field and slabs for the firewood collectors.
8)

Cheers

Ian

Nate Surveyor · February 07, 2007, 10:24:19 AM

OK, a few more things I have learned.

I have an electric up/dn winch. IF you drop the edge of the blade onto the log, (by accident) then, you can mess up the tensioning in the blade. Now, as you enter a log, the blade wobbles. BAD.

Also, the sawdust accumulates pretty fast. I am thinking of insulating an outbuilding floor. (pole bldg.) by placing the sawdust in the floor. tack blue cheap tarp under the floor, and then 1" chicken wire over that, and then fill the floor from the top. Is that a lame idea, or a good one? It is just a waste product.

Another thing I have learned is that a few seconds of sharpening per tooth, is better than waiting and getting it real dull, before sharpening.

Thanks everybody.

Nate

WDH · February 07, 2007, 10:43:17 AM

As to the sawdust floor, you have to be careful that you don't attract wood eating buggy critters. If you are drying lumber in the same area, hygiene is important so that you don't attract the dreaded powder post beetle. I think it depends on what you are using the pole barn for. If you are drying lumber in it, I would not do it for sure.

solodan · February 07, 2007, 12:00:07 PM

Nate it sounds like you have been sawing by yourself cause you are cutting the vertical first. This is what I do to speed up handeling if I am cutting 1x or anything where I can pull 2 or 3 or 4 boards off at a time. I make several vertical passes first, then I cut the whole stack off horizontal. You don't save any walking, but you save your arm by swinging only once and then you can unload 4 boards at once. This works good as long as you don't have tension in the log and the board is trying to pinch the blade.

Nate Surveyor · February 07, 2007, 01:21:45 PM

Another trick is after removing the heart, and there are a stack of 1x on the right side of the log, and have cut both sides of a still attached cant, and I am dropping the mill after each cut, is to cut a bunch of horizontal cuts, then remove 4 boards at a time. Similar take on your above method, Mr. Solodan. I will have to try yours sometime.

To mill effeciently with a circle swinger, you have to think through all your cuts, so as to not waste lumber due to it comming un-attached from the main log. Some of these I have learned to take 1x out of, by leaving the blade horiz, and 1" up from a partially milled log. This allows me to resaw out some waste, due to my lack of experience. Still, it is a new (for me) system.

Nate

solodan · February 07, 2007, 08:15:54 PM

Another trick I do is edge my live edge boards on the mill. I may get 4 or 5 vertical 1x's off the edge if I am 8" deep, as if I'm cutting 1x8's. Then I lay these boards against the vertical face on the log and slide back out 4" or 6" or what ever and make a vertical pass, cutting off the live edge and getting a few boards out this way with out edging them later or without moving the winch up and down. overall a decent size log may yeild you 20 or so extra random width boards that I have seen cut off as slabs and wasted before. doing this takes very little extra time and really uses the entire log.

Nate Surveyor · February 07, 2007, 09:16:04 PM

On the sawdust, how about spraying it with treatment, with copper, and diesel?

It's the stuff that you treat posts with.

Nate

DanG · February 07, 2007, 10:22:18 PM

Quote from: Nate Surveyor on February 07, 2007, 09:16:04 PM
On the sawdust, how about spraying it with treatment, with copper, and diesel?

Sounds like a good way to go from a waste situation to a toxic waste situation.

Nate Surveyor · February 07, 2007, 10:49:23 PM

Pressure treated wood is toxic!

N

Nate Surveyor · February 07, 2007, 10:57:08 PM

Somebody saw me removing, and resetting my center support the other day. They went to their truck, and got a load locker for an 18 wheeler. It has teeth, and expands about 3/4" when you flip a lever. I am trying to figure out how to install it as a center support. It has teeth, so I can adjust easily. That with a threaded screw to make fine adj would work pretty good.

N

Fla._Deadheader · February 08, 2007, 06:56:24 AM

I don't use the high-low track set-up. I use a couple chunks on the outside of the track and lay slabs or 2X pieces OVER the track tube, onto the bunks. Then roll the log onto the notched bunks.

sawdust · February 09, 2007, 12:56:29 PM

An old fella told me that you could "treat" sawdust with cement dust and borax powder. Makdes it fire and bug resistant. He did not say how much to use. Any thoughts? I was planning to use this in the walls anr ceiling of my little welding shop I am working on.

sawdust

Furby · February 10, 2007, 12:24:40 AM

Welding shop, sawdust, welding shop, sawdust.......
Guess it's just me. :

sawdust · February 10, 2007, 10:50:47 AM

Hey Furby,

At my wifes encouragement! She does not like all the welding/plasma grit all over her car. I don't appreciate it all over my wood stuff. Hey who am I to argue! The building is only 12 by 20 and is made of wood I helped log, cut and plane. I love tools! I love my wife too!

sawdust

stonebroke · February 10, 2007, 08:58:09 PM

They treat cellulose insulation with boric acid to make it fire resistant and also mouse proof. In seattle I saw an old icehouse insulated with sawdust burn, Biggest fire I ever saw. They could not even attempt to put it out. I think I would think about other insulation materials unless the building is expendable.

stonebroke

Nate Surveyor · February 12, 2007, 09:43:07 PM

Something more that I have learned, is to GO THROUGH THE ADJUSTMENT ROUTINE.

I was milling the other day, and the blade was about 2 mm higher at the BACK than the FRONT. (Front is the side away from the operator).

This did fine, as long as I was not taking very deep cuts. But, when I tried to double cut, well, I was pulling it in the horizontal, and it climbed a whole 1/2"!

Needless to say, I got to adjusting it, and now it is much better, but I wish to test it carefull, before milling more.

Making sure it is adjusted right is the key to getting the most out of a sawmill.

Nate

Fla._Deadheader · February 13, 2007, 07:17:00 PM

When ya get to sawing these, you better have the adjustments right.

:

;D

swampy · February 13, 2007, 08:07:10 PM

What kind of tree is that in the pic. ??? Looks like it may have some neat grain on the end

Fla._Deadheader · February 14, 2007, 03:46:53 PM

Dat's a Ojoche. It grows with those huge buttresses or crown Roots, as Tom calls 'em. That's what holds them up, and when they rot, and they do, down comes the tree.

This tree had a ton of Strangler Vine growing around it. Took 3 of us over a day to cut it clear, and pile it to burn. Still have a little left to tear off.

You can see part of it on the log, and the stripes where we took it loose.

Thr grain in this tree is very plain, I was hoping for a LOT of red-brown in the heart, but, no go. It's pretty ho-hum wood, to me. We are making 2 X 5's--2 X 6's--and a few 2 X 8's from these 2 trees. Some are 20' long.

WDH · February 14, 2007, 07:42:06 PM

Isn't one man's (or woman's) ho-hum another man's (or woman's) Ah-Ha???

Fla._Deadheader · February 14, 2007, 08:28:39 PM

Po- see bleeee :

:D :D :D

Nate Surveyor · March 15, 2007, 12:17:19 PM

OK, I have taken the teeth off my blades twice now. With screws, that I placed there. I screwed down 1/2 milled slabs onto another partially sawn log, and then, forgot to pay enough attention, and hit the screws. Nothing like it.

Anyway, I have learned the it is VERY critical to have the blade cutting almost perfect, so that it does not CLIMB, or DIG when sawing in the horizontal position. It has been digging a little, ever since I got it. I have been messing alot with it.

Another thing, is this is a 9" mill. It appears to be an UPGRADED 8" mill. The blade support bearing, that is CLOSEST to the blade is bolted to a piece of 1/4" thick aluminum. I think that this aluminum is a little too soft for the additional loads placed on it by a 9" blade. So, I intend to re-inforce it. It sometimes flexes this aluminum enough to make the face of the boards too rough. Part of this problem was the leading edge being too low, (digging), but I think I have played with it enough to eleminate this problem. Making adjustments in the 1/4 turns, and then when close, going to 1/8 turns.

Somebody's profile says "1 nail, no teeth". Ya! I tried that!

Nate