Sawing for Grade With a Swinger

[DanG]

Well now, Cap'n, We just spent 3 days together and you never mentioned this to me! >:( :D :D :D :D   I guess you just didn't realize how ignorant I really am, eh?  I've been cutting some big beams by just flipping the partially cut log over and peeling the lumber off the other side. Trouble is, I have a bit of trouble keeping the mill bed level, so some of the beams come out tapered. Also, I can only square up one side of the beam that way, too. This way, I can get a perfectly straight beam, and square off the other side, too, by rotating it as I flip it. 8) 8) 8) :P

[BW_Williams]

DanG, that's one advantage of a wood deck.  Mill half way thru the log, slide it to the right and skim your deck, then flip the half log, take lumber as desired, and your slab will be fairly true in thickness.  You can do that on your MD in believe.  BWW

[DanG]

BW, that's all well and good in theory, but I got a couple of problems. #1, my log clamps are made of steel. I can't shave them down without causing a problem. ;)  Secondly, the MD's main blade is pushing 5/16 teeth, and the edgers are running 1/4 teeth. There is a lot of lift from the main, and lots of lateral pull from the edgers. Gravity alone will not hold the log in place with just a notch in a beam. The swingers seem to get away with it, probably because of the thinner kerf, but I gotta clamp that baby down tight.

[BW_Williams]

DanG, I didn't realize the MD would lift a slab, that's probably cause I've only run one about 2 minutes :D  I'll shut up now.  BWW

[DanG]

It won't help to shut up now, BW. You're already up to your a....hips in this thing now. ;D :D :D  Seriously, I wouldn'ta thunk it either, but the blades will definitely cause the log to move, unless it's a biggun.  The biggest problem is the pull of the little edger blades. When taking a full capacity horizontal cut with both edgers, the teeth are cutting almost perpendicular to the log. This tends to pull the mill frame, which ain't the stiffest thing I ever saw, into the blades. It is almost like setting into the blade....really jam's things up.  I had a problem with that for a while. Finally found that one of the blocks had worked out from under the leg that was resting on it, allowing the frame to shift just a bit. It appeared that the track beam was shifting, but it turned out to be the log that was moving.

[NZJake]

Gidday guys,

Nice easy way to resaw, keep a hand brush handy to sweep the sawdust off your flat log surface so the boards sit flat. Leave a ledge on the right side of your log as per normal.

Try this... instead of sawing into the board on the forward run on the standard side of the blade, try cutting on the back side of the blade as you would normally double cut (standing to the left side of the log pulling toward you). The blades natural tendancy will be to pull the board into the ledge rather than push and pull it away. Works for me.

[fabrik]

The problem has been solved gentlemen. Go to my website, www.fabrik.us and click on the Industrial Fabrication page. And here's to safe, productive sawing. -Mike

[Arthur]

Gidday guys,

Nice easy way to resaw, keep a hand brush handy to sweep the sawdust off your flat log surface so the boards sit flat. Leave a ledge on the right side of your log as per normal.

Try this... instead of sawing into the board on the forward run on the standard side of the blade, try cutting on the back side of the blade as you would normally double cut (standing to the left side of the log pulling toward you). The blades natural tendancy will be to pull the board into the ledge rather than push and pull it away. Works for me.

NZJake

Just the way we have done since the mills began.  Instructions are in our manual now 16 years old.

One of the benefits of a swinger is you can leave the ledge there.  I normally collect a few and do them all in one go.

arthur

[DR Buck]

I bet if you drive a couple of 20p spikes down through the slab into the log would keep it from moving.  :D  ;D :D  ;D :D

[sigidi]

Same with the Lucas too... ;D

Good luck with it all Harold.

One last thing, when you want to load and hold the smaller logs - 10" dia (I use this for all my logs) I have two 8"x3" bunks, another 8"x3" ripped to make two tapers for rolling the log onto the bunks. Once I have the log in position, I knock a 3"x1.5" into each side and screw these down with batten screws on both ends of the log. This way if my timber deserves it I can and do get down to about a 2" cant left at the bottom of the log without having to reload logs or set-up more than once. Will do pics if ya want.