Frozen Wood

[bandmiller2]

I don't go out to play in the "goldilocks"zone which probably explains why I've never had problems with frozen logs.I know we have super hardy northern type sawyers here but when the temp.gets too low its brutal on the mill machinery.Some have no choice,if you can do outher work when its below zero by much, your mill will thank you. Frank C.

[Andries]

I'm with band miller - when Goldilocks has gone home to hug the wood stove, I'll be in the woodshop with her. That's the perfect time to change milled lumber into finished products.
I've milled when its really cold (spit freezes before it lands on the ground) and its not worth it. Anything that's temp sensitive it going to make things ugly or break engine and mill parts.
However, on a warmer winter day that doesn't have too much wind, burr oak mills well with a 4 degree band and -40 degree rated windshield washer fluid. Red pine will also mill well with the 7 degree bands and the ww. fluid still gets rid of the band pitch that thaws during cutting.
We've still got snow on the ground here, so milling when its cold and wood is frozen is part of the game !

[JimFX]

I was told by an old timer that to saw frozen wood, you need to take some lead off the saw.  The sawdust of frozen wood is different than that of thawed wood.  It's finer.  You also should have narrower teeth.  Short teeth saw better than new teeth.  The worst problems are from new teeth.

My theory was that the frozen wood freezes to the thawed wood.  It doesn't have anything to do with the heat of the saw.  If saw heat was a problem, then you wouldn't be able to saw any frozen wood, as it would thaw out.  The problems only occur when its partially thawed.  The sawdust cakes to the side, and pushes on the saw.  That's where the heat comes from - the saw rubbing on the log.

Take some lead off the saw?  Short teeth?  You are kinda loosing me with those two.
Could you splain those please ....
Thanks
JimFX

[beenthere]

Jim

Take some lead off the saw?  Short teeth?  You are kinda loosing me with those two

Talking about circular saw, that has some "lead".

I think you are interested in a band mill....  right?

[JimFX]

So is the lead the means to secure the teeth to the steel blade?
and yes, a band mill is what I am looking at.

[beenthere]

Lead pronounced as in "leed", not as in "led"

A circular sawing word.
It is one of the adjustments in the alignment of the track with the carriage and the husk with the circular saw blade.

The lead can be fine tuned with the help of the guide pins near the leading edge of the circular blade just behind the inserted teeth. More to it than that, but it is maybe the general idea of lead.

;)  Some words in the English language, like read (reed) and read (red)