The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => Sawmills and Milling => Topic started by: BandsawWarrior on July 23, 2012, 12:51:51 AM

Title: Can you count these growth rings/inch? (Western Larch)
Post by: BandsawWarrior on July 23, 2012, 12:51:51 AM
These are some of the tightest growth rings I've ever seen.  If you can count that you have better eyes than me.  I had to use my iphone and take a picture and zoom in...it was still hard to see.  It's at least 40 rings/inch and maybe even 60 rings. 


 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/16778/IMG_0495.jpg)


 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/16778/IMG_0497.jpg)

I would be jumping for joy except....this dang Larch is a total nightmare to saw!  I'm running with diesel lube and my band blade is still gumming up with pitch after 2 or 3 cuts.  It gums up so bad the gullet gets filled with hard crusty pitch and so does the actual tooth.  After 10 cuts it's like trying to cut wood with a wood...you can imagine the great quality wavy boards I'm getting. 

I'll try some on the Peterson this week and see how that goes. 

If anyone has figured out the secret to cutting Larch i'm listening lol...
Title: Re: Can you count these growth rings/inch? (Western Larch)
Post by: Ianab on July 23, 2012, 01:16:19 AM
QuoteIf anyone has figured out the secret to cutting Larch i'm listening ...

You already have it figured out.

Load it under the Peterson   :D

It might not be the easiest to saw there either, but it shouldn't give you fits like it is on the band mill .

Ian
Title: Re: Can you count these growth rings/inch? (Western Larch)
Post by: Magicman on July 23, 2012, 07:26:12 AM
To count the tight growth rings in Cherry, I have to sand it smooth and use a magnifying glass.  I count one inch and then multiply.  The tree's age is then "about".
Title: Re: Can you count these growth rings/inch? (Western Larch)
Post by: Satamax on July 23, 2012, 02:48:26 PM
Guys, where i live south eastern alps, near the italian border, in france; we have mostly larch. (larix decidua)

The guys here cut with parrot toothing on their blades, this is wide band i'm talking about around the four inch mark.

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Called "perroquet" in french. So bandsawwarior, you might be good with the swinger.
Title: Re: Can you count these growth rings/inch? (Western Larch)
Post by: Brucer on July 26, 2012, 12:24:44 AM
Quote from: BandsawWarrior on July 23, 2012, 12:51:51 AM
If anyone has figured out the secret to cutting Larch i'm listening lol...

Only cut the ones that don't have any pitch pockets in them :D. They're a dream to cut -- hot knife through butter kind of thing :).
Title: Re: Can you count these growth rings/inch? (Western Larch)
Post by: amberwood on July 26, 2012, 04:59:48 AM
Have you tried running plain water flat out? We have some radiata pine with liquid sap pockets that gums up blades in no time. If you can keep the blade wet the sap should not stick to it. I retro fitted a basic electric fuel pump to the LT40 when i had it and with open flow would empty a 10L water drum in 15min. But the blade was clean.

DTR
Title: Re: Can you count these growth rings/inch? (Western Larch)
Post by: dgdrls on July 26, 2012, 06:10:20 AM
WH_Conley   Senior Member x2
    *


Re: below freezing saw lube
« Reply #31 on: December 26, 2005, 09:02:05 am »

    Quote

Summer time I use about a cup of pinesol, the cheap stuff and a little automatic dishwashing soap, get ready to take blade off, turn water on high and hit the blade with a LONG handled wire brush on both sides. No more sap on blades to interfere with setting. If the weather is too cold for water I usually don't use anything, if logs are froze not too much problem with sap anyhow until the blade starts to get dull and heat up, time to take it off anyhow. Never tried oil, never had call to, it must work because too many people have used it with success.


Found this in the archives

The photo's you provided showed some beautiful wood,  feel free to "mail a sample"  :D

DGDrls
Title: Re: Can you count these growth rings/inch? (Western Larch)
Post by: giant splinter on July 26, 2012, 11:43:16 AM
Westen larch is here where I live also and I have found that a 7deg. blade and lots of water and minimal soap (just enough to break the surface tension of the water) works best for me ... keep an eye on your blade tension.
Title: Re: Can you count these growth rings/inch? (Western Larch)
Post by: Ironwood on July 26, 2012, 11:52:13 AM
I have had hickory and oak here at 50-60 growth rings per inch. Gets hard to count any more dense than that.

Ironwood
Title: Re: Can you count these growth rings/inch? (Western Larch)
Post by: rmack on July 26, 2012, 12:41:26 PM
hmnn... might have to call in a dendrochronologist  ;)
Title: Re: Can you count these growth rings/inch? (Western Larch)
Post by: Satamax on July 26, 2012, 01:31:36 PM
Here the guys tend to use diesel as lube for everything.