Bandsaw blade for hickory

[carykong]

I have an lt27. Recommendations on best blade to saw green hickory?

[drobertson]

Probably a 4°,  get a box of them,

[PA_Walnut]

Been sawing some really green hickory that was cut down last week. So far, so good with SilverTip Turbo 7°. Will keep posted here as to my success with them.

[Ga Mtn Man]

I second the 4° recommendation.

[MartyParsons]

Hello,
  7 Turbo 25 hp or more
Bi Metal 10 degree and the Bi Metal 7 Turbo. .042 thickness  less than 20 hp.

Increase blade lube, increase feed rate. If the sawdust packs between the cuts your feed rate is slow.

A experienced sawyer once told me to cut on all four faces before cutting any other cuts on the log this reduces stress in Hickory.

Hope this helps.

Marty

[ncsawyer]

I have successfully used 4° and 7° blades with hickory.  I totally agree with Marty.  You want as fast a feed rate as possible to increase blade life.  Also the sooner you can get the bark off the better.  Try to minimize the number of cuts you have to make through the bark and you will also extend blade life as well.  The bark on hickory really seems to take a toll on the blade.

I resawed some hickory cants last weekend with a 7° by 0.045 blade and was very pleased with the feed rate and performance.  The green hickory cants sawed much like white oak.

One thing to watch out for on hickory is the stress and compaction in the butt of the log if it was cut right against the ground.  The grain can be so strong and compacted  that the blade just will not cut straight no matter what you do. 

If you run into this try turning the log around and sawing from the opposite end.  Sometimes this can help.  Good luck!

[drobertson]

well, scratch my head and slap my grandma,, I believe someone has not sawn that much hickory,, go fast and watch what happens.  Sorry,  I had to pipe in,, I had,, 51 horse, all kinds of hook angles,, speeds and feeds,,.  I figure his 27 is in the 20 HP range, guessing,?  It does not matter, hickory is a brutal beast.  Yes keep the coolant on it!  have plenty of blades, and depending on how much there is to saw? have more blades,, I like it dried out a little for  what we have around here.. chips off better and does not grab up so bad.. chisel a blade or two out and make up your own mind.. I could be way wrong, but this is my experience.  You might expect some waves regardless,,and the knots, well they are much like the bark,, brutal as well,

[dgdrls]

Hello,
  7 Turbo 25 hp or more
Bi Metal 10 degree and the Bi Metal 7 Turbo. .042 thickness  less than 20 hp.

Increase blade lube, increase feed rate. If the sawdust packs between the cuts your feed rate is slow.

A experienced sawyer once told me to cut on all four faces before cutting any other cuts on the log this reduces stress in Hickory.

Hope this helps.

Marty

Marty would you elaborate on your band/HP selection? 

My experience with Hickory, strip the bark or have the de-barker leading the way,
Cut it green ASAP. As other have said watch for tension,

The reward is really nice lumber!!

D

[ncsawyer]

My "as fast a feed rate as possible" comment may have been misunderstood.  You certainly should not expect your feed rate in hickory to equal your feed rates in other hard woods, especially in wide cuts or with lower HP mills.  Hickory is certainly one of the most challenging species I cut. 

But my strategy is always to cut as fast as my blade will allow me to succesfully cut without sacrificing cut quality.  Cutting slower than this will not improve quality, but will certainly reduce blade life.

Once I get the hickory cut down to a cant, my feed rate when sawing 6, and 8 inch boards is similar to my feed rate in the same size white oak.

As the hickory boards get wider, the hickory feed rates become slower when compared to white oak of similar size.

[drobertson]

Hello,
  7 Turbo 25 hp or more
Bi Metal 10 degree and the Bi Metal 7 Turbo. .042 thickness  less than 20 hp.

Increase blade lube, increase feed rate. If the sawdust packs between the cuts your feed rate is slow.

A experienced sawyer once told me to cut on all four faces before cutting any other cuts on the log this reduces stress in Hickory.

Hope this helps.

Marty

Marty would you elaborate on your band/HP selection? 

My experience with Hickory, strip the bark or have the de-barker leading the way,
Cut it green ASAP. As other have said watch for tension,

The reward is really nice lumber!!

D

I have to believe Marty has seen a many repairs,,  lots of issues,, but not ones concerning sawing hickory.
Not taking away from what he may have heard,,,, but this does not go that far with many folks,, second hand and third hand info is worthless in sawing.. no relation or reflection on repairs of mills of course.  I suppose some hickory can be sawn easily, just have not seen it around these parts in any form.  Production mills even hate them,,,hickory is brutal,, get use to it. not like any other native north american timber I can think of. I may just be that ignorant.

[carykong]

My lt27 has a 18hp twin Kohler

Thank you for the replies

I have some limited experience with sawing hickory and it was not very positive

[drobertson]

Its all saw able, but you must trust the 4°,  It goes against a few, but from what I've read, they clearly have not sawn very much.   I could care less on your hp at this point,, I know for a fact mills run 4 ° on all there resaws around these parts.  Hickory is brutal for every one, first then followed close  behind dried up red and white oaks,  so  you can, I reckon learn for yourself, as most folks do,, it can can be brutal,,about like sawing hickory, :D

[Cutting Edge]

I second the 4° recommendation.

X 3 

With 18hp, 4 deg. the best choice for hardwoods regardless... especially Hickory.  Be prepared to change blades often too.

I have some limited experience with sawing hickory and it was not very positive

Deep down, we all want to limit our experience with it (Hickory).   :D 

Hopefully your next experience will be a positive one.   

[Magicman]

I'll be sawing Pecan tomorrow which is in the Hickory family.  Not quiet as bad as Hickory, but still a "tough nut to crack).  (old saying)  I will be using a 4° blade.

[JB Griffin]

I use 7° turbo blade on everything. I have no experience with the 4° blades but have heard good things about em. Hickory is absolutely brutal crap to saw. I have 50hp 3ph motor at work and you still cannot crowd it at all in hickory. I would rather saw dead dry white oak than hickory any day.

[YellowHammer]

I have an lt27. Recommendations on best blade to saw green hickory?

My recommendation is to rent a wood chipper and make barbecue chips out of it. :D

I use 4° 055" with a diesel and it's still a chore.  I would not want to do it with an .045.
Either way, if you cut too fast, waves....cut too slow, then packed sawdust and more waves.  Hit a knot, waves.  Slightly dull blade, waves.  Insufficient blade cleaning, then quickly burned band and then waves, big dives that can cause smoke to come out of the kerf.  From new band to dead band in one cut.  I use the hydraulic band tensions gauge to indicate how hot my band is getting, and I will retension immedialey, sometimes during the cut, and flood with coolant if I see a big drop in tension.  I use cotton picker spindle oil, it helps. Hickory chars and builds pitch faster on the band than most any other wood.  Got to keep it slick and clean at all costs or almost certain blade death. 

Wider cuts are more troublesome, narrower is better.  So adjust the sawing pattern to get to a narrow, tall cant as fast as possible, so the waves on the wide surfaces of the cant get turned into non straight edges on flatter narrower boards.

[terrifictimbersllc]

I see it a lot, 4 degree 045 1-1/4" is what I use, I have 42 HP.  Never tried a turbo 7 yet but 4 cuts much better than my 7 in different types of hickory for me.  Have to  turn up the lube cascade/water to keep the blade clean.

[cutterboy]

I saw hickory (and every thing else) with 10 degree blades. Never used anything else. It is slow going and the blades dull faster than in other kinds of wood but I don't have any major problems with it. I have a 13hp engine so I don't know if it could handle 4degree blades. I do saw them green, I log the trees myself. I love the look of the lumber so I think it's worth the extra effort.



 


 

[Kbeitz]

I saw hickory (and every thing else) with 10 degree blades. Never used anything else. It is slow going and the blades dull faster than in other kinds of wood but I don't have any major problems with it. I have a 13hp engine so I don't know if it could handle 4degree blades. I do saw them green, I log the trees myself. I love the look of the lumber so I think it's worth the extra effort.



 


 

I think you got it backwards. 4deg is for lower Hp.

[WDH]

Hickory?

[drobertson]

I saw hickory (and every thing else) with 10 degree blades. Never used anything else. It is slow going and the blades dull faster than in other kinds of wood but I don't have any major problems with it. I have a 13hp engine so I don't know if it could handle 4degree blades. I do saw them green, I log the trees myself. I love the look of the lumber so I think it's worth the extra effort.



 


 

With a clear butt like this one I reckon about anything is possible..It could be another one of those regional things,, around here, our hickory is brutal, plane and simple,, not very friendly to anything, except maybe squirrels, and smoking pork. They do make pretty flooring and cabinets when handled correctly, not to mention handles for many hand tools..

[4x4American]

I'm with Danny

[Larry]

Saw it 2" X 2" X 4" but only from trees felled during the dark of the moon.  Don't worry about waves or that technical stuff.  Make sure there is no bark on the pieces.  Bag it in 10 pound sacks.  Sell it to the BBQ cooks at Bikes, Blues, & BBQ or the Kansas City Royal BBQ.  Make sure you extol the benefits of your smoking wood and that winning cooks all use your wood.

Make $20/bf and retire on your own island.

[dgdrls]

Pay attention to your set, 
narrower will be an advantage,
you don't need to cut as wide a path
as you would in a soft species.

D

[Darrel]

The only hickory I ever cut was about 3/4" of the end of an axe handle I was replacing. Listing to ya'all, I think I've met my quota.  :D :D :D :D :D

[cutterboy]

I saw hickory (and every thing else) with 10 degree blades. Never used anything else. It is slow going and the blades dull faster than in other kinds of wood but I don't have any major problems with it. I have a 13hp engine so I don't know if it could handle 4degree blades. I do saw them green, I log the trees myself. I love the look of the lumber so I think it's worth the extra effort.



 


 

I think you got it backwards. 4deg is for lower Hp.

Sometimes it seems like my life has been one step backwards after another. :-[ :D  However, from what I've read, lower deg needs higher horsepower. But then, maybe I'm reading things backward. smiley_dizzy

[grouch]

My 7HP engine is happier with 4 degree blades than the 10 degree that came with the mill.

[drobertson]

This in my mind was a earlier postulation formed by in my mind folks that had an idea on hook angles and such. As the industry grew, and the need for speed picked up, more aggressive back reliefs and larger gullets were spawned.  I've bit into some pretty good tasting chunks of steak, only to realize I should have taken a smaller bite.  Tough stuff takes more time and chewing,, this is a slower pace of course.. yea I know weird analogy,,I'm weird,,since I cant saw anymore I cook and eat a lot,, getting to understand my late brother Kev's point of view,, "I'm Fat, and I'm happy!"

[Bruno of NH]

My 13hp mill cuts good with 7's but the best all around band for me is a Kasco 4

[Peter Drouin]

Shagbark  Hickory can be a challenge at times. I don't cut it often.

[PA_Walnut]

Great ideas and experiences here. I have been cutting some from a few trees I had to drop. No problem here, but I have HP to throw at it.

I'm capitalizing on opportunity and making smoker wood (as suggested here) from the smaller logs and limbs. It makes excellent BBQ wood and pretty little sawn pieces bring the $$ from Urban Hipsters with wool caps and large beards.  8)

[killamplanes]

Here there's alot of shagbark hickory. Sawing it without being debarked is a real pain. 4-8in long pieces of bark get thrown at the blade guide the whole time band is in the wood. And depending on your luck how many lodge between blade and guide. Seldom popping the blade of , but just riding there until band quits turning and usually the piece of barks falls of by gravity alone. And my blower sounds like I'm feeding rocks through it the whole time cutting shagbark...  and cutting thin pallet stock lumber out of it. It needs to be nailed down pretty quickly or it twist and bends to the point of no return.  I can go on and on about my love of this species. But the tree rats sure like the nuts and making a home in it.

[sawdusty1]

I have completely sworn off hickory.

[PA_Walnut]

Always makes me happy to take away joy from tree rats. They are the most belligerent, nasty animals around here!