First time quarter-sawing. Yikes! Did I do something wrong?

[Pepe_Silvia]

Sycamore, if that isn't obvious.  I don't cut a lot of lumber, mostly slabs, but I thought I'd give quarter-sawing a go.  Decided to go with the technique outlined on Woodmizer's site as opposed to RRQS for my first attempt.

Is the issue that there's too much sapwood and I should only be sawing heart?  Or is this just the nature of the beast.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[stavebuyer]

I think it relates to splitting the heart at the get go. A board or two alternating top n bottom would end that.

[Percy]

Completely off topic(my bad) but where did you get that cool set of pallet forks with the grapple clamp?? ;D

[Pepe_Silvia]

Completely off topic(my bad) but where did you get that cool set of pallet forks with the grapple clamp?? ;D

Titan Attachments : https://www.palletforks.com/skid-steers/grapples-and-rakes/pallet-fork-grapples/pallet-fork-grapple-version-2-with-48-inch-fork-blades/138131.html
It's great for the sawmill - can grab logs off a trailer and move lumber stacks around without having to change implements.

[scsmith42]

For a log that small if not RRQS  I would go with the traditional log quartering method, instead of cutting the log into thirds.

Thirds works well on logs around 40" diameter or greater.

[esteadle]

I've never had a Sycamore on my mill, but...

In the 4th picture, why turn the middle of the log up?
Why not cut 2" slabs straight down through that?
That would all be quartersawn pretty much, and should have figure I would think?  

Oh, I see. You did say you followed the directions on the woodmizer site. heh heh ;-)


So, I don't know if that's the way I'd do it.
Half moons are hard to stand up straight and clamp properly.

Instead, I'd "split the pith". If you have the width to halve the log, do it.
If you think about it, you will get the best 2 faces of quartersawn in the log.
Saw down thru the bottom half and you'll often get more.
Stop sawing when you no longer see it and flip the half log up 90 and saw thru the middle again.
You have 2 more faces of q-sawn. Keep sawing down until you lose it.

Now, if you want to make it quick, flip the quarter you have left back and forth, and saw off the bottom (clamp it low and set the saw height at the exact finished board height).

If instead, you want to get more good width q-sawn and are ok to throw away some triangles, find a block and block up the "quarter" you have left and set the grain up and down so you saw directly perpendicular to it. It is really hard to clamp this way, so take your time and get it right, or your saw may pull the quarter out of the clamps wrecking the rest of the quarter and the blade too probably. 

A trick I use is to turn the quarter so the round side is down, and cut off the triangle on top to get it flat. Then turn the quarter up and place that flat side against the posts, and clamp from behind at just below the middle. 

Get to the next half log and get the rest of that quarter sawn the same way. I get a log off the mill a lot quicker this way, IF (it all hinges on if) I have the width to split it on the first go.

Best of luck to you.

[YellowHammer]

Yes, sycamore have a ton of stress. 
Normally for conventional quartersawing, you just put the log in the mill, as you did, start a board or two above the pith, and through saw them, as you did, except take them as 4/4 instead of the wide center piece you have.  Those center cut 4/4 will be naturally quartersawn.  All you will have left are the two remaining log halves.