Cutting funny

[Rando]

2 things are happening with my cuts. They seem to be a bit trapezoidal and on some they are wavy like the ocean.
What am I doing wrong?
Thank you.

[JustinW_NZ]

What ya cutting with and on what?

Cheers
Justin

[WDH]

Trapezoidal cuts may mean that the log stops are not 90 degrees to the bed or maybe the cant is not clamping square to the log stops because the clamps are pushing the cant out-of-square to the log stops.

The wavy cuts are most likely a blade problem, either too dull, or poor set.

[Rando]

I'll check that today.
Thank you.
Justin, it's a bandsaw and right now I'm cutting spruce or a white pine. I forget what I put up there.

[WH_Conley]

Might as well start at the beginning and do a mill alignment. Get that out of the way.

[dboyt]

Rando, to expand on WDH's post, if the sawmill is level (side to side) you can put a level on the log when you make the second slabbing cut.  If the flat side of the log is plumb, you will get square (not trapezoidal) cuts.  If the side of the log is not resting flat against the stops, they are out of adjustment.  I use the level technique on larger logs because they can be hard to get turned square.  If the log gets turned too far, it is easier to square it with a wedge than to adjust the log.  A search on this forum will turn up a lot of info on wavy cuts & how to avoid them.


 

[thecfarm]

That is a new Norwood you just brought,right?
I only cut spruce once,I'm far from knowing how to cut it.If you are cutting spruce you might need differant blades.I had one tree once and I made more bad boards from that one from all the other stuff I have sawed. It all went into the brush pile.I will stick with my white pine and hemlock.  ;D Spruce is my  wood.
But the white pine should saw good. But saying that do you have dead knots in your logs? Those knots are hard.

[pineywoods]

The wavy cuts are blade problems most of the time. Eliminate that possibility before you go tweakin on the mill. 1..dull   2..not enough set....3 crud buildup
It takes a while for a new sawyer to learn when a blade is dull. Just because it makes sawdust, doesn't mean it's sharp enough.

[Okrafarmer]

I have found that with white pine (never milled spruce), even with a sharp blade, the blade tends to ride up in the cut and make waves when cutting the surface slabs off the log. I think this is a combination of factors, but the "warts" or large bumps where limbs come off the side of the log are a factor, as is the very slippery cambium (underbark) of the white pine, and possibly its sticky pitch. I have found the following steps helpful under these conditions:

1. Be sure blade is relatively sharp
2. Be sure blade tension is at recommended level (or higher    )
3. Be sure you are cutting deeply enough into the log to get consistently below the cambium in the middle of the blade
4. Be SURE your blade lube is working, pouring a good steady stream with some type of solvent or soap.
5. Be sure to have your blade guide (s) adjusted as close to the log as possible
6. Slow down as needed. If you give the blade more time, it does better.
7. When taking the outer slabs off, if all the above conditions have been met, don't stress too much if the blade rides up a little here and there in the first cut. Take the slab off, gig back, and remill the same cut. Your blade will have an easier time going through the "hills" after the first pass is off, plus you will be well able to see the blade and monitor its work after that first pass is off.
8. Once you get down to a square or nearly square cant, you shouldn't have any trouble if the above conditions are met.

I think the wavy trouble is the worst when the blade is entering through the bark at a very shallow angle. Once it gets deeper into the log, things straighten out.

[Magicman]

Remember that you have "compression" stress on the log's butt which will cause the blade to tend to ride up.  Sawing from the opposite end will minimize this tendency.

[jcbrotz]

If you think hickory or pecan is the  then you have not met spruce it is much worse!

[drobertson]

I cut some norwegian spruce a few years back, sawed out great for me, not a big fan, not contrast, knots were the same color as the rest of the wood, and left a hairy kinda finish,  I always orient butt logs small end first, and most of the time keep the deck loaded this way, some times the second and third logs are so close I wont bother,

[Rando]

Thanks everyone.
I went back and tried a few more cuts this afternoon, much better. Took my time and made sure when I flipped the log it was plumb and not leaning a bit.
Getting there!
Sure is fun.

[kelLOGg]

Make sure the blade is parallel to the bunks at all positions of the moveable guide arm.
Bob

[GDinMaine]

I feel your pain about the waves.  I was cutting some 24" wide slabs of white pine and I did great.  Next I loaded up a knotty hemlock around 14" diameter and made some shameful wavy lumber.  I slowed down some and the boards (and I) got better.

[m wood]

I'm getting used to my mill with a bunch of norway spruce...i mean a bunch!  Cut and/or culled about 110 trees during winter befor last.  (It was supposed to be for another project that went south).  The lumber is fuzzy and wavey too.  I heard the stories about spruce long befor my mill purchase.  But I am finding that it can be done.  I also have some "not so critical" projects that it will be suitable for, plus it is giving us the experience with many milling and mill related nuances :D .  learning to sharpen my own blades, (got all mine used and in need of an edge), tweaking the tension set, realigning the bed and bunks every few logs (for now), figuring out my DanGed dogs and clamps :D,(causing the trapezoidal like yours rando) power/torque, sawyer speed, which end to start with, etc. 

All you guys have helped steer me in the right things to look for and be aware of.  Thanks
mark

[muskoka guy]

When we got our mill at Norwood , the tech suggested when cutting knotty wood like spruce, too cut from the opposite end from the butt as suggested earlier in the thread. He said the way the branches grow, facing upward, causes the blade to drift over the knots when cutting from the butt. When you cut from the tapered end toward the butt, the blade will bite into the knots as opposed to drifting up and over them. Have lots of spruce and balsum to cut myself. Let me know if it works out for you as the tech suggested. good luck.

[GAB]

I have sawed some Norway spruce with no problems at all.  I tried Colorade Blue spruce and could not get a decent cut.  Changing blade, slowing down on the speed through the log. increasing the blade tension pressure did not help one bit.  I tried planing some of that C B spruce and it came out of the planer wavy.  I think it is my devil wood.  To date, I have sawed over 30 different species of wood and C B Spruce  has been my worst experience with the sawmill.  Gerald

[5quarter]

I'll let the circ saws deal with blue spruce.  ;) I have cut a grand total of 1/2 of one log. Very nice looking log...20" small end, 12', straight as a gun barrel, no knots over an inch. first cut had that quilted, 3D look, only not the good kind. made a few adjustments and made my second cut. better, but still bad. went and got a cup of coffee and sat down to think it over. after a few minutes, changed the blade, double checked some things, upped the lube and made a third cut. Blade crowned over every knot. pulled it off the mill and placed it directly on the ground along side another reject in order to keep real sawlogs off the ground and dry. in my opinion, it cannot rot fast enough.

[Okrafarmer]

At least you found a use for it, 5Q! About keeping the cant square to the mill, to "avoid the zoid", try milling one side first (of course!  :D ) then flipping the log 180°, and you should get the first two opposite sides square to each other. Then, flip your two-sided cant up 90° and use a carpenter's square to check if you have it truly 90°. If not, use your Logrite cant hook to adjust accordingly. Once you have that 90° cut well established, your fourth side will come off square as well.

[petefrom bearswamp]

180 degree flip works best for me.
Also I find that Norway spruce is terrible to saw.
I am cutting a large whack of mostly NS now, using WM .055 7 degree blades at the suggestion of WM Hannibal NY  and still have problems on the 20" wide stuff.
I will try the top down method and see if there is a difference.

[rd roberts]

here is what I found and I hope it helps,
1. a loose blade
     does your blade get hot and grow? cool it better
     blade isn't tight enough
2. dull blade
     simple enough said
3. cutting too fast
      knots push your blade around
4. blade alignment
      if your blade isn't set up correctly it can push you blade.
I hope this helps. these are all the problems and solutions I have seen with my own mill.
let us know what you find. thanks
rd

[Rando]

As luck would have it I bought a few tree take down wedges the other day. Didn't really buy them for the mill but after seeing dboyt's use for them I tried it out. Worked great! Getting better every time I use the mill.
Been practicing on some 3'-4' logs as I need some short stuff for a project. Mostly 1" stuff but making a few 6X6 to use as headers for a building I want to make at our house in NY.
I did notice 1 thing though. Using the grapple on the tractor, even on the short logs is way easier than rolling them in the bucket. Unfortunately, I have the bucket on for other work right now. This getting old and weak thing isn't all it's cracked up to be!