How Yellowhammer Sees and Saws Stuff

[YellowHammer]

I guess I might start putting a bunch of my sawing videos in one topic, maybe make it easier for people find them if they care to.

Here is me sawing cherry, discussing several techniques specific to this species, including avoiding pith and sapwood.  I also demonstrate how I edge wood with a minimum amount of movement on the sawmill, how I eject flitches to the loader arms, as well as “throwing” wood.  

Anyway, I made this video in response to several questions I had in sawing cherry, so I hope it is useful.

[zippski]

I watched this earlier this evening. Excellent advice. Great video technique as well.

Need more dog, though  
Leigh

[Old Greenhorn]

Wow, that was another one I have to watch several times. I have been trying to use those flip techniques more and more, but the key is in practice. On the 50 it is not exactly the same, but fairly close. Each time I saw I take one or two or your trucks and work on it. I find that I avoid using the chain turner once I have a cant because it tears up softwood pretty good and I lose boards. As of yet, I am not doing much hardwood. I have to get that fast flip working better for me and the reverse flip is still a work in progress.
Thanks again for helping me (us) stretch out our skills.

[Lostinmn]

You may not get rich making videos, but please know it truly enriches all of our skills and we really do appreciate you doing videos like these!  




I can’t count the “learn from mistakes” I’ve been fortunate to skip thanks to the generous sharing of knowledge from forum members.  Although I still find my share of mistakes to make, the learning curve is significantly faster!

Thank you and I look forward to your next video!

[Andries]

Thank you Chip, for getting Robert to slow down production for a bit, while he makes these videos.  
Up here in the far yonder, we don't see walnut or cherry, but the same techniques are used to produce stable lumber from oak, ash and elm. The video lays it out really well, with quips like "we're not just slicing bread here". New sawyers will get a lot from the dialogue.
Also, Logrite isn't looking to you as a potential customer for their"mill special" cant hook. you've got the hydraulics warmed up so that walking and hand flipping are at a minimum.
Thanks again, you and Martha are a great team, both on and off camera!

[moodnacreek]

That is just grade hardwood sawing, the right way to do it.  I used to do that all the time if the logs looked good. The fad here is live edge so alot of my sawing is done wrong to get what sells even if it must be resawn. The cherry sap wood will really pull bad and the heart left in will hump the planks. Yellow Hammer is showing the correct way to do it to get boards.

[Cornerstone]

Excellent production Yellowhammer. I really appreciate the free (for me...  ) education. Every time I watch one of your videos I feel like class is in session! Thanks for taking the time to do these.

[John S]

Very nicely done!

[KenMac]

I've said it before and I'll probably say it again at some point, but that two plane clamp is the biggest ( and maybe the only) advantage to owning a Wood Mizer saw. I love my Cook's, but that thing is the ticket!

[Larry]

Classic grade sawing.  Learn how to do it properly and it puts money in your pocket.  Robert did excellent with the demo, explanations, and video quality was super.

When I bought my TK-2000 12 years ago it would not do the reverse flip because the OEM two plane clamp was to short at 6".  The very first mod I did on my mill was to replace that short ram with a 12" ram.  I feel that move is so important I would have traded mills If I couldn't have made the mod.  Besides what Robert showed, I used the reverse flip to slide off 200 pound live edge slabs in a similar manner.

One comment regarding sapwood.  4/4 I saw exactly as Robert shows for the reasons he talks about.  8/4 in 24" and bigger logs I have not been wasting the sapwood for the last couple of years.  Boards from big logs dry flatter and it seems 8/4 also helps.  People have been blitzing me wanting sapwood cherry.  You can see a couple of examples in the woodworking section of stools I have been making.  Been also using it in tables.

 

[YellowHammer]

I appreciate all the positive comments.  There are many very knowledgable sawyers here, and I learn from your comments and take it all to heart.  Hopefully, some of these videos help others get up to speed quickly or answer some questions.  
Thanks for watching!

[Walnut Beast]

Great job of the video! Looking forward to the Walnut video!

[Durf700]

great video!  I learn so much from watching your videos.  please be sure to share more whenever you can!!! 

thanks

[123maxbars]

Learned a lot from that video, good job Robert 

[YellowHammer]

Thanks, I can’t tell if trying to explain what I’m doing makes the videos sound like stereo instructions....Blah, Blah, Blah...and the person watching goes to sleep.  

[jpassardi]

I think you do a good job with the narration - to the point and informative.
I always watch your new videos. 

[Stephen1]

I really appreciate the videos. I have been making boards and slabs out of big logs. From advise from YH. I have watched different sawing come out of the kiln and am learning. 
Yesterday, I was helping my Friend Bernard empty his shop and he gave me books on how to saw hardwood for grade. now I can read and learn from watching the video.

[OlJarhead]

Great video!   I had subscribed but have been too busy lately to watch much (other than making my own and sawing etc) but finally got to see this one.  As a guy who milled just ONE small cherry log (like 3 feet long) a dozen years or so ago, I found this informative and educational and I love the commentary on production sawing!

Guys like you, MM, Peter, Dean, Doc etc etc (sorry can't name you all!) have been my 'professors' in sawmill school and I'm still learning! (if ya aint learning you aint breathing I say) and the reason I am making a lot of my videos this way as well.  Gotta give back!

Cheers
Erik

[YellowHammer]

I know everyone knows how to align their mill, but in the past I've mentioned that I do things little different to spot check before I get into some hard stuff using two of the Blade Guide Alignment Tools. I was sawing some hard wood and figured I'd show folks how I double check my roller guide and blade alignment, and do a quick check on my drive belt.  The main thing is that I'm not setting my height above the bed, I'm checking for any twist in the band which indicates if there is some misalignment in the roller guides.  If there is twist, 95% of the time its from the idle side being out of alignment.

I've been spraying my videos all over the Forum, so I thought I'd start putting them back into one topic to make them easier to find.





 

[caveman]

I remember you mentioning last April about using two BGAT's but it clicked today when I watched your video, how you were benefitting from using two at once, kind of like winding sticks.  

Your mill was definitely dialed in to be able to saw pecan as fast and flat as pictured.  The debarker was running on most of the cuts.  Was that intentional or did you just neglect to turn it off while sawing, dragging back and thinking about your next move?

I know our mills are different animals (lt-50 v. wide Super 70), but the belt tensioning specs are quite a bit different.  Ours should be what you used to have on the previous mill.

Thank you for the time to make informative videos.