Preventing Sawing Squaring Arm (an attempt anyway)

[kelLOGg]

With three boards left to saw on a 900 bdft job - ZING - I did it again. So I implementd an idea I've been mulling over. See pics. I mounted a 0.5" dia steel bar on the stationary roller guide which goes under the blade and contacts the squaring arm before the blade gets to it. If the arm is vertical it stops the saw head dead in its tracks. But if the arm is at a slant the steel bar flexes and rides up the arm defeating its purpose. So it's a partial solution but not good enough. Do you think if I replaced the mild steel bar with a hardened shaft it would work when the arm is slanted? Comments welcome. (Excuse the lousy welds - it's a beta version.)
Bob

[red oaks lumber]

i suppose that would work. maybe getting a routine with sawing that will eliminate sawing the arms or clamp.
for me when i start a log my back arm is not much higher than 1/2 the log. every time i roll the log i keep the back arm at 1/2 log, once i start my last side to start thru sawing my back arm is lowered all the way done and my clamp is dropped the clear the last cut. by doing it this way i always know im clear from metal. i'm usually cutting 1"

[Ianab]

What about a little upright piece on the rod, just behind the actual blade.  So it almost touched the bearing mount. When you hit the stop at an angle like that, the bar could only flex 1/8" or so before things bound up and stopped?

Ian

[Hilltop366]

Could you fasten the bar at a second spot closer to the guide?

Also wondering if the bar is strong enough and the arm is on a slant like in the photo will the saw try to rid up the arm?

One more thought, I'm not sure what drives the saw feed but would there be a way to have a lever or switch to shut off the feed instead of trying to block the saw from moving?

[bandmiller2]

Bob,I've been using the same thing on my bandsaw except I mounted a short piece right under the guide roller.My band carriage is hydraulically driven with a relief valve set so the carriage will stop if things aren't right,it will ether stop or push the arm out of the way.I can cut down to 12" without any worry of hiting the stop. Frank C.

[Magicman]

Maybe you need a notch or protrusion on the squaring arm that the added steel bar will catch on, especially if your added bar was square instead of round.

[paul case]

 


this is the set up on the ez boardwalk 40. the upright bar that is vertical just to the left of the e in ez is the stop. it slides up and down with a cable to lift over knots or such. you can see the squaring arm at the bottom of the pic. it has a hook welded to it that will catch the stop and prevent sawing the arm. if you have the stop down that is. pc

[kelLOGg]

Red oaks, I usually don't turn the cant unless I see a bow. So after sawing 10 to 15 1" boards I can forget about the sq arms - even after 9 years of sawing.

Ianab, not sure what you mean by "bearing mount". Where ever it is it would have to be stationary to be grabbed and stop the head.

Hill top, the saw is too heavy to ride up the arm - the steel bar just flexes. A switch is the perfect solution if the drive motor was mounted on the sawhead, but it is not so there would have to be tethered line following the sawhead. That's too messy. I could rig a switch to sound a loud alarm powered bt the engine battery but I wouldn't have much time to react to it.

Bandmiller2, can you show me a closeup pic? What is it mounted to?

Magicman, I thought of doing that but it would have to be a series of catches to acommodate all positions of the sq arm. It would be hard on the hands when you have to raise the arms.

Paul, can you show a closeup pic ?

Thanks for all the replies. I have also written CookSaw to get their feedback.
Bob

[customsawyer]

I would try to brace what you have before I did much more. Leave it mounted the way it is and just add a brace right behind the blade guide roller.

[Chuck White]

Looks to me like Paul Case's EZ Boardwalk blade guard is just the ticket!

[Brucer]

i suppose that would work. maybe getting a routine with sawing that will eliminate sawing the arms or clamp.

The few times I've tried to saw my log stops, it was because I changed my mind after planning a cut.

For example: I plan to saw an inch off the top of the cant, flip it 180 degrees, and saw a two inch board; after setting up the cut, I'll suddenly realize it's better to take 2" off the top, so I drop the head another inch and start cutting; Oops >:(.

What we're really dealing with here is something called "mistake proofing". All that's needed is something that warns you you made a mistake -- without causing serious damage.

• Sound a horn.
• Make a light flash.
• Make the carriage stop.