Well it is harder sawing when you can't get things to work right. First cut new blade, and dove into the wood like crazy. Thought it was the guides. Readjusted them and still dove. Changed blades and no problem. Till I hit the first of 11 pieces of tramp metal. 6 Nails, 2 clothes hooks, 1 eye bolt, a lag screw, and a cast Iron lamp hook with back plate.
But we did end up cutting about 1200 Bf in 6 hrs. Well maybe tomorrow will be better.
Rick-Wi
Quick tips:
Avoid trees that have 2 square parallel branches at the top with wire connecting other trees with square parallel branches at the top. They contain a strange sap or resin that tends to gum up a saw.
Avoid trees that have numbers and address's on them. These were not put there for lumber shipping purposes.
Avoid trees that come with a seat suspended from them, these generally are more work then the resting spot provided is worth.
Avoid trees that have a hook to hang your hardhat on while your eating lunch.
It is generally not save to assume that a tree is free of bullets therefor safe to saw just because it has a no hunting sign nailed to it.
No matter how much you are tempted, do not saw up the log with the "John Smith, Your Democratic Choice" sign still attached.
OK, I am learning. But them clothes hooks was so handy. Really the Cast Iron lamp hook was under 5" of wood. There is a blue patch 3" deep around it. I found most of the nails by looking for blue stain. So really only dulled 2 blades. Broke another one and not even in the wood. When the blade broke it looked like a pretzel. Broke at a kink that I accidentally put in it when I backed up and didn't have the log holders down all the way, Opps. All a part of the learning I guess.
Rick-Wi
Sounds like an investment in a metal detector might save you some money in blades and down time. ::)
Well, today was a good day. Had to sharpen some blades to begin with, but otherwise a good day. Ended up with several cants 16" + and split them to make 4/4 x 8" boards. All white oak. Two of them had rotten 2-3" outside skins, but once into the cant all was solid and great sawing. It is amazing that these two logs sat outside for at least two years, yet the center was just like fresh cut. Next is a bigun 31" small end, with some hollow in the middle. I am thinking of quartering it, and then quartersawing it, outside is good, but has a 4" hole in it and top, has crack 1" wide through the center.
Rick-Wi
Sounds like trees came from scrap metal yard that had been closed and grown over for about 20 years, hope your wearing a hard hat !