The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => Sawmills and Milling => Topic started by: dail_h on November 04, 2007, 09:08:12 AM

Title: My great West Virginia Hemlock Adventure
Post by: dail_h on November 04, 2007, 09:08:12 AM
   I'm glad to be back home,after two&a half weeks in WVA.What at trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!these are some things I learned while on this excursion.
   If you are not "VERY" careful cutting hemlock,you will get wavy boards
   If you are "VERY" careful cutting hemlock,you will get wavy boards
   Every trip in WVA is uphill both ways
   WVA dirt and rocks will dull a saw as quickly as NC dirt.
   If your saw is dull you will cut wavy boards
   If your saw is sharp,you will cut wavy boards
   A lot of WVA is rock
   Only a deranged, insane idiot would get in a kayak in the Gualey river
   Folks seem the same there as here
   Hemlock saws good,except for the knots
   Hemlock is "FULL" of knots
   KNotty hemlock will yield wavy lumber
   The leaves were spectacular while I was there
   While it had been dry there this summer,they don't seem to have much trouble with ticks on their catfish
   A '95 Ford F250 with 300 six,& 268,000 miles is not a good mountain truck
   I learned some other stuff too,but this kinda gives an idea of what I experienced . Still have a large shot o logs to saw,waiting for check to resupply,and return
Title: Re: My great West Virginia Hemlock Adventure
Post by: SwampDonkey on November 04, 2007, 09:19:01 AM
Well, live and learn is the only way.  :D ;D
Title: Re: My great West Virginia Hemlock Adventure
Post by: shopteacher on November 04, 2007, 10:02:50 AM
Sounds like you were in the foothills. :D
Title: Re: My great West Virginia Hemlock Adventure
Post by: Dave Shepard on November 04, 2007, 06:50:14 PM
What band were you running? I have sawn up a bunch of hemlock and had no trouble with a sharp band. I have 5mbf waiting for me in the yard now.


Dave
Title: Re: My great West Virginia Hemlock Adventure
Post by: thecfarm on November 04, 2007, 08:13:15 PM
Maybe WV hemlock is harder than what I have up here in the north.I'm no expect by along ways.I might of sawed at least 5mbf.I've sawed some in the heat of summer and sawed some when it was snowing.I've had really no problems with it.I sawed very little wavy lumber,even when the blade was getting dull,it would still saw with no waves.I would gladly saw some more of it.Maybe you had some with big knots in it.
Title: Re: My great West Virginia Hemlock Adventure
Post by: WH_Conley on November 05, 2007, 07:35:14 AM
Our Hemlock here in Ky. (about 200 miles southwest) cuts really hard too. Best solution is to have some really stiff blades on hand, sharp-sharp-sharp Did I mention an extra trip around the sharpener would be good? Add a little extra tension and don't get in a hurry.

The hemlock in the lumber yards around here comes from the northeast part of the country. Sooms like ours has a lot more knots in it. Tou can tell it is the same type of wood but it looks different for some reason.
Title: Re: My great West Virginia Hemlock Adventure
Post by: dail_h on November 05, 2007, 08:30:25 AM
   I 'm running Cook's "Tech" brand blades,there may even be a Monks left in this batch. The hemlock cutts good,almost like cypress,but unless I'm really paying attention to where the knots are,I get waves. It's not a total disaster,"I'm" just dissatisfied with the outcome. One of the local carpenters working on the project says it's fine,don't worry,but it still bothers me.
   Oh well,it's out to reload the truck,into town for some spares,then off again. I have several partialy used up dispoable cameras to take . I promise ,I'm gonna learn how to post pics when I get back. Probably be near a month,going straight to daughters for thanksgiving,then back to WVAfor a coupla 3 more weeks before home.  Will that make me a newbie when I get back?