Sawing Ash

78NHTFY · April 22, 2020, 02:09:50 PM

1/4 way through a whack of 20 ash logs. Mostly 1 x's, some 4 x 4 dunnage. May cut some trailer decking 1 1/4". Too cold/windy today (24° F, 30 mph wind=January temp wind chill) so here I am. All the best, Rob.

Nebraska · April 22, 2020, 03:39:34 PM

Much better weather headed your way its 78 degrees in the office with the windows open.

Bruno of NH · April 22, 2020, 05:24:06 PM

Rob
The wind on this side of the mountain was in full force today.

moodnacreek · April 22, 2020, 07:30:43 PM

Will sawing straight ash gum up your saw?

Brad_bb · April 22, 2020, 07:41:44 PM

By gum up your saw, do you mean build up on your band? Yes, Ash will build up on your band if you do not run lube. Too much build up can then cause waves or a dive. I run either straight water, or water with a couple drops of dawn dish soap. I've been using the latter while sawing ash these last two months. I only recently discovered that I was supposed to be adding atf to my wiper pads. I have not done that, but started using Johnson's paste wax on my contact areas for my carriage to reduce ash dust from sticking. I've always used the wax on my cross bars so that logs would slide easily. When you have a manual mill, that reduced friction really helps.

Stephen1 · April 22, 2020, 08:23:37 PM

I sawed ASH today for a cutomer. It was not a good couple of hrs. 3 nails to start and then just nothing but trouble, and powdery dust, not sure if it was my resharpend blades ,not enought set, lots of waves, and it did not stop untill I said no more ash until I check my blades. These ash trees were all in th 30" range and of course were dead standing as I was sawing for an Arborists. I will go back next week with a box of new blades. Bimetal
We sawed BW after that with the same blades, I actually put the blades I thought were bad back on and I was able to saw a few BW logs. We also sawed some Hickory which turned out real nice

barbender · April 22, 2020, 09:13:41 PM

Dry Ash is some of the most troublesome and nasty stuff I have sawn.

Bruno of NH · April 22, 2020, 10:45:03 PM

DW bands with the frost notch will go right through the dry ash like butter.

Stephen1 · April 22, 2020, 10:51:07 PM

Quote from: Bruno of NH on April 22, 2020, 10:45:03 PM
DW bands with the frost notch will go right through the dry ash like butter.

What is the DW Band?

Bruno of NH · April 23, 2020, 06:25:03 AM

DW band is an Amish company in PA that makes bands
An other FF member turned me on to them.
I wouldn't have cut all winter without them.
Any wood that's hard to saw put one of these bands on and no worries. Nice and flat.

Bruno of NH · April 23, 2020, 06:26:57 AM

You will be singing AC/DC songs as you mill because its so easy

Skip · April 23, 2020, 07:54:48 AM

I would rather saw locust than ash , said it for years . >:(

tacks Y · April 23, 2020, 08:13:17 AM

Quote from: Bruno of NH on April 22, 2020, 10:45:03 PM
DW bands with the frost notch will go right through the dry ash like butter.

Bruno, can you post a picture of the band w/frost notch? Thanks

Bruno of NH · April 23, 2020, 08:35:23 AM

WV Sawmiller · April 23, 2020, 09:15:04 AM

I'm surprised - I saw dead dry and often spalted ash with 4 degree DH WM blades and it saws great for me. I do use water and dawn for lube as mentioned it will gum up the blades if not used.

GullyBog · April 23, 2020, 12:49:06 PM

I've also had success with 4 degree DH on dead ash. 7 degree turbos get wavy on big stuff maybe because the feed rate is slow. So far I've milled boards 30" wide without trouble. I use straight water with a lubemizer turned to the max. If I forget to turn it on or open the valve there is a big difference.

hedgehog · April 23, 2020, 06:06:55 PM

how do you contact DW? we saw alot of big dry white oak, would like to try them on this stuff

Bruno of NH · April 23, 2020, 06:13:49 PM

DW bands in Pa
(570)374-2520

78NHTFY · April 26, 2020, 05:41:34 PM

Thanks for all the replies...had meant to put this in whatcha sawing.
Sawed 9 logs so far with 11 to go. About 50 bd' per log ave, so 450 bd'. Only one bad log which I cut for dunnage. My sawing's been held up by a stump pulling project (prior to building a new barn to replace old one). Got the first ash stump out with my excavator (1st pic--it was to the right of stump shown) but the second one was a bugger. Very close to the side of the old barn. So as not to wreck side of the barn too bad, hacked at roots with ax, sawed with sawzall, dug with excavator and finally lifted root ball up with skidder blade to break last of roots, and lifted it with the winch. Here are pics.

By way of reply to the many posts--thanks to all the info on blades.
Bruno--looks like you are cooking with gas--sawing/building raised beds/selling them like hotcakes! I thought I heard AC/DC playing from over the mountain the other day when the wind was honkin! :D :D
Brad_bb; VW Sawmiller; Stephen1; barbender;moodnacreek: x2 on water lube; also, everytime I saw I use ATF on rails, felt wiper; both sides of each post; gear lube on both chains; WD -40 on rollers and adjustment parts, and a squirt here and there to keep things shiny..
Happy sawing everyone. All the best, Rob.

hedgehog · April 26, 2020, 07:17:20 PM

thanks for the info,, i'll get some and try on white oak

gmmills · April 26, 2020, 11:59:24 PM

The frost notch blade does work well in some difficult sawing conditions. The blade is actually a Munkfors, Munkforssagar, trade named Deckduster. DW bands buys bulk blade stock and welds them up. They are one of a limited number of Munkfors distributors in the US.

ladylake · April 27, 2020, 04:39:58 AM

Quote from: WV Sawmiller on April 23, 2020, 09:15:04 AM
I'm surprised - I saw dead dry and often spalted ash with 4 degree DH WM blades and it saws great for me. I do use water and dawn for lube as mentioned it will gum up the blades if not used.

Same here. I use 4° Dakin flathers, lennox or Simonds blades. Keep the blade clean and don't quite push the feed rate to the max and ash frozen or not saws straight but takes power. Steve