Whatcha Sawin' 2025 ??

[trimguy]

This is a white oak log about 32" in diameter. The other end has 1 pith, this end has 2. If I was to RRQS this log, I would want to orient the 2 piths horizontal to keep them in the same slab/ board. Is this right or am I off base with my thinking ?

[SawyerTed]

Just got rained out but was sawing trailer decking from white oak logs.  Two trees the guy cut split in two when they hit the ground.  So I had the challenge of sawing the halves into 1.5"x6" or 1.5" x8 " trailer decking.  The logs were 10' and 12' with one 16' mixed in.  

I didn't get photos today but will get some on Monday.  Rough measure of the board feet is around 1M in 4.5 hours.

Today was probably my most pleasurable mobile job with the LT50.  No metal in logs and no boneheaded  sawyer errors.  I've had two or three kind of rough days of sawing recently.  

[Magicman]

If I was to RRQS this log, I would want to orient the 2 piths horizontal to keep them in the same slab/ board. Is this right or am I off base with my thinking ?

Quite frankly I would not RRQS that log because you have a shot at hitting the rays with 5-6 cuts as it lays.  Once you turn it, I doubt that you will be ray productive above the crotch, so probably no more than half the length of the log.

It will be interesting to see what others say. 

[doc henderson]

I would do as some others do and mark it.  to add to MM, It is more of a square log than round, and most of the log can be sawn in one plane for very wide boards.  the crayon can help see lines perpendicular to the growth rings.

[doc henderson]

I think if you cut it with the twin pith it is anyone's guess.  I might roll it up 90 degrees saw through.

[SawyerTed]

The other end of the log will indicate how to saw it more than the end with the two stems.   The two stems confuse the grain so what's happening on this end likely is different on the other.  

I see what MM is saying regarding the vertical checking in the middle, unless you see similar on the other end, the rays may change orientation due to the two piths.  

Compare the ends.

[Resonator]

It may or may not give good 1/4 sawn wood with the 2 piths, but if it were me, this is what I would do.
I would set up the log as it is in the pic, with the two piths horizontal side by side. I would draw a plumb line through the single pith on the one end, and a plumb line between the two piths on the other. Chainsaw it in half, and plan to cut away the wood between the piths on the mill. This way making it similar to a normal single pith log in 2 halves.
Then do the usual RRQS techniques. Level the pit, follow the fine cracks radiating out in the end grain, try for cuts 90* to the growth rings, and "read" the cut faces as you go.

[trimguy]

Thank you everyone for your responses.
I know it was not a very good candidate for RRQS , But it was large enough to give it a try.



This is how I ended up cutting it. Disregard the red lines.



Due to more knots than Anticipated, I had to take an extra slab out of the middle. This cut my top third and bottom third down to 7 inches.



I did get some ray fleck, but it faded in and out because of the way the grain ran.

So this is what I ended up with. Four slabs 26 inches wide and the rest is 7 inches wide, all 2 1/2 inches thick. This was a log I picked up on the side of the road from the hurricane, I'm not sure what made me think. It was white out when I picked it up, obviously I was wrong.

[doc henderson]

It is really nice-looking wood despite all our advice.      should make great stuff.

[doc henderson]

Water under the bridge, but if you look how the growth rings follow the top red line in your picture, they are fairly straight nearly across the whole log.  Almost rectangular.  I would have considered rotating 90 degrees and sawing through.  not sure how much flec you would get on the round end.  or you could have based it on the other end and lost it on the twin end.

[SawyerTed]

Photos from Saturday's mobile job.  I went back and finished up in about an hour.  Turned out 1464 board feet after this morning's sawing.

[jpassardi]

Nice stack of RO is it? - and some vertical sawn fleck as well. 

[SawyerTed]

It was white oak.  Very green white oak.  Heavy, very heavy.   I started sawing 2x6 and the customer asked for some 2x8.  I cut maybe 5 or 6 and he said 2x6 was heavy enough!  

It appears much like red oak because it was soaking wet from rain Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning early and a heavy dew this morning.  

[trimguy]

Doc, I took the slabs out with the black lines, ( lines show 3 , I took 4 ) and then I stood the top 1/3 and bottom 1/3 up to cut across the growth rings. This is what yielded my 7" wide boards. I thought this way I wouldn't have the pith in so many pieces. I centered the horizontal line on 2 piths with the single pith on the other end when I gun barreled it. If you look at the top boards on the stack , the grain definitely is not straight, this log had more issues than just the pith. The bark seemed a lot thicker on one side for some reason. Also, im sure someone with more experience could have done a better job, but it was good practice.

[doc henderson]

I think you did a great job, and not at all sure I could have done better.  Just not sure I made myself clear the first go round so took another stab at it.  really fine job.

[SawyerTed]

Today was a quick cedar job for a repeat customer.  
He has me saw every few weeks and wants 90% live edge material. 

Today I cut 1 mantle, 1 6x6, 1 4x4 and the rest of the trailer load was live edge 5/4 material 

[TimW]

I think sawing cedar live edge is the most enjoyable sawing there is.

[SawyerTed]

Cedar is fun if just plain sawing and not trying to make anything specific.  Being able to work around (or just include) bark inclusions and other defects (like rot and black ants) helps.  Here a cedar log 16" that doesn't have at least one problem is rare.  

There are two species that I consider more"fun". 

Tulip Poplar and cherry are my favorite.  A good sized poplar is as good as it gets for sawing fun.  Sawing can be relatively fast and flat and the  lumber isn't too heavy.

[TimW]

Yeah, trying to figure out cuts with all the indentions have is time comsuming.  I don't work around black ants.  They get a drink of Acetone.

[Magicman]

Quite often, ERC is a species that I saw hourly rather than bf. 

Not so when I finish a nice job and think that I am through when he says "I have a few Cedar logs out behind the barn that I want sawed".   


I had just finished sawing 4328 bf of framing lumber so I was certainly not gonna scale and charge for this.  Sometimes a bit of Goodwill goes a long way.

[WV Sawmiller]

    I took off last week for a trip to Fl/Al for my mom's 95th BD and a school reunion (multi-class) which they combined. I think Mom was the oldest grad there this year.

    I had replaced my feed motor before I left due to problems discussed in my last thread but did not have time to test it so today I got out and cut about a 22-24 inch diameter poplar up in my pastures. I bucked a couple of 8's and a couple of 17's and dragged them down with my tractor, moved the mill out to my pasture and got set up to saw.

The second cut is on the loading arms (18" SED) and the butt log is next to it and a couple of uppers in the background with my LogRite. I sawed the first log and got 131 bf from it. Int'l 1/4 estimate is 110 bf for that size so decent yield. Mostly 1X12's.

Here is the rough stack. Decent boards but the mill is still sick. The feed is erratic/jerky.

I checked the drum switch and one leg looked bent and another was loose so I replaced it with my spare.


When I got the new one on the jerky feed was still there. I called Chris at WM Electrical and he was pretty sure of the part required so I ordered it and another spare drum switch. All the wires inside the box looked good so not something as simple as a loose or broken wire.

    Before I say what the part is I will see what the consensus of you guys is as to what the part causing the problems.

  If you've have and fixed similar problems what was the part/repairs required

[Magicman]

I have no idea what your issue is but the only time that I have ever had a jerky power feed the problem has been the potentiometer, the drive belt slipping, a bad bearing in a power feed sprocket, or a cam follower.

I realize that the above covers a lot of territory, but troubleshooting will eliminate the good until you zero in on the bad.  I have never had to replace the power feed circuit board nor either drum switch.  (fingers crossed)

[SawyerTed]

Quite often, ERC is a species that I saw hourly rather then bf. 

"I have a few Cedar logs out behind the barn that I want sawed".   

I imagine we've all done the "since you are here with the mill, will you saw ______"

I spent about 5 hours recently sawing big white oaks for a friend and repeat customer.  We cut mostly 5/4 boards for outdoor table tops.

He had a big round that he said another friend wanted to make a table out of. 

I was just finished put the mill in travel configuration and the friend showed up.  He was explaining how he would have to use a chainsaw to cut the big cookie he wanted.

I set the mill back up, as you know it takes 10-15 minutes.  I cut the cookie to his specifications.   He asked what he owed and I told him no charge. 

A few days later I got a very substantial gift card in the mail for one of the steak places in Winston-Salem.  The nice note said he couldn't have cut it as well as I did. The gift card was way more than I would have charged.

[WV Sawmiller]

Lynn,

   What is another name for the Potentiometer? I don't see it listed in my manual under the control box items. Any idea what WM  calls it?

    I checked the rollers and they roll freely. I checked all the CFBs I could find and they seem to roll freely so I don't know of any other bearings that coul dbe the problem.

[Magicman]

What is another name for the Potentiometer?

In my parts book it is Item VR1 which is described as; Potentiometer, Variable Resistance Power Feed. (024450-1 which may not be the current part#)

It has the knob that you turn to vary the power feed speed.