What set and type of blade are you using on wide cuts?

[Kelvin]

I often saw large oak trees that give me boards in the 14-18" range.  However i can't saw many bd ft before the blades dull up.  I think i can only get about 150 bd ft if i'm doing a lot of wide cuts.  I imagine it has to do with the wrong profile.  What is the optimum?  Right now i have .045 woodmizer 9 degree 7/8 pitch i think that i put a .018 set on each tooth.  Woodmizer said i shoudl use a 4 degree but my old style sharpener i don't want to fight with changing cams.  Do you use thicker blades?  Less set?  Less pitch?  How many bd ft do you get before the engine starts to bog and the blade wanders over knots?  The blades are still good to cut stuff less than 10" but i have to change out 'cause i don't want to ruin any of the wide stuff.  It would be nice to cut 500 bd ft with out changing.  Maybe 150 is good?  maybe that is all i can get.  Any info out there from someone having success?

[alwaysoily]

Hey Kelvin you have the right blades, but try something cheaper.  Using either veg, canola, or any other light weight cooking oil mixed in 1 gal to 4 of water along with a splash of Pinesol.  Be sure to shake it up good.  I too had the same problem, and after talking to the guys at the Wood-mizer booth at the sawmill expo in Va, for quite a while, that is the new little secret(well new to me).  As a matter of fact, on their industrial line AWMV, the 300 uses just about straight oil.  Try it out, you'll be amazed.  

[Kelvin]

hey thanks i'll give it a try!
Heard that diesel with bar oil is good at just a drip a second.  Sounds like it would last, but water sounds good.  How much volume wise are you applying?
THanks

[Kansas]

The blade will tell you how much to apply. With water on oak, i would run a steady stream, especially on white oak. If you have buildup at all, that causes the blade to heat up-watch for buildup on the blade. Diesel certainly does a better job than water, and soydiesel works well if you want something more friendly to those offbearing. As far as set goes, dont be afraid to go a little extra when cutting wide cuts or in species that tear out like cottonowood. On cottonwood, we regularly go up to 28 thousands per side. We dont segregate our blades, so when we switch from cottonwood to oak, or  a harder species, we still run the wider set. I havent seen any adverse results of that. Hook angle of 9 or 10 seems to work well on oak, with frozen logs requiring less hook angle to increase penetration.

[alwaysoily]

With running oil and water, don't be affraid to let it go wide open.

[IL Bull]

How do you get the oil to mix with the water?

[ohsoloco]

Perhaps the pinesol "cuts" the oil so it mixes  ???  I'm just wondering if the oil keeps the boards from turning blue.  If I use any more than a slow drip when cutting oak, I get a stripe of blue stained sawdust along the boards where the blade enters the cant. 

[Tom]

That's just Iron Tannate that develops from the metal on the saw coming into contact with the tannin in the oak.  It doesn't go very deep.  Knocking the sawdust off of the board is the best rememdy.  The real pain in the neck is the stain from the cant sittin on steel bunks or being left on the back of a truck on bare metal.

[gary]

My lube tank had a leak in it . So i switched from straight diesel to water. Untill I had flushed the tank out real good before getting it welded.  I had to change my blades alot sooner useing water.  I am useing lennox, mungs and woodmizer blades. They are all 1.25x .045 blades with a 10 degree pitch.

[Tom]

Perhaps you might want to try a product like this if you are looking for a different lubricant than water.  This even says it is designed to emulsify with water.

Don't ask me about it. I just found it in one of my books. :D

petroglide (pdf file)

[alwaysoily]

How do you get the oil to mix with the water?   I know it might not sound right, but the combo of soap, oil and water seem to work.  I run the mixture wide open and everytime I finish a cut and move the head back for another, the sudden stopping seems to mix the jug by itself.  Besides, it sure does smell better than diesel fuel smiley_smelly_skunk