SAWING TREATED BRIDGE BEAMS fur

wle · November 15, 2007, 10:06:23 PM

have a woodmizer, does anyone know what type of blades to use. looking for your advice anyone thanx..............................

LeeB · November 15, 2007, 10:46:12 PM

Dance with the one what brung you.

Tom · November 15, 2007, 11:16:16 PM

woodmizer definitely makes a band that will do the job, but you might like Lennox woodmaster C's too. They are a little on the stiff side and I found them to work pretty good in old pine.

blueduck · November 16, 2007, 12:20:18 AM

http://www.cookssaw.com/bandsaw/bandsaw-blades.php

If you want to understand blades, call and see if Tim Cook is available to talk to, he is the person who designed the blades they sell, and for what its worth he claims he can help and has helped many folks with different colored paint on their mills saw better by telling them how to adjust their saw lead, and also how to actually do more than sharpen and set teeth on the band.

Since i do not currently own a bandmill, I cant tell you what to use, cause i use a stellite tipped insert on my circle mill for all my sawing needs.

William
Central Idaho

bandmiller2 · November 16, 2007, 06:27:59 AM

I assume you are talking about old bridge beams.They are usally loaded with sand and grit.If you have a debarker that leads the band it will help greatly.Myself I would sharpen an old junker band and try it,chances are it will lunch out anything you put on the mill.Sharpen often and it may be worth the time and agrivation. Frank C.

WH_Conley · November 16, 2007, 07:08:56 AM

Doesn't matter what blade you use, those things will eat them. :(

Nate Surveyor · November 16, 2007, 07:12:12 AM

Now a circle mill would handle that LOTS better than a band mill.

Band mills + dirt = Bills

I have been milling with my Peterson Circle blade, for probably 5000 brd ft, and have sharpened it about 4 times. And I mill some really dirty stuff sometimes!

Nate

brdmkr · November 16, 2007, 07:35:30 AM

Quote from: Nate Surveyor on November 16, 2007, 07:12:12 AM
Now a circle mill would handle that LOTS better than a band mill.

Band mills + dirt = Bills

I have been milling with my Peterson Circle blade, for probably 5000 brd ft, and have sharpened it about 4 times. And I mill some really dirty stuff sometimes!

Nate

Nate that is interesting. I sharpen my Lucas every 300 or so bdft. I wonder what the difference is? Smaller blade (6" cut) maybe? Maybe I am sharpening too often? I can tell a difference each time I sharpen it.

LOGDOG · November 16, 2007, 08:30:05 AM

WLE ...as for sawing reclaimed woods -including bridge timbers- I believe WoodMizer recommends the 4 degree blade. I've used it for a lot of reclaimed and it's performed very well. In fact, it's the blade I go to if there's any doubt about whether the material will be difficult to cut. I think WoodMizer will even send you one free to test. That's a pretty good offer. Wide set may be an asset too in order to prevent buildup of any kind on the blade.

LOGDOG

Nate Surveyor · November 16, 2007, 08:34:02 AM

All I can think of is that I go real slow as I come to some dirt. Then speed up as I get to the other side of it.

In thinking more of it, maybe I have sharpened a little more than that, but not much. Mine is a 24 HP Honda, with a 9" mill, with 8 or 10 teeth.

I often don't run a SUPER sharp blade, as a super sharp one dulls faster than a little dull one.

If I have a couple of good clean logs, I sharpen before them, and then it really whizzes through them.

All I can think of.

N

Nate Surveyor · November 16, 2007, 08:37:51 AM

Logdog

I have 5 or 6 blades. I pay 20 bucks to have ALL the teeth replaced, per blade and the blade hammered if it needs it. I have a friend at a saw doc's place, 35 miles away.

I have paid about 200 bucks so far, since I have had the mill on re-toothing.

If you are paying alot more than that for re-toothing, maybe a jig and silver solder, and a sack of teeth would be in order.

N

Captain · November 16, 2007, 09:16:46 AM

I think anybody will agree that any blade, circle or band, will stay sharp a lot longer in fresh, clean logs. Dry, dirty logs are the killer.

My average sharpening time on fresh logs is about 1000 BF, and can increase x3 in dry logs and more in dirty logs.

Brdmkr, if you are sharpening that often, you may consider a switch to C2 carbide. You will also want a more agressive wheel to sharpen them, (200grit, I've got them) but we have great success with C2 holding an edge. The downfall is it will shatter easier when you have that occasional major metal strike. If you are just doing a touchup sharpening every 200BF or so and never really bringing the edge back to the carbide, it can feel dull in a short time. I would suggest getting your cleaning stick out, cleaning your diamond wheel and giving the blade an agressive sharpening. The tip should be so sharp that you risk cutting yourself inadvertently if mishandled. Be careful and give this a try. I often retrain customers how to sharpen after they have been on their own for awhile.

Can't make the band vs circle argument yet, but I do plan the addition of a bandmill for resawing this coming year, so maybe I'll have more knowledge to draw from them.

Captain

Nate Surveyor · November 16, 2007, 09:21:42 AM

I'm glad to hear that you are getting good millage out of your band blades.

I had a neighbor with a band mill, who said that they often went through 5+ blades a day. It was he and his father.

They were sending them off to sharpen them. Their expenses were around 30 to 50 bucks a day on bands. When they hit a nail, it was a band gone.

This was 12+ yrs ago. So, I am probably way out of date.

All metal technology is coming up. I suspect that someday, a band saw will only need sharpened 2x a day, and only bust one rarely. Circle blades will come up too.

I have hit about 3 nails with this last blade on my mill. One of them was a CONCRETE nail. aI do have some small nicks in the teeth, but she is still cutting nicely. No blades care for nails, but I was of the impression that circle blades handle the small metal better than band. Big metal... whelll it is bye bye teeth!

I'd be real curious to know if band blades are handling small nails (20d or less).

All of my "knowledge" on band vs circle is based on what the neighbor told me, and my experience with my Peterson.

As matter of fact, this very argument was part of why I went circle. I hit nails fairly often. I am cutting logs from folks yards. The Chain saw mills HATE nails. Usually break teeth plumb off!

Why do I seem to hit more nails right AFTER sharpening, or putting on a new blade?

Nate