Sawing old Walnut Logs

[Steve_M]

Been sawing some 3 year old walnut logs(12"-24") on the WM and have broke a few blades.  Using lots of water(good or bad), 10 deg blades(all I have), and slow feed speed because I loose tension and the blade gets hot.

Any advice??

Before anyone says it---No I can't get a swinger-------YET ;D


Steve

[MemphisLogger]

Whenever I saw old logs, I try to use a brand new blade.

With all the heat and subsequent tensioning and stretching, an old (resharpened) blade will be more likely to reveal any gullet cracks that didn't get fully ground out.  

[Bibbyman]

You may try a blade with 4-degree face angle and less set.  Saw slower for sure.  Sawing slower probably has more to do with early blade breakage than the hardness of cutting.

I think every petrified walnut log in a 50 mile radii is destine for our mill.  We just sawed up two yesterday that wasn't worth the firewood in them but the customer didn't want to see them go to waste.   That's the problem with the darn things,  they'll not just rot away like most any other wood.



Here is one I posted a while back under Ugly logs.   We got off on grits on this thread too...

Oh yea,  check your main drive belt and make sure it's tight.  You may not notice the slipping on easy to cut stuff but dry walnut this size may be causing some slippage and slippage causes the blade speed to drop and blade speed drop causes all kinds of cutting problems.

[Steve_M]

Bib,

How much water are you using on old logs like this?

I did tighten the drive belt and things got a lot better.  I have always been a little leary about overtinghting the belt.  I do know that I get one heck of a screach when I engage the blade (worse now that it is tighter I think).  WM guys tell me I won't overtighten the belt, is this your experience??


Steve

[Minnesota_boy]

I tightned the drive belt on my woodmizer until I could hardly bring the engagement lever over center.  No slippage and no problems in over 2 years, maybe 3 since I tightned it.

If the blade is getting hot, the blade isn't sharp enough or hasn't enough set.  Old, dry wood is hard on blades and you need to resharpen them or replace them at least twice as often as with fresh cut wood.  Most of the time I saw, I use very little or no water and have very little difficulty.  The exceptions to this are tamarck (larch to you westerners) or white pine, where the pitch is so sticky as to stick a bit to the blade, rub on the wood you are sawing, get warm and make more pitch stick, etc, until you cna't cut anymore.

[smwwoody]

I had a guy bring me some walnut logs that he had in his barn for 25 years.  he said that they should be dry enough to saw by now.  used a 6 degree hook angle and found that spraying the blade with WD40 worked great.

hope this helps

[Larry]

Bibby,
You don't have a monopoly on petrified walnut.  I just got a couple last month killed in the flood of 93.

This one was right next to a guys trash burner.  He couldn't figure out why it died.





Never had much of a problem sawing them but normally use kerosene/bar oil or water with a big dose of Pinesol for lube.  10 degree band.

[ARKANSAWYER]

  On real dry logs to much water can over heat the blade as bad or worst then no water.  I use just a good drip and 10 degree blades all the time on old walnut and such.
  Here is a log that came from a dozer deck that was on fire and the guy pulled it out.  It was still smoking when I got it and had to hose it down.  I have cut some with a real ugly butt. ;D
ARKANSAWYER

[Steve_M]

Called WM yesterday, about 1PM, and told them of my difficulties sawing this old walnut.  We discussed blades, belt tension, feed rate, blade lube, ect.  About 10AM this morning a package show up on my desk with 2 sample blades---a 9 deg and a 4 deg. 8) 8) 8) Can't say enough about these guys.

Got home from work and went to the mill with new blades in hand.  Put the 9 deg on and cut 2 logs with no problems 8).  Going to go back tomorrow and try the 4 deg for comparison.

I will let you know how it works.


Steve  

[solidwoods]

Steve.
how did the 4deg work?
Recycle on man :
JIM

[Steve_M]

Solidwoods,

I used  the 4 deg on the biggest old walnut log in the pile( 24"+, 3 large limb cut offs, 4 years old or more).

Probably cut about 180' out of the log and took the blade off --dull.  It cut very good while it was sharp, but I expected it to stay sharp longer.

One log and one blade is not enough for a good test, but on what I was cutting the 9 deg preformed much better.

I do plan to get a couple more to try on some old hedge logs.

I will be ordering a box of the 9 deg soon.  I got 2-3 times the footage and faster cutting from them---although my experience was very limited.

I wouldn't be surprised if I made the 9 deg blade my primary blade as I tend to cut very few logs softer than green red oak---maybe a stray basswood or cottonwood.

Steve    

[ronwood]

Steve_M,

I have good luck sawing old walnut logs with Woodmizer 9 deg .045 Doublehard blades.

[Kirk_Allen]

I use the double hard WM 9 degree blades for Red Oak, Walnut, Osage orange, Honeylocust, White Oak.  

10 degree for everything else.  

I cut up a bunch of walnut today and although I could cut them with the 10 degree blades (I had one left on the mill from the cherry I just cut) the cutting went much better with the 9 degree.

Now I am not experienced enough to make recommendations but I can say the 9 degree did a better job for me with the logs I have cut to date.

How is it that 1 degree can make such a noticable difference?

[Steve_M]

Kirk

I think on the 9 deg we have a smaller set than on the 10 deg.

Cutting a little less wood with each tooth should make for easier cuts--especially wide cuts.


Steve

[Kirk_Allen]

Steve,
That makes sense. I didnt even think about the set being different.

Thanks
Kirk

[Bibbyman]

We had an interesting old walnut sawing job yesterday.  I was going to get my camera to take pictures when the customer showed up.  It was too cold to delay the task.

The customer was an executive with the  Misssouri Forestry Service.  His walnut was two chunks from a rug loom taken out of an old mill in Jamestown, Mo.  One was octogon and 8" across and 4-5' long.  The other was a part of the frame about 5"x5"x5'.

We re-sawed them into 1" thick boards.  Mary just went slow and had no problems.

Just wish we'd had more time to visit and to get more pictures and the story behind the mill frame parts.  Something about 30 degree weather with 30 mph gusts just don't make for long conversations. ;D