Last cut –First cut

[Bibbyman]

Oldest son and I were sawing some white oak logs today.  It was 72 degrees and sunny with a light variable wind.  I was feeling good and the mill was running great.  But I should have taken the hint that I was getting too tired to keep going when I changed a blade and about started sawing before I realized I hadn't cranked up the tension.  But we got past that with no problem.  As we had only 2-1/2 more little 8' logs to do before we had the skid blocks clear, we'd finish up and knock off.

Everything went as expected for the next 9 slabs and 30 some 1" boards.  I was sawing the very last board on the very last log of the day – watching that I didn't saw into the clamp.  It was then that everything came to a screaming halt.  Spark flew from the left side of the cant and the sawhead came to a stop.  In reaction,  I hit the forward switch harder than I should and ran the head back about 3 inches. That caused the blade to jump off with the obligatory BANG!  I hadn't noted that the backstops were not completely bottomed out and had sawn into the bolt head that holds the rollers on top of the backstop.


It was the first metal to be so marked by the blade on this new mill since we got it in January.  I broke it to Mary with a consolation: "Ain't you glad I was the one that did it first?"  She let me off easy.

[Jeff]

I was going to ask if you had told Mary yet. :D

[Kevin]

[Lenny]

  OUCHHHHH That hurt
   I hear Timberwolf orrers a Bi-Metal blade ???

[Kevin_H.]

First mark since new, Wow. Was it a brand new blade?

[woodman]

Bib you knew it was going to happin, now you know when and always at the end of the day, most times at the last cut of the day. I know.  :-[

[KiwiCharlie]

G'day Bibby,

Had to happen sooner or later?  What was worse, sawing the bolt, or telling Mary?  :D
Cheers
Charlie.

[Noble_Ma]

It happens to the best of us Bib!  I hit one of my log supports once and my youngest son still teases me about it.
-Noble

[Bibbyman]

It was an old blade.  I was going to take a picture of it but Gabe had already removed it by the time I got back with the camera.  There was not as much damage as you'd expect. The top 1/16" of the teeth were knocked off but it was still trying!  I don't think I'll be send it back to Resharp!

Mary didn't say too much.  She's seen enough mills with sawmarks up and down the clamps and backstops to know it happens. Besides,  we were out there trying to get her caught up on sawing.  She's down with the flu or sinus infection and not feeling any to great. :'(

One time I was talking with one of the Wood-Mizer service guys.  He was telling about a customer that had called in a problem with his LT30 manual mill.  The saw head would only go so far then it would stop.  He'd try shoving the head and turning the power all the way up but it would not advance past this one spot.  They would give him instructions of clearing debris from the chain,  belt tension, checking for obstructions, etc.  He go try and come back and call them back to report no change.  Finally,  he called back and said he'd figured it out.  He was sawing into the manual camp bar that is about 1-1/2" in diameter!  He had it sawn about half way though!  Now that's perseverance.  ;)

[whitepe]

Bib,

I'm gonna get me some specially made bimetal 18tpi blades
for my LT15.   :D :D
Pictures of why I need those blades will be posted later.
On my LT15's maiden voyage we hit a coat hanger
embedded in the log on the first pass ever cut on
the mill.  We replaced the blade and wouldn't you
know it we hit the final backstop that wasn't all the way down a few minutes later. Show me a man who claims he's never cut mill metal with his bandmill and I'll show you a liar.
A couple of weeks ago I was sawing a black walnut.
I had just got it sawn into about a 15" per side cant
and on the first pass on the cant I hit a utility company
guy wire cable embedded in the cant.  :(

Whitepe

[ARKANSAWYER]

  I would never do such a thing to Wanda! To saw into ones pride and joy is unthinkable.  I would not have told such a thing.
  I do think that is why WM came out with the Double Hard blades.  But that was a grade 8 bolt.  Bring that blade to the WM show in Springfield and ask Will to sharpen it and check the set. ;D  
  You could replace the bolt and washer and be as good as new and never had to join the ranks of mortal sawyers.   :
ARKANSAWYER

[Bibbyman]

Years ago Mary and I attended a technical seminar put on by Wood-Mizer in our area.  I remember about two dozen sawyers there.  Someone asked that anyone to raise their hand if they had never cut into a backstop or clamp.  One guy did.  They asked him how many years he'd had his mill and he said something like five years.  We were all impressed.  Then they asked how many hours had he put on his mill.  Nine!  Everyone laughed.

If I didn't cut orange paint, does it still count? ;D

Yea,  I'll probably replace the bolt and washer.  

[Tom]

whitepe,
Get yourself a good file and preferably one with a round back..  You will find that, many times, those blades that have cut a small nail or soft metal like the coat hanger can be salvaged right there on the mill.  

The metal from the coat hanger will weld itself to the face of the tooth and can be popped off with the file.  Those teeth that show minimal damage can be stroked a time or two on the face and again on the back and coaxed to cut again.  

If you've not lost a whole string of teeth then the blade may still take the log apart.  If the set gets knocked out then it will have to come off.

I found that I could get more life from a hardened-tooth blade like Simonds Red Streaks than I could from most other blades, when tramp metal was present.  They aren't "special" and the costs are low.  

When the hardened teeth survive a hit, they are usually not hurt too bad.  When they don't survive then teeth are laying everywhere.  It depends more on how the contact was made, I think. It is either a catastrophe or non-event. :D

[ARKANSAWYER]

  NOPE!  If you just cut the bolt and never got any paint you are not liable.  After all it is hard to see a gray bolt next to a freshly sawn white oak.  
  I am going to saw my Iowa Veneer log today.  I need to send a photo or two.  Electric Al has a photo of the log.  I am glad that I was able to get it across the border.  Customs can be DanG bad at times.
ARKANSAWYER

[Bibbyman]

I just hope you didn't export a bunch of Arkansas oak bugs to Iowa and drop off a bunch in Missouri on your way!

[smwwoody]

try a horse bit growen into a log with a 52" inserted tooth circle mill.  it brought down the lights

[JoeyLowe]

Bound to have happened sooner or later!  From the looks of the pic, not much damage done.  Bet Mary gets better now!  

Tell her to watch that sinus stuff.  That's what I thought I had last week.  Turned into pneumonia.  Spent the last four days in the hospital and developed pulmonary emboli (blood clots in the lungs) Not a pretty picture.  I'm home now looking out the window at the big orange one and wondering when I'm gonna get back on it. ;D

[Bibbyman]

I think she's on the mend now.  She is no one to go to the doctor.  You know she's really sick if she does go.  If we lived closer to Old Mexico,  I think she'd just cross the border and get her own medication.