Bandsaw blade for hickory

[drobertson]

I saw hickory (and every thing else) with 10 degree blades. Never used anything else. It is slow going and the blades dull faster than in other kinds of wood but I don't have any major problems with it. I have a 13hp engine so I don't know if it could handle 4degree blades. I do saw them green, I log the trees myself. I love the look of the lumber so I think it's worth the extra effort.

 

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With a clear butt like this one I reckon about anything is possible..It could be another one of those regional things,, around here, our hickory is brutal, plane and simple,, not very friendly to anything, except maybe squirrels, and smoking pork. They do make pretty flooring and cabinets when handled correctly, not to mention handles for many hand tools..

[4x4American]

I'm with Danny

[Larry]

Saw it 2” X 2” X 4” but only from trees felled during the dark of the moon.  Don't worry about waves or that technical stuff.  Make sure there is no bark on the pieces.  Bag it in 10 pound sacks.  Sell it to the BBQ cooks at Bikes, Blues, & BBQ or the Kansas City Royal BBQ.  Make sure you extol the benefits of your smoking wood and that winning cooks all use your wood.

Make $20/bf and retire on your own island.

[dgdrls]

Pay attention to your set, 
narrower will be an advantage,
you don't need to cut as wide a path
as you would in a soft species.

D

[Darrel]

The only hickory I ever cut was about 3/4" of the end of an axe handle I was replacing. Listing to ya'all, I think I've met my quota. 

[cutterboy]

I saw hickory (and every thing else) with 10 degree blades. Never used anything else. It is slow going and the blades dull faster than in other kinds of wood but I don't have any major problems with it. I have a 13hp engine so I don't know if it could handle 4degree blades. I do saw them green, I log the trees myself. I love the look of the lumber so I think it's worth the extra effort.

 

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I think you got it backwards. 4deg is for lower Hp.

Sometimes it seems like my life has been one step backwards after another.   However, from what I've read, lower deg needs higher horsepower. But then, maybe I'm reading things backward.

[grouch]

My 7HP engine is happier with 4 degree blades than the 10 degree that came with the mill.

[drobertson]

This in my mind was a earlier postulation formed by in my mind folks that had an idea on hook angles and such. As the industry grew, and the need for speed picked up, more aggressive back reliefs and larger gullets were spawned.  I've bit into some pretty good tasting chunks of steak, only to realize I should have taken a smaller bite.  Tough stuff takes more time and chewing,, this is a slower pace of course.. yea I know weird analogy,,I'm weird,,since I cant saw anymore I cook and eat a lot,, getting to understand my late brother Kev's point of view,, "I'm Fat, and I'm happy!"

[Bruno of NH]

My 13hp mill cuts good with 7's but the best all around band for me is a Kasco 4

[Peter Drouin]

Shagbark  Hickory can be a challenge at times. I don't cut it often.

[PA_Walnut]

Great ideas and experiences here. I have been cutting some from a few trees I had to drop. No problem here, but I have HP to throw at it.

I'm capitalizing on opportunity and making smoker wood (as suggested here) from the smaller logs and limbs. It makes excellent BBQ wood and pretty little sawn pieces bring the $$ from Urban Hipsters with wool caps and large beards. 

[killamplanes]

Here there's alot of shagbark hickory. Sawing it without being debarked is a real pain. 4-8in long pieces of bark get thrown at the blade guide the whole time band is in the wood. And depending on your luck how many lodge between blade and guide. Seldom popping the blade of , but just riding there until band quits turning and usually the piece of barks falls of by gravity alone. And my blower sounds like I'm feeding rocks through it the whole time cutting shagbark...  and cutting thin pallet stock lumber out of it. It needs to be nailed down pretty quickly or it twist and bends to the point of no return.  I can go on and on about my love of this species. But the tree rats sure like the nuts and making a home in it.

[sawdusty1]

I have completely sworn off hickory.

[PA_Walnut]

Always makes me happy to take away joy from tree rats. They are the most belligerent, nasty animals around here!