Sawing strategy for big butts

[Larry]

I have been grade sawing 8' long red oak butt logs.  Sometimes the butt swell is twice the diameter of the small end.  The swell makes them hard to clamp on a 4-poster to keep clearance on both sides.  So I either fool around getting them clamped, or I chainsaw off a slab 2-3' long to get rid of the butt swell before I load them on the mill.  I’m thinking it might be faster to just go ahead and figure out which face I will open on...chainsaw off the swell 90 degrees from that face.  Do all the logs I am going to saw that day, first thing in the morning.

Youse guys always have some good advice, so thought I would ask for suggestions.

[Bibbyman]

Your mill is manual, right?

On our HD mill,  we'll often times "make a round" on the sawmill to knock off any root swell or any other things that didn't get trimed in the woods.

If the taper is straight and the wood is valuable,  I'll do a full taper saw.  This is level the top of the log and saw off the outside until the grade falls - then take the taper out of the worst two sides and saw up the rest of the cant.

[Larry]

Bibby, ideas like yours is what I’m wanted to hear.  I’ve have tried “making a round”.  Take four slab cuts about 3' long out of the butt swell.  Found two advantages.  With the now square butt on the log I won’t have to clamp anymore, and it makes it easier to full taper saw.  I now have a straighter plane on the log, so it makes it easier to adjust the toe board.

The mill is manual but that is no excuse not to turn...gotta be easier when I get the Arky size cant hook.

[Ron Wenrich]

I'll have to start out by admitting that I've never sawn on a bandmill, so I don't know if this is transferable technology.  But, for large mills on a circle mill, I usually do what they call "shotgun barreling".

This method starts out by taking a slab off of the swell.  I usually go about as much as I can and the saw will still clear. 

The next cut is made after a 1/8 turn instead of the customary 1/4 turn.  Again, run until you're saw won't clear the next cut.  Keep on turning until you get your log down to something that is workable.

You may end up with some shorter boards and some narrow boards when you first start out.  It should also make the log easier to turn.

[ronwood]

Ron Wenrich,

Your description of sawing a big log is very simular to what I done on my bandmill.

Ronwood

[Jeff]

Thats basically how I used to handle it, other then I could bury the headsaw in the log if needed and release the slab by having my top vertical edger blade set at exactly 20 inches, the height of the headsaw.

[Bibbyman]

Ron,  we've done the "shotgun barreling" on our band mill too.  We just didn't know what to call it.  We put the skinniest protuberance up so the blade guides will have a better chance to clear.  Once that's off,  we'll turn an 1/8, more or less until another bite size is up and take that - and so on.

Jeff,  I try to be kind to my offbearer by not making a slab that weights 100 lbs on one end and nothing on the other.  You get a frowny face when the slab is so heavy and off balance.  So I tend to make a couple of cuts - first taking a turkey size chunk and then a longer, lighter slice until I get an opening face.

I should have taken pictures of the walnut log from hell we sawed up Sunday.  It was 24" or better on the top end and at least 30" on the butt.  It was 8' long.  What made it so bad was... it had about 6" of sweep in it and on the off side,  a large limb  - more like a fork - that hadn’t been trimmed on the other and a big bulge on a third side. 

When on the mill with the "hump up"  it took on the appearance of a bull buffalo’s back.  We made the first cut at 34" off the deck and removed a chunk that weighed I'd guess a hundred pounds.

It took us about 2 hours of hard fought work to get it broke down into a PU load of slabs, edgings and chunks and about 250 bf of pretty ugly lumber.

[Jeff]

Jeff,  I try to be kind to my offbearer by not making a slab that weights 100 lbs on one end and nothing on the other.  You get a frowny face when the slab is so heavy and off balance.  So I tend to make a couple of cuts - first taking a turkey size chunk and then a longer, lighter slice until I get an opening face.

My off bearers don't like me to make lots of pieces, its just that many more that might get hung up somewhere. All they ask is its small enough to go through the chipper, because other then that they don't have to touch the slabs, they just go on down the greenchain and fall in the chipper. It takes 5 minuets for a slab to travel the length of our 30 foot chain. Even at the rate we saw, you can't saw faster then it can take it away, even at that slow speed.

[ARKANSAWYER]

  I load big butts backward.  I put the butt to the front of the mill so I do not have to travel so far to get to the swell.   Also if it is too wide to get through I do not have my blade 2 ft into the log before it hangs up.  An ARKY stick does make them easier to roll.   I full taper saw them to get the most of the good grade.  Do not be afraid to take 6ft boards as they will most often be clear.  I will cut the wedge out after the grade drops.

[Bibbyman]

The slabs Mary realy hates are the ones that are weak in the middle and fold up like a jack knife when she pulls them off the log.  She'd rather have a heavy one or two cuts - making a couple of chunks first and then a managable second slab.

Not tried the butt first Arky method but I have run the head down to the other end and lowered it to make some marks where to knotch out.

[Tom]

I have a little stool at the end of the mill that I place mine in.  It makes it easier to see the log and takes all that weight off of my legs. 

Seriously, I still enter the small end of the log.  It's not only habit but my eye is used to leveling when the log is in that position.  It also allows me to engage dragbacks on the waste if I cut off a thick amount.  An off bearer can guide that to the front of the mill if I'm careful about pulling it.

I will, many times, take 4/4 or 5/4 slices out of the swelled butt.   The log is usually leveled at the pith because I don't often "grade" saw.   The slices will have cathedral grain and many wood workers use it for small projects and panelling for raised cabinet doors.  As I remove the weight from  the log, I turn it slightly, like RonW, and trim again.   Eventually the swelled butt will be gone and I can start opening faces on the bole.

[woodmills1]

on any wood other than oak or pine I use the butt swell to make turning stock.  I will slab it off at 3,4 or more inches and then square it up later.

[ronwood]

woodmills1,

Do you find that the butt swell makes good turning stock?

Thanks
Ron

[woodmills1]

I don't turn myself but (butt)  when a turner does look they usually buy.  I haven't had any like this untill I cut up the cherry and walnut a few weeks ago.  Back at the old place I had a customer who taught woodshop at a private school and he would take any and all at my rock bottem prices.  He was a repeat many time customer so they must have gotten some turnings stock to use.  I think he said he had 9 lathes in his shop.

[ronwood]

woodmills1,

Thanks for the reply.

Ron

[Ironwood]

OK, I can't resist. Well first I get my big butt behind the mill and PUSH using my legs mostly Butt also my behind, Sorry, I had too. Reid

[VA-Sawyer]

I have found the following to work pretty well.

1. Do a lot of sawing by yourself.

2. Park mill 10-15 feet from large logs.

3. Allow 30 - 50 feet between mill and where you are carrying the boards or slabs to.

4. Never use heavy equipment if you can do the job with muscle power.

5. Work till after dark, and skip supper on your way to bed.

Before I started sawing, I was wearing 40 pants and needed 42's.  Now I'm getting ready to get some 36's . My waist hasn't been this small in almost 30 years.  BIG BUTT problem solved. 
VA-Sawyer

[Ironwood]

Va. sawyer,

  I am bulked up, I started at 33 and now 38. My thighs were always big, once was offered a modeling position for a cycling catalog, I have trouble fitting into jeans because they're so big.  I feel like I could move a train. My body type is certainly, Beefcake! Lucky you going the other way.


                         REID

[Rockn H]

.

I should have taken pictures of the walnut log from hell we sawed up Sunday. 

With the price of Walnut, sounds like that one must be worth a fortune.
I couldn't help myself.

I agree with Arky, with my little manual mill, I like to load a log with a bad swell butt first.  My saw head is slower and I like to keep the walking down.  Butt first also helps me to be able to lower the head and see where I want to start.