sawing wedges

[egel]

       We may get ajob of cutting a large order of wedges. Do they make a machine for this or do I make a setup on my table saw to do the job? If ther is a machine what do they look like?  thanks bill

[beenthere]

What are the specs on the wedges?
Grain deviation spec'd out? Size of wedge?
Species?

[pineywoods]

we need some more specifics. Lots of people on here done all sorts of different stuff. I made up a bunch of small wedges by cutting hardwood 2X4 in 8 inch lengths with a chop saw, then splitting diagnolly on shop bandsaw. Also made up a batch of 4 inch thick, 12 inch wide 3 ft long wedges to use for wheel chair ramps. chop 4X12 in 3 ft lengths, then split on my woodmizer sawmill..

[Bibbyman]

If you have a kazillion to make maybe something like the new Wood-Mizer HR120 resaw would be justified.  It has an optional shingle making belt.

Here is a link to the WM web site. 

http://www.woodmizer.com/us/secondary/resaw/index.aspx

Go to the video tab and check out the shingle maker. 

[Brad_S.]

I would get an order for about 500 every 3 months or so, so I copied this jig from another nearby sawyer. It would hold 20) 2"x4"x12" blanks to make 40 finished wedges per pass on the sawmill.

[Frickman]

There were lots of specially built wedge and shingle mills sold around here years ago. Some are still on operation. I got grandpa's old mill sitting in the barn. Someday I'll set it up again.

The wedge machines were used to make wedges for the coal mines. They were usually five inches wide by twelve inches long and about an inch and a quarter or so thick. Two were driven in on top of a post to set it, one from each side. The machine was just a thirty or so inch inserted tooth headsaw set up stationary with a table that slid on rollers surrounding it, sort of similar to a Belsaw mill. A block was laid down into an adjustable jig and pushed past the saw by hand. The wedge stayed in the jig until it was past the saw and the block fell away, kind of opposite to a sawmill. A friend had a local machine shop build a brand new wedge machine fifteen or so years ago. If you have the saw, some other parts, and some steel a good fabricator can build one in a few days, there's really nothing to them.

[Bibbyman]

I would get an order for about 500 every 3 months or so, so I copied this jig from another nearby sawyer. It would hold 20) 2"x4"x12" blanks to make 40 finished wedges per pass on the sawmill.

(Image hidden from quote, click to view.)

(Image hidden from quote, click to view.)

What's the little crank looking deals sticking out the side?

[PineNut]

Looks to me it is a clamp to hold the blanks in place while sawing.

[woodmills1]

years ago when I was living west by god virginia I was havin trouble earning some money and got into cutting wedge blocks.  Felled soft hardwoods like poplar and cut them into 12 inch blocks.  Sold them to guys with wedge cutting mills and most of them would give me a short fingered hand shake or should I say a short "of" fingers handshake

[Larry]

A block was laid down into an adjustable jig and pushed past the saw by hand. The wedge stayed in the jig until it was past the saw and the block fell away, kind of opposite to a sawmill.

Sounds similar to a couple of jigs I use on the table saw.  One is made to cut door/window shim wedges.  Sawed maybe a hundred the other day in just a few minutes.