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1 1/2" Blades ~ 0.045" or 0.050" or 0.055" thick?

Started by LT40HDD51, November 09, 2007, 09:57:04 AM

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LT40HDD51

Just got a box of 1½" x 0.050" 13° blades for the ol' Super. MAN, do they cut. Its been a while since Ive used the thicker blades, mostly at shows out in BC years ago. Normally here we have been using the 1½" x 0.045" (10° and 13°).

Cutting an 8" wide white pine cant into boards for siding, I was literally sawing ahead at least as fast as the saw head can return (feed rate switch turned ¾ of the way up  :o ;D). I kept turning it up and up waiting for the blade to waver, what happened instead is that wherever I hit a knot, the fibers were torn more than cut and left a rough surface. But NO diving or cupping, etc. It was nice to make the CAT grunt for once  ;D. Then we let er rip on a couple smallish kinda knotty spruce logs. Not quite as dramatic as the piney, but very impressive. I did get it to waver in the spruce a little bit, but that was when I really cranked on er. Our spruce can be a real pain to saw straight with any amount of speed...

As for flex life, we havent run them long enough yet to find out how it will go. Were expecting them to break sooner than the 45s, but since I can lean on em like that, I dont care  :). Id rather be sawing than grinding. Ill update this when we start to get some breaking. Id guess 2-3 grinds on the 50s, we got maybe 4-5 out of the 45s with the abuse we give em. I have a tendancy to saw hard anyway (we charge by the foot), so these should be the blade of choice for us.

Anybody else tried this experiment? Up next will be a box of 1½" x 0.055" 13°...
The name's Ian. Been a sawyer for 6 years professionally, Dad bought his first mill in '84, I was 2 years old :). Factory trained service tech. as well... Happy to help any way I can...

Bibbyman

Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

Andy Harden


customsawyer

I used 1 1/4 by .055 on the LT40 with the 42 Kubota. Now with the LT70 I run the 1 1/2 by .055 and push them hard. I don't know how many times you can sharpen them as when I bought the mill I bought 200 blades to go with it and then I bought 60 more one time when I didn't have my resharp blades coming back in time. That makes for a grand total of 260 blades that I have been using for a year and a half and I still have well over 200 now. I just run them till they give up. All of these are 10 degree as I cut mostly hardwood. Just so you know I turned over 2000 hrs on the mill today so it is not like it is not being used and that is why the blades are lasting.
Two LT70s, Nyle L200 kiln, 4 head Pinheiro planer, 30" double surface Cantek planer, Lucas dedicated slabber, Slabmizer, and enough rolling stock and chainsaws to keep it all running.
www.thecustomsawyer.com

woodmills1

I think blade quality from woodmizer has gone up from what was very good before

I have 12/15 and 10/15 left from my last 2 orders with around 8 sharpens on all

I don't see much breakage, the ones lost from these last 2 boxes are extreme metal trash or "operator error" :D
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

LT40HDD51

Quote from: Bibbyman on November 09, 2007, 12:15:35 PM
You didn't say what brand?   ???

Sorry, WM brand blades. Id have to go looking around here for other brands  :D.
The name's Ian. Been a sawyer for 6 years professionally, Dad bought his first mill in '84, I was 2 years old :). Factory trained service tech. as well... Happy to help any way I can...

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