Taper wedge?

[WoodChucker]

I have a taper wedge that I got when I bought my WM LT-15 thats no good, it was welded wrong and it won't fit over the rails on the bed, guess I could call WM and see if they would replace it, but first I need to understand the importance of using it.

Couldn't you just start your cut at the narrow end of the log and make it flat? Because if you raise the log to make it even your still going to have the same problem on the underside, right? Or am I just not seeing the real problem?

Also, if it is important to taper the log, would it be safe to use a 1 ton hydraulic floor jack placed under the mill to raise the log?

Thanks for your help!

R.T.

[Oregon_Sawyer]

If you were cutting hard wood for grade you would have to start with your good face down.

I cut mostly softwood and I split the taper.  And yes you have short pieces on each side then.


Loren

[Bibbyman]

Most common lumber is sawn "split taper".  That is,  the heart (or centerline) of the log is parallel to the bed of the mill.  On longer logs, you may get a short board or two before you get to making full-length boards.  

If you are "sawing for grade" - as in higher quality cabinet lumber - and have a butt cut log,  you may produce more higher grade lumber by "full taper" sawing.  In this case,  you are trying to make full length boards off the best faces by raising the small end until you are sawing parallel to the face of the log.  Once all four faces are sawn,  you'll have a cant that looks like the Washington Monument.  You can continue to take boards off as long as they are of quality to pass "grade".  Tapered boards (say 7" wide on one end and 9" on the other) are accepted by hardwood grading rules.  Once the quality on one face drops to below grade,  then that face is placed up on the mill and the cant is flat on the saw bed and the taper is sawn out.  Thus,  the taper in the log is adjusted in the middle rather than the outside because that is were the lowest value wood is.  

Often you will have logs with one bad face and three good faces.  The best way to handle these are to place it on the mill with the bad face up and the good face flat to the bed.  Take the taper out of the log on the worst face and when you get to the opposite face,  it will be parallel to the bed.

We used a manual Wood-Mizer LT40 for years.  At times we had to resort to jacks - usually a high-lift style - to position large logs.  But even fairly big logs could be raised to place a taper block under the end by leverage from a cant hook.  Even with our new LT40HDE25 Super,  we still have a 6' bar leaning within reach for those logs that the roller toe boards won't reach.  Mary sticks the end under the log and across the frame to use as a fulcrum and sets on the bar and places her block under the log.

I'd say, 3/4 of the logs we saw require some taper adjustment to make the first two faces.

Here is a little more on the topic

Lots of good discussion on this thread on how to position a log for sawing

[Larry]

I use a light weight floor jack for taper sawing and it works good.  After I get the log level I throw a block under the log and the dogs will hold the log so it won't slip.

Just make sure that you have enough room to pump it up.

[WoodChucker]

Thanks Oregon_Sawyer, I'll get the hang of this sooner or later.

Bibbyman, you should go into teaching, what a great explanation! I really appreciate you taking the time to educate me. I need all the help I can get.  ;D

Thanks Larry_Copas,  sure seems like that would work better then that taper wedge, but I've not been able to use mine yet, so I don't really know for sure. Anyway, thanks for the advice.

Anyone else have a hard time using those log clamps? I hate them stupid things, I know it's me, right?  :

Do they make a better one?

Thanks again everyone!

R.T.

[Steve]

Here is how I do it on an MD.  I block up the small end of the log so that it is level with the butt and then mill down to the heart. Then take the block out. Now you will have a wedge that starts thick and the but and tapers to nothing at the top. After that is out finsih sawing the bottom half and if will be parallel with the outside of the log. In Koa the best figure is on the very outside of the log so you don't want to slab the log to make a can't as that just removes the best wood. Also this technique will minimize grain runout in your boards, if that matters.

[Frank_Pender]

I am sure happy I do not have to worry about all this pesky stuff when cutting Douglas Fir lumber. 8) 8) 8)
 When sawing hardwoods I find that cutting through and through produces a very nice board.   ;D  but like Steve said, much of you better wood is near the outer sides of the log.  So, when I have a log that looks like it may produce some very nice figured material, I will roll the log to get the beter figured material.