iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Quartersawed my first log

Started by shopteacher, September 17, 2003, 03:47:24 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

shopteacher

Yesterday I quartersawed my first log (I think). ??? I squared the log into a cant, then sawed it through the middle and resawed the two halfs in half again. I turned one up so the corner of the square was at a right angle to the bed and sawed it into boards. It was almost dark and I couldn't see the grain to well, but it appears to have come out pretty nice. This was a Sycamore log I brought in last week, yard tree, had some pretty big limbs up about 9 feet so thought it would make a pretty good candidate to try an QS. Was this the right procedure to use?  I only got to saw one quarter of the log as it got so dark and I couldn't read the scale anymore.  I plan to saw the rest tonight.  :)
Proud owner of a LT40HDSE25, Corley Circle mill, JD 450C, JD 8875, MF 1240E
Tilt Bed Truck  and well equipted wood shop.

BBTom

Sounds like you did great right up till it got dark.  When you saw the quarter, you need to flip it back and forth so you are cutting the side that has the most vertical grain.  It does give you some narrow boards near the end, but this gives you the most and best q-sawn of any methods I have tried.
2001 LT40HDD42RA with lubemizer, debarker, laser, accuset. Retired, but building a new shop and home in Missouri.

woodmills1

When you quarter saw there is no reason to square the log to a cant first.  You will still have to edge the boards.  Just cut the log into quarters, though depending on you clamp system it can be a little tricky to hold the individual quarters so that the rings are perpendicular to the blade,
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

MemphisLogger

Howdy Shopteacher!

I suggest wearing a headlamp when working at night  ;)

I've tried a number of approaches to quartersawing and decided that the following method works best in terms of time and resulting widths of closest to true quatersawn widths.

Squaring the log parallel to the pith first makes it a lot easier to keep grain runout to a minimum as well as cutting down on edging later.  

My method:



1-4  Square the log parallel to the pith

5  Saw four or more wide quartersawn boards. I usually leave the top "half" on until done making all these cuts. Rip out the pith later if desired.

6&7  Turn each (or both) "half(s)" 90 degrees and saw out 4 or more quartersawn boards again.

8-11  Saw each remaining "quarter log" with the rings perpendicular to the blade. We currently use an adjustable plywood angle clamped to the bed rails for support but intend to make some steel ones soon.

Quartersawn Sycamore is absolutely beautiful as well as being MUCH MORE stable when drying. I wouldn't saw it any other way.
        
    
Scott Banbury, Urban logger since 2002--Custom Woodworker since 1990. Running a Woodmizer LT-30, a flock of Huskies and a herd of Toy 4x4s Midtown Logging and Lumber Company at www.scottbanbury.com

Fla._Deadheader

 The way that is drawn, sure makes it easy to understand. Nice job splainin that. 8)
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

Gus

"How do I know what I think unless I have seen what I say?"

MemphisLogger

Thanks for the compliments guys!

I couldn't find any decent versions of it available on the net so I figured I'd make a contribution to the expanding body of e-knowledge on sawing.

For those who are interested, I drew it with TurboCAD Learning Addition, a program I use for laying out cabinets and furniture. You can download it for free at http://nct.digitalriver.com/fulfill/0002.16/download/

Scott Banbury, Urban logger since 2002--Custom Woodworker since 1990. Running a Woodmizer LT-30, a flock of Huskies and a herd of Toy 4x4s Midtown Logging and Lumber Company at www.scottbanbury.com

Bibbyman

I do a similar process but make and octagon right off.



Older post on quarter sawing
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

MemphisLogger

Yes, Bibbyman, your approach is the one mine stems from  ;)

The only reason I don't saw an oactagon first is that I've rarely been able to get the faces to come out at the proper angles  :-[



Scott Banbury, Urban logger since 2002--Custom Woodworker since 1990. Running a Woodmizer LT-30, a flock of Huskies and a herd of Toy 4x4s Midtown Logging and Lumber Company at www.scottbanbury.com

MemphisLogger

Speaking of "oactagons", here's some white oak we did a few weeks ago:



mmmm . . . so tasty!  8)
Scott Banbury, Urban logger since 2002--Custom Woodworker since 1990. Running a Woodmizer LT-30, a flock of Huskies and a herd of Toy 4x4s Midtown Logging and Lumber Company at www.scottbanbury.com

MrMoo

Urban,
Great drawing that makes it easy to understand.

Bibbyman

I use a common carpenter 45 angle to set the first cut.  Once it's cut,  then that flat is put against the bed or back supports to make the other three cuts.  If the other four faces are not exactly 45 degrees from the original 4 faces, it's no big deal.  At least you've a face to work with and clamp against with cutting up the corners.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

MemphisLogger

Bibbyman, you must have some hydraulic helpers  ;)

I don't  :'(

Though I do have a 2500lbs winch where Wood-Mizer's hand crank used to be  ;D
Scott Banbury, Urban logger since 2002--Custom Woodworker since 1990. Running a Woodmizer LT-30, a flock of Huskies and a herd of Toy 4x4s Midtown Logging and Lumber Company at www.scottbanbury.com

Bibbyman

Yeah,  Mary's got the LT40HDE25 Super.  She can lift and turn a 4,000 lb log with one finger.  :D

That's one thing bad about quarter sawing - it takes a lot of turning and clamping.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

MemphisLogger

Gee Bibbyman, do you think I could borrow Mary sometime?  ;D
Scott Banbury, Urban logger since 2002--Custom Woodworker since 1990. Running a Woodmizer LT-30, a flock of Huskies and a herd of Toy 4x4s Midtown Logging and Lumber Company at www.scottbanbury.com

Bibbyman

She's pretty valuable.  I don't know what I could do without her.

She got a marriage proposal of sorts from a logger a couple of weeks back.  He said. "I got it figured out. When my wife dies and your husband dies, we can get married. I've never seen a woman that works as hard as you do." :o
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

shopteacher

Thanks for all the advice everyone and Urbanloger your diagram is great. Really shows how the cuts should be made. I still have one quarter of the log to saw and will follow the diagram . Thanks
Proud owner of a LT40HDSE25, Corley Circle mill, JD 450C, JD 8875, MF 1240E
Tilt Bed Truck  and well equipted wood shop.

Bibbyman

Here is another old post on quarter sawing that has some diagrams and discussion.


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

Ed_K

 Kool diagram Urbanloger  8) I printed it along with Bibbymans, to hang on the wall next to the mill. Now I won't have to walk back to the house to remember :D ;D 8).
 Ed K
Ed K

woodmills1

Mary is great but can I borrow the LT40HDE25 Super :D :D :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

SawInIt CA

Thanks for the picture. It is hard to X splane to the custimers and that will certainly help.

SawInIt CA

Now if I could only spell customer :P

ARKANSAWYER

  Hey I can do that!
  First you do this.

 Then this

 Some like this

Ends up like this.

But in your case like this sickymore.

  Any questions?

ARKANSAWYER

oldsaw

Looks like really good color to go with the good figure too.

I gotta lay off the forum, it makes my "mill lust" act up.

Mark
So many trees, so little money, even less time.

Stihl 066, Husky 262, Husky 350 (warmed over), Homelite Super XL, Homelite 150A

Thank You Sponsors!