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Sawing Two Logs at Once

Started by YellowHammer, April 05, 2012, 12:04:02 AM

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YellowHammer

I've seen occasional photos on this forum of what seems to be two logs on a mill apparently being sawn at the same time.  I've looked on utube and other places and always just get enough info to make me more curious.
Is it a gimmick or a real technique? How do you rotate, clamp, and control multiple logs?  Seems like a lot could go real bad, real fast if done wrong.  Does it really make things go faster, or is it just a novelty trick?  Do you full time sawyers do this?
Thanks,
YH
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

pineywoods

I have been known to do this. I saw a good bit of 4X4 blocking out of small junky logs. Sawing 2 at a time works fairly well, the tricky part is clamping. After the opening face cut, turn the 2 faces so they are together. Works best if the 2 logs are approximately the same size.
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
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isawlogs

Having a hydraulic mill helps in the clamping of the logs.  I do it often when sawing 8" and smaller logs ( well that is if I got a helper around )  I always saw two logs that are of same size(dia) length has no issue. I put the first cut down on the bunks and take the second cut , then I will put the sawed cut together and have a flat surface to put against the clamp and side supports , I find it works well for me this way.
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

5quarter

Yellowhammer...occasionally I'll saw two short logs in tandem, which is a definite time saver. two logs side by side...no. I have tried a couple times, but the extra time spent clamping them safely (at least for me) negates any time advantage I might have gained.
What is this leisure time of which you speak?
Blue Harbor Refinishing

Ianab

It's sometimes done with smaller logs when using a swingblade mill (Lucas / Peterson).

You have 5ft of deck space, so you can easily fit 2 or 3 smaller logs, and they just sit on some simple bunks. It saves time to load up 2 or 3, and saw them at the same time, rather than stopping and loading each log.

I can't see it being so practical on a band mill because of the clamping and rotating the logs?

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Kansas

Years ago, when I was picking up my LT40 HD from Woodmizer, I had some time to kill and there was a guy there from Central America. I can't remember all the details now, but I believe he was getting a manual mill. It was going to be an extra long mill, where several logs could be set end for end. His notion was that he had plenty of workers to prep the logs, turn them, etc. When I asked him if that wouldn't be expensive, he just laughed. Labor must have been pretty cheap down there.

I just don't see it being worth it as far as trying to saw two logs side by side. Not saying it cannot be done. All it takes is one log to move, kink a blade, and spend time getting the blade out and you have lost all advantage. I see the comments on here from people who have done it. I dunno. Just intuitively it seems like more trouble than its worth.

tcsmpsi

I've done it a few times, but, in the long run, it is not much of a time saver.  At least, on a manual mill.  Generally, if they can be stabilized for the initial face cutting, I then place the face on the bunks, then they're pretty well had. 
\\\"In the end, it is a moral question as to whether man applies what he has learned or not.\\\" - C. Jung

bandmiller2

Possible yes, practical no, Two or three cants yes especially if your making something like fence boards or strapping.It would double your chances to hit tramp. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

Magicman

In over 10 years of sawing, I have done it once and it was such an oddity, I took a picture.  There was no time gain advantage to me.  Matter of fact, I consider it more of a gimmick that actually cost time with the additional handling.  LINK


 
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

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isawlogs

 If working alone or on a manual mill there aint any time to save. If you have good helpers that know what they are doing , sawing two logs of same size on a hydraulic mill will save time if you have a pile of them to go through. To saw one log or to saw two, the extra time to turn and clamp both is minimum, now if you are doing this alone its a pain in the butt. I sure don't concider it a gimmick, then again I have really good helpers when doing this that know how to place the logs and the cants when turning them. Doing this with people that have no clue what they are doing can become old real quick.
  I will do this with short logs 8 to 10 feet and do it mostly with softwood as it is lighter to work with, I get the guys to pile them with the small ends together and try to get the size (dia) matched up.
I had a run of plantation red pine once that was the first cutting. They where eight inches and smaller, nobody wanted to saw those up. I sawed the whole pile and made good with it. I sawed the tops three at a time and the butts two side by side. Had I tried to saw them one at a time I would of been there for a week. Would of cost me more then the job paid, so in that respect it sure paid off well. 
  We don't all have 30" logs to saw and some of us need to find a way to make things work, this works well for me, I also know that it won't if one has a manual mill or if sawing alone. Having someone around to help keep the logs lined up as you clamp them is neccessary.
I have had my mill now going on 20 years and I have lost count how much wood has gone through it, or how many time I have sawed two or three logs at once does not matter it works if done right. ;) :)
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

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