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"Sled" jig for small diameter "logs"

Started by Full Circle, September 01, 2012, 09:10:37 PM

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Full Circle

I had a customer looking to mill 4 foot long by roughly 3 inch diameter cedar stakes in half.  He builds rustic fences and needed a nailing surface for the "pickets," so it wasn't critical that the cut be absolutely centered.  The problem I envisioned was securing the stakes using the clamp on the LT40, and the time it would take to mill them if I could secure them.  My friend said he thought he'd seen where somebody had built one on the forum here, but I couldn't find it.  So this is what I came up with:

This is what I started with:



 

This is what I ended up with:



 

And this is a not to good picture of the sled:



 

Basically, it's a two part system with 1) the rail that the sled rides in secured to the mill with the hydraulic clamp, and 2) the sled that allowed me to push the secured cedar stake through the blade.  I fixed the saw head so it couldn't move with a wooden block in front and back.  The stakes were secured to the sled with a wooden cam operated by a linkage and push stick.  The push stick pushed on the linkage (a piece of pipe) and was secured to the sled with a vice grips.  After pushing the stake through the blade, I removed the vice grip and the push stick (which released the cam), and ejected the two halves with a long 1X1 hardwood stake pushed under the blade and pushing the halves toward the mill hitch.  The linkage and push stick combination allowed me to do everything from one place while keeping me a safe distance from the running blade.

The one I built couldn't handle anything too different from the dimensions of the pieces I was working with, but the concept could be easily adapted to other situations.  I apologize for the lack of pictures, but my main reason for posting is to say the idea of a sled and pushing a log through the blade, is a viable and efficient way to mill smaller diameter logs.  I could see some version of it working well for short pieces, too, even if only to secure the piece and milling like normal.
-Roy



fullcirclefarmandforest.com

thecfarm

Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

kelLOGg

Now that is creative and clever. I can see that sled in my future.
Thanks,
Bob
Cook's MP-32, 20HP, 20' (modified w/ power feed, up/down, loader/turner)
DH kiln, CatClaw setter and sharpener, tandem trailer, log arch, tractor, thumb tacks

WDH

That was a neat, and very successful idea!
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Magicman

Well, who da thunk it.  Congtats on your solution.   smiley_thumbsup
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

isawlogs

 Nice!!!   I like it when a plans comes together.  8)   
Thanks for sharing!
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

paul case

That is neat.

I have been aproached by a company that has a whole scad of 4x6-40'' about resawing them into deck boards for pallets. I dont have a resaw, but I had thought about making a wooden deck, about 6'' tall and like your sled to run these through and cut off a 5/8 board each pass. It would have to be a 2 person operation. No push stick just keep pushing cants through from the front and the guy in the back would lay the cants on a board and push them back under the mill headto the front and stack the boards.
Anyone ever tried this?
PC
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

drobertson

pc, the only time I experimented with cut stock I used a straight flat 1" board for the parallel against the back stops.  I clamped the cant as you normally would and just made the cuts like normal, only glitch is the 1" minimum cut depth.  I think if you were to have a good flat parallel under the cant and then one parallel with the stops you could saw as normal. Just make the bottom one say 3" wide just under the cant width to allow a good clamp. 
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

Jeff

The sled idea the fellow had saw was probably one of the two arky resaw jigs he posted.  Here is the pole jig post.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,26536.msg379885.html#msg379885
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Full Circle

Thank you, Jeff.  That probably is the one.

PC, like drobertson said, I was thinking the same thing...Make a platform with a half inch lip to clamp against.  I was thinking 11.5 inches wide so you could clamp three of the 4X6's and mill as normal.  Having the second person removing the three boards will reduce your time going up and should make for a pretty quick operation.
Just my opinion.
-Roy



fullcirclefarmandforest.com

paul case

I actually was thinking that you could make a ''fence'' on the edge of a set of roller table that was clamped on the mill. Knotch the fence for the blade to go down in to the height of your board,3/4'' in this case and push the cants through by hand and never getting less than 2 cants away from the blade that way. It may have to have a wheel to hold the cants down. Still just thinking. PC
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

Full Circle

I understand what you've got in mind now, PC.  You'll cut a bunch of cants at one blade height, pushing the cants through the blade with the cant(s) from behind it.  Bring them back to the push side, drop the blade 3/4, and start again.  Sounds like you've got it pretty well figured out to me... :)

Out of curiosity, what kind of wood are they?   
-Roy



fullcirclefarmandforest.com

paul case

I doont know what kind or wood as I havnt seen any of them yet.

I dont think you have a handle on it yet.

I was thinking to set the band at 3/4 above the roller bed height and leave it there. cut the board off the bottom of the cant. I bet I could run a lot of them in a hurry that way.

PC
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

barbender

I just sawed a bunch of bevel siding with my version of the Arky resaw, with two people it goes fast. You could resaw cants that way too, you would just need to make some type of roller hold down, featherboards wouldn't work as well for that.
Too many irons in the fire

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