Making 2x4s with a swinger

[Qweaver]

I made poplar 2x4s with the swinger this morning using the bottom 1/3 of a 36" log.  They stayed really straight out of a part of the log that usually gives me a lot of bowing problems on the band saw.  Is there something different about the sawing process on these two types of saws or did I just get lucky with a low stress log?  I'll saw the next log the same way and see what happens.

[Magicman]

I have never had any real problems sawing framing lumber from Poplar.  I set the log up just as I do Pine.

[ladylake]

 Some Poplar will come off nice and straight and some like a banana which makes it real hard to keep the lumber a even thickness and width .  Maybe with a swing mill your not  removing as much lumber at the same time resulting in less stress, or you just got a good log.     Steve

[slider]

The last popular I sawed gave me a hard time.The batch before was just fine.End splitting after bucking is one thing to look fore.

[scsmith42]

Quinton, I rarely encounter wood movement when milling the bottom 1/3 of the log in any species.  I think that part of the reason is that the bulk of the sapwood is removed from the log, and if it had an off-center pith most of the stress wood is gone as well.

[Qweaver]

I've sawed hundreds of poplar in the last five years and making straight 2x4s has always been a problem when I saw on the outside 1/3 of the log on the bandsaw as shown in this drawing.  Not so much for 2x6 or larger.  I just don't seem to have the same problem with the swinger.



 

[Qweaver]

Maybe better to saw 2x4s this way with the band saw.



 

[Qweaver]

The WPF is really good for making 2x4s and 2x6s.  1 trip down and back and you have a completed board.  But the band mill seems faster making 10"+ boards.  At least for me. 
My friend that owns horses loves the volume of sawdust (more like shavings) that the swinger makes. 

[drobertson]

I'm quite sure I have sawn about every imaginable pattern possible with my band mill, and have came to the conclusion that all boards to be sized will be trimmed to remove any stress that exist.  Straight sawing through will almost always give me crown on the outer 2x's.  Where as a trim will take enough of the stress out leaving little waste, (more saw time) but very usable straight boards.   Everyone has there own way,  and I have always wondered about the swingers and how the stress would react with this type of sawing ,(with a swing blade).   david