cut speed?

NorCal Steve · August 17, 2014, 10:51:10 PM

how fast do u guys run?
by this I mean, how long does it take you to pass all the way down a 16ft log?
ft/min? ft/sec?
I'll take whatever measurements you got. just trying to get my cycle time down a little.
thx

mikeb1079 · August 17, 2014, 10:57:49 PM

i'd think the easiest way for guys to provide some feedback would be if you posted up a video?

ladylake · August 18, 2014, 04:49:42 AM

http://youtu.be/_KvNu--CC8E
Hers a vid , I was sawing box elder 12" wide. Box elder saws about like red oak. That log is 10' long. I'm running a 1-1/4 .042 Simonds blade and a 29hp Isuzu diesel.. Steve

Chuck White · August 18, 2014, 06:47:07 AM

I have a "walk-along" Wood-Mizer LT-40HDG25, and I cut at a speed where I don't have to race with the mill.

I'm going to be sawing some 20" diameter (avg) 18' W/Pine today and will try to remember to time the cuts, then I'll edit this post!

Edit: Sawing 18', fresh cut White Pine, got the log squared into a 14" cant and sawing through that, start to end of the 14" cut was 25-seconds.
Just happened to be my speed.

WDH · August 18, 2014, 07:36:44 AM

Nice video, Steve.

ladylake · August 18, 2014, 07:42:40 AM

You have to thank Tom the sawyer for the vid , I manage to get pics on here but that's about it. Steve

bandmiller2 · August 18, 2014, 07:44:42 AM

Jeez, I don't know if my mill will cut that fast, have never tried it. I to walk along with my bandmill I'd rather mosey than run. I must say though everything, especially the bands have to be just right to cut straight boards at that speed. Hearty well done. Frank C.

NorCal Steve · August 18, 2014, 09:10:19 AM

Nice video Steve!!
I was counting and it was about 10 seconds for that 10ft log. so about 1ft/sec.
That is WAY faster than I dare to go.
Lately I have been taking about 2min to cut a 17' log. plus about a foot on either side of the log for clearance, total 19ft.
That puts me at 9.5ft/min.
I'm worried about going too fast. Might have to try and speed up on some logs that I won't cry over if I dive my blade.

ladylake · August 18, 2014, 09:39:16 AM

I was pushing it a little harder than normal on the first cut the second cut was about normal around 13 seconds. Keep in mind box elder saws about like red oak, in white ash it would be about half that speed with white oak about between box elder and white ash. Popular or Birch would saw even faster but I don't. And yes push your mill to the limit on some logs to find out what it will do, I think quite a few saw slower than what their mill will saw straight . Steve

Joe Hillmann · August 18, 2014, 10:53:31 AM

Quote from: NorCal Steve on August 17, 2014, 10:51:10 PM
how fast do u guys run?
by this I mean, how long does it take you to pass all the way down a 16ft log?
ft/min? ft/sec?
I'll take whatever measurements you got. just trying to get my cycle time down a little.
thx

If you are worried you are sawing too slow just start sawing faster, when it stops sawing straight you know that is as fast as you can saw with that blade and the mill in the alignment it is in. If you are paying attention about the worst you can do is have a board with some wave in it. And if you are not paying attention at all you may break a blade or push the blade off the back of the wheels if the blade dives enough to get off the guide wheels.

ely · August 18, 2014, 11:47:42 AM

good thread, my dad saws pretty slow with his mill, for one reason or other. he cant make himself crank it up. I saw twice the speed of him with my manual mill, but he still does 3 times the work I do. ;D

POSTON WIDEHEAD · August 18, 2014, 01:16:58 PM

I can't get the vid to work????

Never mind......I got it.

drobertson · August 18, 2014, 10:43:58 PM

This one got me to thinking again

But tonight I got into some 17' cedar, My happy speed for what I was looking for was 20 sec. in 17' and believe I could go faster, just didn't feel like, happy with the outcome.

Chuck White · August 19, 2014, 07:05:04 AM

Edit: copied from my first post!

Edit: Sawing 18', fresh cut White Pine, got the log squared into a 14" cant and sawing through that, start to end of the 14" cut was 25-seconds.
Just happened to be my speed.

YellowHammer · August 19, 2014, 10:20:09 PM

Quote from: mikeb1079 on August 17, 2014, 10:57:49 PM
i'd think the easiest way for guys to provide some feedback would be if you posted up a video?

Here's me sawing oak at a typical speed, using 045 WM gullet 8° resharps.
YH

http://youtu.be/YpO3njUNe4g

drobertson · August 19, 2014, 10:55:06 PM

yh, that's about right there! nice vid,

hackberry jake · August 19, 2014, 11:43:12 PM

here is mine... Seeing you boys with the diesels sure makes me want one...
http://youtu.be/FZeQX4eG3u4

boscojmb · August 20, 2014, 01:14:10 AM

NorCal Steve,
We have almost identical mills. If you are cutting A 12" cant, you should be able to cut as fast as your head travel will allow. I ease in and then move to full ahead with everything except spruce and some hardwoods. With 55HP you should be able to cut as fast as you go backwards under most conditions.
If anybody wants documentation, I can video tape it the next time I run the mill.

JustinW_NZ · August 20, 2014, 06:23:58 AM

If pushing hard what do you guys find happens?

I find my motor (diesel lombardini) tends to bog down and loose band speed fast.
I don't tend to get any diving unless you keep pushing with a slow band speed of course...

Is that what others find or do you get wavy cuts?

Cheers
Justin

slider · August 20, 2014, 06:47:42 AM

boscolmb If you try that ,full speed,with knotty pine or some of the heart pine we saw you are surly going to make a mess.Even with a decent band on.

Chuck White · August 20, 2014, 07:52:23 AM

I suggest, just go with whatever's comfortable for your engine, blade and you.

When you get going "too fast", you are more likely to make mistakes and have accidents!

NorCal Steve · August 20, 2014, 09:06:18 AM

Thx for the great videos guys. I've been going very slow and careful. Time to push the saw a little faster I think.

Dave Shepard · August 20, 2014, 01:46:55 PM

YellowHammer is that a standard LT40, or a Super. Looks like you were sawing about 50-60 feet per minute, without using a stop watch.

What is the max forward on a Logmaster mill, and what is the drive, electric, hydraulic etc.? I've never seen one up close. I know my LT40 Super will travel quite a bit faster than you could saw, and the LT70 is a bit a faster than the 40.

drobertson · August 20, 2014, 02:50:04 PM

There's no doubt about it, there is such a thing as too fast. I have found every log is different even with like species. This is just with my saw, I make no claims to being perfect, I just feel the cut as it happens and pay attention, fast as you can go that makes flat cuts is my goal.

YellowHammer · August 20, 2014, 05:59:33 PM

Quote from: Dave Shepard on August 20, 2014, 01:46:55 PM
YellowHammer is that a standard LT40, or a Super. Looks like you were sawing about 50-60 feet per minute, without using a stop watch.

It's a standard LT40 with the Diesel engine. I wasn't sawing for speed, just at a normal relaxed pace during the middle of a sawing day. This was some really nice red oak and I wanted it laser flat, so wasn't pushing the saw, just caterwaullering it.
YH