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Milling Really Dry Oak? Plea for your experience

Started by moorerp, January 02, 2015, 01:18:28 PM

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moorerp

Howdy Sawyers,

I have the chance to buy some really cheap oak beams (presume white oak, but don't know for sure) that have been dry for (potentially) several years. 

Here's the thing: I'm a newbie sawyer and my brother, who knows more about this than I do but not as much as most of you, says that it's probably a stupid idea because oak that dry will be too hard to cut with the very small mill (Hud-son HFE-21) that I have.

I've come across a couple of references in the forum to resawing dry oak, but no thread dedicated to the wisdom of it.  So here're the 2 questions:

1. Do you think milling dry 12x12 oak beams is feasible with a small saw (assuming proper blade and set-up)?
2. If so, what are the specs on the blade would you use?

thanks for you help,
Randy

dyates

Go slow. No blade lube.  The water can swell the dry wood and cause the blade to bind. Definitely will be tough and blade won't last long.
Daniel

barbender

With the right blade, you can cut it. It will likely dull blades quickly. What are you sawing it into?
Too many irons in the fire

terrifictimbersllc

I only know WM blades 1-1/4 x 0.045, with 42HP.  Would try 4 degree first but if didn't have those I'd use a 9 degree. I have both.  If you have to buy them maybe ask for reduced set, say 21 thousandths which might help you with low HP.  I think these blades come usually with about 25 thousandths.  No water but if there's any buildup or the tension starts dropping (blade heating), I'd turn on whatever amount of lube it took to keep the blade clean and tension down.  I don't think you'll have a problem but sometimes going very slow which you might have to do with limited power, heats the blade and you need to cool it with water.  I don't think I have experienced water swelling dry wood and binding the blade.
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

Andries

Randy: I mill old, dry bur oak all the time, and at this time of the year it's frozen too. If it was any harder we'd be able to use a welder on it.
Four degree bands and band lube (-35 degree rated) do the trick.


 
As per the previous replies, go slow and re-sharp often.
LT40G25
Ford 545D loader
Stihl chainsaws

scsmith42

I would be more concerned about the potential for metal in the log.
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

drobertson

width and knots are the biggest issue with hard dry wood.. sharp blades, steady feeds and you will be proud.  whatever band you are, have been using will work, or should if alignment is right.  width of cut does make a difference for sure. add a kerf to the board if you get some wave and plane to the finish size.
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,

moorerp

Quote from: barbender on January 02, 2015, 07:29:15 PM
With the right blade, you can cut it. It will likely dull blades quickly. What are you sawing it into?

Potentially into 1x10 floor boards for a small shed/cabin.  But if the things are in good enough shape, I may also just cut them into the largest cants that they'll make and use them for the post and beam frame, too.

They were apparently going to be used as "mats" and run over by mining equipment.  Who does that to beautiful oak timbers anymore?!

barbender

Too many irons in the fire

LeeB

Odds are if the were going to make mats out of them, they were lesser quality logs to begin with. Might b ok for flooring though.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Joe Hillmann

If you do decide to do it and have a hard time making a 12inch wide cut you could saw it in half so you then have two 6x12's.  Then saw each 6x12 into 6 inch boards.  You may have to come back and clean up the edges of the 6 inch boards a couple at a time if your splitting in half cut was wavy.

Andries

Quote from: moorerp on January 02, 2015, 11:37:05 PM
Quote from: barbender on January 02, 2015, 07:29:15 PM
With the right blade, you can cut it. It will likely dull blades quickly. What are you sawing it into?

Potentially into 1x10 floor boards for a small shed/cabin.  But if the things are in good enough shape, I may also just cut them into the largest cants that they'll make and use them for the post and beam frame, too.

They were apparently going to be used as "mats" and run over by mining equipment.  Who does that to beautiful oak timbers anymore?!
Randy: Check out CustomSawyer 's photos. He's got a sweet gig milling construction mat timbers for a big sawmill operation in Georgia. He produces beautiful hardwood lumber from the outside of the log, the inner cant gets used for mats. He keeps his two person off-bearers smokin' busy all day every working day.




You can see more photos of his operation in my gallery in a folder called "Trips".
He has a 60(?) HP Yanmar on his mill and you have six or seven HP on yours, so his mill can really rip through the hardwoods in no time.
If your mill alignment is good the you'll be good to go . . . but you will have a lot of time to think deep thoughts while the band is making sawdust.
LT40G25
Ford 545D loader
Stihl chainsaws

moorerp

Quote from: Andries on January 03, 2015, 01:59:23 PM
Quote from: moorerp on January 02, 2015, 11:37:05 PM
Quote from: barbender on January 02, 2015, 07:29:15 PM
With the right blade, you can cut it. It will likely dull blades quickly. What are you sawing it into?

Potentially into 1x10 floor boards for a small shed/cabin.  But if the things are in good enough shape, I may also just cut them into the largest cants that they'll make and use them for the post and beam frame, too.

They were apparently going to be used as "mats" and run over by mining equipment.  Who does that to beautiful oak timbers anymore?!
Randy: Check out CustomSawyer 's photos. He's got a sweet gig milling construction mat timbers for a big sawmill operation in Georgia. He produces beautiful hardwood lumber from the outside of the log, the inner cant gets used for mats. He keeps his two person off-bearers smokin' busy all day every working day.




You can see more photos of his operation in my gallery in a folder called "Trips".
He has a 60(?) HP Yanmar on his mill and you have six or seven HP on yours, so his mill can really rip through the hardwoods in no time.
If your mill alignment is good the you'll be good to go . . . but you will have a lot of time to think deep thoughts while the band is making sawdust.

Thanks for the heads up on CustomSawyer's site- I'm on my way to check it out now.  And thanks for the thoughts, you and all the others who've chimed in have convinced me that it's possible as long as I don't mind going slowly, which I don't mind a bit.  It's a small project and I don't need to be in a hurry for any of it.

And thanks all who've offered your thoughts.  Still not sure if I'm going to buy any of this stuff, but at least now it's not because I don't know if it'll work!

cheers,
Randy

mesquite buckeye

I have a lot of trouble smoking blades in dry hardwoods like bur oaks or mesquite if there isn't water running on the blade. My blades last 2 or 3 times as long cutting wet as they do cutting dry, especially in dry, hard stuff. ;D 8) 8) 8) :snowball:
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

Rachiano

Hi,
You can use a cocktail of vegetable oil and dishwashing liquid. Mix 2 liter vegetable oil with 1 liter dishwashing liquid first and pour it in the 5 gallon tank..add water and shake the tank to mix everything. When sawing open lubrication system to full. The cocktail will 1. Lube the blade through the cut and 2. Will bind the dry sawdust for better removal from the cut.
You should also be using stellite tipped blades on such dry wood to have the tooth stay sharp longer. .045 thick blades with 7 degree angle stellite tipped will be good.
Regarding the set....if the blade is .045 then you set should at least be .023 on one side making a .046 clearance so the blade body can make an easy way through the cut. With less friction and great lube you will have little trouble cutting dry wood.

Happy sawing.
Rachiano

WM LT70
WM EG50
Werklust WG25 Wheel loader
DAF 2100 HIAB truck

Magicman

WM specifies to use an emulsion when sawing with stellite tipped blades.
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