Cutting to 1 1/8" thickness?

Glenn1 · July 07, 2015, 06:21:31 PM

I have a new sawyer who will be cutting my logs. I asked him if he could cut at 9/8" thickness. He said that he could only do 5/4. He has an LT 40. How do some of you cut to 9/8" using a WM sawmill?

bkaimwood · July 07, 2015, 06:25:51 PM

I could be wrong, but it either sounds like a gross misunderstanding in the communications department, or he's terrible with math...or doesn't hardly know his mill...

Percy · July 07, 2015, 06:26:02 PM

|f he has accuset, its a breeze....Im thinkin he doesnt and has no scale to use for kerf loss etc.....sounds like he doesnt want the work...heh..

drobertson · July 07, 2015, 06:34:23 PM

Yea you might just give him the numbers like 1-1/8" rather than the 9/8 just saying he may not know. 7/8" is as low as I go and the mill with boards flat on the deck. Back stops are 3/4" so I give that much for clearance. He may not want to work, who knows, I think he did not know what you were talking about.

Magicman · July 07, 2015, 06:35:01 PM

Yup, I doubt that he has Accuset or Setworks and is reluctant to try to "hit the mark" with only a scale.

Glenn1 · July 07, 2015, 06:51:45 PM

I did use the 1 1/8" term just to be sure that he understood. Does WM offer a scale that can be added to get to those measurements?

drobertson · July 07, 2015, 07:13:09 PM

I could be wrong won't be the first time, and will say I've never used my scale, but I was thinking that the 5/4 scale did not account for the kerf which in turn would give you the 1-1/8" board, maybe a manual operator can help me understand this.

JB Griffin · July 07, 2015, 07:15:11 PM

Yup they do, my 40 has one. Its not that hard I have my mill set to pull the kerf from the board not the cant so I just drop the head 1 1/4" a whack.

LeeB · July 07, 2015, 07:15:43 PM

I don't know about the scale either, but 1 1/4" drops will give you 1 1/8", or very near to it, lumber.

JB Griffin · July 07, 2015, 07:18:27 PM

I'll take a measuring device with and go look at mine, it is a 4/4 scale but I don't use it. Setworks is pretty nice when it works.

JB Griffin · July 07, 2015, 07:28:31 PM

I went and looked and mine has a combo 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 8/4 scale along with an inch scale. the 4/4 is 1 1/4" apart, 5/4 is 1 1/2", 6/4 is 1 3/4", 8/4 is 2 1/4"

Glenn1 · July 07, 2015, 08:27:17 PM

Thanks for taking a look at your scale. I do know that he pushes the head so I don't think his mill is overly automated.

customsawyer · July 07, 2015, 08:28:12 PM

It has been a while since I have ran a LT40 but if memory serves it should have a quarter scale for soft wood on one side and if you take the scale off and turn it over it has the quarter scale for hardwood on the other side. ;)

Ga Mtn Man · July 07, 2015, 08:36:54 PM

Yep, and as I recall they are different by 1/8".

WDH · July 07, 2015, 08:37:03 PM

Exactly.

Glenn1 · July 07, 2015, 08:54:12 PM

I am getting some very good information but I hope I can get a little clarification since I don't own a mill. Does the hardwood scale cut the planks to 1 1/8" or 1 1/4"? If the scale is set to 5/4", what I will get as the final thickness?

Thank you for your assistance,

customsawyer · July 07, 2015, 08:58:19 PM

Hardwood scale will cut 1 1/8" thick at 4/4 and 1 3/8 thick at 5/4. On the 4/4 scale you will come down 1 1/4 but when you subtract the kerf the board will be 1 1/8"

Kbeitz · July 07, 2015, 09:02:07 PM

Fractions on the left 1/4s on the right....

sandsawmill14 · July 07, 2015, 09:06:18 PM

Quote from: JB Griffin on July 07, 2015, 07:15:11 PM
Its not that hard I have my mill set to pull the kerf from the board not the cant so I just drop the head 1 1/4" a whack.

x2 thats the way i do it too

WV Sawmiller · July 07, 2015, 10:12:29 PM

Glenn,

It is pretty clear the mill will do it. My mill is a little different and I have Simple Set which is less sophisticated than Accuset if I understand correctly or the manual scale works fine too but I am less accurate with it than the Simple set. WM tech support is only a phone call away if he needs to call them to talk him through it.

If you want 1-1/8 and he can't or won't do it I'd find a different sawyer. Service is what we sell and you should get what you want within reason and this is a reasonable request/expectation.

Glenn1 · July 07, 2015, 10:17:01 PM

He already has some of my logs and I will see how he does. Until he proves me wrong, I will go with the information here that 5/4 will net me 1 1/8"

Thanks to all that have helped me.

Glenn

Doug Wis · July 07, 2015, 10:55:20 PM

I sawed some white oak into 1 1/2" planks for barnyard fences on my TK 1600 with just a regular ruler type scale. Made up a cheat sheet listing at what point on the scale each cut was to be at. Not fancy like a computer setworks, but really came out quite well. Might work in your situation.

Jim_Rogers · July 07, 2015, 11:16:14 PM

I have a clipboard with a sheet scale on it next to me when I set my depth of cut.
As mentioned for 1 1/8" lumber drop or raise 1 1/4".
when starting out cutting a log try and pick a dimension on your ruler for the first opening cut that will be easy to work with. Don't cut at 12 3/8" drop a little to 12 and 1/4 so you can then drop to 11" and on and on down.

My sheet starts at 1 1/8" and then adds 1 1/4" to each one above that so that I can get 9/8 boards off the log.

Jim Rogers
PS I attached my scale sheet. print one out and give it to him.

Delawhere Jack · July 08, 2015, 06:32:56 PM

My very first client requested the lumber be milled at 1 7/32". Being naive, I agreed. Worked out a drop chart on paper. Half way through the job I asked, "can we just cut to 1 1/4?". A wry smile came over his face, and he said, yeah, that'll be fine. :-[

Besides some very nice cherry, he got some bonus amusement watching me try to set a manual mill to 1/32" accuracy.

On the up side, he gave me a nice tip, and sent me some other clients.

JB Griffin · July 08, 2015, 08:32:21 PM

Glenn, I hate to sound redundant but, 5/4 in hardwood is NOT 1 1/4" it's 1 3/8
in softwoods I only assume that its 1 1/4". So if your having him cut grade hardwood for sale to flooring mill or broker etc. you need to make sure he cuts it right. I just don't you have a bunch of unsaleable lumber.