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Flatsaw or quartersaw?

Started by ForestGump, January 19, 2016, 10:10:10 PM

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ForestGump

 I had a real nice present delivered week before Christmas: new sawmill! (Its an Ez jr. and I made sure to let Stanton know I heard a lot of positive reviews here on the forum)
Just starting to get using it and having a lot of fun but running into questions and decisions on what techniques to use. I have a red oak log that looks like it has undulating grain is but Ive never heard of curly oak. Its a straight 9 ft log but the pith is off center so probably has lot of tension. I wanted to try quarter-sawing some oak  but being maybe curly im wondering if it should be flatsawn, also with the lopsided growth which way would be most likely to not twist and bend on me? It is frozen so that might help with the tension while cutting btw.

sorry its not real clear picture...it was freezing cold!

Let the wood times roll!

kelLOGg

With pith that much off center, I think it is best to flat saw. Check out this:

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,79020.0.html

See post 53 by dboyt - I try to keep a visual image in my head based on his post. It has served me well.
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

Chuck White

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, ForestGump.

Check for metal, quite a bit of blue/black on the end of that log!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

paul case

I ''saw'' that too Chuck. I think it is from the chainsaw bar.

The better to perfect the log is the better it would work for quartersawing. I think the pith being that much off center would take it out of the running, but give it a try if ya want to. Remember forum rule #239854. No pictures means it didn't happen.

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

qbilder

The plus side to quarter sawing a log with off center pith, is that you will get extra wide boards from one side. The downside is that you get narrow boards from the other side. You also should consider that red oak will not be quite as extravagant as white oak when quarter sawed. White oak tends to have bolder medullary rays, which is the cross grain stripes you see in quartered oak. As for curl, it will show boldest on the quartered face, so anytime you have a curly log large enough to quarter, do it.   
God bless our troops

scsmith42

I do quite a bit of quartersawing. 

If the pith is consistently off center throughout the log (same amount of offset on each end of the log), then by all means quartersaw it.  However, if the pith is centered on one end and significantly offset on the other, your quartersawn yield will be poor as about half of the boards will only show good ray fleck over 1/4 of the board.
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.

ForestGump

THanks for all the input- and the link  too kellogg! I read through that whole topic and I think  will try to do it as the diagram in post 53 shows. I also have a shorter 7' section of the same log that I had bucked before I realized it maybe had figure. I might try to quartersaw that first, see how it looks. Hope to get a crack at it over the weekend and will post some pictures- that blue is from bar burn btw...didnt have time to resharpen the chain. 
Let the wood times roll!

dboyt

If you're determined to quarter saw, the photo posted by Andries in that same link (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,79020.20.html) is how I'd do it.  Keeps tension wood together... but balancing the stresses in the rest of the boards would be a challenge.  Good luck!
Norwood MX34 Pro portable sawmill, 8N Ford, Lewis Winch

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