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Got Too Big For My Britches

Started by Deese, May 16, 2017, 06:13:17 PM

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Deese

This is true for me on two separate accounts.

The first reason, which is totally unrelated to this topic, is that I am literally getting too big for my britches. I lost about 40lbs over the past year, but now I am slowly putting it back on. Oreos and milk are good.

The second reason is sawing related. I have only had the new-to-me sawmill for 6 days and although I am becoming more comfortable with the hydraulic controls, my confidence with the Accuset2 is improving at a slower rate. Slow but steady. I periodically studied the Reverse Roll Quartersawing topic throughout the day yesterday and wanted to do a maneuvering practice run on a syp log... I remember telling myself that this is going to be a "piece of cake" (which immediately made me hungry, refer back to reason #1 above  :D ). So I got into the flow by sawing a bunch of 1x10's for a guy, poked my chest out (belly already out) and then threw another log on the mill. Thinking, "This ain't nothing for a fat boy with an LT40 Super. If I succeed, I'll reward myself with some cookies." Well, the thought of that got me all fired up so here we go...

So, log is on the mill and it has a tad of sweep. The first wave of doubt immediately set in. I thought, "Just Great, No Oreos". As you can see in the pic below, the pith on the big end is slightly off center, to the right. The pith is dead center on the smaller, opposite end. My mind became flooded with several questions all at once and I just stood there with the engine running. Just standing there staring at the whole deal. It seemed as if I had forgotten everything which seemed so simple just hours earlier.

The whole octagon, hexagon, whateveragon thing just stopped me in my tracks. I understand that it doesn't have to be any particular cut pattern when cleaning "skinning" the log. But through years of sawing on my EZ Boardwalk I learned that I could only raise the end of a log for the first two face openings. The log must be flat on the bed for the 3rd and 4th or you will get a wedge, not a square cant.

So, when dealing with a log whose pith isn't centered on one end, should I just level the pith using the toeboard and make all of the shallow outer cuts? At what point do I lower the toeboard? It may hit me in a minute and I'll realize how much I'm overthinking this...but I am honestly having a difficult time visualizing it.

I just had to make a move so I just did this:
The pith on the big end was about 10.5" from the bed and the pith on the smaller end was about 9" or so from the bed. I decided to raise the rear toeboard and got her fairly level and made my first light pass.


 

Then I made one or two more cuts and for some reason that I cannot explain, I lowered the toeboard. I finished making outer cuts and this is what it looked like. Looks awful, I know. But I had to take a pretty good chunk out of one edge because of the sweep in the log.

 


Then I made a cut above the pith, thinking I would get 4 full width boards from the center. I had my clamps up too high and had to move them down. The cant is very unstable in it's current position so I had a good'ole time adjusting it back level with the cut.


 

Then I did something wrong with the auto down, or pattern mode. I had completely forgotten what mode I had it in when dealing with readjusting the cant. So, my first full width board was too thin and a total waste. Then made a few more cuts.


 

Some nice 17" wide boards from the middle. You can see the sweep in the log from the grain pattern.


 

I removed the center cut boards and this is what I had. I should have made one full width cut before unclamping.


 

And at this point, 'ole fat boy is completely out in left field. The whole point of me doing this was to mimic what I want to do when I'm sawing oak, or whatever. I kept trying to clamp it, but now realize I should have lowered the bi-plane clamp under the protruding edge on the right side, raising it and letting it rest on the backstops and then making my adjustments, following the grain until complete.


 

Instead, I gave up and flipped it over, sawed off the top ridge, and that is how it is sitting, waiting on me to come home. I've got the other half still cradled in the loading arms. I might try it again with this half in a little while...


 


 

A VERY HUMBLING EXPERIENCE.
I STILL ATE A BUNCH OF OREOS.






2004 LT40 Super 51hp w/6' bed extension
Cooks AE4P Edger
Cat Claw sharpener/Dual Tooth Setter
Kubota svl75-2 skidsteer w/grapple, forks, brushcutter
1977 Log Hog Knuckleboom loader/truck

sandsawmill14

cant help much on the quarter sawing but for the off center pith and sweep as you described i always rotate the log until the pith is centered and level with the bed and pay no attention to how the sweep is turned that way the pith will be centered on top to bottom and not side to side which will usually make it bow instead of twist  ;) but i am sawing for the cant instead of the lumber  :) in my experience all logs with sweep will make lumber but no log with sweep will make good lumber :)  i have seen 1000s and 1000s of bdft of lumber run through ripsaws cutting 1-2" of each side to get a good straight board and most of the higher grade was quartersawn and that does help so you have to trim less but it bows a little anyway ::) bow you can live with  twist is scrap ::) at least thats my luck :) and for the record i agree if you sawing for the lumber and not concerned  about the cant i agree with the horns up or down thats been talked about alot on here it puts the bow where it doesnt matter you just nail it tight and no one will ever know :)
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Sell your mill Deese. Get out why you can. Sell Insurance or Satellite TV........ BUT GET OUT WHY YOU CAN! ... :D :D :D :D :D
Its not worth the headache! Run boy...RUN!  :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

grouch

Ignore the goat, Deese. He's just jealous he can't cut a septagon, er heptagon. Whatever that is, you got a fine one!
Find something to do that interests you.

Delawhere Jack

Eat the Oreos BEFORE you take on a task like that, one less distraction.  ;D

(I often find myself standing there staring at the mill with the engine running.....)

paul case

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

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: Delawhere Jack on May 16, 2017, 07:40:53 PM

(I often find myself standing there staring at the mill with the engine running.....)
( old saying )  :D :D :D :D :D
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

Peter Drouin

Yeah, you lost something on that log,  :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D ;)
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

YellowHammer

You'll get it, those Oreos sound good.

Don't loose sight of the boards in the logs, skinning the logs and making a trihederaral hexaheptagon is secondary to getting the QS boards as wide as possible.  So use off center pith as an opportunity to get unusually wide QS boards from the logs, basically dividing the logs into two halves, concentrating in the wide side. 

So I would have split the log in a different plane, taking the center cut boards at 90° to the wide side. 
Here's a picture of how I would have worked it. Sorry for the crudes lines, they are just for showing the general cuts I would have probably made.


So when gun barreling, anticipate the prime side and take the least amount from that side. 
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

Deese

Thanks fellas. I am just striving to be the best that I can possibly be with this sawing thing. And it REALLY bothers me when I'm trying to get a clear understanding of something I'm working at. I've been pecking at this on my own for a few years but almost never quartersawn stuff. YH, that simple response and diagram helped. I really enjoy sawing as you all do and I'm over thinking it like I do most things. Heading to Jake's Friday morning and excited to meet some of you folks. I may have a question or two, or a hundred...
2004 LT40 Super 51hp w/6' bed extension
Cooks AE4P Edger
Cat Claw sharpener/Dual Tooth Setter
Kubota svl75-2 skidsteer w/grapple, forks, brushcutter
1977 Log Hog Knuckleboom loader/truck

grouch

Quote from: YellowHammer on May 16, 2017, 10:52:06 PM
making a trihederaral hexaheptagon

How much would you charge to give lessons on that?

I want one so I can build a house around it and impress the neighbors.



Quote from: Deese on May 16, 2017, 11:33:51 PM
Thanks fellas. I am just striving to be the best that I can possibly be with this sawing thing. And it REALLY bothers me when I'm trying to get a clear understanding of something I'm working at. I've been pecking at this on my own for a few years but almost never quartersawn stuff. YH, that simple response and diagram helped. I really enjoy sawing as you all do and I'm over thinking it like I do most things. Heading to Jake's Friday morning and excited to meet some of you folks. I may have a question or two, or a hundred...

I'm trying to figure out how to get the most from logs, too. Some of these folks seem to take about half a second glance at a log and know just how to slice and dice it into fine furniture. Sometimes it's frustrating. I recently rift sawed a maple, all full of hope and worrying about getting each piece set up perfectly, and the resulting grain was just boring. Lot of work and worry for plain looking boards.

Your post was much needed comic relief, for me -- hey! I'm not the only one worrying this into dead ends! Thank you.
Find something to do that interests you.

WDH

When making the center cuts, be sure and get all the juvenile wood in the center boards (you can edge it out) or your quartersawn boards from the two halves can side bend, sometimes badly. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

paul case

It is possible to get as wide as possible Qsawn lumber by not taking any of the bark off if the log is small enough to fit between the guides. Just skip all the cutting a hexagon and cut the middle out and then work on the halves the way the original poster of the reverse roll technique  did.

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

Deese

Cool. I was just experimenting (playing with my sawmill) and then got tangled up. Looking back, I "made a mountain out of an ant hill" (old saying). All is good.
2004 LT40 Super 51hp w/6' bed extension
Cooks AE4P Edger
Cat Claw sharpener/Dual Tooth Setter
Kubota svl75-2 skidsteer w/grapple, forks, brushcutter
1977 Log Hog Knuckleboom loader/truck

Deese

I tried bibbying another log, got carried away, and wound up with this:


 
2004 LT40 Super 51hp w/6' bed extension
Cooks AE4P Edger
Cat Claw sharpener/Dual Tooth Setter
Kubota svl75-2 skidsteer w/grapple, forks, brushcutter
1977 Log Hog Knuckleboom loader/truck

Deese

2004 LT40 Super 51hp w/6' bed extension
Cooks AE4P Edger
Cat Claw sharpener/Dual Tooth Setter
Kubota svl75-2 skidsteer w/grapple, forks, brushcutter
1977 Log Hog Knuckleboom loader/truck

grouch

Quote from: Deese on May 17, 2017, 11:20:53 AM
I tried bibbying another log, got carried away, and wound up with this:


 

Well? You gonna finish quartersawing that or just waste it?
Find something to do that interests you.

sandsawmill14

Quote from: Deese on May 17, 2017, 11:20:53 AM
I tried bibbying another log, got carried away, and wound up with this:


 
i thought my logs where small :o :D :D :D
hudson 228, lucky knuckleboom,stihl 038 064 441 magnum

TKehl

What this thread needs is more details about HOW you eat your Oreos.  Radially or do you split the pith?  What degree do you hold them in the milk?
:D :D :D
In the long run, you make your own luck – good, bad, or indifferent. Loretta Lynn

Deese

Quote from: TKehl on May 17, 2017, 05:02:47 PM
What this thread needs is more details about HOW you eat your Oreos.  Radially or do you split the pith?  What degree do you hold them in the milk?
:D :D :D

I have tried several techniques through the years, and have finally settled on one that fits my sawing eating style. Hold it between your thumb and index finger and submerge it in cold, whole milk, holding it until the bubbles stop and then giving it about 4 more seconds. Then, BAM BABY!

Be careful not to hold it too far down or too far near the top. Holding too near the top will cause breakage and then you've got a sunken ship that you've got to quickly go deep diving for. As a result, this causes milk spillage and then you're faced with cleanup. As us sawmillers chunky boys know, cleanup is time, and time is money. Holding it too far down will also cause milk spillage, then cleanup. I've found digit contact around 3/4 topside is the most effective method.

You've got to slightly twist it while submerged, in a reverse-like, downward motion. This helps the milk penetrate the grain, making it more desirable.

I've spend much time coming up with a unique name for this method, being extra careful not to use anyone else's ideas.

It's the Reverse Roll Oreo Drumroll Method.
2004 LT40 Super 51hp w/6' bed extension
Cooks AE4P Edger
Cat Claw sharpener/Dual Tooth Setter
Kubota svl75-2 skidsteer w/grapple, forks, brushcutter
1977 Log Hog Knuckleboom loader/truck

Darrel

 smiley_biggrin01 smiley_big-grin2 smiley_big_grin3 smiley_whacko
1992 LT40HD

If I don't pick myself up by my own bootstraps, nobody else will.

4x4American

Deese, you are taking wayy too long, taking a huge risk for milk spillage, and still having an achillies heel by your method.  What you need to do is get you a bowl, fill it with a few oreos, fill bowl with milk, use spoon to submerge said oreos, and then use said spoon to elevate said oreos into very close appromixation of your oral cavity.  Rinse, lather, repeat until oreos are gone.  Then drink the leftover milk and call me up to thank me.  ;D . Your efficiency will increase and you will be much happier, for a few minutes lol
Boy, back in my day..

Dave Shepard

Milk has a higher purpose: cheese! Or ice cream.  :)
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Deese

OK it's time to come clean...I always dunk 2 Oreos at a time. I'm ashamed, (head hanging) but they say the truth will set you free. I'm glad I went ahead and got this out. Whew.

P.S.- I'm sleeping away from home tonight (about an hour closer to Jake's) and I just raided the kitchen. And NOTHING! What in the heck is wrong with these folks!? Aww heck, I hide my cookies too. No judgement here.
2004 LT40 Super 51hp w/6' bed extension
Cooks AE4P Edger
Cat Claw sharpener/Dual Tooth Setter
Kubota svl75-2 skidsteer w/grapple, forks, brushcutter
1977 Log Hog Knuckleboom loader/truck

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