HCT Workshop

Once the logs have been scaled they will be bucked or cut to lengths suitable for sawmlling into lumber. It is important to know what length will return the highest value lumber before they are bucked. After bucking the logs are piled into a log deck before they are fed into the sawmill. Here are pictures of a deck of bucked logs and logs on the sawmill infeed.
Logs are bucked with a chain saw or in large mills with a carbide tipped circular saw. I collect and pile the bucked logs with a John Deere wheel loader with a log grapple attachment. In my next post I will discuss the sawing of a log.

To Your Sawing Success
Greg

Have you ever wondered why there are so many different types of saw blades? Saw blades are designed to perform best when used for a specific cutting operation. The two most basic operations are cutting across the grain or cross cutting and cutting along the grain or ripping. I am going to give you some basic information which will help you make an educated decision when you select a saw blade.

The Parts of a Saw Blade

Bore – the hole in the center of the blade. The bore must match the size of the arbor on your power tool. It must fit snugly or the blade will not run true and will vibrate

Body – the steel plate that the blade is formed from. In-expensive saw blades are made from low quality steel. Higher priced saw blades are made from higher quality steel and will perform with more precision and durability

Teeth – the points on the circumference of the saw body that cut the wood. Most saw blades will have tungsten carbide tips welded to the tooth. Tungsten carbide saw tips are graded for resistance to impact and abrasion. The better the quality of the tungsten carbide tips the longer the tips will remain sharp. Saws with more teeth will cut smoother than saw blades with fewer teeth. Saw blades with fewer teeth will feed faster and easier than those with many teeth but the cut will not be as smooth.

Gullets – the spaces in front of the teeth that carry the saw dust from the cut. The more tips a saw blade has the smaller the gullets will be. Saw blades with fewer teeth will have larger gullets to allow more sawdust to be removed as each tooth passes through the wood.

Hook angle – the angle of the face of the tooth as measured from a center line drawn radially from the center of the bore. With a positive hook angle the face of the tooth is angled forward toward the material the saw blade will cut. With a negative hook angle the face of the tooth is angled away from the material the saw blade will cut. A positive hook angle feeds easily and quickly while a negative hook angle will require more force and will cut slower.

Now you have a basic understanding of the parts of a saw blade. In my next article I will explain the differences between a saw blade used for cross cutting wood and for a saw blade used for ripping wood.

Greg Clark
Greg shares the knowledge gained in 20 years of working as a professional saw filer for the forestry and wood manufacturing industries in British Columbia, Canada

Sawing lumber with a band sawmill is not a high production process. By carefully selecting the logs that I will cut I am able to produce value added products that can be sold at a profit. I have found that the top portion of the tree has the best knot quality. The knotty panelling I produce requires a sound ingrown knot….they cannot be loose or fall out and still meet the appearance grade. By doing my own timber harvesting I am able to select the log profile that works best for my operation. Here is a picture of two truckloads of logs that are laid out for scaling.

Timber from my woodlot must be scaled or measured and a royalty paid to the province of British Columbia. Once the logs have been scaled I will cut them into millable lengths with a chainsaw and pile them in a deck ready to mill.

This lumber is sawn with minimal wane. It is graded from the best face and is all sound, ingrown tight knot quality. It makes great panelling or flooring.

To Sawing Success
Greg

Spring is coming! The snow is melting….slowly anyway. We have started milling Douglas fir logs into 1″x6″ boards. The first lift is in the kiln and we are cutting more every day. Here is a photo of the saw mill in action.

To sawing success

Greg

Hey! I am now done sawing and cutting down trees until after the snow melts. I can now pay more attention to my blog. I have started milling trees into lumber here at my sawmill site. I have saw blades to sharpen and machinery to maintain. I am taking some time for Greg to relax and enjoy…probably will end up in my woodworking shop soon. Will take some photos today of saw milling and post them tomorrow.
Successfully sawing wood
Greg

Still harvesting…two more days and we will be done till after the snow melts. Couple of photos….sunshine on Feb 24 and 20cm or 8″ of snow on the 27th. Had to shovel my shop roof. There is 48″ of snow on it!

Hey it has been a while. Been busy logging on my woodlot. Almost done….It is spring break-up….or it is supposed to be. It has turned cold and the frost is back in the ground…freezing hard. That is good. I will keep logging till it stops freezing. I have not been updating my blog….just do not have the energy after working outside all day. As soon as I am done harvesting I will be back at the website catching up on all the things I have been avoiding.

Greg

Wow! It has been a while. I have been totally distracted by logging/harvesting operations on my woodlot. I have been busy sawing down trees and processing them into saleable products after skidding them to the landing area by the roadside. It has been snowing a lot so I have been plowing snow a lot too. There have been a couple of challenges with machinery breaking down. I keep fixing it and I am having fun! I have several truckloads of logs selected to haul home to be milled on my sawmill. I also have two birch burls that will be turned into bowls on my wood lathe. I can hardly wait for the spring thaw so I will be done harvesting and can start sawing wood and playing in my workshop. It has turned cold and was sunny today….if it is nice tomorrow I will take some pictures to post.

Happy sawing
Greg Clark

I found this great article about safe workshop clothing by Maria Polidoro. Check this out! Greg

Woodworking Safety: Appropriate Woodshop Attire

In addition to using caution and common sense when operating power tools, woodworkers should always be dressed for safety and wear the necessary protective gear in the woodshop. Wearing appropriate attire and safety gear can help prevent accidents and injuries. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to promote safe attire in the woodshop:

-Avoid loose clothing or hanging jewelry while woodworking. Loose clothing poses unnecessary risk of injury in the woodshop. Loose clothing, long hair or hanging jewelry can become caught in woodworking tools and create a dangerous situation. Clothing worn for woodworking should fit the body snugly and long hair should be tied back at all times in the woodshop. Removing all jewelry prior to using woodworking tools is also advised.

-Wear safety glasses. Protective eyewear is one of the most important pieces of safety equipment to wear in a woodshop. Safety glasses are designed to protect the eyes from the abundant dust and flying debris generated in the shop. There are several types of safety glasses, so be sure to select the type appropriate for a woodshop environment.

-Protect your hearing. Exposure to a loud environment for extended periods of time can cause permanent hearing damage. Hearing protection such as ear plugs or earmuffs are recommended when using certain woodworking tools. For more information on hearing protection, check out Is Hearing Protection Necessary when Operating Power Tools?

Having the appropriate safety gear on hand in the woodshop will make for a safer work environment. Here are a few safety items to consider keeping on hand:

-Safety goggles -Hearing protection (ear plugs and/or earmuffs)
-Work gloves
-Dust masks
-Hard hats
-Respirators

Article Submitted by: Maria Polidoro
Tuesday, 02 June 2009
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com