alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description alt image description
« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Sawing spruce  (Read 11000 times)

Offline mountainlake

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 224
Sawing spruce
« on: September 21, 2017, 05:16:10 AM »

  I've been getting blessed with sawing a lot of spruce lately and found the blade that saws it best by far is a 3/4 pitch  4 degree with lots of set. leave out any of that it's going to wave.  Steve
Logged

Offline jake

  • Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 25
Re: Sawing spruce
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2017, 08:03:08 PM »
last spruce I milled was a 475 bf log, I felt less than blessed to mill it.  I had horrible results with 10 degree and 4 degree 7/8 pitch bands, switched to a 3/4 pitch and it sawed much better. Need to try a 4 degree 3/4 pitch next time.
Logged

Offline mountainlake

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 224
Re: Sawing spruce
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2017, 03:41:09 AM »
 
 Don't forget a little extra set. The 3/4 pitch , 4 degree and extra set all help about the same.   Steve
Logged

Offline jake

  • Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 25
Re: Sawing spruce
« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2017, 07:02:52 AM »
Thanks steve. I was a third of the way there, I will work out the other two-thirds. This is the spruce log I'm talking about. Once I got the right band on, it made some nice lumber.
Logged

Offline Kirk Allen

  • Administrator
  • Old Timers Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 3281
  • In God We Trust!
    • Vindicator Nozzles
Re: Sawing spruce
« Reply #4 on: September 24, 2017, 04:10:37 PM »
Nice Log!  I have done well with spruce with my 10-degree WM blade but it has to be sharp and changed at the 300bf mark or it starts making surfboards.
Logged
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching!

Offline jake

  • Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 25
Re: Sawing spruce
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2017, 08:08:16 PM »
She was a beauty Kirk. I was right up against the customer's house.

I don't have a ton of experience but that's the biggest l've sawn. I've had mixed results with spruce, 10 degree 7/8 pitch has worked for me, but when I've been in trouble with those, Simonds 3/4 pitch has been the best alternative.
Logged

Offline Ox

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 887
  • Trying to learn/remember something new every day.
Re: Sawing spruce
« Reply #6 on: October 03, 2017, 06:34:11 PM »
With the spruce do you notice pitch buildup in the gullets?  I have two guys I sharpen for and they both run the Turner mills with the tires.  They don't run lube and are usually okay but when sawing out larch they get bad gullet buildup.  They're using 7/8" pitch Lenox blades and I always set them at .030 and they leave the sharpener at whatever one medium hard pass will take off on the Cats Claw.  I've never measured after, but I'm guessing it probably goes down to around .027 or so.

Would a 3/4" pitch blade be more or less susceptible to pitch buildup than a 7/8" pitch blade?

Them are some might fine looking logs there, jake!
Logged
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

Offline mountainlake

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 224
Re: Sawing spruce
« Reply #7 on: October 05, 2017, 05:05:19 AM »

 No problem with pitch build up.  Don't know why the 3/4 pitch blades saw a lot better, either the tooth spacing or that they have a shallow gullet.  Steve
Logged

Offline Ox

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 887
  • Trying to learn/remember something new every day.
Re: Sawing spruce
« Reply #8 on: October 05, 2017, 10:55:58 AM »
Sounds right to me - shorter teeth, shallower gullet means more body and strength for the blade.  More teeth mean less chance to divert in different grain patterns.  I'm no expert but it just makes sense in my thick head.

Cutting Edge would have answers to this.
Logged
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

Offline mountainlake

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 224
Re: Sawing spruce
« Reply #9 on: October 06, 2017, 05:31:04 AM »
 I have a thick head also. That's all I use now is 3/4 pitch 4 degree but I have to buy them at 10 degree as I don't think Simonds makes 4 degree yet..  Some get all giddy about how fast a blade cuts, I want mine to cut straight.  One other thought, short teeth don't have as much leverage on the body of the blade.   Steve
Logged

Offline Ox

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 887
  • Trying to learn/remember something new every day.
Re: Sawing spruce
« Reply #10 on: October 06, 2017, 11:03:02 AM »
Ah, yes!  Less leverage equals less chance of a gullet crack at least in my mind.  I also agree with you on cutting speed.  I'd rather a cut take 2 whole minutes and be guaranteed straight every time rather than 15 second passes and not knowing if straight or wavy. 

I tried some 3/4" pitch blades once and noticed a definite power loss with my 13hp.  I couldn't feed as fast as with 7/8" without bogging down a little.  But it sure made nice looking lumber.  Now I'm running the Kasco 4 degree blades and am happy as hell with the performance on this mill and these trees.  They seem to last longer sharp-wise than any other blade I've ever tried.  I've never tried Simonds but have never heard anything bad about them.  Perhaps one day I'll try some when I get bored or something.
Logged
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

Offline backwoods sawyer

  • Major Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 151
Re: Sawing spruce
« Reply #11 on: October 19, 2017, 11:08:10 AM »
When sawing spruce I add extra set...
On the 055 saws I put. 032 set....
On the 045 saws I put. 027 set...
I put some pictures of our last two spruce jobs In my album... Both jobs were on Oregon's north coast.....
Both of the orange machines had less than 100 hrs on them....
Logged

Offline 4x4American

  • Major Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 162
    • my website
Re: Sawing spruce
« Reply #12 on: October 19, 2017, 07:57:35 PM »
Quote from: backwoods sawyer on October 19, 2017, 11:08:10 AM
When sawing spruce I add extra set...
On the 055 saws I put. 032 set....
On the 045 saws I put. 027 set...
I put some pictures of our last two spruce jobs In my album... Both jobs were on Oregon's north coast.....
Both of the orange machines had less than 100 hrs on them....


I must be doing something wrong, I just cant figure out how to get to your gallery?  I went to the gallery and typed backwoods sawyer into the search and get nothing..then i saw the other pics u added but when i click on your name it brings me to your profile and then im lost lol
Logged
2017 LT70 Super Wide with under 10,000hrs

www.KnightSawmilling.com

Offline Cutting Edge Saw Svc.

  • Old Timers Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 2582
    • Cutting Edge Saw Service, LLC
Re: Sawing spruce
« Reply #13 on: October 20, 2017, 01:48:33 AM »

Same here, I didn't find any either.  ???


Logged
Cutting Edge Saw Service, LLC -
 - Sharpening Services - Narrow Band and Woodworking
 - Portable/Custom Milling and Slabbing
 - On-Site Sawmill Maintenance/Repair
 - Phone: (304) 878-3343
 - cesawservice@gmail.com

Factory Direct Kasco WoodMaxx Blades

www.cesawservice.business.site

Offline furu

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 668
Re: Sawing spruce
« Reply #14 on: October 20, 2017, 04:50:11 AM »
The last pictures that I find in your gallery are the of the monster mill uploaded on 11 and 12 October.   Were the spruce picture job well before that upload or after?
Logged
Integrity is not just doing the right thing.
Integrity is not just doing the right thing when no one is looking.
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one else will ever even know.

Offline mountainlake

  • Senior Contributor
  • ****
  • Posts: 224
Re: Sawing spruce
« Reply #15 on: October 20, 2017, 05:03:31 PM »
 As mentioned above I find all 3 things about equally important when sawing spruce straight here in the Midwest, 4 degree hook, extra set and 3/4 tooth spacing. The 3/4 tooth spacing might be helped as they have a shallow gullet but that's the best blade I've found for cutting spruce.  Stever
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »