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Woodturning (rec.crafts.woodturning) To discuss tools, techniques, styles, materials, shows and competitions, education and educational materials related to woodturning. All skill levels are welcome, from art turners to production turners, beginners to masters. |
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#1
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Log too big for chainsaw
I have a couple of pieces of sycamore that are about 18" long and 24"
in diameter. My chainsaw has a 16" bar. Any thoughts on how best to cut these logs into blanks without removing any digits? Dick Durbin Tallahassee |
#2
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Log too big for chainsaw
In article om,
Olebiker wrote: I have a couple of pieces of sycamore that are about 18" long and 24" in diameter. My chainsaw has a 16" bar. Any thoughts on how best to cut these logs into blanks without removing any digits? Cut from two sides. You can cut 31-32 inches with the bar you have if you cut from both sides. This does mean burying the nose, and if your relationship with your chainsaw is such that this seems a poor idea, well, then, go looking for a 3-1/2 foot handsaw. If your relationship with your saw does not already involve chaps, hardhat, chainbrake, etc. then you are already being optomistic, regardless of where the saw nose is (hint, gear much cheaper and less painful than emergency room visit). The digits normally remain attached, as they are normally on the handle of the saw. Keeping the arm attached, and the head intact are more common problems. -- Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by |
#3
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Log too big for chainsaw
Hi Dick
I don't know what you want to, or are able to turn from it, so I will pretend that I am cutting it up for me. take one piece and block it up horizontal, so it will not roll, start cutting with the grain so the cut will go through the centre, hold the saw on an angle and cut till the nose will go into the wood, go to the other side and do the same thing, as you are overlapping the cuts you can go down deeper till you again will get the nose buried, switch sides ones more, etc., now if I would want to quarter the piece to make 4 natural edge bowls from it I would flip the piece over and continue to halve it and then do that once more with each halve, however if I would want to make some slabs I would make the other cuts now to, and then flip the piece over to finish the cuts, going from the outside slabs, till the middle as the last cut. All the slabs can be cut up later much easier than when in log form. As long as you angle your saw you won't get it plugged up as easy, if you cut flat with the grain you'll get long stringy shavings that will jam the saw. Don't forget to seal the blanks, or all your work will be for nothing. And KEEP YOUR EYES ON YOUR FRIES, and be careful. Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo On May 21, 1:05 pm, Olebiker wrote: I have a couple of pieces of sycamore that are about 18" long and 24" in diameter. My chainsaw has a 16" bar. Any thoughts on how best to cut these logs into blanks without removing any digits? Dick Durbin Tallahassee |
#4
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Log too big for chainsaw
On May 21, 3:21 pm, "
wrote: SNIP And KEEP YOUR EYES ON YOUR FRIES, and be careful. Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo Dammit Leo, knock it off! I laughed so hard when I got to that I almost fell off my chair. Good one. Robert |
#5
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Log too big for chainsaw
Hello, Dick.
First, you need to have a real sharp chain, equally sharpened on both sides. This is because you will have to cut from two opposing sides to get to the middle. If there is any tendency for the bar to wander, the wander-error will be at least doubled when you go from the other side. You are in very dangerous territory. A guy once asked my son if he knew how to run a chainsaw. Son said "yes". Guy asked "do you know how to sharpen a chain saw? Son said "no". Guy said "Then you don't know how to run a chain saw". ---My fault!!! Self inflicted lobotomies (sp?) are more common in the kind of work you have in front of you. The problem is when the tip of the saw bar catches in the log, pivoting the bar upwards at a rapid rate (with your support arm as the fulcrum. This aims the running chain at your forehead. This all happens before you can get your finger off the trigger. If you happen to have chainsay that has a protector on the end of the bar, you can't bore or go deeper than about 2 inches less than the bar length anyway. You'd have to take that part off to do the job at all, but that adds a lot of danger. An Anti-kickback chain will make the job less hazardous. Please don't misunderstand me, but just asking this question means that you don't have the experience to do this without some hands-on tutoring. Call up a tree service and ask them to help or go to the place where you bought your saw and ask for lessons. This may sound like an expensive way to utilize a "free" piece of wood, but if you DO learn proper methods, it will stand you for the rest of your life. If you DON'T learn, and miss just one subtle clue that something isn't right, it will also stand you for the rest of your life, but you may not BE standing! I don't have sycamore around here, but have you considered splitting your chunks to get down to your saw's bar length? I would have no qualms at all about doing what you suggest, but we have been dropping trees here and sawing wood since 1972. I would still approach the job with a lot of care. Pete Stanaitis western Wisconsin Olebiker wrote: I have a couple of pieces of sycamore that are about 18" long and 24" in diameter. My chainsaw has a 16" bar. Any thoughts on how best to cut these logs into blanks without removing any digits? Dick Durbin Tallahassee |
#6
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Log too big for chainsaw
Dick
Assumng you want this wood for bowls or similar, how big a bowl can you turn? The max you are going to get with this wood is 18" diameter. If your lathe swings that then I suggest you get a hand from someone more experienced with a chain saw to guide you through the cuts. I would work on one end at a 60* angle until the end of the bar is at the bottom of the wood about an inch away from the center line. then I would go to the other side of the pith and do the same thing. This means there is a center slab defined and the depth at the end of the bar is about three inches high or so. Then I would follow those cuts on the other end of the log. This would leave me with two bowl blanks and a center slab all attached in the center. likely I would slab off a piece on either side for easy attachment of a face plate. Rolling the piece over I would upcut to release each blank in turn. Unless experienced with a saw, these cuts are all asking for trouble. Trouble with a chain saw is not fun. On the other hand, if your lathe turns less than 16", cut the logs to the lenght of your bar or less and the cuts are normal. The procedure is outlined on my web site under making bowls. --- God bless and safe turning Darrell Feltmate Truro, NS http://aroundthewoods.com http://roundopinions.blogspot.com "Olebiker" wrote in message ps.com... I have a couple of pieces of sycamore that are about 18" long and 24" in diameter. My chainsaw has a 16" bar. Any thoughts on how best to cut these logs into blanks without removing any digits? Dick Durbin Tallahassee |
#7
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Log too big for chainsaw
On May 21, 7:47 pm, "Darrell Feltmate"
wrote: Dick Assumng you want this wood for bowls or similar, how big a bowl can you turn? SNIP I think this is the most important question to be asked, and it will determine how the rest of your procedure should go. Cut your logs to length for easier material management, and no longer than the swing of your lathe. Check this out, about half way down through this PDF to get some ideas on how to allocate your log for bowls: http://images.meredith.com/wood/pdf/da-00171.pdf I would also add that it is a bad idea to bury the nose of your chainsaw. Although many do it and many get away with it, don't do it. If you don't have the saw capacity for a big log and you can't figure out how to whittle down the logs into usable sizes, then drag home smaller logs. When you bury the tip, you can overheat the bar/chain causing flex in them and leading to over heating. Your saw was not meant to be used that way, and the if you bind up (for any of the multitude fo reasons blades bind) the blade when using it with the tip buried, it will undoubtedly lead to nasty kickback and a bent bar. To see what it should look like, check here for an illustration: http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/logcutting.html Lots of good info in this thread on how to cut it. Just remember to be safe.. if you are uncomfortable with cutting a certain way, DON"T DO IT! And like Leo said, "Keep your eyes on the fries". I'm still snickering about that one. Robert |
#8
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Log too big for chainsaw
Thanks to everyone for the advice and concern. I installed a new
chain yesterday and took the tip guard off. The cuts went pretty well and I now have a good supply of blanks to work with and sha http://home.comcast.net/~olebiker/Sycamore.JPG Dick Durbin Tallahassee |
#9
Posted to rec.crafts.woodturning
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Log too big for chainsaw
Thanks to everyone for the advice and concern. I installed a new
chain yesterday and took the tip guard off. The cuts went pretty well and I now have a good supply of blanks to work with and sha http://home.comcast.net/~olebiker/Sycamore.JPG Dick Durbin Tallahassee |
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