MetalworkingFun Forum

Greg,

The possibilities for wood like that are endless. When you bookmatch a couple of boards like that, do you cut the log down the center first and then take the board on each side? How are you going to cut the rest? Most ash I've seen was just plain sawn.

Tom

Tom, we're still in he learning mode as far as being a sawer is concerned. This is the first quarter sawing I've done so played it a little cautious. Was afraid the exact middle of the log might have some funny things going on so I cut 3 boards out of the center, one above, one with the pilth in the middle of the board and one below. The center board is true quarter sawn, the ones on either side are so close on a log this large that for all intensive purposes they are quarter sawn. This gave me 2 choices for book matching. Quarter sawing yields more stable lumber, a lot less likely to cup. Important for table tops and I'm hoping for boards this wide. The rest of the log is close to quarter sawn.
I took one of the remaining cants stood it on edge the cut one board above and one below center. Again if I'd taken one out of the center it would be true quarter sawn but one on each side is real close. Now the two cants from this were sawn. I set the saw to cut one inch boards above the bunks, put the cant on the bunks and cut a board, remove board and flip the cant 90 deg, cut a board and repeat till your boards are down to say 3 inches. The further out from center you get the more radial or flat sawn the boards are but still beter than actual flat sawn.
Lets hope a picture is worth a thousand words or about 10 thousand of mine.



Most lumber even oak now is plain sawn just because of the time it takes to quarter saw I guess, but here time isn't worth much.

Thanks for the in depth explanation Greg (even a pic!).

I can definitely see where the best quarter sawn boards are those closest to the center of the log. I believe the best wood is obtained by rift sawing, where the boards are cut radially from the log. That way the grain is perpendicular to the surface on all boards. Unfortunately that technique also produces the most waste.

Tom

Finished up sawing that log, The scale chart said it should yield 170 board feet. Rough measured showed 172 in the pile.

Greg,

How thick did you cut the boards? Looks like about 1" or so.

Ed

The three center boards are 5/4, thought I might want the extra for table tops, the rest is inch.

I finished off a project today (nearly I think )

Made from some engineering plastic - I have no idea what - too long ago. Part of something I started to make in 1998

So ............ I'm a bit slow

[attachment=3205]

[attachment=3206]

[attachment=3207]


Pretty good eh!

DaveH

Good looking part Dave.

It looks like Delrin or some other brand of acetal. I assume it's a handle for a machine crank? You should try buffing it to make it shine. Shiny is always better!

Tom

(10-10-2012, 08:50 AM)TomG Wrote: [ -> ]Good looking part Dave.

It looks like Delrin or some other brand of acetal. I assume it's a handle for a machine crank? You should try buffing it to make it shine. Shiny is always better!

Tom

Thanks Tom,
Buff it Ok I might give it a go
And you are right it is a handle for a crank You're just clever like me


DaveH

Hi Tom,
Gave it a bit of a buff, didn't really make it shiny
Any suggestion for the type of best buffing compound to make it shine?

DaveH