Do I need a bigger band saw?

[MickCheese]

I need a bigger band saw.

Collected this four foot long (edit. It's not beech) hornbeam log from the woods near to me today. The plan was to rip it down the centre so it would fit on my small bandsaw. Well that was easier said than done, it too me several attempts over a number of hours.

Never again.

Mick

 

[Beau]

Good effort =D>

Are you sure it's beech? Looks a lot like hornbeam

 

[Wildman]

or a chainsaw. I tried one of the electric chainsaws LIDL had a few weeks ago, does the job if you only have an occasional use for one.

 

[n0legs]

No, but you may want to change your name. Wood-Mizer Cheese seems quite apt
Good effort =D>

 

[Jelly]

How about splitting wedge and a sledgehammer... Perhaps a froe as well.

 

[Billy Flitch]

Good going but you should have rubbed candle wax on both sides of the saw plate and drove a wedge in the end of the kerf you would have been amazed at the difference it would have made.

 

[MickCheese]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Didn't need wax or a wedge as the kerf opened up as I went down.

Hornbeam? I think you're right. Have been back there this morning while walking the dog. and the branches on the ground are in fact just that. Beech like leaves with serated edges and not as leathery.

Small chain saw is definitely the way to go. Now on the lookout.

Mick

 

[Jelly]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Didn't need wax or a wedge as the kerf opened up as I went down.

Small chain saw is definitely the way to go. Now on the lookout.

I was actually thinking that if you scored a split line with a hatchet, and drove a wedge into that from the top and worked the initial split with a second wedge from the side, it would fall nicely in two ready for the bandsaw in under 15mins... No kerf loss and the ideal grain alignment.

I've resisted at all costs using a rip chain on my logs, as the kerf loss is so substantial.

 

[Beau]

Hornbeam? I think you're right. Have been back there this morning and the branches on the ground ars in fact just that. Beech like leaves with serated edges and not as leathery.

Mick

Makes your efforts to cut in half all the more impressive as hornbeam as hard as nails.

Also splitting would have probably made a right mess as hornbeam often as a spiral to the grain.

 

[MickCheese]

Beau

You're not wrong there. Even with my quite sharp rip saw the teeth were just skating across the cut producing dust. Eventually I cheated and used my circular saw down both sides and just ripped out the 4" bit left in the middle.

Then onto my small Bandswa to chop into manageable pieces. Still damned heavy.

Just got to get back over there to get the rest.

Mick

 

[sploo]

+1 for the suggestion of log splitting wedges - I've found they work surprisingly well, and give you something much more manageable to chuck at the bandsaw.