Making Lumber on a Bandsaw

[Rod Sheridan]

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Hi, I live in Toronto and have a problem that would be very familiar to my Americans friends in northern states, it's called the Emerald Ash borer.

I live in a townhouse and the only tree I have happens to be a beautiful Green Ash tree, along with about 40 similar trees in our complex.

Well the trees of course are infected, and after some research i found that I could mill lumber from the trees, the restriction is on transporting non processed items as the larvae only live in the cambium, the wood is untouched.

So here are few photographs, table extension, log carriage and the half log being loaded on the carriage. The log is about 16" wide, 36" long.

[Carl Beckett]

This is great Rod.

How do you index for the second cut?

I see the sled where you guide the log forward in slots. But when you go for the next cut - how do you slide the log in and keep parallel to the first face, square, etc?

[Rod Sheridan]

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The above photographs show the half log before cutting in half again to obtain two quarter cants. (I'm making quarter sawn ash).

Then the cant is loade onto the carriage, and a piece slabbed off, in this case 5/4" thick. Rotate and flip the log and saw again.

The photo of the sawn wood shows how much lumber I'm getting from half of a 36" long log.

The lumber is now stickered on the patio, I'll take a photo of the stack later.

It will be nice to have something made from our trees.................Rod.

P.S. There's also a phot of the cut surface, the bandsaw is a cheap one, a General International 17" saw that I've owned for a decade. Blade is a 1" X 3TPI running at about 1,600 FPM, cuts great.

[Rod Sheridan]

This is great Rod.

How do you index for the second cut?

I see the sled where you guide the log forward in slots. But when you go for the next cut - how do you slide the log in and keep parallel to the first face, square, etc?

Hi, I use a gauge block (scrap of wood cut 5/4 thick).

I loosen the #8 wood screw on each end that bites into the end of the log, rotate and flip the log, then have it project the same width as the gauge block off the carriage. Screw the screws in half an inch, resaw.

Regards, Rod.

[Jim Laumann]

Rod

This post is keeper for me - I have 10 acres w/ numerous Ash trees - nothing going on yet, but I am fearing the bugs are coming our way.

Thanks for the idea

Jim

[Anthony Whitesell]

This is so on my to do list. I have a stack of 4' long cherry long I saved from my father firewood pile. I haven't built the extension tables yet but have the materials. How did you attach them to your saw?

Thanks for the photos.

[Randy Gazda]

It looks like you are doing great in your shop. However, if you want very many of these trees turned in to lumber, you might look for a bandsaw mill in your area? Those guys can come to your site and mill right there. Of course you need to be able to move the tree close to the mill. Just a thought.

[Dick Mahany]

Rod,

Absolutely great set up. If only I had decent trees in California, I'd be inclined to copy the idea !

[Bill Bukovec]

Rod,

Thanks for the photos.

I've been meaning to buid something like this for a while.

I have extra incentive after yesterday. My neighbor is taking down a walnut tree and is giving me the wood in exchange for my help.

Bill

[Michael Peet]

We have the ash borer here across the lake from you too. I made my bench out of ash. It was nice to work with, pity it will be gone someday. I'm glad you will find a use for your wood.

Mike

[Joe Charles]

[
P.S. There's also a phot of the cut surface, the bandsaw is a cheap one, a General International 17" saw that I've owned for a decade. Blade is a 1" X 3TPI running at about 1,600 FPM, cuts great.[/QUOTE]

Cut surface looks pretty good! Most of mine is chainsawed so... Love the jig

[Dan Friedrichs]

Very cool, Rod!

[Rod Sheridan]

Rod,

Thanks for the photos.

I've been meaning to buid something like this for a while.

I have extra incentive after yesterday. My neighbor is taking down a walnut tree and is giving me the wood in exchange for my help.

Bill


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Thanks Bill, here's what I milled from two 36" long logs.......Rod.

[Sam Murdoch]

This thread is now a bookmark. Great solution.

[Rod Sheridan]

This is so on my to do list. I have a stack of 4' long cherry long I saved from my father firewood pile. I haven't built the extension tables yet but have the materials. How did you attach them to your saw?

Thanks for the photos.

Hi Anthony, the infeed table has a dado that's in the correct place to hook over the fence rail. It's captured between the end cap on the rail that I rotated 90 degrees, and the mounting bar for the fence. Simply snug the fence mounting bar up to the table extension.

The outfeed table is held to the outfeed fence suppport by two countersunk screws with wingnuts, I drilled the outfeed fence suport to take the two screws. The legs for both tables are 3/4" EMT with a connector threaded into a 3/4" pipe flange screwed to the bottom of the table extension. The floor end of the EMT has a turned wood plug with an insert nut, into which a 1/4-20 cap screw is threade so it can be adjusted for non level floors............Rod.

[Rod Sheridan]

It looks like you are doing great in your shop. However, if you want very many of these trees turned in to lumber, you might look for a bandsaw mill in your area? Those guys can come to your site and mill right there. Of course you need to be able to move the tree close to the mill. Just a thought.

Hi Randy, that was my initial plan, however the trees in the back yards of townhouses, no room to fell the tree so the tree service people climb the tree and cut it into little pieces that they lower down on a rope.

The 36" logs that they are giving me are the largest they can do..............Rod.