# resawing



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

*At last, a resawing jig!*

I got 2 1" Timberwolf blades from Suffolk Machinery Corp. - 2TPI and 3TI - several months ago, and have been dying to try them out ever since. In that time I had several more projects, mom's 10-day long yearly visit, my best friends' wedding, a project I built for that (that I should post one of these days), and so much else. I didn't want to use them until I had a resawing jig ready to go, so realizing that time was now, I jumped on it yesterday, later in the day, and immediately failed terribly 

I have 4 pieces of 2' square, 11/16" baltic birch ply in my storage shed. The plywood place near me has their saws set up perfectly, so I get really clean edges, and absolutely perfect 90°s. Home Depot is something like 15° off, and tearout can be 1" in width! It's more like they're jackhammering it apart for you  Anyway, starting with one of those, I super carefully measured out the holes for an Incra adjustable (thickness) miter rail, installed it, and realized the hex-key adjustment holes were aligned with the edge of the rail, not the center. D'oh!



You'll also note the huge gouge perpendicular to the rail. While routing in the channels for the T-tracks on the other side, 8" on center from the edges (the 1/3rd lines), the bit came loose and climbed right up through the board. My hand had been there about 10 seconds earlier, and I thought "even though it's impossible for the bit to come up through here, I'm going to play it safe and get my push block." I also moved over so I wouldn't be in line with the router bit. Glad I took extra precautions. It popped up pretty quickly, and I'm glad it didn't come flying free of the chuck.

I also tried to pull the board back toward me at an earlier point, and the bit climbed inside the groove, pulling the board quickly away from the fence, making a nice big gouge on the side of the groove, seen below. A big part of the problem was haste. I was trying to make full-depth grooves in one pass. It's certainly possible with this setup, but with the 1/4" shaft (didn't have that bit it in 1/2"), it's better to take it lightly. This board was toast. Time to start over, tomorrow, as it was too late, and I was fed up with my incompetence for the day.



And the other groove had been perfect, too, exactly the right depth and tight on the T-track. Sigh again…

Today, with renewed purpose, I went out and redid the whole base perfectly in another sheet of the baltic birch. I made the grooves in 3 lighter passes this time. The holes for the miter rail are all perfect now, including the counterbores. I got the T-tracks exactly where I wanted, a few thousandths proud of the surface so tightening the knobs wouldn't lift the rails out of the tracks at all, and so the fence base would later ride a bit on them, so it didn't scrape up the base too badly. I positioned the miter rail so the edge of the board would be just over 1/8" past the blade. Then I installed the new blade - first time ever, glad it fit this time (I returned the first set - it was 2" too short - my fault) - and ran the new base past it to trim the edge to zero-clearance dimensions.



Now the base was slightly less than 2' wide, meaning when I hacksawed the T-track exactly in half, installed them, and used a CNC-milled surface to flush the clean, anodized ends on the outer edge, screwing in the tracks carefully, and filing the screw tips completely flush on the bottom (just a tad too long), the crappy hacksawed ends of the tracks stuck out past the blade by about 1/16". I reinstalled the old, crappy wood blade that came with the saw, and ran it through again over and over to first saw the tracks flush, then file them over and over until they no longer hit. Then I put in the new, thicker blade, and it hit a little, but soon it wasn't anymore, and I had flush ends. The T-tracks are now ideal on both ends, and I'm happy.



I was very happy at this point, in fact, because the base was done. There were no more operations to do to it, so I couldn't screw it up anymore. On to screwing up the fence!



I grabbed another piece of the 2' square baltic birch and ripped a 10" section, and IIRC, an 8" section. I took another 1/8" off each to get the edges parallel - first cuts weren't perfect enough for me - and laid in some pocket holes. I have often tried to join pieces by just holding them against square surfaces and such, and even with things clamped, sometimes pocket hole screws can cause pieces to walk. To get these absolutely ideal, I spent a good deal of time with 4" Woodpeckers box clamps on the edges, and Bessey K-Body clamps in the middle, loosening, shifting, and retightening until I had every flushable part flushed to where I couldn't feel any edges, then tightened the crap out of the clamps, and only then drove in the screws. There's no glue here. When done, it was really well joined, super sturdy, and perfectly 90°.

Here I'm putting in the buttresses. These are 7-7/8" long sections from the leftover after ripping the other two pieces from that 2' square. I found the most 90° corner with my Woodpeckers CNC-machined clamping square and the overhead light, looking for light leaks between it and the wood, and put those corners into the corner between the fence and fence base. I marked and drilled pocket holes, then clamped as you see here to join the bottoms to the fence bottom:



Again, lots of little tweaking and heavy clamping to hold things tightly where I wanted them before driving the screws. This should be obvious, but I just always gloss over this, and don't get the professional results I got on this because of it. It does matter, after all  Once the bottoms were joined, I unclamped, used the CNC milled clamping square to make sure the buttresses were perfectly perpendicular to the bases - no reason, I just wanted 'em perfect - clamped with a Bessey Tradesman clamp, checked again for 90°, and screwed them in. The fence as done. I also drilled in some holes in the right locations before adding these for the locking knobs.

Here's the other side, knobs in place, fence locked down. I will probably want to bevel the corners of the buttresses at some point, but it was the least of my worries at this point. I just wanted to resaw something!



And even though I haven't put in the mounting slots (for screwing logs to the fence), I just had to grab a wooden hand screw clamp and take a stab at resawing this chunk of European olive.



I had tried a month ago while my mom was here on her yearly visit to resaw this log. She was cooking, and I ran out and set up the short, stubby, included fence. I didn't put the new blade in, because I wanted to wait until I had the resawing jig first, but with the old blade, the fence, and shaky hands, I pushed the log through manually. The crappy blade basically burned its way through slowly. This blade, however, ate through it easily. When I got halfway, I moved the clamp past the blade, tightened again, and finished the cut.

My first cut! Gotta love that checking.



Note all that sawdust. It's green, and quite wet. That's going to be murder on the iron table. I think I'm going to get another piece of baltic birch - from that 4th piece in the shed, and set it up so I can easily clamp it to the other side of the table, like a dropoff table. That will catch most of the sawdust and keep it off the table during the hours and hours I plan to be out here, resawing up my huge stash of logs 



I purposely raked the lighting over the cut here to show that it's not an absolutely ideal finish. The blade - heck, the whole table - wobbles a bit. There isn't really any way around it. I have the blade set right. I even put a piece of red tape on the knob on top, so I can easily count 5 rotations before and after each section, to loosen the blade when not in use. I'm getting into the habit of tightening it before a cut, and loosening after the cut, if I'm not going to be making another for awhile. Better that than to forget and weaken the blade. This is per Suffolk's recommendations.

The Craftsman 18" combo wood/metal bandsaw just isn't all that solid. It's not a cast-iron enclosure, but a bent-metal affair, with fairly thin, stamped metal doors. I can grab the table and move it around in relation to the blade without much effort. Still, the cut is pretty good, and certainly workable for me. My boards will all need jointing and planing after they dry for a year anyway, so it's no matter.



Ignoring the check (olive checks terribly), it's a nice, flat face.



As a final note, before I say goodnight, I tested out the fence's "swing." Looks like with the slop in the T-tracks, nuts, and bolts, I can get about 8° either direction of parallel with the blade. I have the Rockler jig kit with the sticky rulers and clear gauge sliders, and I'm planning, once I understand things a bit better, to lay those on either side on the top, so I can set the fence to any rough distance - the cuts are rough anyway - on each side, so I'll have a parallel fence. However, if I need a skewed cut, it's nice to have about 16° of total swing. Not being sure when or why I'll need doesn't mean I won't!



A resawing jig, at last! Looks like with the 2' length, and 2' miter bar, and probably 19" long table, I can do about a 3' long log. Not bad! That's a good size for me in my little shop. I think I only have one log - that olive stump - longer than that, and it's too big to pick up onto this table anyway.

Of note, The ball-bearing flip-up adapters on my Rockler outfeed roller stands are ideal for holding up the outer edge of the resawing jig. I'm using one in several of the pictures here, but with 2, I can slide this thing almost entirely off both ends without having it tip! That sure made things easy. It takes a little bit of setup, but it's worth it, especially since with resawing, you set up once, and then resaw for a few hours. It's not a constant hassle, like say, moving everything between the saw table and router table, as I'm always doing, trying to find some room to work 

I'm sure I'll have some videos of this thing in action soon enough.

With that, goodnight!


----------



## BarryW (Sep 15, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *At last, a resawing jig!*
> 
> I got 2 1" Timberwolf blades from Suffolk Machinery Corp. - 2TPI and 3TI - several months ago, and have been dying to try them out ever since. In that time I had several more projects, mom's 10-day long yearly visit, my best friends' wedding, a project I built for that (that I should post one of these days), and so much else. I didn't want to use them until I had a resawing jig ready to go, so realizing that time was now, I jumped on it yesterday, later in the day, and immediately failed terribly
> 
> ...


I have another design of a resaw jig…and haven't been quite satisfied with how it holds the log…and there seems to be some better action on this one. I thank you for the posting since I'm rethinking my design and trying to come up with an alternative. And the 2 TPI blades work great…I have a 1 inch 2 TPI that just came in and find that it works like a champ. Keep waxing that bandsaw table….that'll help some with the fresh wood problem.


----------



## Ottis (Apr 17, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *At last, a resawing jig!*
> 
> I got 2 1" Timberwolf blades from Suffolk Machinery Corp. - 2TPI and 3TI - several months ago, and have been dying to try them out ever since. In that time I had several more projects, mom's 10-day long yearly visit, my best friends' wedding, a project I built for that (that I should post one of these days), and so much else. I didn't want to use them until I had a resawing jig ready to go, so realizing that time was now, I jumped on it yesterday, later in the day, and immediately failed terribly
> 
> ...


Thanks Gary, Very Nice jig.


----------



## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *At last, a resawing jig!*
> 
> I got 2 1" Timberwolf blades from Suffolk Machinery Corp. - 2TPI and 3TI - several months ago, and have been dying to try them out ever since. In that time I had several more projects, mom's 10-day long yearly visit, my best friends' wedding, a project I built for that (that I should post one of these days), and so much else. I didn't want to use them until I had a resawing jig ready to go, so realizing that time was now, I jumped on it yesterday, later in the day, and immediately failed terribly
> 
> ...


Your resaw jig looks great Gary. I might make one like it myself. For those who saw logs only occasionally and don't have room to store a large jig, you might want to check out the simple solution I found online at the following address:

http://americanwoodworker.com/blogs/tips/default.aspx?T=Bandsaw&id=v6_1


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *At last, a resawing jig!*
> 
> I got 2 1" Timberwolf blades from Suffolk Machinery Corp. - 2TPI and 3TI - several months ago, and have been dying to try them out ever since. In that time I had several more projects, mom's 10-day long yearly visit, my best friends' wedding, a project I built for that (that I should post one of these days), and so much else. I didn't want to use them until I had a resawing jig ready to go, so realizing that time was now, I jumped on it yesterday, later in the day, and immediately failed terribly
> 
> ...


Good job Gary it looks like it works great.


----------



## Karson (May 9, 2006)

gfixler said:


> *At last, a resawing jig!*
> 
> I got 2 1" Timberwolf blades from Suffolk Machinery Corp. - 2TPI and 3TI - several months ago, and have been dying to try them out ever since. In that time I had several more projects, mom's 10-day long yearly visit, my best friends' wedding, a project I built for that (that I should post one of these days), and so much else. I didn't want to use them until I had a resawing jig ready to go, so realizing that time was now, I jumped on it yesterday, later in the day, and immediately failed terribly
> 
> ...


Gary Nice setup. I've tried lots of fences and have settled on the Laguna version.

I've used Suffox blades also. I bought 100' from them and welded my own.


----------



## mtnwild (Sep 28, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *At last, a resawing jig!*
> 
> I got 2 1" Timberwolf blades from Suffolk Machinery Corp. - 2TPI and 3TI - several months ago, and have been dying to try them out ever since. In that time I had several more projects, mom's 10-day long yearly visit, my best friends' wedding, a project I built for that (that I should post one of these days), and so much else. I didn't want to use them until I had a resawing jig ready to go, so realizing that time was now, I jumped on it yesterday, later in the day, and immediately failed terribly
> 
> ...


Looks good. Works great. Good job….......

Really opens up new horizons, very cool…...........


----------



## fstellab (Sep 9, 2012)

gfixler said:


> *At last, a resawing jig!*
> 
> I got 2 1" Timberwolf blades from Suffolk Machinery Corp. - 2TPI and 3TI - several months ago, and have been dying to try them out ever since. In that time I had several more projects, mom's 10-day long yearly visit, my best friends' wedding, a project I built for that (that I should post one of these days), and so much else. I didn't want to use them until I had a resawing jig ready to go, so realizing that time was now, I jumped on it yesterday, later in the day, and immediately failed terribly
> 
> ...


Great sled … wish I could make one ..

I am fairly new to woodworking, one skill I have yet to obtain is the ability to cut a nice slot.

I ruined many boards trying to cut a decent slot. I have used a router with guides, I have tried using a drill and a jig saw and a router and jigsaw.

The best I did came from a guided plunge router but the initial plunge opening is bigger then the track.

-Fred


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

*first test of the new jig!*

I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:





Here's a video - shot on yesterday's lunch break, edited together last night, with the jig I made on Sunday - of my very first resawing work. The Timberwolf blade works very well, with no resistance and a clean cut. The Craftsman 18" wood/metal bandsaw is a slightly different story. It's wobbly, which is just a 'feature' of its flimsy housing - nothing I can tighten down any more than it already is - but it gets the job done, and if the first plank is any indication, it's going to serve me for resawing admirably. Veneering may be a little difficult, unless I go a bit thick, and plan to sand everything down a lot. I can't express how much fun this was. I've been waiting for months to finally make a jig and try this out. I think I'm going to have a very exciting year of watching 1" slabs dry 






Here's my first cut ever!



And the first 1" slab, ready for a year of drying:





I ordered a metal detector wand (the Lumber Wizard III) from Rockler this morning, and a 5gal. bucket of Anchorseal from UC Coatings. It's time to get serious!


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


This will bing lot's of great wood your way. super sled


----------



## littlecope (Oct 23, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Lookin' good, Gary! You've gotta be excited about that!


----------



## Kindlingmaker (Sep 29, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Gray I am doing the same thing. I have 300 BF of Alder that I got from "socalwood" (great wood he has) and each day I walk by it and give it a bit of a pat. Watching it dry… waiting… invisioning…


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Hope you guys don't mind, but I edited in some pics after your comments. I didn't think I had them online yet, but it turns out I did.

Jim - thank you very much! I'm hoping you're right.

Mike - VERY!

Kindlingmaker - Nice! I haven't seen or worked with alder yet. Maybe in a year, when the various woods I'll soon be resawing and setting up to dry are ready, I'll be a much better woodworker, and more worthy of working in them. I'll keep practicing until then!


----------



## Julian (Sep 30, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Gary, it sure is fun to mill your own wood, isn't it.

Are you aware that limbwood isn't what you want to use for making lumber? You need to use only the main trunk, and save the limbwood to turning, or firewood due to the twisting/warping due to the internal stresses.


----------



## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Really a good idea but it's must be said you have also made a very neat job of this I like the plywood you used,it looks vary nice.Alistair


----------



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Looks like that sled works great. How are you going to do the pigger pieces in the pile? Rip them with a chain saw?


----------



## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


I'm thinking that if pieces are no larger than a couple feet long, warp/twist should be pretty minimal.

One thought Gary on getting pieces to use earlier. If you only want a few, you can always bring them inside and keep them near an air conditioning unit or a dehumidifier. You could probably use them in just a few months. also, the thinner you slice them the sooner you could use them.

I realize you probably want to keep nice 1" slabs, but just in case you thought you'd be tempted to try them out earlier, this could work. Last, you might need to keep contraction in mind. maybe you dont' really need 4/4 material, but once it dries, it might shrink some. You seem to research pretty well and already know what you want to do, but I figured I'd throw this out there just in case. thanks for another fun post!


----------



## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Great looking jig!

One suggestion, draw a scale on each end so that you will know exactly how much you are moving the fence before each cut.

Do you have a method of adjusting for blade drift?


----------



## JWood (May 9, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Very nice jig!

Perhaps you could get a splitting maul and a wedge to make the bigger pieces more managable. When I'm splitting firewood with a hydraulic splitter and find a nice piece, I'll get it as square as possible then finish it up on the bandsaw. This works well for thicker blocks. You have inspired me to build a nice jig like that. I'm currently drying some honey locust, sasafrass, ash, maple, and walnut. Nothing like free project wood!


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Julian - I was aware, but had completely forgotten. Thanks for the reminder! I'm going to try it anyway for a lot of small things, like jewelry box lids - stuff that can't possibly warp all that much 

Alistair - The wood is baltic birch. It's always gorgeous, with laser straight, perfectly matched plys, and it smells really nice when you cut it.

Topamax - I've been thinking of creating a little Alaskan mill. Basically, it would be a metal framework that clamped onto a chainsaw bar on both ends, and slid along a rail that sat over the large logs. I've seen it done other places, and at least once here on LJs. I will need a bigger chainsaw at some point, though!

Hokie - I've been thinking the same thing. I can only resaw about 2.5' lengths on this thing, and that's a bit of a stretch. I think because I have so much of several kinds of wood now (olive, eucalyptus, fig), I can try a few different experimental drying locations, in and out of the house. Of course I will report back my findings. And yeah, I will be making thinner pieces, too. In fact, on my lunch break today, I cut a piece of veneer, around 1/16" thick! It's fig, and already bulging and warping all over. I gave it to a girl I work with who paints. She's going to let it dry under some books to keep it flat, and then use it as a canvas  Thanks!

Gary - I have one of these which I've been planning for months to incorporate into the jig, but I just can't find it. I think it's in the dining room, which is a mess right now  It comes with rulers that go in both directions, so I can put 0 up at the 0-clearance edge facing whichever way I ultimately find comfortable. I think what I might end up doing, however, is picking up some small metal rulers, routing a channel just deep enough to hold them, and securing them in place such that the sled rides right over them. Zero can be based on the back edge of the sled, so the rulers won't really be in the log cutting area at all, and I won't have to rout the channels that far. As for blade drift, so far I haven't had any. The blade isn't touching the wood when I stop pushing. It slides between both sides, rattling a little bit. It's a 1" thick blade, and tensioned pretty well, and I push slowly to give it time to cut cleanly. Is it possible I'm getting 0 drift? Perhaps I'll get some in harder woods? If so, the fence can angle 8° either way. I suppose I can see how it's drifting, and then move one ruler to compensate. A question I have about drift, however, is this. How can there be drift? If it keeps drifting to one side, wouldn't it keep getting farther off its center line? Is it just that it will walk to one side, then stop walking, or walk that way, then back, then out again, making a sine wave pattern? I've never fully understood what's meant by drift. Also, isn't detensioning and retensioning the blade going to introduce a different drift? Thanks!

Jeff - We had a hydraulic back home. Here's a pic. It was a constant summer chore growing up, preparing for winter. I've probably split a few hundred small tractor wagon-loads. In oak, I'd usually get some pretty crazy twisting as the split followed the grain around limb areas and whorls. Even when it split straight, it would usually be jagged when viewed from the side, like a zig-zag pattern, following the rings, and cutting back diagonally across each. I'm hoping to build a little Alaskan mill like this, but smaller. It works like this, and this, though I've seen similar concepts used along the grain. My 16" electric may prove a bit inadequate, however. Even if I manage to split things like the 3.5' tall olive stump I have in the back yard, I wouldn't be able to get it on my band saw jig. It's just too long, and still too heavy. For the really big stuff, my plan so far is to get boards slabbed as well as I can on something like an Alaskan mill, and then make and use a router-on-rails system, run around to true up one face. Once one side is nice and flat, I can always run it through the planer, unless it's over 13", in which case I'll flip it and do the router trick to the other side.


----------



## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


drift is when one side of the blade is sharper than the other ,
and it ( the blade ) tends to favor that side .
if you cut 90 deg. straight in , the blade wants to go to the side it favors ,
and can travel sideways as it cuts .
to compensate for this you turn your cut aproach to acomodate this .
rip fences that are 90' to saw are fine when the blade is new ,
but as they wear out ( knots and other things ) they tend to " drift " to one side or the other .
one way to check this is to take a straight scrap , ( say a 1×2 ) and run a straight line with pencil down its length .
cut it free hand and see if is still 90' to table and blade , or did you have to move it right or left to get it to cut straight ? that is how you can cut straight if you have a fence that you can adjust out of 90' to blade and table .


----------



## rons (Mar 23, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


gary, Thanks for taking the time to make this video for us to see.


----------



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


I thnk it would be pretty easy to build a small one. Poke a couple holes in the bar. Bolt on a piece of angle iron and away you go. Shouldn't need that big frame to keep it flat and square when riping small logs. It would just maintain the width of the plank.


----------



## JWood (May 9, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Sounds like you have a good plan. I've ripped a few small slabs with a chainsaw and always wondered how well the Alaskan mill would work. I believe with a ripping chain, it would do a good job. Ripping with a crosscut chain results in stringy chips and a rough surface.

Sounds like you've split a lot wood! I'm working on splitting about 7 cords as a result of hurricane Ike last fall. My uncle lost about four white ash and 3 black cherry. Lots a BTU's!


----------



## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


The new jig seems to work great. I enjoyed seeing that nice slice come off. If you want to speed up your drying time, I've read about some home made kilns. I don't have any experience with them myself, but I have read several articles by wood turners who have made them. The were drying out rough turned bowls, but I don't think it would be so different doing the kind of pieces you are cutting. As I remember, some of these were pretty compact and powered by a single lightbulb, and with some sort of drainage system.


----------



## Julian (Sep 30, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


small kilns are easy to make. A solar kiln and even a dehumidification kiln couild be built for under $500.


----------



## jockmike2 (Oct 10, 2006)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Nice video Gary.


----------



## bowyer (Feb 6, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Be carful Gary. Pretty soon you'll have to build storage for all the resaw planks! Nice job on the jig.

Rick


----------



## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Hey Gary I just had a thought. You talked about recessing metal scales into your jig. Well, you could hold them in with small magnets. This would allow you to adjust them for blade drift.

The first thing I do when I install a new blade, it to test it for drift. Very few have no drift at all.

Watch the end of this video, where he goes into drift.

http://thewoodwhisperer.com/episode-13-bandsaw-setuptuneup/


----------



## RjGall (Jun 16, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Great Jig Gary I have to make one!!

Thanks so much for posting this.


----------



## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


last pic on the band saw makes no sense

you have to treat the log and lig, and machining the log much like a jointer and in the last pic, after several passes you still have the "rough" face to the jig, when in fact, you should have a "dressed" "jointed" side to the jig

?


----------



## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


to be honest

thats almost dangerous


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


david - Thanks for the info on drift. It seems to me that the thing I often here (i.e. set it and forget it) is untrue about drift after all, if it's a function of sharpness. I'll have to run a quick test soon to see what this blade is doing, if anything. Meanwhile, slabbing to 1" is hardly precision work, so it's not as critical.

Ron - You're welcome, and thanks for watching!

Topamax - There was someone here on LJs who made a mill with just some square metal tubing, bolts, and angle iron, and it was quite simply constructed, but worked well to slab even long logs. I'd like to design something easily maintainable, safe, cheap, and simple.

Jeff - Shows what a newb I am! I didn't realize there were different styles of chain. I'll look into that now. Thanks! Oh, and I'd never even heard the term 'cord' until recently. To us, it was just 'piles' 

Mike and Julian - Yeah, I've read somewhat extensively on home and solar kilns, but I don't know if I have it in me. I've built a pretty big shed, 20' of large log storage shelves, and with all the log piles in a 0.18 acre lot, I'm running pretty low on room!

Mike - thanks!

Rick - I have 2 of the 5 shelving units open still. We'll see how long that lasts!

Gary - I like that idea. My Incra router system has a stainless steel ruler that sits on an a matched-width strip magnet running down a channel in the aluminum extrusion. I think it would be easier, though, to pick up some neo ring mags with beveled holes, countersink them into the shallow grooves I'll rout in the board, and drop in the rulers. Thanks for the idea! I'd actually seen that video, too, but I guess it didn't stick with me. The info here on sharpness has helped me understand better. I had a small benchtop Ryobi band saw that isn't even worth mentioning, and if I had to give it a name, I'd call it The Drift King. It couldn't cut a straight line even in balsa!

Rj - You're welcome! I'd like to see it when it's done.

roman - yeah, in a subsequent post, I mention that I learned (all on my own!  to flip it around after cutting the first slab off. It did feel a tad unstable having a round bottom, but I was basing a lot of what I was doing on this video, which I watched a few months ago while dreaming of resawing one day. Thanks for your concern! I appreciate the words of warning and wisdom I get here.


----------



## Sawdust2 (Mar 18, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Roman

What you are saying is that one should make a flat face first then secure that flat side against the fence and then resaw on the other side?

What about the curved "bottom"? Wouldn't if be just as important to have a flat surface on the base of the jig?

Lee


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Lee - For me, I followed jointer/saw table rules, and put the bow upward on the bottom. This should go even for things like finished planks being thinned on the band saw. I had to cut one the other way, with the cup upward, and when it got past the one contact point, the whole thing rather dramatically see-sawed, with the back half slamming down on the jig, and the parts already cut popping up. It held, but you shouldn't really have stock doing that in your tools. With 2 contact points at the outer edges, that first slabbing of the fig log was stable as could be.


----------



## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


cut one face/bark side off…...turn 90 degrees and cut another face off, turn it again with a "square" chunk of wood that fits into the sled…..........then cut your timber/lumber slabs…...just like they do at a sawmill


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


It's good for making straight lumber, but for a lot of things I'm considering, I don't want flat edges on the pieces, but rather natural bark on both long edges. If I joint the bottom so it rests better, I'll have a bark edge, and a jointed edge. That'll be good for some things, but not all the artsy things I have in mind.


----------



## waukez (May 23, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


If you want to rip with a chain saw. Buy a set of carborundum cut off wheels for your moto dremal tool. then cut the rolled over section off of every other alternate pair of teeth on the saw blade. you end up with two cutters and two scrapers alternating the length of the blade. the saw will cut and clean itself twice as well as it will with an ordinary grind. I will try to put a picture of what i mean on here in a couple days. When I moved to Oregon this last time I built a chainsaw mill that cut all the Douglas fir beams for my house up to 22 ft long by 6 by 16 inch. I learned a lot. Kerosene is the best thing to lubricate and clean your rip blade just spray it on while cutting from a squeeze bottle.


----------



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


MY daddy-in -law used to be a logger. He told me the kerosene trick for cutting fir because of the pitch. Think it is necessary for other woods like maple or alder?


----------



## moshel (Apr 25, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


if you think about doing this often, you might consider buying something like this http://lumberjocks.com/daltxguy/blog/9154

the reasons are:
1. very low maintenance costs (with chainsaws you will eat through chains and saws very quickly, as this is hard work)
2. accuracy - you get dimensional timber right off the machine
3. quarter sawn timber
4. efficiency - thinner kerf

the only reason (IMHO) to have a slabber is if you want slabs


----------



## waukez (May 23, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


T.S. I'm pretty dumb about different kinds of wood so I cant say about kerosene on non pitchy woods.


----------



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


waukez, I am too) But I can attest to the kerosene working for pitch in fir. I was removing an old growth stump that was about 4' across. It was right behind he house where we wanted to put a patio. I mentioned how the pitch was pluging up the chain to my daddy-in-law. He told me about the kerosene trick, my wife took a squirt bottle and squirted while I cut. It made a big diference.


----------



## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


when I did achitectural concrete forming, we used kerosene on the forms to prevent the concrete from sticking to the forms


----------



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


My dad used linseed oil on the farm, but it never worked as good as i thought it should. I was the scraper cleaner ;-((


----------



## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Excellent ! : )


----------



## Mx329 (Feb 19, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


I've tried this on my bandsaw. Do you get waves on the stock? I have a lower grade band saw. I cut up some poplar and maple. I just couldn't keep it nice and flat. Any tips?


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


I'm no expert yet, Matt, but it sounds like 1 or both of 2 things. First, make sure the blade is tensioned properly. If it's loose, it can wobble a lot back and forth. Second, a wider blade is better. The wider the blade, the harder it is for it to walk left and right in the cut, and the more blade there is both to strengthen it up, but also to be held by the cut passing by the blade, which helps hold it straight. My old benchtop had a 1/4"-3/16" blade, and it didn't just wobble. It walked way left and right of my intended cuts. I'm using a 1" blade here - much stronger, and stays much truer. The pros who cut veneers and very thin sheets from logs use very wide blades, like 2"+. Those things are starting to get toward circular saw blades for stiffness, and they don't walk anywhere.


----------



## Mx329 (Feb 19, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Thanks a lot boss man. What kind of blade are you using?


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


It's a 1", 2TPI "Timberwolf" blade from Suffolk Machinery. Best bet is to give them a call and talk to a rep. He was super patient with me, and asked me many questions, and then made a recommendation, and I went for that, and it works great.


----------



## Mx329 (Feb 19, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Alrighty thanks a lot bud.


----------



## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *first test of the new jig!*
> 
> I routed in grooves on the fence of my new resawing jig for screwing logs to it, and with that, it was ready for action:
> 
> ...


Nice jig Gary. Definitely was worth all the effort.


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

*some samples straight off the new jig*

I promise not to start posting every log I resaw (lest my blog becoming nothing but!), but I think folks interested in resawing, or copying the jig I just made might like to see some more samples.

First, I forgot I got some shots of this (before giving it away as a gift to a coworker girl who wants to paint on it like a canvas), but here's some of that first log of Ficus microcarpa, resawn to veneer-like thinness:





It's about 1/16"-3/32" thick on one end, tapering to nothing on the other, as the blade went out the side of the log. This was the fault of the log not being straight in the jig. As I would learn later, I'm not currently (yet) experiencing drift with the new Timberwolf blade. This piece gives me some ideas… lamp shades and whatnot.

Until I get the accurate measurement guide things in place (still designing that a bit), I just laid some masking tape across the jig, under the fence base, pushed it flush with the side of the jig, which had been 0-clearance cut by the band saw itself, marked the other edge - opposite the blade - at that point as 0, removed the fence, and then measured out 9 more inches worth of lines:



First up was some Victorian Box, AKA Australian Cheesewood (Pittosporum undulatum), a strongly, and pungently fragrant wood (almost like Italian herbs and seasonings) from this haul (at that point unidentified), and sealed here (at that point misidentified as California Bay Laurel). This is also the only wood so far that 'affects' me. If I breathe in the dust, my lungs get all swollen, and I wheeze for 2 hours, and then breathe funny for the rest of the night. This is the only wood that causes me tangible, immediate problems so far. Always wear your dust masks when making lots of dust!



These were subtly pretty inside, and almost immediately started taking on a green hue:



Cuts like this give me ideas for small, eccentric cabinets with truly natural doors:



Next up - and my last tests for the night - was a piece of that Eucalyptus detailed previously in parts one, two, and three. I learned already several little techniques, like slabbing one end to flatten it, then flipping it around for a much stronger hold that will keep each new slab's faces parallel, even as the piece is lowered when the supporting middle has been removed, and clamping around the blade (switching mid-push) to cut small pieces, or pieces I don't want screw holes in.



I was getting really parallel pieces, like this one, 1/8" across the entire piece, both sides. Not bad!



So apparently I can consider things like veneers, as long as I don't mind sanding them heavily to remove the tool marks. Make 'em thick enough and it'll work out. I even managed a paper-thin piece, so it's not out of the question. This wood was pretty inside, and the same wood from which I made the cup seen in most of this post.



Seeing the logs turned into thin sheets like this makes my mind roll over and over with ideas, outside of things like turnings, which I've already been thinking about plenty.



It's an exciting future!


----------



## DaleM (Feb 18, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *some samples straight off the new jig*
> 
> I promise not to start posting every log I resaw (lest my blog becoming nothing but!), but I think folks interested in resawing, or copying the jig I just made might like to see some more samples.
> 
> ...


It looks like a lot of fun. I need to get started on mine. I'm wondering right now if you'll get a lot of warp/curling in the really thin cuts. I'm thinking it might be better to cut them thicker, then resaw them thinner when they are dried more, but I wouldn't know from personal experience. I'm sure another LJ will know, or you will soon enough.


----------



## spanky46 (Feb 12, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *some samples straight off the new jig*
> 
> I promise not to start posting every log I resaw (lest my blog becoming nothing but!), but I think folks interested in resawing, or copying the jig I just made might like to see some more samples.
> 
> ...


Real nice Gary! Keep up the good work!


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *some samples straight off the new jig*
> 
> I promise not to start posting every log I resaw (lest my blog becoming nothing but!), but I think folks interested in resawing, or copying the jig I just made might like to see some more samples.
> 
> ...


Dale - the fig wood in the first pics is wet as can be, and within minutes, it wasn't just curling, but bulging all over, like dry paint boiling under a heat gun. That settled down a lot later in the day, but I think it's also a function of it being a Ficus. Very wet, and not all that hard. The euc log must been down for a long time before I got to it, because it's dry as a bone inside, and a day later, it looks exactly the same - dry and hard, no splits, no warps. I guess I got lucky with these pieces. I'm certain you're right about cutting oversized and trimming down later. That's why they rip to 1" and later finish to 3/4".

spanky - why thank you! I'll try


----------



## hootr (Mar 28, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *some samples straight off the new jig*
> 
> I promise not to start posting every log I resaw (lest my blog becoming nothing but!), but I think folks interested in resawing, or copying the jig I just made might like to see some more samples.
> 
> ...


Gary
glad you followed up. i didn't dream you could get a board that thin on a bandsaw. i've already saved your first post on this with plans to build one. have a bunch of walnut and cherry logs that have been drying for about 5 years and found the hard way free hand don't work for me
thanks for the post


----------



## Mx329 (Feb 19, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *some samples straight off the new jig*
> 
> I promise not to start posting every log I resaw (lest my blog becoming nothing but!), but I think folks interested in resawing, or copying the jig I just made might like to see some more samples.
> 
> ...


Wow thats amazing! I gotta pick up a bandsaw for this. Whats the longest logs you can mill up?


----------



## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *some samples straight off the new jig*
> 
> I promise not to start posting every log I resaw (lest my blog becoming nothing but!), but I think folks interested in resawing, or copying the jig I just made might like to see some more samples.
> 
> ...


It looks like you are really enjoyed all that found wood and I'm sure that you will get a lot of inspiration from looking at those slices. Thanks for the blog.


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *some samples straight off the new jig*
> 
> I promise not to start posting every log I resaw (lest my blog becoming nothing but!), but I think folks interested in resawing, or copying the jig I just made might like to see some more samples.
> 
> ...


Ron - Others with wider blades and more rigidly constructed band saws can go literally to credit card, and even paper thin thicknesses! It's amazing. They can saw papery veneers and roll them right up. There are some very wide blades - e.g. 2" - that have a sandpapery surface to the sides, so as you cut, they're sanding the material on both sides, and you end up with immediately usable veneer with no tool marks. I only wish! Oh, and 5 years!? I'm hoping to have moved well before then, so I actually kind of want to use up a lot of my stock before then, so I don't have to transport it all to whatever new place I get. Moving is going to be a living nightmare for me regardless.

Matt - 2' is ideal, though I can probably push it to about 3'.

Mike - Definitely getting some inspiration. I'm glad you liked the post.


----------



## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *some samples straight off the new jig*
> 
> I promise not to start posting every log I resaw (lest my blog becoming nothing but!), but I think folks interested in resawing, or copying the jig I just made might like to see some more samples.
> 
> ...


looking good.I tried resawing with my bandsaw but first to get it right I need to make either a jig or increase my fence size as it's the standard one with the saw and although a great fence is only about five inches I prefer about twelve inch fence for reaswing.thanks for posting Maybe I need to push and take thibngs abit slower too much of a rush I guess that's part of the problemAlistair


----------



## reggiek (Jun 12, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *some samples straight off the new jig*
> 
> I promise not to start posting every log I resaw (lest my blog becoming nothing but!), but I think folks interested in resawing, or copying the jig I just made might like to see some more samples.
> 
> ...


That is some fine work and great inspiration…..It makes me want to dust off my bandsaw and get crackin….

I have done some resawing for making router inlay templates…but have not had a chance to try it on raw woods. Mostly my bandsaw sits lonely until I need a curve or to cut bowl blanks for turning…

One of the best things about working with wood is those beautiful patterns in the grains…and what a great way to bring them forth to display their hidden treasure!!

Thanks for an excellent post….


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *some samples straight off the new jig*
> 
> I promise not to start posting every log I resaw (lest my blog becoming nothing but!), but I think folks interested in resawing, or copying the jig I just made might like to see some more samples.
> 
> ...


Are you having fun yet?


----------



## Karson (May 9, 2006)

gfixler said:


> *some samples straight off the new jig*
> 
> I promise not to start posting every log I resaw (lest my blog becoming nothing but!), but I think folks interested in resawing, or copying the jig I just made might like to see some more samples.
> 
> ...


Nice job on the resawing. I've played with mine. I've cut 16 pieces of wood out of a 1" piece.


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

*European olive (Olea europaea) turning blanks*

I never posted it, but the day after I got those paperbark branches I went back to the same location to pick up the logs of the tree they were cutting down fully, so the building there could put up a security camera. I had stopped for the paperbark, and they asked if I wanted to come back for a whole tree the next day. Score! Here's the tree as it stood between the cut-back paperbarks. I honestly never even looked at it, busy with paperbark at the time, so I was glad I had this one blurry pic to refer back to later:



The next day, this is what they let me load into my car (though I was sadly unable to get the 3'+ diameter trunk piece in my little hatchback):



I was very excited, but still had no clue what they were. That's why there are random leafy branches in there - for later IDing purposes. I took a ton of pics of them, knowing they'd be wilted and gone soon, and then promptly forgot about it, busy with so much else with work, a wedding, mom's yearly visit, projects, etc. I would ID it later:



The thing that intrigued me most was the square stems, and that everything on the tree seemed based around alternating, opposite branchings. In other words, there would be a pair of leaves opposite each other on two opposing faces of the stem, then a bit farther up, another pair of opposite leaves the same way, but on the other two opposing faces. Likewise, the stems filled with these leaves did that on their branches. The little buds did that on their tinier square stems. The larger branches seemed even to do that on the biggest branches. This would help me a bit in IDing later:



The pile back home:



That's where I should have sealed them, but I only had 2 1qt containers of Rockler Green Wood End Sealer at the time - not enough for all of this, and I didn't realize how checky European olive was, nor did I yet know it was European olive. It might as well have been some kind of Ficus to me at this point.

I was quite intrigued by the heartwood, though, which if you compare with the shot in the hatchback previously, you'll see has faded considerably from its original dark colorations.



Bark of a larger piece:



The cross sections were mysterious and exciting to me:







Young and old pieces show a mix of smooth and textured barks. I'd still have an impossible time trying to ID Euro olive from pics of the bark alone:





I began to slice the ends off the logs so I could seal fresh, unchecked regions, hoping they wouldn't check anew, and ended up with a small pile of rounds like these:



I got a surprise when sealing them with Anchorseal. They turned a deep crimson!



The logs did this as well, seen here blistering a bit in the hot sunlight:



I wish I could attain that color permanently, and on purpose!

Burning my way through some small pieces with my old, crappy band saw blade, I saw some neat things going on inside. These were all intended to be used for small natural-edge bowls. I still didn't know what this wood was, nor would I for many more weeks.



Sealed pieces dripping Anchorseal on my patio:



I filled the bottom shelves of my then-smaller log racks with Olive logs (this was mid-May), and the second shelf up, second section in from the right. The second shelf, far right is Victorian box, AKA Australian cheesewood (Pittosporum undulatum). Most of the 3rd shelf up is Eucalyptus sp., with the farthest right few pieces being weeping bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis). The top is a mashup of small pieces of paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia), bottlebrush, eucalyptus, and some random things.



I did not seal the logs properly, and was so very busy for 2 months at least, that I never even went back out to look at the logs again. when I did, i was in for heartbreak. Checking on a major scale had occurred:



In fact, I'm going to go ahead and crown this wood King of Checkington. Check out what happened to the rounds (all of them)!:



Look at the edges of that log - around the bark. That was cylindrical, but it fluted outward. The top is now rounded like a little mountaintop, and the bottom cupped like a shallow bowl.

All the thin rounds ended up like this, or worse:



I was trying to think of a way to use these checks as hours on a little 'checked log' clock. There are almost exactly the right number and placement of checks for this to happen, and I thought it would be fun to figure out how to get the clock to mechanically move faster where they were spaced farther apart, and slower where closer 

Flash forward to this past weekend. I grabbed a big log from the rack to see what could be done around this checking. Was it ruined? Could I even get pen blanks out of it? Here's where it was. I thought the cat had peed on the shelf, but turns out the termite spray there was leaking.



I made a little video of resawing that log into some bottle stopper turning blanks:






And here are some shots of the beautiful little turning blanks hidden inside:







I tried to resaw an olive log by hand about a month or two back, and gave up halfway through, cutting what I had out from the side. I used this opportunity to clean up that log - which has been in my way in the shop for no good reason all this time - and sawed out more blanks:



Here are the blanks I rescued from it, along with some scraps of bark from the original log piece:







Of course, they need to be sealed. After cleaning up from the catastrophe, I sealed some. They look like this just after sealing:



Soon, the Anchorseal and European olive reacted with one another, and the sapwood regions turned that deep red color I love so much:



And here's the bigger pile:





The ones from the second log scrap are here:



I have a lot of blanks now! I had to try turning one. It's along the lines of a bottle stopper, but I couldn't find my arbor, and so just went between centers, which isn't the way to do it. I only cared about seeing how the grain would look, and how easily olive would turn. I'm not a fan of the design here, but then, it was just freeform work done to test the wood and see how the grain looked through curves and angles.





It turns very easily, but unfortunately, as with everything Euro olive so far (at least, for me), it already started splitting immediately after I turned it. This is, again, the splittiest wood I've ever tried to use. I'm going to let the blanks dry for ages - maybe even a whole year, turn to cylindrical, then see about filling the cracks. I also tried a little natural edge bowl turning, and it was my most successful attempt yet. I didn't get pictures, though. Maybe I'll wait on an update of that until it's worth seeing 

As for the many checked pieces in this batch, I'm hoping I can seal and stabilize them eventually, and I think I'll be bagging up a bunch of the wood dust from my turning activities to use for that, mixing it with something and rubbing back in to seal the cracks.

One of my favorite wood ID sites - Hobbit House, Inc. - has a great page with a zillion pictures of various chunks of European olive here


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *European olive (Olea europaea) turning blanks*
> 
> I never posted it, but the day after I got those paperbark branches I went back to the same location to pick up the logs of the tree they were cutting down fully, so the building there could put up a security camera. I had stopped for the paperbark, and they asked if I wanted to come back for a whole tree the next day. Score! Here's the tree as it stood between the cut-back paperbarks. I honestly never even looked at it, busy with paperbark at the time, so I was glad I had this one blurry pic to refer back to later:
> 
> ...


Gary,

Looks like you're going to have to take a break from all this sawing and sealing and build another lumber rack!

Nice Score!

Lew


----------



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *European olive (Olea europaea) turning blanks*
> 
> I never posted it, but the day after I got those paperbark branches I went back to the same location to pick up the logs of the tree they were cutting down fully, so the building there could put up a security camera. I had stopped for the paperbark, and they asked if I wanted to come back for a whole tree the next day. Score! Here's the tree as it stood between the cut-back paperbarks. I honestly never even looked at it, busy with paperbark at the time, so I was glad I had this one blurry pic to refer back to later:
> 
> ...


Looks like it should be beautiful wood if you can get the checking under control.


----------



## Karson (May 9, 2006)

gfixler said:


> *European olive (Olea europaea) turning blanks*
> 
> I never posted it, but the day after I got those paperbark branches I went back to the same location to pick up the logs of the tree they were cutting down fully, so the building there could put up a security camera. I had stopped for the paperbark, and they asked if I wanted to come back for a whole tree the next day. Score! Here's the tree as it stood between the cut-back paperbarks. I honestly never even looked at it, busy with paperbark at the time, so I was glad I had this one blurry pic to refer back to later:
> 
> ...


Some nice results of your hard work.


----------



## bamasawduster (Jul 23, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *European olive (Olea europaea) turning blanks*
> 
> I never posted it, but the day after I got those paperbark branches I went back to the same location to pick up the logs of the tree they were cutting down fully, so the building there could put up a security camera. I had stopped for the paperbark, and they asked if I wanted to come back for a whole tree the next day. Score! Here's the tree as it stood between the cut-back paperbarks. I honestly never even looked at it, busy with paperbark at the time, so I was glad I had this one blurry pic to refer back to later:
> 
> ...


Gary, your lumber rack has given me an idea. Gonna build one like it so I can cut into several logs lying around, seal and dry them. Great idea. Thanks. Oh yeah, I like your name


----------



## FirehouseWoodworking (Jun 9, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *European olive (Olea europaea) turning blanks*
> 
> I never posted it, but the day after I got those paperbark branches I went back to the same location to pick up the logs of the tree they were cutting down fully, so the building there could put up a security camera. I had stopped for the paperbark, and they asked if I wanted to come back for a whole tree the next day. Score! Here's the tree as it stood between the cut-back paperbarks. I honestly never even looked at it, busy with paperbark at the time, so I was glad I had this one blurry pic to refer back to later:
> 
> ...


Gary,

Beautiful wood. And at the right price, too!

Why don't you try an experiment?

Turn one of your stoppers, but leave it just a little bit strong on the final diameters. Then seal it again. Let it settle and dry for however long you might thing prudent. Then sand to final diameters and put your final finish on it.

That might prevent any further checking.

Just a thought. Good luck.

Dave


----------



## StevenAntonucci (Aug 14, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *European olive (Olea europaea) turning blanks*
> 
> I never posted it, but the day after I got those paperbark branches I went back to the same location to pick up the logs of the tree they were cutting down fully, so the building there could put up a security camera. I had stopped for the paperbark, and they asked if I wanted to come back for a whole tree the next day. Score! Here's the tree as it stood between the cut-back paperbarks. I honestly never even looked at it, busy with paperbark at the time, so I was glad I had this one blurry pic to refer back to later:
> 
> ...


If you hope to keep any of this wood, you might want to address the way you store lumber. For starters, it looks like your rack is outdoors. If you get sun on that spot, you'll get uneven drying, but even more insideous is wind. The wind will evaporate moisture too quickly and crack the wood across the face grain.

If it were mine to manage, I would store all of the lumber in log form, knowing that the ends will check even if sealed, but probably in a manageable way. I would only process pieces as I needed them, and I would store the logs in a more controlled environment I've also had much less luck with branches than limbs and trunks, so I don't even bother with stuff less than 6". (I do have a truck, so I can load up as much as I can lift or roll) I'd rather get 1 of the trunk sections vs. all of the branches. If you can't cut it, bring a maul and some wedges to split it…

Good haul.


----------



## cwdance1 (Jun 23, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *European olive (Olea europaea) turning blanks*
> 
> I never posted it, but the day after I got those paperbark branches I went back to the same location to pick up the logs of the tree they were cutting down fully, so the building there could put up a security camera. I had stopped for the paperbark, and they asked if I wanted to come back for a whole tree the next day. Score! Here's the tree as it stood between the cut-back paperbarks. I honestly never even looked at it, busy with paperbark at the time, so I was glad I had this one blurry pic to refer back to later:
> 
> ...


Sure wish I had a way to re-saw. You have some great wood to work with.


----------



## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *European olive (Olea europaea) turning blanks*
> 
> I never posted it, but the day after I got those paperbark branches I went back to the same location to pick up the logs of the tree they were cutting down fully, so the building there could put up a security camera. I had stopped for the paperbark, and they asked if I wanted to come back for a whole tree the next day. Score! Here's the tree as it stood between the cut-back paperbarks. I honestly never even looked at it, busy with paperbark at the time, so I was glad I had this one blurry pic to refer back to later:
> 
> ...


Great result Gary.


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

*Utility pole crossbar resawing, and another small tragedy*

Because time is flying, it's already 3 months ago that a car ran into a telephone pole (and street light) outside my office building, knocking it (them) down.









I ran out and got some streetside safety gear, and my little electric chainsaw. Here I am, making all of that look too tiny:



With no accessible outlet anywhere nearby (and no truck yet with bed-outlet), I had to settle for my Irwin carpenter saw. The pole was all hollow inside from rot and bugs when I snuck back later to have at it.









I cleaned up my mess and left. I still have this stuff. I was thinking it would be interesting to try to stabilize some of it for turning, but I think so much less now 



As a consolation prize, a few weeks later, I snagged the crossbar that goes across the top. The city workers detached it from the pole in their light cleanup effort. The pole itself stayed pushed up against the wall for at least a month more, before it just suddenly wasn't there one day.





It has "RAINIER CH 68" stamped into it, but I couldn't find any info online relating to that in any way. No idea what kind of wood it is. I researched that, too, but there are many species listed as possibilities.



I just finally got around to sticking it on the band saw 10 days ago:



Here's a little movie of that:

http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377

I'm still learning about the quirks of my rickety band saw. It's a Craftsman 12" wood/metal, and it just loves to vibrate and shake all over. While shaking all about, the blade guard came loose, so after the cut, the blade clanged against it for quite awhile while it slowed down. You can hear this in the above video. This means, however, that after my next cut or two, the blade snapped on me. What a sad moment. I didn't realize that it was the teeth hitting. I thought it was banging left and right against the side supports (still not good, but not nearly as bad):





Here's what I got before the blade broke:





So I lost my 2TPI Suffolk Machinery "Timberwolf" blade, but I still had a 3TPI version. It turned out to be thinner, so it's not as stable through hard, and/or thick stuff. It wanders, and I can't really tighten any more. Setting for blade drift helps quite a bit, but it's still not perfect. Looks like I'm going to need another 2TPI in the thicker steel.


----------



## toddc (Mar 6, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *Utility pole crossbar resawing, and another small tragedy*
> 
> Because time is flying, it's already 3 months ago that a car ran into a telephone pole (and street light) outside my office building, knocking it (them) down.
> 
> ...


I have had my hands on many of the cross-arms and they have all been vertical grain doug fir so far.


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *Utility pole crossbar resawing, and another small tragedy*
> 
> Because time is flying, it's already 3 months ago that a car ran into a telephone pole (and street light) outside my office building, knocking it (them) down.
> 
> ...


Wow Gary you find wood every were


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *Utility pole crossbar resawing, and another small tragedy*
> 
> Because time is flying, it's already 3 months ago that a car ran into a telephone pole (and street light) outside my office building, knocking it (them) down.
> 
> ...


Gary,

Too bad about the blade. I just broke one the other day, also. I wonder if you made a taller resaw fence whether it would prevent the stock from twisting, causing the blade to bind.

I made a resaw fence that is a "single post" design. It allows me to compensate for drift during the cut. It is made to the maximum height of the bandsaw guard/bearing assembly. This way it supports the widest possible stock to be resawed. Just a thought.

Lew


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *Utility pole crossbar resawing, and another small tragedy*
> 
> Because time is flying, it's already 3 months ago that a car ran into a telephone pole (and street light) outside my office building, knocking it (them) down.
> 
> ...


Todd - no idea. I have a ton of DF 2×4s I've worked with lately. They all smell like either lemon or pumpkin when cut, though DF I've used in the past has not. The green stuff especially has these smells, or a mixture of them. It's actually kind of appetizing. The crossbar doesn't look or smell like those, but then, there are several species that count as DF, and this thing is old and dry, baked in the sun probably for a few decades at least.

Jim - I know! I wish more of it was quality hardwoods, or beautiful, colorful burls.

Lew - I did actually make a taller resaw fence. It's about 6" tall, maybe a bit more. This was a somewhat squatter piece, and already fairly square on the bottom. It broke when the blade was spinning by itself, not when it was cutting, because the teeth were clanging against the guard, which had slipped forward, moving the bottom into the cut line. When you use your resaw post, do you first draw a straight line down the stock, or do you eyeball the cut you've made, and make course-corrections based on that?


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *Utility pole crossbar resawing, and another small tragedy*
> 
> Because time is flying, it's already 3 months ago that a car ran into a telephone pole (and street light) outside my office building, knocking it (them) down.
> 
> ...


Skarp - You give me hope that perhaps I will be able to adjust the vibrations out of that thing.


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

*slabbing a huge Eucalyptus log*

While looking through old Flickr sets, I realized I never made public one in which I slabbed one of the huge Eucalyptus logs I wrestled home from a craigslist ad. The largest of them is over 230lbs. I chose the smallest - probably around 80-100lbs, because I was desperate to see what lurked inside. I have at least a dozen of these things, so I could sacrifice one enormous beast to curiosity, though that said, I did immediately seal up the ends with a few inches worth of Anchorseal, and the slabs are drying on stickers now. This was mid July, about a month and a week ago. I haven't noticed any new or deepened checks, though these logs are filled with checks from having been left out in the sun for 2 years before I claimed them.

First up, I spent an hour and 15 minutes manually resawing my smallest huge euc log one night after work, and gave up in a puddle of sweat when a show I wanted to see came on at 9PM. The next morning, Saturday, I sawed the rest of the cut, which took a full 30 minutes more. One cut, 1 hour and 45 minutes. This particular euc (possibly most/all eucs?) was incredibly hard, maybe even moreso than oak. It was like sawing through a hard aluminum alloy. My coarse cut saws, which normally power through logs, ejected small amounts of powder with each stroke, instead of the nice, small shavings I normally get. My arm was worn, my clothing drenched in sweat, but worst of all, my hand felt like a truck had driven over it. I have some ideas about the lack of comfortable grips in saws that I could share 

I needed a tall fence for pushing my resawn log, so I slapped together this thing out of scraps of baltic birch ply:







Note in the above shots that the half-log still needed a shave on the top edge to fit under my 12" max height blade guard. This is by far the smallest log, too. You can see it in this old shot taken just after I moved the logs into the back yard from my truck (originally blogged here). It's the tiny one on the opposite side of the picture from me:



While slabbing, I ended up cutting through not only some tunnels left by Eucalyptus boring bugs, but also through about 3 of the bugs themselves:



These are the same bugs that left trails all through the other Eucalyptus I found. The larvae have a fat head with a little beak on it, tapering down to a tiny, pointy tail. I could tell I sawed through something when goo began to pile up at the top of the log, on the cut line.



They are some nasty looking boards, but I think there's a beauty hidden within, which I hope to bring out one day, when they're dry and ready.



Here's an example front/back view of one messy slab:





And another:





The checks are not my fault this time 

Here's a nice set of thick, 12" wide, book-matched slabs. Of course, everything you resaw is by nature book-matched…



Burnable scrap, and a few pen blanks:



And here's a very exhausted me with freshly Anchorsealed slabs, still wet and white:



This effort involved a few hours of fighting. My 2TPI Timberwolf blade was dulling (and it actually snapped later this day while resawing a utility pole crossbar - still need to order a replacement), and this wood is a bit green, and hard as rock, and also very dense and heavy, and some of these cuts were 12".

Here's a little video showing how slowly the difficult resawing went.

http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377

I'm used to much smaller, softer, wetter things that fly through the blade. This was a real chore. Still, I was glad I had the capacity in my shop to do it at all, so I won't complain to loudly 

And here's the stack. I think some are close to 2", but most are about 1" or a bit over 1". Note the Anchorseal dries mostly clear:



Here are some end closeups, showing through the wax that these might be pretty when dry, cleaned up, milled, and finished:







I moved them over to my miter saw wing table on July 12th, and I'd like to say that I've found a good home for them since. Alas, they're still right there. There really isn't room on the log racks for much more, and the shelves are short enough that I'd have to make probably 3 stacks side-by-side just of these few slabs. I do have another crazy idea up my sleeves, though, but it will be awhile before anything happens on that front.





Anyway, this is just a filler post. I wanted it on record for the future when I attempt to make some things out of these slabs. I'm actually a bit keen to try cutting a couple of round blanks out of some of these for turning into shallow bowls or dishes, but that could simply be my turner's-lust kicking in.

And now I have to figure out where to put this new thing, too:



I've just been standing it in the corner by my dust collector. I did just take it out this past weekend for some new, unexpected work that I'll post about very soon.


----------



## Innovator (Jan 20, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *slabbing a huge Eucalyptus log*
> 
> While looking through old Flickr sets, I realized I never made public one in which I slabbed one of the huge Eucalyptus logs I wrestled home from a craigslist ad. The largest of them is over 230lbs. I chose the smallest - probably around 80-100lbs, because I was desperate to see what lurked inside. I have at least a dozen of these things, so I could sacrifice one enormous beast to curiosity, though that said, I did immediately seal up the ends with a few inches worth of Anchorseal, and the slabs are drying on stickers now. This was mid July, about a month and a week ago. I haven't noticed any new or deepened checks, though these logs are filled with checks from having been left out in the sun for 2 years before I claimed them.
> 
> ...


Gary another great photo - blog. The pictures are great, thanks for sharing.


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *slabbing a huge Eucalyptus log*
> 
> While looking through old Flickr sets, I realized I never made public one in which I slabbed one of the huge Eucalyptus logs I wrestled home from a craigslist ad. The largest of them is over 230lbs. I chose the smallest - probably around 80-100lbs, because I was desperate to see what lurked inside. I have at least a dozen of these things, so I could sacrifice one enormous beast to curiosity, though that said, I did immediately seal up the ends with a few inches worth of Anchorseal, and the slabs are drying on stickers now. This was mid July, about a month and a week ago. I haven't noticed any new or deepened checks, though these logs are filled with checks from having been left out in the sun for 2 years before I claimed them.
> 
> ...


Gary,

You sure are getting your monies worth out of that band saw!!

I envy you- my max re-saw is 6".

Lew


----------



## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *slabbing a huge Eucalyptus log*
> 
> While looking through old Flickr sets, I realized I never made public one in which I slabbed one of the huge Eucalyptus logs I wrestled home from a craigslist ad. The largest of them is over 230lbs. I chose the smallest - probably around 80-100lbs, because I was desperate to see what lurked inside. I have at least a dozen of these things, so I could sacrifice one enormous beast to curiosity, though that said, I did immediately seal up the ends with a few inches worth of Anchorseal, and the slabs are drying on stickers now. This was mid July, about a month and a week ago. I haven't noticed any new or deepened checks, though these logs are filled with checks from having been left out in the sun for 2 years before I claimed them.
> 
> ...


NICE! those bugs should have known better than to stick around the battlezone… serves them right.

those are some real nice slabs. what are your plans for them except for turning or is that about it?


----------



## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *slabbing a huge Eucalyptus log*
> 
> While looking through old Flickr sets, I realized I never made public one in which I slabbed one of the huge Eucalyptus logs I wrestled home from a craigslist ad. The largest of them is over 230lbs. I chose the smallest - probably around 80-100lbs, because I was desperate to see what lurked inside. I have at least a dozen of these things, so I could sacrifice one enormous beast to curiosity, though that said, I did immediately seal up the ends with a few inches worth of Anchorseal, and the slabs are drying on stickers now. This was mid July, about a month and a week ago. I haven't noticed any new or deepened checks, though these logs are filled with checks from having been left out in the sun for 2 years before I claimed them.
> 
> ...


great gary ,
i never really looked at timber that way before ,
now i catch myself looking at trees and wondering !

thanks to you and other LJs that do this .


----------



## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *slabbing a huge Eucalyptus log*
> 
> While looking through old Flickr sets, I realized I never made public one in which I slabbed one of the huge Eucalyptus logs I wrestled home from a craigslist ad. The largest of them is over 230lbs. I chose the smallest - probably around 80-100lbs, because I was desperate to see what lurked inside. I have at least a dozen of these things, so I could sacrifice one enormous beast to curiosity, though that said, I did immediately seal up the ends with a few inches worth of Anchorseal, and the slabs are drying on stickers now. This was mid July, about a month and a week ago. I haven't noticed any new or deepened checks, though these logs are filled with checks from having been left out in the sun for 2 years before I claimed them.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the photos, Gary. This looks like a lot of work but well worth the effort. I have a cherry log that I have been meaning to slab out but simply have never made the time. This post certainly is an inspiration to get started.


----------



## reggiek (Jun 12, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *slabbing a huge Eucalyptus log*
> 
> While looking through old Flickr sets, I realized I never made public one in which I slabbed one of the huge Eucalyptus logs I wrestled home from a craigslist ad. The largest of them is over 230lbs. I chose the smallest - probably around 80-100lbs, because I was desperate to see what lurked inside. I have at least a dozen of these things, so I could sacrifice one enormous beast to curiosity, though that said, I did immediately seal up the ends with a few inches worth of Anchorseal, and the slabs are drying on stickers now. This was mid July, about a month and a week ago. I haven't noticed any new or deepened checks, though these logs are filled with checks from having been left out in the sun for 2 years before I claimed them.
> 
> ...


Nice work…I went through 3 small hunks with burls on them called Higuerilla…dulled the heck out of my woodslicer…..not to mention near the end it was excruciatingly slow going….

you are probably lucky that the Eucalyptus is a bit green…it gets even harder once it starts to dry…take it from someone that used to try and split those rounds…

Funny that those bugs didn't get the heck out after all that vibration and noise…I hate running into open bug holes as they will leave voids….usually a bird gets em…and the wood forms around the hole….

What bandsaw do you have? Is it over 1.5hp?


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *slabbing a huge Eucalyptus log*
> 
> While looking through old Flickr sets, I realized I never made public one in which I slabbed one of the huge Eucalyptus logs I wrestled home from a craigslist ad. The largest of them is over 230lbs. I chose the smallest - probably around 80-100lbs, because I was desperate to see what lurked inside. I have at least a dozen of these things, so I could sacrifice one enormous beast to curiosity, though that said, I did immediately seal up the ends with a few inches worth of Anchorseal, and the slabs are drying on stickers now. This was mid July, about a month and a week ago. I haven't noticed any new or deepened checks, though these logs are filled with checks from having been left out in the sun for 2 years before I claimed them.
> 
> ...


looking good


----------



## davidroberts (Nov 8, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *slabbing a huge Eucalyptus log*
> 
> While looking through old Flickr sets, I realized I never made public one in which I slabbed one of the huge Eucalyptus logs I wrestled home from a craigslist ad. The largest of them is over 230lbs. I chose the smallest - probably around 80-100lbs, because I was desperate to see what lurked inside. I have at least a dozen of these things, so I could sacrifice one enormous beast to curiosity, though that said, I did immediately seal up the ends with a few inches worth of Anchorseal, and the slabs are drying on stickers now. This was mid July, about a month and a week ago. I haven't noticed any new or deepened checks, though these logs are filled with checks from having been left out in the sun for 2 years before I claimed them.
> 
> ...


i lived in orange county for many years and the smell of eucalyptus, orange blossoms, and jasmine were just intoxicating. i do miss it.


----------



## mmh (Mar 17, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *slabbing a huge Eucalyptus log*
> 
> While looking through old Flickr sets, I realized I never made public one in which I slabbed one of the huge Eucalyptus logs I wrestled home from a craigslist ad. The largest of them is over 230lbs. I chose the smallest - probably around 80-100lbs, because I was desperate to see what lurked inside. I have at least a dozen of these things, so I could sacrifice one enormous beast to curiosity, though that said, I did immediately seal up the ends with a few inches worth of Anchorseal, and the slabs are drying on stickers now. This was mid July, about a month and a week ago. I haven't noticed any new or deepened checks, though these logs are filled with checks from having been left out in the sun for 2 years before I claimed them.
> 
> ...


I think you are a prime candidate for the "Ant Carrying The Grasshopper Leg Home Award".

Nice blog. From what I can see, there is some interesting grain there. It will make a sturdy project, what ever it becomes.

I have a piece of **************************************** Eucalyptus that is quite dry and I initially thought of using it to cut for cane shafts, but the texture of the live edge is so beautiful that I'm not sure I want to cut it. After reading how hard this wood gets, I doubt I could cut the darn thing!

(Hey, I like the beardless chin! Looks cool!)


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *slabbing a huge Eucalyptus log*
> 
> While looking through old Flickr sets, I realized I never made public one in which I slabbed one of the huge Eucalyptus logs I wrestled home from a craigslist ad. The largest of them is over 230lbs. I chose the smallest - probably around 80-100lbs, because I was desperate to see what lurked inside. I have at least a dozen of these things, so I could sacrifice one enormous beast to curiosity, though that said, I did immediately seal up the ends with a few inches worth of Anchorseal, and the slabs are drying on stickers now. This was mid July, about a month and a week ago. I haven't noticed any new or deepened checks, though these logs are filled with checks from having been left out in the sun for 2 years before I claimed them.
> 
> ...


Thanks all!

Lev - Good question! I'm hoping inspiration hits me one of these days. I also think I need to see how they look when I mill them up after they dry next year sometime. Man, I hate waiting.

reggie - I have this saw Yo&cName=********************ing Big Ass Saws&sName=******************** Yeah&sid=I0084400010000100600&aff=Y. It's 18-inch and 2HP. The body isn't all that strong, and the table bends under the weight of the heavier logs, and even a bit under my resaw jig. All-in-all, not super sturdy, often quite rattly (this might smooth out with lots of adjusting of things), and I've several times had it slow to a stop, tripping its own reset switch, so not all that powerful either. It's great for rough resawing of things in the 8" and under range, and it can fight its way eventually through 10"-12" hardwood, but it doesn't like it.

mmh - the beard comes off a few times a year, but within a week you can't see my skin, and in a month I have a very full beard again. It's like a mutant or super power. I think I've shaved 2x since that pic on July 11th, and I have a full, ball-shaped beard again now.


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *slabbing a huge Eucalyptus log*
> 
> While looking through old Flickr sets, I realized I never made public one in which I slabbed one of the huge Eucalyptus logs I wrestled home from a craigslist ad. The largest of them is over 230lbs. I chose the smallest - probably around 80-100lbs, because I was desperate to see what lurked inside. I have at least a dozen of these things, so I could sacrifice one enormous beast to curiosity, though that said, I did immediately seal up the ends with a few inches worth of Anchorseal, and the slabs are drying on stickers now. This was mid July, about a month and a week ago. I haven't noticed any new or deepened checks, though these logs are filled with checks from having been left out in the sun for 2 years before I claimed them.
> 
> ...


reggie - Ha! What a time for the edit feature to disappear on me. The spaces in the URL in my above comment broke it up, leaving the vulgarities behind. I didn't realize they were in there, but that was from when I noticed you could screw with the categories listed above the items at Sears' page. I sent the link to my friends to let them know what saw I was going to get earlier this year. The properly-formed URL would be this. Click that and read the categories above the saw. My friends got a good laugh. Firefox has a great feature these days that lets you type almost any relevant thing into the address bar, and it finds the link you were looking for. I just typed "craftsman saw" and my old link popped up. I forgot it had the swears in it, though 

Sorry for any confusion, or offense!


----------



## Karson (May 9, 2006)

gfixler said:


> *slabbing a huge Eucalyptus log*
> 
> While looking through old Flickr sets, I realized I never made public one in which I slabbed one of the huge Eucalyptus logs I wrestled home from a craigslist ad. The largest of them is over 230lbs. I chose the smallest - probably around 80-100lbs, because I was desperate to see what lurked inside. I have at least a dozen of these things, so I could sacrifice one enormous beast to curiosity, though that said, I did immediately seal up the ends with a few inches worth of Anchorseal, and the slabs are drying on stickers now. This was mid July, about a month and a week ago. I haven't noticed any new or deepened checks, though these logs are filled with checks from having been left out in the sun for 2 years before I claimed them.
> 
> ...


Gary Some great looking wood. I've run into some tough cutting also. A small Camphor log went from a sharp blade to a dull blade in about 3 ft of cutting. And that was in a 5" log.


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *slabbing a huge Eucalyptus log*
> 
> While looking through old Flickr sets, I realized I never made public one in which I slabbed one of the huge Eucalyptus logs I wrestled home from a craigslist ad. The largest of them is over 230lbs. I chose the smallest - probably around 80-100lbs, because I was desperate to see what lurked inside. I have at least a dozen of these things, so I could sacrifice one enormous beast to curiosity, though that said, I did immediately seal up the ends with a few inches worth of Anchorseal, and the slabs are drying on stickers now. This was mid July, about a month and a week ago. I haven't noticed any new or deepened checks, though these logs are filled with checks from having been left out in the sun for 2 years before I claimed them.
> 
> ...


Hey Karson, how much of your huge stockpile comes from naturally-found stuff, and of that, how much is felled, and how much was found fallen, say by wind, fire, bugs, or rot?


----------



## palaswood (Aug 9, 2013)

gfixler said:


> *slabbing a huge Eucalyptus log*
> 
> While looking through old Flickr sets, I realized I never made public one in which I slabbed one of the huge Eucalyptus logs I wrestled home from a craigslist ad. The largest of them is over 230lbs. I chose the smallest - probably around 80-100lbs, because I was desperate to see what lurked inside. I have at least a dozen of these things, so I could sacrifice one enormous beast to curiosity, though that said, I did immediately seal up the ends with a few inches worth of Anchorseal, and the slabs are drying on stickers now. This was mid July, about a month and a week ago. I haven't noticed any new or deepened checks, though these logs are filled with checks from having been left out in the sun for 2 years before I claimed them.
> 
> ...


I really appreciate your efforts. Great work


----------

