Thread: big slabs

Originally Posted by pjt

[SNIP]
One thing I do keep an eye on is what is coming off the saw as in dust or chips and chips is what I want, dust = blunt cutters or rakers too high, usually blunt cutters.

If I understand correctly a lucas/peterson slabber runs on the same rails as the blade setup, which leads me to thinking that as you operate the slabber all the cutters are cutting in the width of cut, you cant change the angle the chain makes with the log... which is what you can do with a chain saw mill, a Westford or the like, I do this as a means of reducing the width and reducing the number of cutters actually cutting, I do this by pushing the head end forward and at the same time allowing the sprocket wheel end to fall back and vice verca effectively see sawing your way up the log.
I dont know if this is any quicker than if I was to maintain a constant angle but it helps to keep engine revs up and gives my arms a moment of rest. I'm only a little bloke!!!
The down side is that I can get lines or ridges where I change direction.

The other thing I notice is that the chip shape changes to a longer stringier thing like grated cheese the more angle I get relative to the log, the cutting tooth is tending to slice the wood fibres (compare trying to cut at 90' to the wood fibres with a chisel and then held at an angle as you might do if you where putting a point on a piece of wood) OMG it's turning into another epic lol.

I use a similar form of the zig-zag method, as you say, angle one way, then the other and then straight ahead for a bit, usually when milling the last third or so of wide slabs where the chain is getting blunt. Otherwise I go straight to fairly straight as I have timed the zigzag method using a sharp chain and it makes little difference since you have to keep changing direction and that takes time. OTOH as you say this gives the arms a bit of a break and keeps the revs up and takes the load off the engine especially when the chain is getting blunt.



I've found to get anywhere near the benefits of parallel ripping (grated cheese or noodles) the angle has to be significant, like less than 60º which is not always possible with wide slabs unless a really long bar is used.

Yeah okay, but doing an angle increases the size of cut you have to make and like you said Peter, when changing angles you get steps in the slab.

If the log is small enough I lay it obliquely in the boundaries of the slabbing bar, but you can't cut a 1.2 m cut with a capacity of 1.2 m and angle the log

Yes, there are always considerations to any thing we r doing, what works on this job might not work on tomorrows job, it is a matter of being able to find the information u want and apply it apropriately on the day
peter.

You got it Peter -operators and owners