Bandsaw and Western Red Cedar

rjent · Post by **rjent** » Sun Oct 12, 2014 12:44 pm

I bought a couple of cords of Western Red Cedar from the Ladder Ranch about 25 years ago as firewood. They were interior fence posts, literally miles of them (most 6 to 9 inches in diameter and about 24 inches long) that Ted Turner removed (he was making a game reserve out of one of the oldest and storied of New Mexico ranches

). The wood is probably over 100 years old. I am resawing with the bandsaw with SS blade 555421 5/8" Woodcutting Blade.

I am having hell with cutting this stuff.

The blade will not stay on track, it actually bogs the PowerPro (well at least it does it's clicking sound as it tries to adjust the speed

) it smokes. The saw/blade setup has been slicing Fir and Mahogany like butter.

Is Western Red Cedar really that hard? Am I doing this wrong?

Any insight would be very welcome!

Thanks in advance!

Dick

algale · Post by **algale** » Sun Oct 12, 2014 1:07 pm

I haven't tried anything that thick but the 5/4 western red cedar boards I ripped gave me no problem with that blade. I'd check tension on your blade, and fence alignment.

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Sun Oct 12, 2014 1:16 pm

Maybe full of NM sand. Fist cut will dull a blade fast.
Cutting dead and down cedar and juniper in this part of AZ will crater a chain saw chain. Took me 8 chains to cut a pick up load.

nuhobby · Post by **nuhobby** » Sun Oct 12, 2014 1:23 pm

What they said....

Also, there's a small chance that you've got a lot of dust clogging in the kerf. A skip-tooth blade might do a tad better. Somehow I got onto skip-tooth BS blades a few years ago, and I keep buying them out of habit now.

rjent · Post by **rjent** » Sun Oct 12, 2014 1:25 pm

algale wrote:I haven't tried anything that thick but the 5/4 western red cedar boards I ripped gave me no problem with that blade. I'd check tension on your blade, and fence alignment.

OK, guys, I forgot to mention that I used JPG's wonderful bandsaw setup thread just after I got this unit (I will start a thread on my purchase in a few days

). Like I said, it has cut magnificently on other woods but I will go back and check everything again. Interesting Chris, the blade teeth seem to be building up a lot of "pulp". It is hard to tell what it is.

Which skip tooth blade are you using?

Thanks ....

nuhobby · Post by **nuhobby** » Sun Oct 12, 2014 4:52 pm

Hi rjent,

I think this is the one I usually pick up at the Woodcraft which is just a few miles from me:

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/147694 ... Tooth.aspx

I have been working also with a lot of handsaws lately. In general they say there:
- Softwood needs aggressive rake (like 0 degrees vicinity on a handsaw) while hardwood needs less aggressive rake.
- Softwood needs generous lateral set to the teeth while hardwood can get by with less lateral set.

Good luck!

BuckeyeDennis · Post by **BuckeyeDennis** » Sun Oct 12, 2014 8:26 pm

My money is on the sand-dulling-the-blade theory. That's easy to check .. just try cutting some of the wood that had been "cutting like butter" before you took on the cedar.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sun Oct 12, 2014 8:39 pm

I think petrified wood is very hard.

Is it possible that firewood is 'ironwood'? Or osage orange?

rjent · Post by **rjent** » Sun Oct 12, 2014 8:49 pm

BuckeyeDennis wrote:My money is on the sand-dulling-the-blade theory. That's easy to check .. just try cutting some of the wood that had been "cutting like butter" before you took on the cedar.

I have cut some Mahogany (Chinese Lilac) and normal fir lumber after the fact ... still like butter ....

And JPG

I think petrified wood is very hard.

I don't recall you sending a chip off of your head to cut ....

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sun Oct 12, 2014 9:25 pm

rjent wrote: . . .

And JPG I don't recall you sending a chip off of your head to cut ....

Yes a steel trap is very hard also.