Shopsmith Forums

JPG40504 wrote:I am curious as to what 'flexibility' makes is unable to handle 'the stress'. Yes the table is small, and the throat depth is small and the depth of cut is small

I also wonder what you size work piece you are thinking about relative to resawing.

If you are thinking logs, I would have to agree.

It can handle firewood(assuming reasonable dimensions).

Can a "log" be only 5" in diameter and four ' long?:rolleyes:

dusty wrote:Can a "log" be only 5" in diameter and four ' long?:rolleyes:

That sounds like a 'branch'!:p

Well, wimpy bandsaw. Yes, it's small, but it has not been informed that it is wimpy and incapable of sawing small logs up to 10" thick and 4 feet long. I guess I'm just dreaming that I've done this on several occasions and I have the some of the lumber left in the garage cut with a 1/2" blade. But, for tonight, I think I'll let it sleep and tell it in the morning.

I stumbled across this Blog. It appears the guy is into hand tools almost exclusively, but he runs a Shopsmith (bandsaw, jointer) sometimes to expedite his jobs. Here's an Apple-log cutting blog-entry:
http://www.closegrain.com/2010/03/proce ... art-2.html

dusty wrote:Can a "log" be only 5" in diameter and four ' long?:rolleyes:

Yes, such logs do exist. As an example I will use lodgepole pine from Northern Montana. In the last couple of decades, commercial sawmills (stud mills) began to accept logs with a minimum top of 5". This will really be down to 4.5" using the accepted scaling rules.

Since lodgepole grows in many overstocked stands, it is rather normal to fine trees having 24 ft. long logs with a 5" top and only a 8", or smaller diameter at breast height (DBH). (These trees may be 80 to 90 years old - very slow growing.

So -- When going to a stud mill's log yard, it should be very possible to find a 16 ft. log having very little taper and one could saw off a 4 ft top having all diameters to be less than 6".

Yep, it is really stretching things to get a 2X4 out of a log with a top diameter of 4.5". - but there also is 2X2s. And we wonder why the price of studs has increased?

Timber sale utilization rules, as well as strict enforcement of timber sale contracts has caused more and more forcing of these very small logs onto the milling industry. Lots of pieces to handle to get just a little bit of product.

But I'm beginning to ramble off subject- - -

nuhobby wrote:I stumbled across this Blog. It appears the guy is into hand tools almost exclusively, but he runs a Shopsmith (bandsaw, jointer) sometimes to expedite his jobs. Here's an Apple-log cutting blog-entry:
http://www.closegrain.com/2010/03/proce ... art-2.html

Thanks for the link! You can split a log in several ways, wedge and sledge, froe and club, or even ripping down with a timber saw (yes, a lot of work, but I do them all), then use a hand plane to improve the flat, so that you now have a half-diameter log that fits the bandsaw throat more easily. Use infeed and outfeed roller stands for support. Also large teenagers to help wrestle the piece up and manage running it through.

That allows you to quartersaw the piece. You're still limited to fairly small stock, but at least it gives some more capacity.

Thanks, Beeg!