Shopsmith Forums

charlese wrote:Looked up wood cants and found this definition:
Cant:A large slabbed log on the headsaw, usually having one or more rounded edges, which is destined for further processing.

A log with the slabs removed is a good way to picture a cant. I always thought of a cant as a square or rectangular shaped inside of a log. I also think of a Rail Road tie as being a cant. Guess the intention for future processing escaped me (if it's really necessary).

When I was young and worked in a sawmill on Vancouver Island, I had a job feeding the gangsaw. My job was to roll logs with a peavey into position on the gangsaw carriage. The sawyer then ran the log through the gangsaw and what came out the other side were called cants. They then went on to be cut up into smaller dimensions. These "cants" were simply the result of the log being cut simultaneously by several vertically oriented blades. ie: all cuts were parallel.to each other. In this case some cants would be edge grain and some would be flat grain. larger logs, maybe over three feet in diameter went to a circular headsaw and would be turned between cuts. As the pieces coming off the headsaw, after the initial cuts, no longer had any "live edge" they were as I remember referred to as timbers. They still may have been cut up further or may have been sold as timbers. There is probably some regional variation in the use of these terms, but this is the way I remember them.

Paul M

shipwright wrote:When I was young and worked in a sawmill on Vancouver Island, I had a job feeding the gangsaw. My job was to roll logs with a peavey into position on the gangsaw carriage. The sawyer then ran the log through the gangsaw and what came out the other side were called cants. They then went on to be cut up into smaller dimensions. These "cants" were simply the result of the log being cut simultaneously by several vertically oriented blades. ie: all cuts were parallel.to each other. In this case some cants would be edge grain and some would be flat grain. larger logs, maybe over three feet in diameter went to a circular headsaw and would be turned between cuts. As the pieces coming off the headsaw, after the initial cuts, no longer had any "live edge" they were as I remember referred to as timbers. They still may have been cut up further or may have been sold as timbers. There is probably some regional variation in the use of these terms, but this is the way I remember them.

Paul M

What size peavey did you use on those 3' logs?;)

[quote="JPG40504"]What size peavey did you use on those 3' logs?]


You can peavey logs that size. One man on each end and a lot of huffing and puffing. The logs were pretty round for the most part and the area we were working was a slight slope toward the carriage so usually we weren't stressing the hook as much as you might think, but we could usually get them to bite enough to get the log rolling. If we just couldn't get a bite we would just lever them. My butt hurts just remembering those days.

Paul M

shipwright wrote:When I was young and worked in a sawmill on Vancouver Island, I had a job feeding the gangsaw. My job was to roll logs with a peavey into position on the gangsaw carriage. The sawyer then ran the log through the gangsaw and what came out the other side were called cants. They then went on to be cut up into smaller dimensions. These "cants" were simply the result of the log being cut simultaneously by several vertically oriented blades. ie: all cuts were parallel.to each other. In this case some cants would be edge grain and some would be flat grain. larger logs, maybe over three feet in diameter went to a circular headsaw and would be turned between cuts. As the pieces coming off the headsaw, after the initial cuts, no longer had any "live edge" they were as I remember referred to as timbers. They still may have been cut up further or may have been sold as timbers. There is probably some regional variation in the use of these terms, but this is the way I remember them.

Paul M

Right-on, Paul! It dawns on me that I never quite understood the re-manufacture part of the cant definition. I certainly understand the squared logs were called timbers, especially if that was the intended product.

Actually, glad I never got in a place where I had to feed a head rig. I thought the green chain was tough enough.

Toss-up on the jobs there Chuck. On the green chain it's fairly hard steady work. On the head rig it was more intermittent really hard work with little rests in between.

Paul M

The history and knowledge gleaned from this forum never ceases to amaze me.

Just had to go back to my old college dendrology texts, to see if I could find anything additional on Osage orange. One book says the wood will yield a yellow dye when extracted with hot water, the other says the yellow dye is extracted from the roots.

Anyway, my memory of the wood being used for mallets was faulty!

Do enlighten us re the 'green chain'. Please!

charlese wrote:Just had to go back to my old college dendrology texts, to see if I could find anything additional on Osage orange. One book says the wood will yield a yellow dye when extracted with hot water, the other says the yellow dye is extracted from the roots.

Anyway, my memory of the wood being used for mallets was faulty!

I'm sure there are more obtainable wood for mallets but, I think Osage orange would make a fine mallet. Lifting it would be the only draw back.

JPG40504 wrote:Do enlighten us re the 'green chain'. Please!

After dimension lumber is milled to size in random lengths it rolls out on a set of moving chains like a big conveyor belt. This is a green chain, probably "green" because of the condition of the wood. Several strong young lads like Chuck are positioned along the line and each pulls off the length to which he has been assigned and stacks it in a now uniform length pile. They can also be used for other forms of sorting, like 2x6 vs 2x4 etc. but generally they are a lumber sorting line.

Paul M