8
Sawing with the BS350
You can saw logs up to about 40 cm (16'') in
diameter on Logosol's bandsaw, and the cant
width can be 32 cm (13'') as a maximum. For larger
diameters the bandsaw must be supplemented with
a chainsaw. Usually one cut with the chainsaw is
enough to make the log fit for bandsawing.
If the chainsaw is to be used mainly for sawing
occational cuts to decrease the dimension of logs
so that the logs can be sawn with the bandsaw, a
powerful petrol-powered chainsaw is in most cases
a suitable alternative. If you want higher capacity
and a more silent-running chainsaw Logosol has
electric chainsaw units, e.g. Logosol E5000.
There are, however, another reason for using a
chainsaw than the fact that the logs sometimes are
too large for the BS350. A bandsaw blade is very
sensitive to dirt on the logs, while a saw chain is
considerably more durable and, in addition, easily
sharpened several times. Due to this, BS350 is
often used only for cutting the boards, while the first
cuts are taken with a chainsaw. The sharpness of
the blade will last for a large number of cants, the
sawing yield will significantly increase, and you can
saw the cants quickly.
By combining a chainsaw with a bandsaw you will
have a very efficient small-scale sawmill with a
great degree of flexibility, a high sawing yield, and
a capacity that is close to the capacity of more
expensive machines. If a considerable part of the
work is to be made with the help of a chainsaw, an
electric sawing unit is, of course, preferable.
If you want your bandsaw blades to have longer
serviceable time, barking the timber is an alternative
to making cants with a chainsaw.
If you want to saw as much as possible using the
bandsaw, i.d. also cut the cants with it, it is important
that you make sure the diameter of the timber is
within the limit of what the bandsaw can take.
A cut is quickly and easily made with the bandsaw.
Make sure the saw blade cuts perfectly. If the
blade changes direction when sawing through big
knots, it can be a sign that the blade needs to be
tensioned, or that the feeding speed is to high, but
it can also be the first sign of the blade starting to
lose its sharpness, which means that it has to be
replaced. If you do not change the blade in time, you
will inevitably end up with imperfectly sawn timber.
Thus, it is important that you make sure the blade
is sawing straight. As long as the blade follows the
sawn surface on the log when pulling the saw back,
the blade is cutting the way it is supposed to.
The Logosol Sawmill is designed to be used
together with a chainsaw that has a kerf width of
approx. ¼ inch, or just over 6 mm. When cutting a
log into boards with a chainsaw, you get boards with
dimensions that correspond to even quarter-inch
steps. With a bandsaw blade, whith a kerf of only
2 mm (1/8"), you get dimensions that are approx.
2 mm under, or approx. 4 mm (3/16") over even
quarter-inch steps. With the Logosol M7 Sawmill
you have the possibility to use half quarter-inch
steps, which means that the boards will either be
approx. 1 mm (1/16") thinner or 1 mm thicker than
when sawing with a chainsaw.
Another aspect is that the stability of the Logosol
Sawmill is adapted for using a chainsaw. A chainsaw
has only a small part of its weight outside the guide
rail, while the bandsaw has an overhang, which
makes the centre of gravity lie just outside the guide
rail edge. In addition, the bandsaw is heavier than
a chainsaw.
The stability of the Logosol Sawmill is increased
by using the extra mid-strut, which comes with
the BS350 package, and sturdy support legs that
secure the guide rail ends, but the cutting unit is
still fairly unstable. This means that the cutting unit
will move when you start the motor, but once the
cutting process has started, the saw will move in a
straight line, and the limited stability will not affect
the sawing precision at all.
