Sawmill Fundamentals - Put You Toes Up! Don't Saw Potato Chips - Parallel Bark Sawing

[@thekiltedsawyer]

This is one of my favorites, and a excellent one one your part. Thanks for the visit on the phone this week sir. Been thinking alot about the pics I sent. Thanks buddy for your time and experience 👍

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Some very good questions. Please hit the thumbs up and like button. Typically, I will transition from parallel bark sawing on 2, 3 or 4 faces, depending on depth of face quality, while taking the flitches off or shortly thereafter, depending on log diameter and depth of the quality of the clear faces. It's all about maintaining grade, but as soon as grade drops then it's turn and burn. I'm watching the face grade as I go, and will go from multifaced taper to a 2 face parallel bark cant due to defects in the faces that show up (knots, grain discontinuities) as fast as possible to a full rectangular cant with 2 faces parallel and the other two not. That's also one reason I edge these on the mill, I might as well and even of I get some tapered boards, they will get edged as well. So as soon as I see the high grade faces I will start looking for the lower grade faces and they will be the ones I will transition off to get the cant at a rectangular size. The high grade wood is generally only in the the side wood or jacket boards, so there is generally no need to full taper or parallel bark saw to the pith, the grade has run out long before then. Since full taper sawing is slow, so as soon as I identify a drop in grade on a face, I will stop taper sawing or parallel bark sawing that face with the goal to get to a rectangular cant as soon as possible. So before long, then I will have three parallel bark faces, then after a board or three, two high grade parallel bark faces with a rectangular cant, and shortly thereafter all faces will be lower grade on the rectangular cant.

[@michaelohalloran7381]

That cleared it up nicely. Thanks.

[@arnoldpraesent174]

what are the criteria you decide if its high grade and what makes it low grade? What are the parameter you are taking the deicision on?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Please hit the "Thumbs Up" button and subscribe! It doesn't cost anything! About the only free thing left in the world.

[@michaelnilson9876]

I don't have a mill yet but when I do get one I can hit the ground running thanks to your instructions. I appreciate your videos!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Glad to help

[@davebeard4987]

I have run a LT35 Hydro for 4years now and have never seen anything like the way you make that log dance! All I can say is WOW!!!!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks, these mills can do a lot of cool stuff, much more than they are advertised to be able to do. Thanks for watching!

[@rodmiller8617]

Another awesome video. I have many to catch up on. Be a great deal of overload. Will have to review many of them I am sure

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I try to put real information in each video, things I use here at the sawmill every day.

[@kitb9948]

Don't know how I missed this video, great information, especially with the pinned explanation or how you transition to a cant with parallel faces. Thanks Robert!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Glad it was helpful!

[@OutoftheWoods0623]

thumbs up for Chip

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks! Chip says thanks, too!

[@bandmillbob8907]

Hello, thanks for the content. I've been milling for about 6 years. Today I feel as you have dropped a bit of knowledge on some of us and we need more explanation. For me, I imagined you cutting parallel to all 4 sides and ending or addressing a taper. I'm confused on how to cut the opposing sides and how you ended with a boxed pith. Can you point me in the direction of some literature so I can learn. Thanks, love the channel.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks, I hope the reply above helps explain things.

[@fallentreesawmill5126]

I learn so much from watching you saw. I have a 94 lt40hd not near the machine you have but it works for me. Adding mods I learn from your videos will make my life a lot easier. Anyway back to this video the comment section answered most of my questions but I never saw where you cut a tapered board or shim to get back to a rectangular cant or at least to flat opposing faces. Am I missing something?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks, it may have skipped that cut in the video, but you are correct, it's important to make a wedge cut to get back to a rectangular cant. It should always be targeted at the worst face, closest to the pith, at the dog board, or a face with a big knot or some other defect where the wedge cut can actually remove the defect. So target the wedge cut like cutting the fat off a steak, use it where it does the most good. When I make these videos, I'm never sure how much detail I should put in them, simply because I'm never sure if anybody actually watches them or are even listening to what I'm saying. Thanks for watching and giving me feedback.

[@ArrBee6]

Toe board level. Brilliant. Cheers. Raising as well ( I've just watched to the end.)

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

If you like seeing toe boards in action, you’ll like the next video I’m putting out, where I use the toeboards on both sides of the cant. Thanks for watching to the end!

[@stevek5988]

That right there taught a lot. Every other channel talks about centering the pith for best cuts.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Pith sawing has its place, but not it high grade hardwood. Thanks for watching.

[@A..n..d..y]

I’m trying to follow you on the parallel cutting, but I’m lost. Let’s say the butt is away from you and you parallel cut, will the log not develop into a square cant? Is there a point where you cutting a waste board to get to a square cant?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes, it all depends on how far the grade goes down into the log and on how many faces. Most logs will only have tow very though good faces anyway, so I make adjustments as I'm taking flitches off. Otherwise, I will make a wedge cut as soon as the grade on a face drops off. I have pinned a more detailed answer at the top of the page.

[@mitchellbell713]

Thanks. I definitely learned some things from this video.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Glad to hear it!

[@arnoldjohnson720]

That’s some pretty wood. Thanks Robert !

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

You bet. Thanks!

[@matthewhaaland4004]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I’ve been sawing for two years now. I know I have so much more to learn.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Glad to help. I learn new stuff all the time. Thats what makes it fun.

[@JohnTHull]

Greetings from Panama City. Great video! Love your videos Robert and yes…amazing color in that log!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks and Hi !

[@paisaconstructiondavid1964]

Yes please, I am learning so much from you. I would like to know your trade secret on turning the log. My current log turner is manual and I am researching how to convert to hydraulic and any information would help Greatly 🎉

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Will do!

[@jamesdaves7680]

Thank you.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

You're welcome!

[@Grizzlife]

That was some great info!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@jerrylittle8922]

Thank you Sir, enjoy learning from your experience. Inspiring.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks for watching!

[@slhasebroock]

Thank you for another GREAT informative educational video!!!

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks!

[@johnwoody4905]

Good video and job. Have learned a lot from your videos. Take care, be safe and well.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks!

[@markhall-e3k]

What do they use on eastern cedar to keep the pink and purple?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Any kind of sealer that specifically block UV light rays, basically put a sunscreen on the wood to keep the light rays from fading the fibers.

[@TedAlexander24]

Yes that rainbow poplar lumber is beautiful! And that is a perfect log to saw. Great information that I plan to use from now on. Anything necessary to produce flat lumber is appreciated. Another comment that may save you time by not doing as much voiceover is trying a directional or shotgun microphone. Plug it into the camera on your right. Move that camera forward until it is slightly in front of you and aim the microphone at you. It should record your voice and still have machine noise in the clip. You won’t have to mute or delete the audio in those clips. You can find a good microphone for a very cheap price.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I will try that. Thanks!

[@SteveandSusiesHomestead]

Popular is one of my favorite woods. Mills nice , great for inside trim , and termites don't like it much . I didnt know the "rainbow " pop. was a thing. Is in a certain type of popular or do you just get lucky ? I have a few pieces that were milled in the 30,s that are still bright. It was hidden under painted shelving .

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Rainbow is pretty rare poplar, it is simply a tree that grew over a mineral deposit or coal shale and brought the colors up into the tree.

[@thekiltedsawyer]

Do you remove your band at the end of the day and lower the head??

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

No I leave the band on if it is still sharp, take it off if it is dull. However, I always remove band tension, and park the head about a foot high. Why? Because in the rare chance of a dead battery, it gives me room to easily charge or swap the battery. Been there done that.

[@JelenOutDoors]

That is some beautiful wood. Just to clarify, for flatter lumber it's better to align the top of both ends of the log to be parallel to the blade rather than raising the log so that the pith is parallel. Also, is it better to have the smaller end of the log at the front to minimize blade fluctuation in hard spots and knots?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes, you have it mostly correct. The idea is to saw parallel to the growth rings for whatever board needs to be flattest. For grade hardwood lumber, the highest grade boards are from the outside boards, so it's important to saw parallel to that. However, when sawing dimensional lumber and posts which come more form the center of the log, sawing parrallel to the pith will cause them to be straighest. I generally saw with the smallest end toward me so I can adjust the nearest toeboard in my line of sight. If it's a big log, I will put the fat end toward me so I know I can clear the blade guides. Waving at knots and following grain indicates that the band geometry may need to be changed. Sometimes its as easy as putting more set in them.

[@Follows-ed7mw]

How did you compensate with 4th face cut (opposite first cut)? Adjust to parallels again? Then this leaves a triangular pith piece? Please explain further. (It looks like you may explain in pinned post...)

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes, it's explained. Thanks for watching!

[@jimburnham4663]

I have the same question as several others above. If you saw parallel to the bark on all four faces, how do you end up with a square cant? Do you just parallel saw the edge boards then make the taper cut to square the cant and finish the center off from there?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Mostly, yes, but it depends. I pinned a detailed comment and explanation above at the top of the page. Thanks for watching.

[@MidGAOutdoor]

So if I am understanding you correctly, you are leveling the log with the blade and sawing along the face of the bark so the bark is level with the blade. If you do this on all four sides, don’t you end up with a tapered piece in the middle?I am assuming you do this until you get out of the cathedral grain and then take the waist out of the middle?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

To its extreme conclusion, you are correct. However, most logs do not have all four perfect faces, and so the parallel faces are taken from the highest grade faces and then the low grade faces are sawn to remove defects such as knots and splits, so that would take precedence.

[@starterman2757]

So after taking the boards parallel to the bark, do you transition to cutting parallel to the pith, or parallel to the other side?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes, as soon as the grade on each face runs out, which on most faces is pretty fast. Once the grade on a face drops it will get a wedge cut at a reasonable time to bring it parallel to the better face omni the opposite side of the cant. At that point, I don't have to use toe boards to saw those two faces anymore. I pinned a comment on the top of the page to try to help explain. Basically, it's all about grade, and one grade drops, then I will stop "concentrating" on that face.

[@gslope1]

Beautiful color. I don't have a mill...yet. Bucket list item. The front and back should be even? I thought I had seen others that made sure the pith was at an even height. A fairly straight log it would be leveling the top like you show. Which should be level on a log that isn't? Thanks. I learn something new with every video.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I have pinned a more detailed explanation at the top of the page. Leveling pith is for dimensional lumber sawing, leveling bark is for high grade lumber sawing. A lot of sawmillers on KZbin don't know that......

[@royramey5659]

The way your leveling that log , what if the pith is not centered. I've had logs where the pith is way off center on one end.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

It depends of course, but there is always a way to parallel bark saw the best faces and then transition to parallel pith sawing.

[@kenashton32]

So what about logs that don’t have the pith close to the same location on each end? Do you ever level the piths and not the bark?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes, certainly, for framing lumber and quartersawing, to mention a couple.

[@erickdanielsson6710]

Great Video Rob, Love the color, Now when will it be available?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Oh, a few months or so. Good to see you here, and thanks for watching.

[@natepike9258]

Maybe I'm missing something but when you level the top for the first cut and flip the log 180 is it cutting "parallel with the bark" still?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

No, pick the best two sides, and prrallel bark saw them.

[@rexhavoc2982]

After a few parallel cuts then turn the log 180 the bark on top wont be parallel to the saw, If I make that side parellel the cant will be wedge shape. At some point a true up cut must be made.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes, that is called "full taper" sawing and can really slow things down if a second rotation is made to the first face. However, it's all about the grade, so to prevent full taper sawing, as soon as a face starts to show defects, I will do a correction cut on it and bring the cant to a rectangle where the rotations can be made quicker. Thanks for watching!

[@TheOldManAndTheSaw]

Another good video Robert. There was a LOT of stuff to be learned here. How did you get Pringles to sponsor this video? Dave

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yeah, I'm still waiting for the president of Pringles to call me. I will be waiting by the phone.....I'm sure it will ring in just a few minutes.....

[@TheOldManAndTheSaw]

@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama Has he called yet?

[@perry9492]

I have a question, so you saw parallel to the bark then flip 90 degree then saw parallel to the bark again? So once you get past the pith you are on the other side of the log. Do you need to flip 180 then cut from that top face again? So now you have a cant that is wedge shaped since you are using the top face on both side as your reference?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

I will saw parallel to the bark on as many face as is worth it based upon the log geometry and qaulity, and it does sometimes result in a four sided tapered cant, but it's rare to have to saw all 4 faces that way. Normally, I'll pick the two best faces to parallel bark saw then make correction cuts on the other faces. However, if a log is of high quality that the log demands it, I'll do it. However, in that case, I will generally make a parallel cut directly through the low value pith and at least end up with a rectangular cant at some point. The pith is a great place to sacrifice low value wood to make these types of correction cuts because it's the lowest quality zone in the log.

[@darngoodday5933]

Guessing you lowered the Hydraulic Bi-directional Chain V profile to a u profile and rounded off the sharp edges. Concur with parallel cutting.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

That is part of the answer,, a little grinding on the sharp edges helps, especially since WM changed the geometry of the teeth on their later versions to be too sharp. However, that isn't what helps the most and what I was referring to. Thanks for watching!

[@thekiltedsawyer]

Can this technique be accomplished with the other style of drag back feature ( on the Lt 40 & 50)?. And or a Lazer? I am going to get a couple boxes of 7° bands in the am to try out finely. Will be watching this video several more times just cuz I can lol. Appreciate your time & talents sir! Thanks again & keep up the amazing work 🙏🧡🧡🧡 One day I'll pull the trigger on a Lt 70 wide

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Sure, any saw mill can do this.

[@delprice3007]

What do you think about a vacuum kiln to flatten Mr. Pringle?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

So far, form what I've seen of vacuum kilns and the wood that comes out of them, I'm not yet a fan on their ability to correct sawmill induced defects in wood. Thanks for watching!

[@curtcmiller]

Why do you cut dimensional lumber parallel to the pith, you don’t care if it twists?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

No, mostly because dimensional lumber needs to be structurally sound and so generally parallel to the wood fibers or axis of the log, which is parallel to the pith. Also, for that reason, it’s important to trap the pith in as few boards as possible, preferably one, so its cellular inherent weakness transverses as few as boards as possible. Good question and good topic for a video.

[@bwillan]

A little attention to detail goes a long way to producing higher quality lumber. The little bit of extra time is well worth it.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks for watching!

[@johncollins2282]

So the 3rd and 4th face cuts are not parallel to the bark?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Sometimes, each log is different and it's all about the grade. I pinned a detailed answer above at the top of the page. Thanks for watching!

[@johncollins2282]

Okay thanks

[@d6c10k4]

I have the same question as the first comment. At what point did you stop cutting parallel to the bark? I've experimented with parallel cutting...taking bark parallel cuts from all 4 sides for the whole log but you end up with a lot of edge tapered boards. I pretty much discarded the tapered core as it's juvenile wood anyway.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Please see the pinned comment above I hope will answer some of the questions. When taper sawing the goal is to transition as quickly as possibly to a 2 face parallel cant, although if the log deserves a 3 or 4 sided taper sawn pattern then I will continue as far down as possible. It's all about maintaining grade, but as soon as grade drops then it's turn and burn. Most times grade will run out on a face pretty quick. So if 2 sided taper sawing is adequate for a log then thats what it will get. However if 3 or 4 sided taper sawing, as soon as the grade drops on an individual; face, which is generally fairly quickly, I will wedge cut one board and bring that face to a rectangular cant face.

[@wadewalker6480]

Hey Robert , really enjoy your videos! I’m new to saw Mills do you use any liquid On your blade when cutting? I’ve used water on my mill just seems to be too messy thanks! Wade

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Here is what I use. Diesel or other water soluble oil. You are correct, water is not real good. Thanks for watching! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZ24e4uqgdF4pKs

[@lesterg46sawwood]

Not sure what what you did in the next shot as it looked like the log in not on the toe roller as it was in the first shot. If there is some taper and you rase the loge to make it level after you make couple of cuts do you turn the log 90 degs or 180 degs ? This is the one thing I have all ways wounder how to do. I watched a sawyer and he raised one end made two cuts then turned 90 degs.. Made two cuts and then turned 90 degs. Loos like the first cut was thiner on one end and thick on the outher. Is this the way to do it ?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Sometimes, yes...I have pinned. detailed comment above at the top of the page to more fully explain this. Thanks for watching!

[@jasoncottrell1976]

How do you get your hydraulics to work when your saw head is all the way at the other end? I have a lx450 and my hydraulic will not cork if my head is to far down the bed.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

LT70 Super has full range hydraulics. However, I modified my LT40 to also have full range hydraulics. WM doesn't do it I assume due to liability issues. Thanks for watching!

[@johncollins2282]

Is there a benefit of parallel sawing for live edge slabs?

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Yes, it give a much more uniform width slab. Easier to handle, easier to sell, less warping and twisting. Good question!

[@johncollins2282]

Thank you. You also have helped me in the past on the forestry forum.

[@SteveandSusiesHomestead]

Subbed

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks!

[@benrudman3917]

I’d love to know your trick for your turner. My chain turner on my lt50 super eats my cants. I’ve been turning cants with my clamp to avoid this. Great information as always Robert. Thank you. -Ben

[@terryeason4319]

I have an lt40 and it chews the log up had when I roll it over. Once I get to a cant I really have to be careful not to ruin the next board that will come off of it I like what your saying about staying parallel with the bark. I'm going to try that vs trying to stay parallel with the pith. I get allot of red oak.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Thanks, I will most likely make a video on it soon.

[@Avidwoodworker]

I would love to come visit your operation one day and just follow you around, watch and learn. My business model is a little different. I saw up folk’s logs into whatever dimensions they ask for, air-dry the milled wood down to 30% and then move it into one of our kilns. Some customers ask me to take it a few steps further. I take the dried wood and turn it into furniture, shiplap, or tongue and groove boards. The disadvantage to this model is all the inefficiencies. Loading up the kiln can take a couple days as I mix and match customer’s wood of different sizes and thickness to fill up the kiln. Kind of like playing a game of Tetris. I am so envious of all your systems and I am learning on every video. Thanks again for sharing!

[@jamiem853]

I enjoy your content, but this parallel bark sawing doesn't make sense. if you have a typically tapered log, and cut parallel to one side, when it's turned 180, it will be far from parallel. I thought you were going to end up with some kind of "pith wedge", what am I missing? thanks

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Typically, I will transition from parallel bark sawing on 2, 3 or 4 faces, depending on depth of face quality, while taking the flitches off or shortly thereafter, depending on log diameter and depth of the quality of the clear faces. It's all about maintaining grade, but as soon as grade drops then it's turn and burn. I'm watching the face grade as I go, and will go from multifaced taper to a 2 face parallel bark cant due to defects in the faces that show up (knots, grain discontinuities) as fast as possible to a full rectangular cant with 2 faces parallel and the other two not. That's also one reason I edge these on the mill, I might as well and even of I get some tapered boards, they will get edged as well. So as soon as I see the high grade faces I will start looking for the lower grade faces and they will be the ones I will transition off to get the cant at a rectangular size. The high grade wood is generally only in the the side wood or jacket boards, so there is generally no need to full taper or parallel bark saw to the pith, the grade has run out long before then. Since full taper sawing is slow, so as soon as I identify a drop in grade on a face, I will stop taper sawing or parallel bark sawing that face with the goal to get to a rectangular cant as soon as possible. So before long, then I will have three parallel bark faces, then after a board or three, two high grade parallel bark faces with a rectangular cant, and shortly thereafter all faces will be lower grade on the rectangular cant

[@jamiem853]

​@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama Wow. Thank you.

[@Peter-od7op]

Im confused iam so knew you say not to cut thru the pith but in this vdo you are. Whats up

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Good observation, sawing through the pith is always a bad idea but it also depends on the species and strategy. So on mineralized poplar, wide boards sell much better than narrow ones, and in this case I formed up a wide cant on purpose, but made it narrower than normal, with the intention of trying to get as much wide high value boards as possible. Then, instead of sawing down through the narrow side and making a lot of 5 or 6 inch wide boards, I wanted to saw down wide, and hopefully get the pith contained in as few boards as possible. So I would rather get one more wide in this species than a couple narrow boards. I do this fairly commonly, and although I didn't show it on the video, I sort through these last 4 boards and put the non pith on the drying stack, and take the pithy ones and toss them into the burn pile. With my mill, it's about as fast and easy to saw down through the cant as it is to stop and eject the pith in a bigger cant. So as you watch my videos, whenever you see me form the final or "pith cant" then I will generally just saw down and discard the pith boards simply because it's easy and fast, and every now and then, I may get a bonus board. So I guess I should say, "You can saw through the pith, just don't keep the boards." You might be interested to know that in the commercial sawmill world, they do the same thing, saw down through the cant, and instead of discarding the pith boards, they grade them as the lowest of the low, s a"Face Frame Stock" which means they expect the center to crack open and if they can salvage a 2" decent board with an edger off the sides of the pith crack, that's all that's needed to make cabinet frames which are only 2" wide anyway. As a general rule, I simply discard pith boards.

[@study_legal_history]

But ... when you are done sawing you should have left over a board 1/4" thick on one end and 2" thick on he other end.

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Only by mistake!

[@barrynicholson290]

“Parallel fart sawing”…closed caption and southron drawel don’t mix 😂

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

That's hilarious. I didn't see that!

[@rejeanbeaulieu7244]

Myself it looks like your quarter sawing your logs

[@HobbyHardwoodAlabama]

Not on this video, it's classic flat sawn technique.