Any construction project is incomplete without the use of wood. If you have logs, you can cut it into boards yourself. This way you can save money, and the log will go to work.
First you need to prepare the log for cutting. To do this you will need to remove the bark. The simplest and most effective tool for this purpose is considered to be a stapler. Because the scraper, when removing the bark, does not touch the tree.
To remove the bark, you can use a shovel or electric jigsaw. When using a shovel, you need to remove the bark “from yourself.”
There are three ways to cut a log. We will not consider one of them, namely, sawing obliquely. Since this method is used for specialized projects and developments.
Let's consider two methods that suit us: cutting logs lengthwise and crosswise
- Cross cutting is used to produce parts in the form of disks or cylinders.
- A longitudinal method used for dissolving logs into boards, bars, slats. For this purpose, many devices are used in production. We will look at how you can cut a log at home, on your own.
For cutting you can use:
- Circular
- Grinder with attachments
So, we have already removed the bark from the log, so we move on to the next steps:
- We fix the log on the guides or bed
- We saw off the slab on one side to get a smooth surface.
- Turn the log over onto the bed with its flat side and remove the second slab
- Next we cut the log into planks
How to cut a log into smooth boards and beams
It is quite difficult to cut wood straight along a log. After all, the same thickness must be maintained along the entire length. For this, there is special equipment that is attached to the log.
Many people make their own sawmill to cut logs at home.
How to make a home sawmill with your own hands
Let's consider the two most used manufacturing options sawmills.
Option one
- We weld the frame from channels and profile pipe
- We attach a saw with an electric or gasoline drive to a carriage with vertical feed
- Attach a ruler to vertical rack, so that dissolving into boards is as accurate as possible
- Use a polished pipe or rod as a guide for the carriage; they are needed for the carriage to move vertically.
- We install a screw in the bearing so that it moves the carriage when moving
With this option, it is the saw that is set in motion, on a specially attached frame, and the log remains in place. Chain Saw in this case, it will complete the task faster. If you plan to use a reciprocating saw, the process will take longer because it works in one direction.
Option two
- We weld the frame from metal plates and angles
- We attach the engine to the bottom of the frame
- At the top we place a shaft with pulleys
- We attach one or more circular saws to the shaft
- We attach a guide from a square (metal) to the table
- Feed the log by moving it forward and pressing it against the guides
Boards are actively used for various construction and repair activities. This material can be made independently from any suitable log using a regular chainsaw.
Chainsaw - a universal summer resident tool
A chainsaw, often also called a chainsaw, is a chain saw hand tool, equipped with a two-stroke (in most cases) internal combustion engine. This popular mechanism is indispensable in any homestead. The chainsaw is compact and yet powerful. It works without breakdowns for a long time in autonomous mode, due to which it can be used in any location and in a position convenient for the user. The chainsaw has other advantages:
- Equipped with mechanisms for selecting operating speed and smooth starting. This reduces the risk of chain breakage to a minimum.
- Can be used in high humidity conditions.
- Does not require electrical energy.
- It is characterized by high power indicators (noticeably greater than those of a power tool).
- Has a quick-acting inertia brake.
The main advantage of a gasoline saw is the ability to equip it with various attachments. It is they who make it universal, indispensable for home handyman, tool. Using a chainsaw, you can saw logs, cut stone, metal, brick, tiled building materials, remove bark from wood, cut out mounting grooves and various recesses in bars.
The functionality of the tool can be expanded even further, the main thing is to choose the right attachment or equip it with a special device.
We will not describe all the capabilities of the chainsaw. In this article, we are only interested in the issue of sawing logs using a chainsaw. More on the features of doing such work with your own hands.
Attachments and accessories for sawing – the home craftsman will appreciate them!
Cutting a log with a gasoline saw can be done after it has been completed different types devices and special attachments. Get regarding smooth boards from the trunk of an old dried tree on its summer cottage It’s not difficult if you install a standard attachment for longitudinal cutting of wood on your chainsaw. Important point. You won't get perfect boards when using this attachment. But the cut products can be used to build a fence around the site or a simple shed.
It will be easier to cut a log more efficiently if you add to the nozzle a device for holding the wooden workpiece and a guide. You need to mount a metal frame on the saw bar. It is sold in construction stores. If you wish, you can actually make it yourself, using legs from an old school desk or ordinary metal corners. The distance between the tire and the frame is adjustable. Due to this, it becomes possible to saw logs into boards of different thicknesses.
If the tool will be used stationary, the chainsaw guide is made of smooth wooden block or from a metal profile. It should be as tough as possible. The ends of the homemade guide are mounted on sawhorses. And then a log is placed under this structure for sawing. The process of processing it will occur quickly and without unnecessary labor costs.
It is worth noting that the described technique is used exclusively for cutting trunks of small length. If you take a longer log, the guide will begin to sag. As a result, the trunk cannot be cut efficiently and evenly.
We take a log and get boards from it!
Impeccably even cutting is obtained by using a leading ruler (a special guide is often used instead), which is usually called a straight template. It is, in fact, a small machine recommended for cases where woodworking is done more or less regularly. Such a miniature sawmill for longitudinal sawing costs from 10 thousand rubles. If you use it “once every hundred years”, it is better to do as described above.
Both the factory device and the DIY design cut logs according to the same pattern. Longitudinal cutting is carried out using a special chain. Finding her can be difficult. But there is a way out. Sawing trunks lengthwise can be done with a regular chain. You just need to carefully sharpen it at a 10-degree angle. Important point! The tool quickly loses its original sharpness during use. Therefore, it must be constantly sharpened so that cutting logs into boards does not cause difficulties, and the geometry of the resulting products meets the stated requirements.
Sawing logs into flat boards with a chainsaw equipped with a device is performed as follows:
- 1. Take two straight and strong boards. Connect them at right angles to each other. The result is a reliable straight template.
- 2. Make simple supports from wooden blocks. Use them to support the template you made.
- 3. Place the barrel on the device.
- 4. Fasten the frame to the tire, attach the supporting elements supporting the leading ruler to the ends of the log. The last operation requires horizontal installation. Use a building level for control.
- 5. Secure all existing elements with self-tapping screws. Some craftsmen use nails for these purposes, which is undesirable. After cutting the logs into boards, you will have to remove the used fasteners. It will be difficult to do this without significant damage to the structure.
- 6. Fix the template to the supports and adjust its height. Nuance. The cut will go somewhere 10 mm above the level of the ruler, and not strictly along it. Take this into account when adjusting the height.
- 7. Rotate the log. Turn on the chainsaw. You make the first cut.
Then you need to free the log from the stops and boards, fix the template on the cut surface so that it faces in the direction of the second cut. The ruler can be attached with supports to the ends or directly to the surface of the barrel. Make a second cut. In relation to the first, it will be perpendicular.
Next, turn the log and fix it. The ruler can be removed. We will carry out further sawing without it - one of the cut sides of the trunk will serve as a guide. You need to adjust the thickness of the cut on the frame, saw off the log to get a beam with bark on only one side. Now turn the barrel again. Set up the frame. You carry out the final sawing and get the boards at your disposal. If their width is not important to you, there is no need to cut the trunk to fit the timber. Simply saw the workpiece to the middle, turn it 180°, then continue the operation you started.
We cut the trunk across - there will be no difficulties!
As you can see, longitudinal sawing with a chainsaw is a rather labor-intensive process. If you want to get logs by sawing the trunk crosswise and then make boards from them, the operation will be impractical due to the large expenditure of effort. Most often, cross-cutting is used when it is necessary to make country street furniture from wood - tables, benches, small benches. It is also recommended for preparing firewood and for decorative design using sawn logs. In such situations, logs are cut into disks of small thickness (up to 15 cm).
The cross cutting process is as follows:
- 1. Place the trunk on trestles 70–80 cm in height (they should be as stable as possible).
- 2. Remove the bark from the wood, if any.
- 3. Make a small cut. It will play the role of a guide groove.
- 4. Rotate the barrel being processed 90°. The tire of a power tool must run strictly along the intended groove.
- 5. If you need logs, make notches on the tree with an ax.
- 6. Sawing the trunk.
Transverse and longitudinal cutting of logs must be carried out in compliance with safety standards. It is advisable to carry out work in thick clothing, gloves, glasses, and headphones. Prepare a first aid kit in advance - a chainsaw is a potentially unsafe tool that can cause serious injury to a person. Always move the saw forward along the guide and do not try to push it harder. The tool should move freely.
The chainsaw must not be raised above the shoulders. The tool must only be run on the ground. In this case, the chain brake must be in the engaged state. Its release is carried out just before the start of cutting logs. Do not fill the gasoline container if the saw has recently been used. You should wait until the tool and fuel tank cool down. Take care to carry out work safely. And then sawing up tree trunks on your own will not lead to dire consequences. Good luck.
Wood, like natural stone, is one of the most ancient building materials. Despite the huge selection of various artificially created materials existing on the construction market today, timber is still very popular. In order to obtain high-quality lumber, the log must be cut into boards. In this article we will talk about how to cut a log into boards.
Types of log cutting
Sawing logs into boards is carried out in two main ways:
- radial
- tangential.
In addition, additional methods are possible:
- mixed
- semi-radial (rustic)
- central.
Radial sawing is a type of sawing during which the axis of the cut runs through the core of the log and, as a result, the annual rings in the section of the board form an angle of 76 - 900. The lumber obtained by such a cut has a uniform color and texture. Timber almost does not undergo deformation during drying and does not swell when moistened, because the dimensions of the wood change mainly along the line of the rings (across the grain). At lumber radial cut annual rings are arranged according to thickness. Such materials are distinguished by the highest performance indicators in comparison with other types of lumber.
Tangential cutting is carried out along tangent lines tree rings at a short distance from its core. The surfaces of the resulting boards are distinguished by a pronounced texture and a bright wavy pattern of annual rings. Such lumber is characterized by higher coefficients of shrinkage and swelling from moisture compared to radial cut boards. As a result, they are greatly deformed when exposed to moisture. Such boards are in demand for use in dry conditions.
Rustic (semi-radial) and mixed types cuts have characteristics of two main types of cuts simultaneously: radial and tangential. Therefore, they exhibit average shrinkage and swelling coefficients. Rustic cut boards are distinguished by straight lines of annual rings, which are located at angles of 46 - 75 degrees. to the layers. Mixed sawn timber is distinguished by the fact that the lines change from straight at the edges (along the width) of the board to arched towards the middle.
The center cut is made right in the center of the trunk and contains its core. Taking into account the fact that the core of the trunk is wood with the lowest strength indicators, center-cut lumber is characterized by a structure that is heterogeneous in strength.
Wood balance when sawing
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sleepers |
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Tools for sawing logs
Tools and cutting methods depend on the total volume of logs, such indicators as length and thickness. In addition, you need to take into account the quality of the future lumber. Cutting a log involves working with different instruments and specialized equipment. In order to obtain a small amount of lumber at home, the manual method of processing logs using a chainsaw or traditional hand saws with teeth for longitudinal cutting.
The sawmill is perhaps the most known type sawmill equipment. This is a woodworking machine that contains frame saws. The sawmill produces longitudinal sawn timber, for example, edged boards or timber. Sawmills allow processing logs with a diameter of 15 to 80 cm and a length of up to 7 m.
Cutting logs into boards using circular saws (circular saws) is carried out using a circular saw. Such equipment can be single-saw (single-disc) and multi-saw (multi-disc). Devices containing one disk are suitable for working with small-sized and low-quality raw materials. Using multi-disc machines, you can cut round workpieces of large diameter.
Band sawmills are the most popular today. They come in two types: vertical and horizontal. Cutting tool in such equipment there is a belt cloth that is put on pulleys. Work for tape machines guarantees the production of high-quality longitudinal and mixed lumber, such as boards and timber. This produces the least amount of waste.
On large industrial enterprises wood sawing lines are used. They allow achieving very high surface quality and precise geometry of the final products. Such lines are characterized by the highest productivity.
In addition to all the equipment listed above, such types of highly specialized sawmill equipment as debarkers, edgers, band-dividers and other types of machines are also used.
Very often there are situations when it is necessary to produce a very small volume of boards or beams for own needs. Of course, buying machines in this case is absolutely not an option. Having certain knowledge and skills, it is much more profitable to cut logs with my own hands, using an electric or gasoline chain saw. Despite the fact that this work is quite labor-intensive, the result is quite justified.
Most experts believe that a chainsaw is better suited for this purpose. Such equipment has high power and can function without interruption for a long time. In addition, the operation of a chainsaw does not require electricity, so you can work far from the power supply, for example, right on the plot.
In order to cut a log into boards using a chainsaw, you will need more special tools such as a mechanism for securing a log, a frame-attachment for a chainsaw, as well as a guide for cutting. The attachment frame must be attached to the chainsaw bar so that it can be used to adjust the gap between it and the chain. This will make it possible to create boards of different thicknesses. It is worth purchasing a special chain for longitudinal sawing. It has a special tooth sharpening angle. The guide ruler can be made from a metal profile of the required length or a flat, rigid board.
Before starting work, you need to remove all the bark and remaining branches from the workpieces, and also carefully inspect the log for various flaws. This way, you can choose the most suitable cutting pattern and, therefore, reduce the amount of possible waste.
If you are longitudinally sawing trunks, you need to make sure that the resulting lumber is of the same density across the entire width. Since the density of wood from the northern part of the log is much higher than from the southern part, the cut is carried out in a plane directed from east to west (or in the reverse order).
The first step is to remove the slabs from two opposite edges of the log. As a result, a double-edged beam will be obtained, which is then cut into boards or other lumber of equal thickness, according to the intended sawing pattern. The final product is an unedged board, from which the edges must then be removed.
For many centuries, timber has been the most popular raw material for housing construction. Today, primitive processing methods have been replaced by modern equipment. For example, for cutting timber and processing it to required sizes, craftsmen use a sawmill. The disadvantage of such a machine is the cost. For this reason, many people make mini sawmills based on chainsaws.
April 04Until recently, a chainsaw was used only for cutting logs crosswise. Craftsmen could use it to make boards, rectangular bars, and all kinds of wooden sculptures. This was not a good thing for the common people. It required experience, skill, and talent. Today, chainsaw manufacturers offer various attachments as an addition, which have turned the tool into universal device, with which you can cut not only wood, but also other Construction Materials, for example, a stone. In this article we will deal with one question - how to cut a log into boards using a regular chainsaw.
To cut a log you will need special nozzle in the form of a metal frame, which is connected with two bolts to the body of the gasoline saw. The connection point is the bolts that secure the working element (tire) inside the tool itself. You need to unscrew the nuts, install the frame on them, screw the nuts that come with the frame onto the bolts. They are wider, which increases the clamping area and increases the reliability of fastening the frame to the chainsaw body.
You can make such a nozzle with your own hands from a profile pipe. The main thing is the accuracy of the frame dimensions.
Cutting technology
When cutting logs into boards, you can’t use just one attachment frame. Because it needs a stop, especially when sawing top part logs with bark. That is, when the operation of turning a log into timber is carried out. You will need an additional device made from two boards.
Two boards 40-50 mm thick are fastened together so that they are in perpendicular planes. The device is attached to the log with self-tapping screws and supported at the ends with additional stops made from the same boards. In this case, the fastening is carried out so that the top edge of the vertical board is below the top edge of the log. That is, the distance between the edges determines the thickness of the cut slab.
All that remains is to install the chainsaw so that one part of the frame rests against the transversely mounted board. This will be the support. The main plane of the frame will rest against the vertically installed part of the device.
The chainsaw turns on, and the log begins to be cut lengthwise with the specified cutting thickness. The main task of the work operator is not to overload the tool with hand pressure. The saw, or rather the chain, will cut itself; you need to push it a little. After cutting the slab, the wooden device is dismantled, the log is rotated 90°, and installation is carried out support installation, the entire cutting process is repeated.
Attention! Wooden device used only for cutting slabs.
As soon as the log turns into timber, you can saw it into boards without using a wooden device. Beam – lumber with rectangular cross-section, it has four external flat surfaces on which you can rest a chainsaw with a frame. You just need to press the frame against the cutting plane and move the tool along the workpiece. The frame has a thrust element located perpendicular to the entire structure, displaced across the cut. With its help, the thickness of the cut board is set.
To understand how to cut logs into boards with a chainsaw using a frame attachment, watch the video below.
Another variant
There are similar attachments on the market a large number of. All of them are suitable for sawing logs into boards, they all have a similar design. But there are also differences. The photo below shows accessories for a chainsaw, which does not require additional accessories or tools. In essence, this is a miniature manual sawmill, which is based on a gasoline saw.
The design is complemented by guides and wheels that move along the surface of the log, reducing resistance. There are two pairs of wheels, they are located with opposite sides blanks. It’s convenient, easy, and, on the plus side, the quality of the cut material increases.
The nozzle is attached to the chainsaw in exactly the same way as in the previous case. The main requirement for the job is to accurately position the saw so that it is in a horizontal position. And although an oblique cut turns out the same, it is more convenient and easier when the tool is positioned level.
Homemade attachments
Masters have long learned to do a lot of things with their own hands. There is a huge variety of frame designs on the Internet that allow a chainsaw to cut logs into boards. Eat simple options manual type, there are large complexes of a frame, guides, with the help of which the tool moves or the log rises/lowers. One of them is in the video below:
Please note that the structure is assembled from metal profiles, which makes it reliable and stable. At the same time, the machine (it simply cannot be called otherwise) is equipped with mechanical gearboxes that simplify the process of moving the workpiece barrel and the chainsaw. No manual effort, just turn the handle from the gearbox. In this case, the thickness of the boards is adjusted by lifting the log, and not with a gasoline tool.
Another option is an attachment that helps make cuts not in a horizontal plane, but in a vertical one. The design is simple, but it is more difficult to work with because you have to make an effort to hold the chainsaw. In addition to the device, you have to prepare a metal strip or board, which is attached to the log in the longitudinal direction. It is on this that the frame-nozzle rests when cutting is carried out.
In addition, this option is more dangerous, because nothing holds the board being cut. She may hit her leg if she falls. So the process needs to be carried out carefully. The video below clearly shows how this option works.
Another setup that the manufacturer called a carriage. For this purpose, this one was made frame structure from a profile pipe and several wheels, which will give the device some mobility in terms of moving along the workpiece barrel. They are also a kind of stops that do not allow the chainsaw to move from side to side.
In addition to the carriage, a regular aluminum ladder is used, which acts as a guide element. It is attached to the log with clamps on nails or screws.
Please note that the width of the ladder must match the distance between the carriage wheels located at its different ends. The staircase must be placed in a horizontal plane using a building level. Leveled by placing under it different thicknesses pieces of boards.
The prepared chainsaw with the carriage is installed on the stairs. Turn on the engine and push along the workpiece with your hands, cutting off its upper part.
From the side the process is visible better. Here you can see a carriage with wheels, a ladder, a log lying under it, and how the cutting process is carried out.
The design of this type of device is quite complex. But out of many homemade options the manual type is better, more convenient, and more reliable. It became possible to adjust the cutting height horizontally by first installing a ladder along the horizon.
Generalization on the topic
As it turns out, an ordinary chainsaw is a universal tool. If you choose the right attachment, it can replace a large number of tools. Moreover, some attachments are easy to make with your own hands, since their design can be found in the public domain. The Internet is simply replete with variations.
To obtain lumber, logs are cut, that is, divided along the axis into parts using saws for longitudinal sawing (frame, round and band). In this case, sawing is carried out either with one saw or with a group of saws.
In the second case, at least two saws are involved in the work, sometimes their number is increased to 16...20. This method is called group sawing. Group sawing is typical for sawmill frames, less often for circular saws.
If during sawing only one cut is made and only one part of the log is separated, such sawing is called individual sawing. This method uses band saws or circular saws.
Individual sawing allows for better use of wood, taking into account the characteristics of different parts of the log.
Group sawing is used for raw materials of small and medium diameters, homogeneous in structure and of low value (coniferous and soft hardwood).
The cuts in the log can be located either parallel to the wood fibers, which corresponds to the direction of the log generatrix (along the run), or, most often, at some angle to the direction of the fibers and parallel to the axis of the log (typical for group sawing).
In relation to the annual layers, the cuts can be radially directed, tangential to the annual layers, or occupy an intermediate position.
Sawing with a strictly defined direction of cuts is called oriented. Oriented sawn timber receives various additional properties (radial sawn timber – improved quality). The direction of cuts can be a significant additional factor that improves the quality of lumber. The highest yield of oriented sawn timber can be obtained using an individual cutting method.
The choice and justification of one or another method of sawing round timber is determined by economic indicators. The most important of them is the yield of the final product.
The yield of sawn products is understood as the ratio of the volume of products received to the volume of raw materials spent on it:
where is the yield coefficient of finished products;
Lumber yield percentage;
Volume of products obtained from raw materials;
The volume of raw materials spent on the production of a given product.
The cutting of logs into lumber is carried out by a set of cuts. It can be easily represented by the projection of a log onto a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the log. We take the log to be a regular geometric body rotating around an axis.
The main methods of cutting timber into sawn products (Fig. 5):
camber;
timber (timber-camber);
segmental;
sector;
circular.
Sawing with the camber method is carried out with cuts parallel to the planes, unedged boards are obtained, while the middle ones are radially sawed; the extreme lateral ones are tangential, the rest are mixed, slabs and technological chips. Tumble sawing is used to obtain Not edged boards relatively short lengths, blanks for producing edged boards of thin logs, since other methods provide a strong reduction in the width of the boards.
It is typical that when cutting unedged boards that occupy the same place in the cutting pattern, the practical width of the board will be different (the so-called “scattering”) due to the irregular shape of the logs, inaccuracy in cutting the boards and the selection of logs in the supply.
Rice. 5. Methods of cutting logs: 1 - camber; 2 - timber-camber; 3 - segmental; 4 - sector; 5 - circular
For this reason, it is difficult to fulfill orders for lumber of a given width.
Sawing using the timber method is carried out as follows: first, a double-edged beam and side boards are cut out of the log. Subsequently, the resulting timber is cut into boards, and all middle boards are clean-edged of the same width, equal to the thickness of the timber. Subsequent processing of unedged boards is carried out by analogy with break-up boards.
Since the number of edged boards from one log is 65...70% of the volume of all boards, orders for lumber of a certain width are easily fulfilled.
The beam-and-breaker method makes it possible to produce products with high degree completeness (40% of lumber is edged) and a higher quality yield of lumber compared to the collapsed method.
The segmental method is that a beam or several boards are cut from the middle part of the log, and on the sides two plates are obtained, having cross section type of segment. Subsequently, the segments can be sawn in various ways to produce predominantly radial or tangential lumber.
The segmental method for producing radial lumber is widely used to produce resonant lumber with a log diameter of 30 cm.
Sawing using the segment method can be carried out using both group and individual methods. When sawing each segment separately, good cutting quality is obtained, since there is a base surface in the form of a plane.
With the sector method, the ridge is cut into four or more parts, each of which has the shape of a sector in cross section. With the group method, four sectors are cut out, with the individual method – more.
The sector and segment methods are very labor-intensive and are characterized by a large amount of wood waste, so mixed cutting methods are used.
The circular cutting method is characterized by rotation of the log around its longitudinal axis, which can be carried out after each cut of the next board. Each subsequent cut can be directed either parallel, or perpendicular, or at an angle, most often perpendicular. Obviously, the circular method is only possible with an individual sawing method.
All methods have fundamental differences. Each method determines the appropriate technology and equipment and is intended to produce lumber of a specified type, size, and purpose.
Choosing the correct, most appropriate, technically and economically sound sawing method is an important task in the technology of mechanical wood processing.
The criterion for the efficiency of cutting logs into sawn products is the volumetric yield.
Volumetric yield (O, %) – the degree of wood use without taking into account the size and quality of lumber products:
where is the volume of lumber produced, m3;
Volume of raw materials consumed, m3.