Shop Note
More on Milling Wood
Arthur Herrick
This Subject keeps cropping up, and I have posted comments previously, so
forgive me if I repeat myself.
Jim Mulligan originally wrote:
"I own a 10 inch contractors saw from Delta. Is there not a way to efficiently
( or the most efficient way) mill lumber on this saw rather than spending
additional dollars on a precision model maker saw? Please say yes!
Phil Krol wrote in reply:
"Even with a zero tolerance insert, milling model lumber to small dimensions on
a saw that large in my opinion is not a good idea if you value your fingers. I
have a 10" cabinet saw with Forest blade and use it a lot, but not for that. I
also still have all my fingers and I have been doing this for a lot of years."
My comment:
It is not the size of the table saw that governs it's suitability for "milling
ship model lumber to small dimensions"; it is: how true the saw arbor runs -
the choice of the blade you use - the type of insert in the table - the method
you use to pass the wood through the saw blade when rip sawing, i.e. "Push
Sticks".
Saw Blade:
When I worked in an Industrial Model shop in the 1950s and 60s; it was before
the days of the small precision saw, like the ultimate
Jim Byrnes saw we have available today. For
precision rip sawing hardwood we used the shop's 10" floor model, Delta
Una-saw, with the equivalent of today's Sears Craftsman, 7", 200 tooth blade
with a .075 kerf, Kromedge, thin rim satin cut Veneer Blade, with ground side
relief. This blade is advertised as being made for satin finish crosscuts and
miters up to 1 1/4" deep in all woods, plywood, veneers, plastics and other
brittle materials.
This is an inexpensive type of contractors throw-away blade, presently
available for about $12 or so. The minute it shows signs of getting dull, toss
it and buy a new one, but for the hobbyist modelshipwright you will find they
have a long life, considering the cost.
Also using the 10" Delta saw and 6" Jewelers Slotting blades, you can rip saw,
small sizes of hardwood, thin brass sheet or cast acrylic plastic sheet. My
source of these blades is
Thurston Manufacturing Co.
A catalog is available using their Web site, and they are "small order
friendly". Blade inserts are available to fit the shaft size of your saw.
This is one source I presently use for blades for my Jim Byrnes and Preac table
saws.
With the above said about saw blades ... if the finish and size tolerance that
you get on your rip sawn stock is still not smooth or precise enough for your
requirements, you will find the only way to achieve this is to saw the stock
oversize and finish sizing it using a thickness sanding machine.
Table Inserts:
It is important in sawing small stock to have a zero clearance saw table insert
for each blade you use; so that when sawing very thin stock it does not tend to
rock or slip down between the blade and the insert slot. The portion being
sawed off needs the support of the insert underneath it. I make my own inserts
for my 1949, 8" Delta table saw out of 3/8" Maple stock, and buy aluminum blank
table inserts from Jim Byrnes.
If you own a Preac Tool Co. table saw; you will find one of it's disadvantages,
in some cases, is that it has no replaceable table insert.
Push Sticks:
When rip sawing ship model lumber I always use Push Sticks. My favorite for
very small stock rip sawing is a disposable rubber eraser, the type that one
puts on a wooden pencil, and can be inexpensively purchased in quantity
packages at you local office supply store. Just put one on the end of two 6"
pieces of hardwood dowel ( one for each of your hands ) and use them to push
your material through the saw. Do not worry if the blade chews up some of the
eraser when sawing very small stock, the eraser is expendable, and when chewed
up just pitch it and put a new one on the dowel push stick handle. This way
your fingers never get remotely near the saw blade, and you have complete
control of the stock as it goes through the saw blade.
A comment:
Never have the blade adjusted higher than is required to cut your
stock, thus minimizing the blade exposure, and this allows the maximum number
of saw teeth to be engaged in the stock you are cutting; thus reducing the
possibility of stock flutter as it is feed through the saw blade.
Note:
In this message thread on the Subject of Milling Wood : I do not remember
seeing mentioned the importance of the preparation of rough cut planks or wood
billets for milling. The first step should be jointing one side flat and
straight, so when it sits on the saw table it will not rock and cause the saw
blade to bind, and the cut to wander. The next step is getting a flat and
straight edge at 90 degree's to the jointed surface ... this being the surface
that will ride against your table saw fence. To do this without a jointer,
tack a straight edge wood or metal batten to one edge of the opposite side from
the jointed surface of the piece, and using the batten up against the fence,
run the piece through your table saw.
Assuming that a hobbyist type shop will not have a jointer: if you order rough
boards or billets from a ship model wood supplier, request that the largest
face of the piece be jointed for you. The other alternative is your local wood
shop for this jointing operation; over the long run, this being far less
expensive than going out and buying a jointer for your shop.
Jim Mulligan said:
now go make some model ship timbers and planking, and some saw dust.
Try it ! Youal like it !
{Art Herrick}
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