06-11-2012, 12:10 PM
(06-11-2012, 08:00 AM)Radio Fixer Wrote: I will look at a plain old piece of wood differently next time Lawrence.
Think they had one of those big saws at the Amberly Museum when I went earlier in the year but it wasnt in operation. Apparentlt when it is its a big crowd draw (all roped back of course!)
Gary
Hi Gary, the Stenner saws could be found in just about every sawmill in the land, some are still going strong, they are built like a battleship, the rolling tables on the one in the picture are made of half inch steel plate, the headrig is all cast iron including the band wheels, the wheels in the picture still have a good crown on them and still maintain their balance, the tension on the blade has to be high normally over 1,000lb, the blade tracking is set so the gullets of the band are approx 3mm hanging over the front rim of the band wheel, this distance has to be maintained otherwise band cracking can occur, the saw doctors will weld up to four cracks as long as they are no more than about 25mm deep, any more than that then the band is usually scrapped. A properly sharpened band will cut for around a max. of 4 hrs total.
Robinson also made some excellent bandsaws, their 48" resaw was a good machine, still a few of them kicking around.
Yes there is more to timber than meets the eye, soon as a log is opened up the sawyer knows the best way to convert it for the best use. Today lasers and computers work out the cutting pattern to get the optimum yield.
Stenners saws were made in Tiverton.
There will be plenty of ash around soon if that diseae gets worse, trouble is the politicians are on the case now.
Lawrence.
