# Mammoth Band Saw



## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

Recently I found an interesting wood store fairly close to where I live. I had been by the store hundreds of times but never stopped. All the display items outside were small wood pieces and hand made clothing. Usually there are several ladies outside looking at the clothes. Little did I realize!!

I found a very knowledgeable elder Japanese man who is retired and loves make wood knickknacks. He excitedly gave me a tour describing every work in detail and naming the wood it came from; many of which I have never encountered or knew of. He had several pieces of ironwood and blood wood, both easy to recognize. 

I did not realize what one stack of waney edged wood was until he gave me a piece of the bark, it was cinnamon. Other wood I have never seen was: camphor, Japanese pepper, fragrant olive, and Japanese pagoda. One of his favorite work is to make designs from natural sawdust of different colors.

The best part was the tour in the back shed that held a mammoth band saw. It stands around 10 feet tall and the blade is somewhere around 6 inches wide. It is used to saw up logs. He promised to help me cut up some cherry wood; I just have to figure out how to get it here. The logs are up in a mountain 2 hours away and $60 in tolls one-way.

I thought some of you might like the pictures. I will post more of cutting up the cherry logs.


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## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

*Cherry Logs*

A picture of the logs that need to get to the saw mill.


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## Wildwood (Aug 14, 2010)

That's a great story Steve - thanks for posting - I've just got to make some of those owls!
Rob


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Hi Steve.

That is some band saw.....

Thanks for posting.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Daikusan said:


> A picture of the logs that need to get to the saw mill.



Are you able to beg/borrow/steal/rent a chainsaw and cut the logs into lengths that you can transport.

You have to weigh the cost of the tolls against the cost of the timber to buy....


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Cool photos - Thanks for posting.

Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

Just a personal opinion/observation, but thos logs don't look large enough to justify the hauling, tolls, and sawing costs. You need to explore these costs and get some diameter and length measurements of those logs for your sawyer to look at. With the measurements he should be able to give you a rough estimate of how many board feet you will have once they have been milled. Does the saw owner have a kiln? After the sawing the boards need to be kiln dried to kill insects as well as stabilize the wood before you can use it. This will be an added expense to add to your cost totals.

Charley


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## Barry747 (Jun 16, 2011)

Steve, thanks for posting. That's one serious band saw. From the looks of it, and all of the wood that's been cut, I'm guessing he does more than make owls. I also doubt that he has much of a problem coming up with sawdust for his projects. Very clever. Sort of a woodworker's version of colored sand in a bottle.

Charley made an excellent point. Although you don't know how much usable wood will come out of those trees the sawyer's estimate will give you a ballpark so you can calculate the cost per board foot. It might be cheaper just going to a local sawmill or lumber yard. At least there you'd know what you're getting. Unfortunately for me, I don't live near any sawmills and the closest thing to a lumber yard is HD or Lowes. Not exactly purveyors of fine lumber. Since I do small projects, toys for the grandkids which is usually under 10 BF, I pay high prices and buy through the Internet. I also don't have a planer or, I'm ashamed to admit, a table saw, I'd have a problem with rough cut lumber. Some day ...


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Steve, please tell the gentleman that I admire his work. I am sure the cost of transporting the wood is far lower than the cost to purchase it already processed. We tend to forget that wood prices vary from country to country. I was at the Rockler store near me when a shipment of wood from South America came in. The packing crate was built from bloodwood! What costs an arm and a leg here is dirt cheap in other countries.


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## bosox (Jun 12, 2012)

Great post! That's a big band saw. I like the little projects that the man did.


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## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

jw2170 said:


> Are you able to beg/borrow/steal/rent a chainsaw and cut the logs into lengths that you can transport.
> 
> You have to weigh the cost of the tolls against the cost of the timber to buy....


James
Thanks for your kind comment. The chainsaw I cut down the trees with died while taking off the branches. Ive replaced it since then so cutting them up into usable lengths should break it in well. I get up to the mountain a couple times each summer so it is a bit unfair to count all the toll cost against the logs. Just wish I had a dump truck.


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## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

Wildwood said:


> That's a great story Steve - thanks for posting - I've just got to make some of those owls!
> Rob


Hey that would be a real hoot. That’s ******* talk for it would be a wonderful interesting project that would be loads of fun. Is there someone out there that can translate *******?? :blink:


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## Wildwood (Aug 14, 2010)

_Hey that would be a real hoot. That’s ******* talk for it would be a wonderful interesting project that would be loads of fun. Is there someone out there that can translate *******?? _

Here in SA, that translates to Rooinek - what we call the Brits


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## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

Charley and Barry
Thanks for looking out for me you both made good points. The guy said he would cut it up for me so the only real cost will be transportation. Cherry wood here comes from your own cuts. All the kiln dried wood as far as I know is imported; though there is likely one or two somewhere on the island. All the indigenous wood I have seen is cut and stacked with stickers [see picture 2 of the band saw] and dried naturally. The left tree in the first picture is about 60cm across. The second tree is 7-9 m to the fork; its at least 40cm across. If I get enough to make a roll top desk I will be more than happy. Im thinking I will end up with a pile about like the one at the sawmill (that may be more wishful thinking than reality). 

We have something like HD or Lowes, the imported lumber is Douglas Fur or White Pine. Occasionally I will see some Teak. The rest is home grown matsu a pine that is a bit denser and harder than Douglas Fur; its darker too almost brown. There is a lot of mahogany that prices out comparable to the pine. That it for lumber unless you import it


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## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

Wildwood said:


> [Here in SA, that translates to Rooinek - what we call the Brits


Rob 
Im sorry if I offended you, it wasn’t meant to be. It was meant to be a pun.

Rooinek sounds like a slam on the Brits. When we have a really good fun time we say, “That was a real hoot.” In other cases, “That was a real hoot,” can mean that was a really good laugh.

Let’s face it – English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren’t invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce and hammers don’t ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn’t the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn’t it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn’t preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

PS. – Why doesn’t ‘Buick’ rhyme with ‘quick’? :jester:
Thats just American English [if thats real English] not adding the slang from the Brits, Assuies, SA or anywhere else.


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## bosox (Jun 12, 2012)

That makes sense.


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## papasombre (Sep 22, 2011)

Hi, Steve.

Are you an english teacher? It was funny!!!


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## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

papasombre said:


> Hi, Steve.
> 
> Are you an english teacher? It was funny!!!


Alexis
Teaching English is more or less a hobby. I see you are from Venezuela, is English a second language for you? The grammar part of English is very hard for me, so I really admire those who have mastered it as a second Language.

There are many comical misuses of English words here in Japan. On the other hand I have made more than my share of mistakes in Japanese, some rather hilarious.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Steve, not sure if you caught my response asking you to compliment the gentleman on his clever projects. I would appreciate some close up photo's of his owls.


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## Wildwood (Aug 14, 2010)

Hi Steve - I have no idea why you should think I was offended, because I certainly wasn't - you asked if anyone could give you a translation of *******, and I was just giving you the Afrikaans version. Many visitors from UK get rather sunburnt here when they first visit (specially on the neck!) and they have been called Rooineks by Afrikaners since the year dot. It is actually not considered derogatory here, but rather a hoot!
And I greatly enjoyed your observations of the English language.
I look forward to more posts from you - Rob


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## Wildwood (Aug 14, 2010)

Hi again Steve - re-reading your post I realise now that you were referring to a translation of '******* language' and I gave you a literal translation of ******* as a term -my mistake, but I hope my version has been of some interest - Rob


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Heh.._.real_ ******** consider the term an honour.
It's liberal progressives that (try) and use the term pejoratively.
If being a 'blue-collar' guy who works hard, often in crappy or hot weather, is a bad thing, then 'guilty as charged'!


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## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

Mike said:


> Steve, not sure if you caught my response asking you to compliment the gentleman on his clever projects. I would appreciate some close up photo's of his owls.


Yes I did Mike. I should have at least left a note to you to the effect of “Ok I will.” I apologize I didn’t. He was rather surprised at a response from America.

The shop is only open Saturdays and Sundays. I will stop in again next Saturday and try get more pictures. We are on the very tail end of Sunday here.


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## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

Wildwood said:


> Hi again Steve - re-reading your post I realise now that you were referring to a translation of '******* language' and I gave you a literal translation of ******* as a term -my mistake, but I hope my version has been of some interest - Rob


Rob
No worries, the joke is on me; you got me. I now understand you were translating the word "*******." That makes sense because in America the Brits were known as "Red Coats." I believe the collars were high and were red on some uniforms also; if that is true, the South African term is logical also. 

It is interesting too that the one time enemies are now the best of allies. If I remember my Naval history correctly the U.S. Marines high color was based on that uniform and leather was used to hold the collar stiff, hence the term “leathernecks.” I had better shut up, "Im sticking my neck out."


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## Wildwood (Aug 14, 2010)

Steve - just to round off, the start of the Boer War ended the era of the Red Coats - their red tunics on the veld made too good a target for the Boer marksmen, and they quickly ditched them in favour of Khaki.
From Giant bandsaws and hooting owls, to Red Coats! The Walrus and the Carpenter have got nothing on us!
Rob


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## Stan Richardson (May 23, 2013)

I have overlooked this story for couple of days now, I'm glad I clicked on it. Very good story and the sawdust welcome sign was a great Idea


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

The reason the Brits had red coats was so if an officer was shot his troops would not see the blood and be afraid. Someone told me this is also the reason the French officers wore brown pants. :jester:


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## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

Mike
With that logic it stands to reason why the Marines wore green camis . . . after riding in the hold of a Navy ship. :bad: But I think we are digressing a bit.


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## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

Mike said:


> Steve, not sure if you caught my response asking you to compliment the gentleman on his clever projects. I would appreciate some close up photo's of his owls.


Mike
Went by the shop Saturday and Sunday after church, it looks like he wasn’t open this weekend. I will try again for the owl pictures next Saturday.


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## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

Mike said:


> Steve, not sure if you caught my response asking you to compliment the gentleman on his clever projects. I would appreciate some close up photo's of his owls.


Mike
Posted the pictures here http://www.routerforums.com/tools-woodworking/41866-hoot.html#post339011


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Barry747 said:


> Unfortunately for me, I don't live near any sawmills and the closest thing to a lumber yard is HD or Lowes.


So you'd think anyway. I kept passing one sawmill, and one day went another route, and discovered another. Got me curious, and I found out there are at least SEVEN sawmills in that general area, which is about 9 miles from me. There is another even closer. A few years ago a building supply store was built in the small town I live close to - a lumber yard. And not a Home Depot or Lowes. I've not paid much attention, but do know where another is located, about 9 miles down the road - in the opposite directions from the sawmill area. I know of one sawmill about 15-20 miles from me, and at least three building supply stores about 10-15 miles from me, not including the one in the town I live near. Check your local phone book, no telling what you'll find.

I will admit tho, I buy my plywood from Lowes (can't stand Home Depot), because they will cut it for me, the building supply won't. I'd buy a full sheet and do it myself, but anymore, I can't even handle a half sheet my myself, so get it sliced when I buy it.


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## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

*The Saw in Action*

I made it to the sawmill yesterday, long story, not bad just life in the country in Japan where a 30 minute job turns into 3 hours. You sit down and talk before the work then sit down and talk afterwards. It like being back home with the good o’ boys. 

I had to cut the log into 3 pieces to get it in my van the shortest being 115cm. That piece was nearly cut through last year when my chainsaw quit. Quitting was a good thing because it saved the logs for lumber. I had not considered using the wood for lumber back then. When I got the log I also cut the stumps off and got 3 more short pieces, the stumps had started to spalt. I ended up with over 100 linear feet of lumber 4 quarters thick and two pieces 8 quarters thick. Off hand I figure I have at well over 60 board feet of usable wood. I finished getting the bark off today; ready to be stacked with the stickers. It started raining so covered it up and quit. 

The wood is Japanese cherry which blossoms but no fruit. There is a pleasant smell outside and inside the house from it. The sawmill guy liked it and mentioned that it was different than anything he had cut before; he had cut local cherry. We decided that was because it was from the mountain.

Chuck, I am reconsidering where to stack. I have a 2 meter wide covered area on the south side, the last picture. It has a concrete base and the foundation is open on that side (south) and on north side; which would give air flow behind the stack. The west side is about a meter to the fence/wall, you can see that to the left of the last picture. It is also the way out to parking. I would have to stack it 10-15cm from the house and it is closed foundation there. If I stack it under the roof I can cover it with black netting that will keep it out of the direct sunlight and allow good airflow. 

Giant Bandsaw in Action - YouTube


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## bosox (Jun 12, 2012)

The blade cuts through the logs smoothly. Great video.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Good save, Steve.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Love the casual way the operator leans up near to the blade to pick up the off cuts......

Thanks for the video Steve.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

That looks like some nice projects in the making.


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## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

jw2170 said:


> Love the casual way the operator leans up near to the blade to pick up the off cuts......
> 
> Thanks for the video Steve.


As steady as the blade was I guess he knew the blade wouldn’t jump over and bite him. Hmmm if that blade ever broke. . . Hate to think of the cost to replace one of those blades. It had an interesting oiling system run by compressed air. The tensioner had something like 60kg of counterweight. Ill get a picture of the weights later.


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## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> That looks like some nice projects in the making.


I suppose I have a year to think about it. I have always wanted a roll-top desk, but Im not sure cherry would be the best choice for that. Do you see any problem moving the stack to the south side?


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Daikusan said:


> I suppose I have a year to think about it. I have always wanted a roll-top desk, but Im not sure cherry would be the best choice for that. Do you see any problem moving the stack to the south side?


I think cherry would make a beautiful roll-top desk!

I think it was Fine Woodworking that had a series on making roll-tops. I don't remember exactly which mag it was, but I know I read it online for free. That series always sticks in the back of my mind. Can't remember when it was. It went over every part, including making the slats on a router table, a jig to line up the slats and gluing them to canvass... I think it's online. That gave me lots of ideas.

It was Woodsmith Plans... and here it is:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...pH_-BR2sosynQGV0bjrBv5Q&bvm=bv.49784469,d.aWc


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Daikusan said:


> I suppose I have a year to think about it. I have always wanted a roll-top desk, but Im not sure cherry would be the best choice for that. Do you see any problem moving the stack to the south side?


Not as long as you can keep the sun off of it and the temperature swings over 24 hours aren't too severe.


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## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

MAFoElffen said:


> I think cherry would make a beautiful roll-top desk!
> 
> I think it was Fine Woodworking that had a series on making roll-tops. I don't remember exactly which mag it was, but I know I read it online for free. That series always sticks in the back of my mind. Can't remember when it was. It went over every part, including making the slats on a router table, a jig to line up the slats and gluing them to canvass... I think it's online. That gave me lots of ideas.
> 
> ...


Mike
Thanks for the plans. I now have 3 sets. One a full scale set I bought when I was in high school (’70’s). The other is from a Woodworking magazine ’70’s (’70’s were a good time :dirol.

The Woodsmith plans are very detailed and helpful, similar to another set I have. I like the Woodsmith plans detailing the router work. There are enough differences between the plans to mix and match. I am thinking about dropping the back ½ or ¾ of the main desk part to install a computer monitor at an acute angle so it is ergonomically set for looking at. Likely need a couple of cooling fans for that. I can think a bit - while the wood is drying.
Steve


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## Daikusan (Apr 12, 2013)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Not as long as you can keep the sun off of it and the temperature swings over 24 hours aren't too severe.


Sun - I can shade that, the temp’s hmmm what is severe? I probably need to stick a thermometer in the pile and check how much it swings. Yesterday when stacking there was a cool breeze from under the house. Likely to be 3-5°C than else where, i.e. the westside. Our weather has been on the cool side this year, this week the highs were in the low 30’s, with night and day swings 9-11°C.

The cherry wood is stacked and stickered. I am still wiping egg of my face. In my mind I had a picture of the wood stacked with the stickers, but my mind did not compute the thickness added to the stack by the stickers. Result two stacks instead of one both over 1 ½ meters high. In hindsight it would have been better not to cut the stickers and let them run through both stacks. That would make both stacks more stable and less likely to fall incase of an earthquake. Hmmm, new thought I can tie the 2/4 tops together.

I made frames out of 2/4’s for the bottoms and top. I need to add more weight to the top though.


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