mn

"mark"

12/12/2004 12:00 AM

best way to turn firewood into slabs?

I'm sure someone here has done this...I have a pile of salvaged maple
firewood, where the figure is too beautiful to burn. As I stack, I set them
aside. I recently got a small portable delta planer, and decided to turn
some of it into parts for this music stand I'm building. I was wondering as
to the best way to get a flat side on what is essentially split firewood.
The method I used, (and it doesn't appear to be the easiest) is to "eyeball"
a cut on the band saw, then flatten that side as much as possible by hand,
then cut slabs off it. Once they're thin enough, I run them thru the planer
to get them dimensioned, then fasten a straight board to them and run them
over the table saw. Then I have 3 straight sides. The hardest part seems
to be getting the bandsaw to cut a relatively straight line when there is no
straight part of the log to run against any fence. Any brilliant tips or
techniques?


This topic has 17 replies

md

mac davis

in reply to "mark" on 12/12/2004 12:00 AM

12/12/2004 8:05 AM

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 00:00:59 GMT, "mark" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I'm sure someone here has done this...I have a pile of salvaged maple
>firewood, where the figure is too beautiful to burn. As I stack, I set them
>aside. I recently got a small portable delta planer, and decided to turn
>some of it into parts for this music stand I'm building. I was wondering as
>to the best way to get a flat side on what is essentially split firewood.
>The method I used, (and it doesn't appear to be the easiest) is to "eyeball"
>a cut on the band saw, then flatten that side as much as possible by hand,
>then cut slabs off it. Once they're thin enough, I run them thru the planer
>to get them dimensioned, then fasten a straight board to them and run them
>over the table saw. Then I have 3 straight sides. The hardest part seems
>to be getting the bandsaw to cut a relatively straight line when there is no
>straight part of the log to run against any fence. Any brilliant tips or
>techniques?
>
get a lathe and have a great time with that maple!!

DB

Dave Balderstone

in reply to "mark" on 12/12/2004 12:00 AM

11/12/2004 9:07 PM

In article <%[email protected]>,
mark <[email protected]> wrote:

> The hardest part seems
> to be getting the bandsaw to cut a relatively straight line when there is no
> straight part of the log to run against any fence. Any brilliant tips or
> techniques?

Draw a line. Cut to it.

LS

Lars Stole

in reply to "mark" on 12/12/2004 12:00 AM

11/12/2004 6:25 PM

There is a nice resawing jig for exactly this in American Woodworker.
You can see it at
http://www.rd.com/americanwoodworker/articles/200008/main/index.html


On 2004-12-11 18:00:59 -0600, "mark" <[email protected]> said:

> I'm sure someone here has done this...I have a pile of salvaged maple
> firewood, where the figure is too beautiful to burn. As I stack, I set
> them aside. I recently got a small portable delta planer, and decided
> to turn some of it into parts for this music stand I'm building. I was
> wondering as to the best way to get a flat side on what is essentially
> split firewood. The method I used, (and it doesn't appear to be the
> easiest) is to "eyeball" a cut on the band saw, then flatten that side
> as much as possible by hand, then cut slabs off it. Once they're thin
> enough, I run them thru the planer to get them dimensioned, then fasten
> a straight board to them and run them over the table saw. Then I have
> 3 straight sides. The hardest part seems to be getting the bandsaw to
> cut a relatively straight line when there is no straight part of the
> log to run against any fence. Any brilliant tips or techniques?

Sd

Silvan

in reply to "mark" on 12/12/2004 12:00 AM

12/12/2004 1:17 AM

mark wrote:

> there is no
> straight part of the log to run against any fence. Any brilliant tips or
> techniques?

Hand plane(s). Plane one side of it flat and then you have something to run
against the fence.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

Gg

"George"

in reply to "mark" on 12/12/2004 12:00 AM

12/12/2004 8:17 AM

Flatten one face with your scrub/block plane first, then saw to a pivot
block.

I use firewood all the time.

"Dave Balderstone" <dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_S.balderstone.ca> wrote in message
news:111220042107094764%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_S.balderstone.ca...
> In article <%[email protected]>,
> mark <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > The hardest part seems
> > to be getting the bandsaw to cut a relatively straight line when there
is no
> > straight part of the log to run against any fence. Any brilliant tips
or
> > techniques?
>
> Draw a line. Cut to it.

Gg

"George"

in reply to "mark" on 12/12/2004 12:00 AM

12/12/2004 12:13 PM

"mark" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "George" <george@least> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Flatten one face with your scrub/block plane first, then saw to a pivot
> > block.
> >
> > I use firewood all the time.
>
> Excuse my ignorance -- what's a pivot block?
>

It's a fence which only establishes the distance from the teeth to itself,
allowing free pivot to account for lead in the blade, density difference in
the piece. Think of a capital "L", with the horizontal clamped to the
table, the vertical just prior to the teeth. It can have either a "V" or a
rounded vertical component.

If you've got Duginskie, he shows it.



TM

"Tony Mo"

in reply to "mark" on 12/12/2004 12:00 AM

11/12/2004 11:20 PM

http://www.nicks.ca/Lil.rp.html

Sorry Mark, I think I sent this link to your e-mail instead of to the group.
Anyway, I saw this device at the local woodshow. They were using it to cut
boards from logs from a firewood pile.
Seemed to work great. They were using it on a 1hp bandsaw.

Tony

md

mac davis

in reply to "mark" on 12/12/2004 12:00 AM

13/12/2004 7:01 AM

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 14:32:12 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>> On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 00:00:59 GMT, "mark" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>>I'm sure someone here has done this...I have a pile of salvaged maple
>>>firewood, where the figure is too beautiful to burn.
>
>Easy. I've turned lots of slabs into firewood. Just watch me in the shop
>and do the reverse.
>
is that sort of like my "wine to water" trick??

Cc

"CW"

in reply to "mark" on 12/12/2004 12:00 AM

11/12/2004 10:58 PM

Fasten the log to a board. Run the board against the fence.

"mark" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:%[email protected]...
> I'm sure someone here has done this...I have a pile of salvaged maple
> firewood, where the figure is too beautiful to burn. As I stack, I set
them
> aside. I recently got a small portable delta planer, and decided to turn
> some of it into parts for this music stand I'm building. I was wondering
as
> to the best way to get a flat side on what is essentially split firewood.
> The method I used, (and it doesn't appear to be the easiest) is to
"eyeball"
> a cut on the band saw, then flatten that side as much as possible by hand,
> then cut slabs off it. Once they're thin enough, I run them thru the
planer
> to get them dimensioned, then fasten a straight board to them and run them
> over the table saw. Then I have 3 straight sides. The hardest part
seems
> to be getting the bandsaw to cut a relatively straight line when there is
no
> straight part of the log to run against any fence. Any brilliant tips or
> techniques?
>
>

KC

"Keith Carlson"

in reply to "mark" on 12/12/2004 12:00 AM

12/12/2004 3:28 AM

"Dave Balderstone" <dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_S.balderstone.ca> wrote in message
news:111220042107094764%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_S.balderstone.ca...
> In article <%[email protected]>,
> mark <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> The hardest part seems
>> to be getting the bandsaw to cut a relatively straight line when there is
>> no
>> straight part of the log to run against any fence. Any brilliant tips or
>> techniques?
>
> Draw a line. Cut to it.

What about a tall fence? Use a flat board - at least flat on one side, and
straight on the adjacent edge. Then drive some screws (countersunk) through
the flat board into the firewood chunk. Use the flat board as the guide
along the fence, make cuts on the firewood. When you get close to the
screws, remove the guide board and screws, flip the firewood chunk over and
use the new flat side on the fence.

I don't know how well this would work - it's a question.

EP

"Edwin Pawlowski"

in reply to "mark" on 12/12/2004 12:00 AM

12/12/2004 2:32 PM


> On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 00:00:59 GMT, "mark" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I'm sure someone here has done this...I have a pile of salvaged maple
>>firewood, where the figure is too beautiful to burn.

Easy. I've turned lots of slabs into firewood. Just watch me in the shop
and do the reverse.

ON

Old Nick

in reply to "mark" on 12/12/2004 12:00 AM

12/12/2004 10:04 PM

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 14:32:12 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]>
vaguely proposed a theory
......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

>
>> On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 00:00:59 GMT, "mark" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>>I'm sure someone here has done this...I have a pile of salvaged maple
>>>firewood, where the figure is too beautiful to burn.
>
>Easy. I've turned lots of slabs into firewood. Just watch me in the shop
>and do the reverse.

But you'll burn your hands....
---
Only worry about the things you can control.

Then you have stuff all to worry about!

mn

"mark"

in reply to "mark" on 12/12/2004 12:00 AM

12/12/2004 3:30 PM


"George" <george@least> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Flatten one face with your scrub/block plane first, then saw to a pivot
> block.
>
> I use firewood all the time.

Excuse my ignorance -- what's a pivot block?

rr

"res055a5"

in reply to "mark" on 12/12/2004 12:00 AM

12/12/2004 4:36 PM

> The method I used, (and it doesn't appear to be the easiest) is to
"eyeball"
> a cut on the band saw, then flatten that side as much as possible by hand,
> then cut slabs off it. Once they're thin enough, I run them thru the
planer
> to get them dimensioned, then fasten a straight board to them and run them
> over the table saw. Then I have 3 straight sides. The hardest part
seems
> to be getting the bandsaw to cut a relatively straight line when there is
no
> straight part of the log to run against any fence. Any brilliant tips or
> techniques?
>
>> do you have a "hand electric planer"?? you can use one to flatten rough
shaped
wood, then use the bandsaw and then the planer.

I even use my hand electric planer for carving large logs in some spots. i
bought one
at a pawn shop...it seems that most people buy them to flatten out
dimensional lumber.
then they find out that they only end up using them about once a year at
the most...so
they sell them. it's great for us that use them on rough wood.

they are also useful in smoothing burls for tables and clocks.
rich

mm

makesawdust

in reply to "mark" on 12/12/2004 12:00 AM

13/12/2004 4:18 PM


Silvan Wrote:
> mark wrote:
> -
> there is no
> straight part of the log to run against any fence. Any brilliant tip
> or
> techniques?-
>
> Hand plane(s). Plane one side of it flat and then you have somethin
> to run
> against the fence.
>
> --
> Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan [email protected]
> Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
> http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
> http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

Shoot, I've been doing it all wrong...turning my slabs into firewood

--
makesawdust

Ta

"Tim and Stephanie"

in reply to "mark" on 12/12/2004 12:00 AM

12/12/2004 4:46 AM

I've done this in the past with the jointer - I just run it across until I
get a flat surface.
And, once you've got one surface, you're off and running. It's slower,
certainly, than a bandsaw, but then I don't have a bandsaw, so it's a lot
faster than _my_ bandsaw.

"mark" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:%[email protected]...
> I'm sure someone here has done this...I have a pile of salvaged maple
> firewood, where the figure is too beautiful to burn. As I stack, I set
them
> aside. I recently got a small portable delta planer, and decided to turn
> some of it into parts for this music stand I'm building. I was wondering
as
> to the best way to get a flat side on what is essentially split firewood.
> The method I used, (and it doesn't appear to be the easiest) is to
"eyeball"
> a cut on the band saw, then flatten that side as much as possible by hand,
> then cut slabs off it. Once they're thin enough, I run them thru the
planer
> to get them dimensioned, then fasten a straight board to them and run them
> over the table saw. Then I have 3 straight sides. The hardest part
seems
> to be getting the bandsaw to cut a relatively straight line when there is
no
> straight part of the log to run against any fence. Any brilliant tips or
> techniques?
>
>

mn

"mark"

in reply to "mark" on 12/12/2004 12:00 AM

12/12/2004 4:41 AM


"Lars Stole" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:2004121118252716807%larsstole@gsbuchicagoedu...
> There is a nice resawing jig for exactly this in American Woodworker. You
> can see it at
> http://www.rd.com/americanwoodworker/articles/200008/main/index.html
>
Perfect, thanks! I was trying to figure out a way to build something just
like this. I tried the "draw the line. cut to it" idea, and with no flat on
the chunk of firewood it didn't work too well.


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