ALWAYS USE WEDGES ON THIRD CUT OF CANT UNLESS BOTTOM SLAB IS VERY THIN. JUST BEFORE THE 3RD CUT IS DONE, PUT A WEDGE IN EACH SIDE CLOSE TO THE SAW. PULLING THE SAW FROM UNDER A HEAVY CANT WILL STRETCH YOUR CHAIN AND EVENTUALLY BREAK IT.
TO MAKE 2 3 SIDED CANTS OUT OF A LOG, MAKE YOUR FIRST CUT AND THEN SET SAW FOR CANT THICKNESS AND RUN MILL DOWN FIRST CUT MAKING A PARALLEL CUT ON BOTTOM OF LOG. NOW TURN 90 DEGREE AND DO THE NAILS AND PLANK THING ON TOP. BEFORE TURNING MARK CENTER ON TOP CUT ON EACH END . NOW PUT YOUR NAILS IN EACH END FOR STRING AND USING SQUARE MAKE DISTANCE FROM NAIL HEAD TO CENTER MARK THE SAME ON BOTH ENDS. YOU CAN USE LONGER NAILS FOR THIS AS YOUR SAW WILL BE SET DEEP. NOW PLACE THE BULL PLANK ON FINISHED NAILS AND MEASURE DOWN FROM TOP OF PLANK TO CENTER AND SET SAW AND CUT. YOU END UP WITH A MATCHED PAIR OF 3 SIDED CANTS.
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On the second cut do you fasten the plant to the log or simply let it rest on the nails? Secondly how many sets of nails do you use, say on a 12' log to avoid sagging of the plank?
ReplyDeleteThanks
The comment that came from 'Linda' was really from me.
ReplyDeleteBryan I think you should be the poster boy for the Alaskan Mill. You make it look easy thanks for the master class :)
ReplyDeletehi Art.... On the second cut the plank is just resting on the leveled nails. There are nails about every 2 feet. Make sure your guide plank is a straight well seasoned one.
ReplyDeleteYour mill strategy has answered a few questions. The leveled nail strategy is good. I screwed my plank to the log and of course torqued it. The nails every couple of feet certainly simplifies things. I'll save my curved logs for my next curved log project. haha
ReplyDeleteWhen you spike the green wall logs down into place and then the logs shrink; how come the spikes don't show in the gaps between the logs?
ReplyDeleteHI James...Lots of the wall cants are dead and dry but there are some green also. The weight of the roof with all the snow load pushes all the logs tight together. You do not see any spike or opening at all. Also when you pound the spikes into the cants give them an extra two wacks so that the spike is really sucked in.
ReplyDeleteHi again James... We have 8 months of snow here and there will be about 7 to 8 tons of snow pushing those Balsam cants together. Balsam is a soft wood and can't warp easily.
ReplyDelete