Question
I own a Wood-Mizer LT40 sawmill. What type of blade works best for pine, and what tension should the blade be set to for best cuts? On average, how often should the blades be changed, and what is the best indication?
Forum Responses
(Sawing and Drying Forum)
From contributor D:
For run of the mill pine logs - 45 or 55, 10 degree bands work fine. For knotty pine, I now use nothing but WM 1 1/8" tooth spacing 55 10 degree bands. Even the 4 degree didn't help me with knotty pine - the 1 1/8" spacing bands did the trick, even in very wide cuts. For all sawing, run the tension up to the upper end of the orange on the pressure gauge. Keep an eye on it, and readjust as necessary.
Got a debarker? If so, change after about 750 board feet.
What to watch for depends to some degree on your mill's power plant. If you have one of the big diesel mill 53 CAT, 42 Kubota, you won't notice the mill react to a dulling band, you have to watch the cut. If it cuts smooth and straight (especially at knots and hard spots, and especially in wide cuts), then it's still sharp enough to do the job. But even with good results, don't push the band too far - the micro cracks in the gullet will cause even a perfectly sharp blade to bust if pushed past its limits.
If you can find it, Cotton Gin spindle cleaner works pretty well. I mix about 8 ounces/5 gallons of water when cutting resinous woods...
