Today's
Sponsors:


Finish Systems

Firth Maple Products

FORDAQ

FormWood Industries

Freeborn Tool Company

Fuhr International

Fuji Spray

Gabbiani Machine

Gary M. Katz

Global Hardwood Flooring

Glue Machinery Corporation

Goby Walnut Products

Graco, Inc.

Granite Road

Grayson Ferguson Woodworking Inc.

Great Lakes Kiln Drying Association

GreCon

GUHDO

Hanson and Leja Lumber Company

Hardwood Council

Hardwood Store of N.C. Inc.

Heartwoods, LLC

Her-Saf

Hermance Machine Company

High Point Grinding - Total Saw Solutions

Historical Plus Wood

CNCROUTERSTORE.com

CNT Motion Systems

Colonial Saw

Construction Programs and Results

Cook's Saw Mfg.

COOLwoodworkingstuff.com

Country Saw & Knife, Inc.

Courmatt International Inc.

CP Adhesives

CSH Custom Service Hardware Inc.

CTS Manufacturing Inc.

CustomMade.com

Cutlist Plus

D.S. Brown Machinery

Dancer Lumber

Delle Vedove USA, Inc.

Delmac Machinery Group

Delta

Denray Machine

DeVilbiss

Dispoz-A-Blade

Diversi-Tech

DMC

DODDS

Don Hall & Associates

Donald Dean and Sons

Durable Wood Products

E.W. Tooling Inc.

Eagle Machinery and Repair Co.

ECabinet Systems

Edge-It Edgebanding

Edwards Wood Products

Electrophysics

Elias Woodwork & Manufacturing

Elkom North America

Emerald Hardwood Floors

Endeavor Hardwoods

EnRoute WOOD

ETemplate Digital Measuring

ETK International

EX-FACTORY

Excel Dowel and Wood Products Inc.

Extrema Machinery

ez-Router

FastCap




Maximum cant size       Formulas for determining the largest square cant that can be sawed from a log. August 1, 2001

Question
Is there a simple formula to determine the maximum size square cant that can be sawed from a log?

Forum Responses
Square the diameter. Divide by 2. Find the square root of this number.

Example
18" log
18 x 18 = 324; 324/2 = 162;
square root of 162 = 12.7279

So, basically a 12 x 12.



Draw a circle. Now draw a square inside the circle. Then draw a diagonal across the square. Notice that this diagonal is also the diameter of your circle. Measure the length of this diameter, now measure the length of one of the sides of the square. (Or use math.)
You will discover that the side of your cant is .707 of the log. Round this off to 7/10 or 70% of the log. For example, a ten-inch log gives a seven-inch cant. A twenty-inch log gives a 14-inch cant.


The above is right on the money for producing a square edge cant. You must allow for crook by reducing diameter.


I measure the small end and multiply by 7. (Example: 8" log, 8*7=56. I drop the last digit. I know I can saw a 5" cant.)


Measure the small end of the log, subtract 4", unless you have a crooked log.


I've never put it to the math test, but I've found that that this is close enough without doing all that ciphering. The small end's diameter is 1.5 times larger than the square. For a 6x6, look for a 9" log, 8x8-12" log , 12" square an 18" log. As mentioned before, sweep reduces yield.


In the post above, 1.5 is really 1.414, the approximate value of the square root of two and the .707 is really 1 divided by the square root of two. It is the value involved with a square inscribed in a circle or a circle circumscribed around a square.

Would you like to add information to this article?
Interested in writing or submitting an article?
Have a question about this article?


Have you reviewed the related Knowledge Base areas below?
  • KnowledgeBase: Primary Processing

  • KnowledgeBase: Primary Processing: Sawmilling

  • KnowledgeBase: Knowledge Base




    Would you like to add information to this article? ... Click Here

    If you have a question regarding a Knowledge Base article, your best chance at uncovering an answer is to search the entire Knowledge Base for related articles or to post your question at the appropriate WOODWEB Forum. Before posting your message, be sure to
    review our Forum Guidelines.

    Questions entered in the Knowledge Base Article comment form will not generate responses! A list of WOODWEB Forums can be found at WOODWEB's Site Map.

    When you post your question at the Forum, be sure to include references to the Knowledge Base article that inspired your question. The more information you provide with your question, the better your chances are of receiving responses.

    Return to beginning of article.



    Refer a Friend || Read This Important Information || Site Map || Privacy Policy || Site User Agreement

    Letters, questions or comments? E-Mail us and let us know what you think. Be sure to review our Frequently Asked Questions page.

    Contact us to discuss advertising or to report problems with this site.

    To report a problem, send an e-mail to our Webmaster

    Copyright © 1996-2009 - WOODWEB ® Inc.
    All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without permission of the Editor.
    Review WOODWEB's Copyright Policy.

    The editors, writers, and staff at WOODWEB try to promote safe practices. What is safe for one woodworker under certain conditions may not be safe for others in different circumstances. Readers should undertake the use of materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk.

    WOODWEB, Inc.
    RR4 Box 265A
    Montrose, PA 18801

    Contact WOODWEB













  •   Home » Knowledge Base » Knowledge Base Article