Quartersawing on a Wood-Mizer

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Quartersawing on a Wood-Mizer A discussion of the best techniques for quartering logs on a bandmill, with photos of the operation in progress. January 16, 2002

Question
A friend of mine makes chairs. For the back frame structure, he needs a perfect quarter saw on each board. Presently he splits logs into wedges and then squares them up on a table saw. I am looking for a way to hold the log into place so I can saw it on a Wood-Mizer. The way it's being done now is very wasteful.

Forum Responses
One method is to take wedges and attach them to a flattened side of the log to get it to tilt. I use Bondo for this job, as it hardens quickly. But that is only good for one or two cuts and then you have to prop up under the wedges to get the log to turn some more. With perfectly sawn quarter sawn lumber you are going to have to accept the waste problem, but it is worth it.

I do a bit of quarter sawing with high-grade white oak logs on a Wood-Mizer (hydraulic) bandsaw. I prefer to start with an octagon, making all slab cuts parallel to the pith. This ensures that the pith will be parallel to the saw bed at all times. The critical thing is to produce enough flat surfaces so that each quarter can easily be turned and clamped. This method produces boards with parallel sides, which I find easier to edge and to stack. Below are some illustrations of the method I use.

Pictures and captions by Woody Green

Step 1: Slab eight sides.