Wedges

[sachsmo]

What is your favorite size wedge? Do I need a dozen to get started, or would 6 be enough? I am ready to check out a Baileys order to get in on the free shipping offer. I am starting off using a home made Alaskan type mill with a 34" bar. I can make longer rails in the future when I get a bigger bar. I made it out of aluminum extrusion, it is very modular (and light).



Thanks, and Happy New Year!!!!

 

[discounthunter]

i made my own out of 2x4 stock,painted them pink so i wouldnt lose them in the sawdust.

 

[sachsmo]

So how long did you make the wedges? I was thinking the 8" with a 1.25" butt should be good. Perhaps the 10" would be better, I don't know. I tried the search but found nothing. I will give it another shot, only have a few hours to complete my order.

 

[Daninvan]

I usually make up a bunch of various sizes at the start of the cutting 'season' out of whatever good hard wood I have lying around. Last year was oak, this year was locust, then I sprayed them fluorescent green. 8 x 1.25 is a good size. I cut them on the bandsaw and leave the rough edges, helps 'grip' better.

If you break them or lose them it's not too much problem as the price was right!

 

[BobL]

I make mine from 3/4" hardwood board offcuts, about 8-10" long and I drill a hole in the end and tie a loop of bright yellow nylon rope thru the hole.

 

[gr8scott72]

I only have 3 right now and it seems to be all I would need. I like the short one to use on the saw side of the log so it doesn't stick out as far. I just have the orange plastic ones that I picked up from the local Stihl dealership.

 

[BIG JAKE]

I use two 10" Hard Head falling wedges and two hi-vis orange 5-1/2 double taper textured both sides. The 5-1/2s are the ones I use for milling to keep the kerf open. If it's bigger wood I'll use the hard heads also but I haven't had the need for more than 4 wedges yet. I've found that the Hard Heads tend to vibrate out of the kerf at times due to the steel end caps/weight of them. If your going to buy wedges for milling, I'd get the textured both sides they won't vibrate out of the kerf easily and the 5.5's I'd buy again they stay put and fit in my back pockets nice. I could've cut my own but I found these on Craigslist new for 5 bucks

 

[BlueRider]

right now I have 4. three are about 8" long and about 1.5" on the butt end and the other is an odd one made out of cypress. I don't get too attached to my wedges as they are an expendable item. I mill a lot of odd size and shaped logs and use the same wedges for my initial set up. One thing I learned is that when using wedges in your initial set up you should shoot a screw threw the wedge and into the log to keep it from vibtating loose.

the reality is that when miling you really only need two wedges and that is only at the very end of each cut. In a pinch even these are not 100% necessary as twigs or other stuff can be shoved into the kerf to keep the bar from being pinched.

That all said I prefer elm or locust for wedges. the reason for this is that I also use the same wedges when bucking large logs and I can really wail on them without having them splinterif they are made out of elm or locust.

 

[sachsmo]

Thanks guys,

I went ahead and ordered a dozen 8 inch green ones. Should have ordered the textured both sides, but the ones ordered were textured on one side, smooth the other. Guess it should be a lifetime supply (if they don't get lost in the sawdust).I still need to sort out an ergonomic push handle, and wheel mount. you know what they say; "necessity is the Mother of all invention"
There are plenty of good examples on here, I'll pick something out. Getting it to work is half the fun!


Happy New Year!



Happy Jan. 2 to you Bob

 

[gr8scott72]

Thanks guys,

I went ahead and ordered a dozen 8 inch green ones. Should have ordered the textured both sides, but the ones ordered were textured on one side, smooth the other. Guess it should be a lifetime supply (if they don't get lost in the sawdust).I still need to sort out an ergonomic push handle, and wheel mount. you know what they say; "necessity is the Mother of all invention"
There are plenty of good examples on here, I'll pick something out. Getting it to work is half the fun!


Happy New Year!



Happy Jan. 2 to you Bob

I thought it was laziness was the mother of all invention.

 

[820wards]

I usually make up a bunch of various sizes at the start of the cutting 'season' out of whatever good hard wood I have lying around. Last year was oak, this year was locust, then I sprayed them fluorescent green. 8 x 1.25 is a good size. I cut them on the bandsaw and leave the rough edges, helps 'grip' better.

If you break them or lose them it's not too much problem as the price was right!

Dan,
I did my first milling today and found that you can't have enough wedges. We cut them on a chop saw and they did tend to slip out easily unless we screwed them into the log for holding out plank. The idea of using the band saw to create friction sounds good. I'll make some for next time.

Thanks for the tip.
jerry-

 

[sachsmo]

I thought it was laziness was the mother of all invention.

You got that right,

But hey, I needed to add to my order to get the free shipping so looking at it that way they were almost free!

 

[billstuewe]

I make mine from maple or oak, 1 1/2" wide and 8-10" long--1/8" or less on the small end and about 3/4" on the fat end. I like them skinny like this so I can slip them in real tight with hand pressure only. I cut them on the chop saw and have a gallon plastic paint bucket full of them. They work good for felling and bucking. When I am bucking and the limb is likely to pinch I drive one or more in the kerf with a mallet--they are slinder enough to get in real tight and apply lots of pressure. When felling and I need more wedge I stack 2 or more together--a flexible technique. I like the narrow point to get into a closed up kerk if I need to open it back up for some reason. As usual, I have picked up something here--I like the idea of painting them a bright color to help find them in the sawdust--thanks guys.

In this cut I needed to keep the kerf open at the start so I could slip the nose of the saw in and freehand the tip of the corner that was too wide for my 52" bar. I had wedged each side as I came out of the cut but they are already removed in the picture. (This is being cut with the original Logosol Big Mill)

 

[gemniii]

I use two HF or NT 8" plastic yellow wedges, on sale for some pittance,($2?) and one ancient heavy duty metal splitting wedge. .
For milling I wedge them in slightly behind the mill, then as I mill forward I move them down, sometimes using them as a lever when I sit on the milled portion behind them.

 

[huskyhank]

I don't think felling wedges are the best answer for milling.

I made mine from wood slightly thicker than the saw kerf with a slight taper planed on the end to ease entry. They will tap in with a hatchet. The part that shims the cut open is not tapered, thus they do not slip out. You need a minimum of 6, and you'll place them right near where the blade is working as you go down the log. After the first foot of cut put in 2 wedges (spacers) near the end and then keep cutting. About 4-5 feet later place another pair, one on each side. Near the end put in the last two. Longer logs and thin boards may need more - maybe not.

 

[DRB]

I don't think felling wedges are the best answer for milling.

I made mine from wood slightly thicker than the saw kerf with a slight taper planed on the end to ease entry/QUOTE]

I agree. I think falling wedges are to thick and if you drive them in to far they can tip the board causing an uneven cut.

I use cedar roofing shingles cut to about an inch wide and 6 to 8 inches long with the thick end just wider than the saw kerf. This way they push into the cut almost all the way and stay were I put them. They are small enough that I can hold onto 6 at a time while cutting down the log. I would like to make a holder on my mill for them so they would be easier to install during the cut with out stopping.

I use log dogs at the start of the cut to prevent the board from twisting. On 8 and 10 foot logs I insert wedges about half way down the cut and the again when exiting the cut on both sides so the board does not twist.