Crosscut Saw.

It may sound crazy, but I would check in with some antique stores that may specialize in older tools . . . perhaps drop an e-mail to this company: http://libertytoolco.com/


This company sells new cross cut saws . . . for a half decent price:
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/two-mancrosscutlogsaw.aspx

Two other alternatives to buying a new, larger saw would be to see if you could just get a longer bar and chain set up for your saw if it is possible . . . or see if another hearth.com member in your area with a longer bar would be willing to help you out.

Oldmainer, I might know of one. I'll check and if it is available will contact you. I also will be in West Lebanon, NH on October 7-8.

I could fill my truck with the crappy used ones I've passed on over the years. Finally found a decent one-man buck saw for $15 right down the road from me.

If you get an old one, make sure the teeth are set properly and are all at the same height. If they are good to go, you can save a lot of time sharpening it by using a Dremel tool with a #420 flat grinding wheel held in a mandrel. Pay careful attention to the original bevels on the teeth and don't alter them. After that initial sharpening, you can dress it in the field with a small mill file.

Oldmainer, sorry but no deal on the crosscut I thought maybe I could get.

How big are these trees? I've never used a saw like the one you're looking for, but a 5 foot crosscut probably limits out on 48"inch trees, right? I would think it would be pretty easy to find somebody local with a >24" inch bar on their saw to make a few cuts for you.

A 5ft. saw would limit you to about 2-3ft. diameter. If you are indeed talking about a two man saw. Then your stroke would be short too.

I figure you get about 1/2 the length of the two-man saw. So a 5 footer would be good for log roughly 2.5 feet diameter. The reason is when the log diameter exceeds 1/2 the length of the saw not all the teeth will leave the cut to dump the sawdust. The sawdust will then build up and bind making grief for you.

However, this is just for optimum performance. It's not like you'll stop dead and it only lasts for that portion of the log at its widest. If it does give you grief you can "pick up" the saw, bring it back, and cut in only one direction for a while to clean out the cut.

I got mine from Highland woodworking. I think it was $80 when I got it.

All of the above applies for OPTIMUM performance, but a 6' saw can easily cut a 5' log with two men and even bigger if you remove one of the handles and alternate sides. That might not work if you're talking about felling, I've never used a crosscut for felling, only bucking.

If you're actually going to use a saw, you'll want to find one that's sharp, set and not one bit rusted or pitted. Lehmans.com sells one for ~$300.

http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/products.asp?dept=306

Here's a link to a sight that has quite a selection of new two-man and one-man log saws. It might actually be the one I bought mine from a few years ago, however at the time I think they only had one saw to choose from the 48" regular-tooth saw.

The regular tooth is the simplest design and easiest to sharpen. The tuttle-tooth and Lance-tooth are more specialized. With the specialized saws I'm not sure how bad they work when you use them for the wrong wood. I.e. what happens when you use a lance-tooth on dry oak?

I do know that cutting green Jack-pine was tough with my regular-toothed saw. Not sure if the pitch stuck to the side or if the softer wood filled the gussets and bound.

Lance tooth saws will cut dry oak just fine, but the hardness of the wood makes single bucking slow with a small saw. If you have a helper, you can cut through any wood much faster. When cutting pine, have a can of WD-40 or Orange Blast handy to dissolve the pitch.

This was posted on another forum, but it's a lance tooth saw in a red oak:

If you have a helper, you can cut through any wood much faster.

Click to expand...

So what is the proper technique when two-man cutting? I know you're not supposed to push, but there must be something that two men can do that one man can't.

Is it proper for the person who is not pulling to apply a slight amount of down pressure? Or is this bad?

The saw will do the work if properly sharp. A little WD-40 or the like may be handy is some woods to keep the blade sliding though easily.

Adjusting the hight of one's grip on the pillar style handles can help on some wood.

Practice makes perfect pretty quickly. When we started cutting and really didn't try setting any speed records we got it sorted out pretty quick.

Study on how to sharpen...

ATB,
Mike

I've looked into the "how to sharpen" question.

Not many places to get all the tools for sharpening these beasts. Are they all necessary? Some places have "kits" but they aren't cheap. Are they worth it?

Best place for tools is Ebay. All you need is a combination jointer (Simonds 342 is a good one), spider, flat file, slim taper file, and small hammer. File straight rakers until you get the hang of it.

It's ok to push on a bucking saw providing your partner is pulling with equal or more force. Felling saws are too flimsy to push. The weight of your arms and the circle (arc) of the saw will get a bite in the kerf. Pull down too hard and the saw will stick.

One way to sharpen a saw. This shows the basics, given that YT only gave me ten minutes:

All this reminds me of an expression of my late grandfather's: "He's not a man you want on the other end of a two man saw."

Grandfather was a tremendously hard working farmer, but the context of his expression made it clear that the person referred to was one of those people who would work themselves and everyone around them to death.

I'm not familiar with the German saws. Plenty of good Disstons and Simonds on Ebay. You'll probably have to sharpen it, as I doubt if it will come tuned properly from the factory.

Could you rent a bigger chainsaw for the afternoon to get it cut?

Jotul,

That's funny. At first glance I thought the expression might be one for the type of person who would let you do all the work. Either type is not the type to have on the other end.