Skipping the stem crush for tough woods cost me a full day's work

Forget skipping the stem crush on anything hard. I can't believe you tried that on tough woods, it's basically a guaranteed jam. No wonder it took all day.

3

charles_bell7mo ago

Pressure-treated pine is my main game, and I've run plenty of it without a crush. The trick is really listening to the feed rate and keeping your blades crazy sharp. Sometimes that initial compression just isn't needed if you pay close attention. I save the crush step for the absolute worst twisted grain I come across.

2

the_cora7mo ago

Read something once from an old sawmill guy who said that crush is everything on hardwoods. It's not just about getting it through... it's about letting the fibers relax first. Trying to force it just binds everything up. You end up fighting the machine all day and ruining good wood. That lesson seems to come the hard way for everyone.

0