The configuration and operational characteristics of sawmill equipment largely determine the success of wood processing production, both large and small, including home-based ones. It would seem that if you take the most expensive and “sophisticated” one, you won’t go wrong. However, it is important for each enterprise to select its own set of equipment that corresponds not only to its scale, but also to the volume of processed raw materials, its properties, and the characteristics of the finished product.
A striking example is the choice of an angle saw. Manufacturers and dealers place emphasis on cutting speed and quality of finished lumber. “You will receive high-quality products with excellent mechanical parameters,” “impeccable lumber geometry,” sounds tempting, doesn’t it? But we must remember that manufacturers are generous with their promises, and statements about the absolute superiority of one technology over another often turn out to be a marketing ploy, nothing more.
Buying equipment, especially unknown equipment, is possible only after a careful analysis of the needs of production and the entrepreneur’s own capabilities. The temptation to purchase a coal saw appears, as a rule, at the stage of modernization of an enterprise. But sometimes beginners also believe that it is better to invest in complex, productive equipment at the start.
Typically, this strategy is chosen by those whose finances allow them not to save. Although the price of the issue makes you think: the cost of a saw blade sawmill is several times higher than the cost of a band sawmill, and the cutting tool for it is not cheap. And this is the case when it is not the stingy person who pays twice, but the too generous one who can irrationally manage his investments.
Sawing
They are used to cut workpieces and give them a certain shape. Divided into the following categories:
- sawmills for cross-cutting and longitudinal sawing with linear saws. Movements are reciprocating. Bulky units that require complex maintenance are now not as popular as the next two options;
- circular saws. Needed for performing transverse and longitudinal cutting with circular saws vertically and obliquely. They are used to shape primary lumber;
- belt based on a tape that rotates and moves along a linear path. Suitable for harvesting at the initial stages and sawing material later.
We take into account all factors
What does the area have to do with it? And despite the fact that the use of an angle saw allows you to abandon the machines of the second row: with its help you can get all the edged lumber at once, while after the “ribbon” you will need to install an edger. Therefore, timber merchants recognize the rationality of its use in cases where there is a lack of space on the industrial site.
There is also an opinion that it makes sense to think about purchasing an angle saw for those who have problems with personnel: less equipment means less need for specialists to service it. However, this is not entirely true: the number of workers may be decreasing, but at the same time the requirements for their qualifications are increasing.
“It all comes down to the operator. The value of this frame is much greater than the machine itself. The operator gives you pure money, and he needs to be raised like a child, cared for and cherished. Take care of it like the apple of your eye. You can grow it from scratch. I raised four in a year. First, you will run together with a ruler along the logs, cube, how to saw them, and then the process will begin,” a user of the forest forum with the nickname Oleg shared his experience.
“It’s not easy to find machine operators. The fusion of mechanics and computer technology is difficult for the older generation. Young people have their own problems with learning ability, concentration, and work discipline,” complains another angle saw owner, Evgeniy.
Planing
Remove the top layer. The cutting tool goes deep and helps control the thickness of the workpiece, correctly creating the shape of the surface.
What types of thickness planing machines are there:
- one-sided - for processing the upper plane of massive workpieces;
- double-sided - for simultaneous work from above and below the workpiece;
- special - they immediately process the material from all sides, which simplifies the creation of the form.
There is also a jointer type for planing in one plane and chamfering at the desired angle.
The staff decides
Modern models of such machines are equipped with software and an automatic cutting optimization system, which calculates the optimal log cutting scheme according to the criterion of maximum yield of lumber with specified parameters. However, experienced sawmill managers point out that a qualified operator, having opened a log, can change the cutting combination at any time depending on the presence of knots and internal defects that are not visible from the outside. The computer is not capable of this.
“It’s better to raise an operator on site himself and from scratch. His previous experience of working on a corner of another model is absolutely unnecessary, and sometimes gets in the way. A person gets used to the machine within a month and begins to saw on his own. At a minimum, he must know the structure of wood and its defects, and not just the iron part of the machine.
The operator reaches the design productivity of the machine by the end of the first year of operation. He gains basic experience, learns all the intricacies of sawing, goes through the first mistakes in work, and begins to feel the work of the saw by ear. After all, no one needs a simple “push-button operator” who will chop a mountain of all kinds of noodles from a log,” forum member Oleg continues the recommendations.
Some modern models of angle saws are also equipped with an automatic lumber release system, which allows you to work in a fully automatic mode (when using saw logs of a certain diameter). When removing a sawn board using automatic reset, all manipulations can be done by one operator. Of course, the finished lumber will not fall into his hands on its own, but it will be dumped in a fairly compact area.
In the absence of such a system, the productivity of the equipment directly depends on the efficiency of the operator’s assistants. As a rule, two assistants carry the boards a decent distance, trim them if necessary and place them in bags. The operator waits until they move to a safe distance, and only then starts a new sawing cycle. Accordingly, the difference between removing material manually and automatically resetting is significant.
Milling
Needed for processing wood using a milling cutter. You can work with flat surfaces with patterns, shaped variations, produce cylindrical and spherical parts, make grooves, splines, grooves, etc. Woodworking machines of this type are ideal for carrying out fine carpentry work.
Among them are:
- universal - for small and light parts. The rotation angle is adjustable in the horizontal plane;
- widely universal - equipped with a spindle head that rotates at any angle in mutually perpendicular planes;
- horizontal - there is no turning mechanism;
- vertical cantilever - the spindle is located vertically;
- non-cantilever - for working with vertical, horizontal and inclined planes;
- longitudinal - for dimensional workpieces. Massive units are used in large enterprises.
Opinions are divided
“An angle saw is a working tool. It is desirable that the possibility of sawing both in angular mode and in camber mode be implemented. Then there will be more opportunities to change the technological chain at different stages of development,” this is how one of the woodworkers spoke about his experience of working with a angle saw on a forestry Internet forum.
His opponent believes that buying an angle saw for camber or other simple cutting is “a crazy investment of money and shooting sparrows with a cannon.”
“I don’t see the point of using it as an alternative to a sawmill frame or a “ribbon”. The installed power is large, the tool is expensive, the machine will not accept crooked hands, the productivity is low. Therefore, when raising the question of for what purposes they buy coal cutting machines, you need to determine these goals for yourself. The first question, of course, will be the availability of suitable raw materials, the second is the availability of a contract under which the sawn products can be sold profitably,” says a sawmill equipment user.
“An angle saw is good when the area is limited and the dimensions of the lumber are close to the dimensions of the beams 100x100x6000, 150x150x6000. That’s when real economic feasibility appears,” his colleague supports.
For reference, radial lumber is used in the production of laminated window timber and supplied to the countries of the European Union.
Turning
For the manufacture of elements in the form of bodies of revolution. They are created from straight blanks, from which a layer of material is removed in several stages.
The processed product is widely used in the construction industry and furniture production. These elements are used to make fasteners, body parts and decor.
Types of lathes:
- manual. The turner re-tunes the tool every time and constantly participates in the process;
- automated with a copying mechanism for carrying out template work. Managed;
- automatic. They work independently based on installed software and adjust the workflow based on logical algorithms.
Drilling
Needed to create holes of the required depth in wood. Suitable for working with high hardness rocks where precision is required. There are:
- vertical;
- horizontal;
- horizontal for recessed drilling. You can control runout and axis stabilization to make the process more precise;
- radial. You can quickly and accurately change the direction of drilling.
Tips and tricks when choosing a wood saw
There are several selection criteria that need to be taken into account:
- Engine used. S1 is professional, S3 is budget, which requires a break every 15 minutes. It is best to buy the middle class, which corresponds to the S6 label.
- Power. For home use, 900 to 3,000 W is sufficient.
- The diameter of the saw blade and its rotation speed. Here it is necessary to take into account the operating features of the device.
- The size of the machine, since it needs to stand somewhere so that it is not in the way.
- Availability of protective casing and riving device.
- Presence of stops to increase productivity.
- Overload protection and emergency shutdown function.
Important! Today there are several leading manufacturers that supply high-quality devices to the market: Makita, DeWALT, Metabo, BOSCH, Zubr, etc. These companies specialize in the production of this equipment, so it is of high quality.
Thus, by choosing machines from the list above, you can purchase a high-quality product that will work at home for quite a long time.
Is it worth buying a universal woodworking machine for your home: the main advantages
The machine once and for all changes the approach to working with wood. Such devices allow you to create unique wooden objects without spending a lot of effort and time. Woodworking machines can be useful not only in production - large or small, but also in the home workshop.
Among the advantages of woodworking machines are the following:
- low fatigue of the master during work and, as a result, high speed of the process and high productivity. After all, with manual labor much more effort is required, concentration is lost due to fatigue and work proceeds more slowly;
- productivity increase. In the same time, you will do seven times more on a machine than by hand, even if you use a power tool;
Design of a universal woodworking machine
- high quality products. Even if you do not have much experience in woodworking, thanks to the machine you will immediately achieve high precision work. In manual machining, you move the tool across the part. On a desktop woodworking machine for the home, the part itself moves. This gives you greater control over the process, as well as a thorough view of the cut area;
- high degree of operational safety;
- in case of overheating, a protective shutdown of the equipment is automatically triggered, which significantly extends the service life of the machine;
- ease of setup and operation;
- comfortable work due to low noise level;
- the opportunity to choose a suitable model at an affordable price, for example, you can find and buy a used woodworking machine on Avito.
In order to buy a universal woodworking machine and get the most out of your purchase, you must immediately select the device that best suits your goals.
Many people think about making such a tool and search for topical videos on the Internet: it is quite difficult for a beginner to make a woodworking machine with their own hands. Nevertheless, below you can find interesting material about a homemade woodworking machine with your own hands: the video clip can serve as an example for assembling your own device. A large number of other videos on this topic can be found on the Internet.
Multifunctional household woodworking machine: scope of application
You can buy a universal woodworking household machine for both semi-professional and home amateur workshops. Such devices are multifunctional and are capable of performing various operations with wood.
A multifunctional woodworking machine for the home copes with the following tasks:
- cutting wood;
- wood planing;
- milling;
- grinding;
- drilling wood, etc.
This versatility is due to the ability to replace the working tool. Thus, by installing a planing element, you turn the device into a planing apparatus, and if you buy knives for woodworking machines, you can saw wood beams. As a result, instead of numerous types of equipment, one machine is enough to operate, which saves space, effort, time and money.
Another feature of household woodworking machines for the home is the gradual consumption of electricity, which allows you to save on utility bills.
A multifunctional woodworking machine will be useful in both professional and home workshops
Comparison of different models of woodworking machines
Both domestic and foreign manufacturers of woodworking machines are represented on the modern market. Among Russian manufacturers, the companies that have proven themselves best are Corvette and Ant. In the foreign market, Jet, Maxita and Hitachi are distinguished by their reliability.
To make an informed choice, it is worth comparing the characteristics of different machine models and finding the option that best suits your needs. We compared the models BELMASH UNIVERSAL-2000, STAVR SDM-3/2000, KRATON WM-Multi-08, ENKOR Corvette-320, as well as the leading models of household multifunctional woodworking machines Ant.
Comparison of performance of machines of various models:
Machine model | BELMASH UNIVERSAL-2000 | STAVR SDM-3/2000 | KRATON WM-Multi-08 | ENCOR Corvette-320 |
power, kWt | 2 | 2 | 1,6 | 1,5 |
Rotation speed, rpm per minute | 6000 | 3800 | 8000 | 3500 |
Cutting depth, mm | 97 | 85 | 75 | 70 |
Platform size, mm | 700x474 | 530x150 | 746x210 | 964x210 |
Weight, kg | 39 | 61 | 35 | 123 |
price, rub. | 20600 | 30940 | 31429 | 39610 |
It is worth noting that the functionality and reliability of parts of domestic models is not inferior to foreign ones, while they are noticeably cheaper. The only complaints can be about the build quality, since most models are assembled in China.
Comparison of performance of various models of Ant machines:
Machine model | SD-3-00 | SD-3-02 | SD-3-03 | SD-4-00 | SD-4-01 | SD-5 | SD-6 |
Power consumption, kW | 2 | 2 | 2,7 | 2 | 2,7 | 2 | 2 |
Rotation speed, rpm per minute | 4200 | 4200 | 4200 | 4200 | 4200 | 4200 | 4200 |
Cutting depth, mm | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 |
Dimensions, cm | 3x65x100 | 73x56x58 | 73x66x58 | 73x56x38.5 | 60x66x38.5 | 60x50x45 | 60x50x66 |
Weight, kg | 75 | 70 | 75 | 50 | 60 | 40 | 50 |
price, rub. | 46130 | 46130 | 49350 | 36340 | 39570 | 26770 | 31720 |