In entering this, my second edition on saws, I shall not only treat more fully on hammering, but on the care and management of all kinds of saws. This contains no history of saws, but the saw of to-day just as every user wants. Practical millmen know that a saw fitted up for a certain kind of wood, feed and speed will by no means run at a vice versa from this.

In this work I shall show by illustrations, saws adapted for every purpose. How to hammer, grind and sharpen for hard, soft and frozen timber.

There is acknowledged to be a less standard among millmen than any other business. Most everyone has his peculiar way. This is true, especially with filers, and not one out of ten can take right hold of a mill of a double or triple capacity and go right ahead, simply because he is clinging to the style of tooth condition of saw that suited A's mill while B’s mill wants an entirely different tooth, etc. I shall illustrate this fully, and arranged in parts so that the reader may readily apply his case. One-half of our present mills would cut 25 per cent, more and better lumber if their saw was in proper order. This is saying nothing about the condition of machinery, &c. This work will put a man right there, and will prove of inestimable value to all who thoroughly apply it.

My treatment on band saws will be found to comprise all there is toward making a perfect saw, treating fully on proper shaped teeth, how to hammer fully, and the general care of such saws. This is from the very best authority and builders in the United States, and can be wholly relied on. This work will be of interest to saw and planing mill builders, treating on the most convenient plans illustrated, how to care for planers and wood-working machinery, together with valuable rules and suggestions about sawing choice lumber, lightning calculations not found in any other publication. Shingle saws are treated fully. My instructions on same will save a man hundreds of dollars annually. These will be proven as facts by simply following instructions.

This work is compiled with the view of applying itself readily to all millmen and lumbermen, ranging from the amateur beginner to the expert. This work is arranged in parts, one to three, in hammering, filing and gumming, so that the reader can readily apply himself. There are many works out, not from a practical basis, that are of no value. All that is asked is a careful study and application.

There are many sawyers, setters that are not quick in their calculations, losing time and spoiling lumber. No man can be quick calculating one piece at a time. He must have it instantly in his head, that no time be lost.

CALCULATING ON INCH STUFF.

Every five inches makes four boards on a saw cutting one-quarter inch. Now, if one inch is to be left on blocks, five, ten, fifteen and twenty inches, and so on, will come out right. If cant is between these numbers, say about eighteen inches, set at eighteen and three- fourths, and so on. Now, if one or more two-inch pieces are wanted, leave off one-fourth inch for every two-inch piece wanted. If four two-inch pieces are wanted, nineteen inches will come out right, being one inch less than twenty inches. If two inches is left on headblocks calculate one-fourth less than a multiple of five inches, in this way twelve inches, eighteen and one-fourth and twenty-four and one-half will come out right.

SAWING TWO-INCH STUFF.

For as many pieces as are wanted add one-fourth of an inch for saw kerf as follows: If eight pieces are wanted it makes sixteen inches, add seven-quarters, makes seventeen and three-fourths inches. Correct. Always calculate one-fourth of an inch less, as the last line of the saw makes two pieces; If one or more inch boards are wanted, add one-fourth of an inch to calculation already made.

SAWING FIVE-EIGHTHS LUMBER.

Every three and one-half inches makes four five-eighths boards. For seven, ten and one-half, fourteen, seventeen and one-half, and so on, add two inches for last piece on carriage. Three-quarter inch stuff sets at even inches. Inch and a quarter lumber sets at one and one-half, three inches making two boards.

FOR THIN SAWS.

Many mills use a ten gauge saw,cutting three-sixteenths saw kerf. In such cases inch stuff may be set at one and one-eighth, making inch stuff seven-eighths inch full. If blocks set to sixteenths of inch, one-sixteenth can be saved, which is one board gained in sixteen cuts. Setting one-eighth inch less for inch boards the calculation is the same as for two-inch stuff as stated.

BAND SAW KERF.

One-eighth is allowed for saw kerf. Inch boards calculate as follows: If cant is about eighteen inches (no well-up sawyer can take time to be measuring with his rule), twice eight being sixteen inches, now we have seven-quarters to add, being seventeen and three-fourths or add one board, making eighteen and seven-eighths. It is necessary to first find out how many boards make an even number, or as near that as possible: then double, or multiply this number according to size of log.
 
HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY RUN A PLANER

To manage such machinery and get out first-class work requires great care and close judgment. A planer should be set on a solid foundation with all fast moving parts well balanced. In new machines, such are well balanced. The cylinder and cutter-heads being the most sensitive, they must run a neat fit in bearings, with sufficient lining, so that caps will remain firm and not jar or work loose. Every machine should have a pair of proportionate balance scales for balancing knives. If these cannot be had, an ordinary pair of balances will answer, care being taken to keep knives of same width at each end; otherwise the knives might weigh just the same amount and each alternate end of two knives throw the cylinder out of balance. The fraction of an ounce will greatly affect a high-speeded machine. The bolts should all be the same size. Often a miscellaneous lot of studs can be found on a cylinder, which would throw machine out. An unbalanced cylinder has many peculiarities about it that affect the whole machine. Hot bearing and rough lumber are the results. By placing cylinder on two level straightedges it can be readily detected whether in balance or not, the heavy side finding the center of gravity very quickly. This should be done with knives off. By grinding the bolts on heavy side, a perfect balance can be had, always screwing it down to where it is to run; if not, it will deceive. Knives out of balance wear the heavy side of journal flat, or slightly so. In such cases it is very difficult to get good work out of machine. I will add that before placing cylinder on straightedges, bearing should be calipered so the truest part will rest directly on straightedge. Clean cylinder and pullies well of dust and gum before testing.

Belts should be neatly spliced. A bulky fastening makes waves at regular intervals, to say nothing of such fastenings continually pulling loose and heating bearings. The chip-breaker, pressure-bars and rollers are vital parts. They must be set just right or the end of board will be nicked. The pressure-bars just behind the knives should be set as closely as possible, or lumber will be wavy. Modern six and eight-roll machines have very powerful feed and will feed under heavy pressure; but the lighter four-roll machines require continual attention in surfacing.

Dry and green lumber cannot be dressed well together. The green stuff not being as firm, requires more pressure and less pressure from pressure-bar. The bar "shoe," or roller, in front of cylinder must be set very closely so as to hold work down firm on bed plate for smooth lumber. The pivoted bar is best, as it readily accommodates itself to irregular thicknesses.

The fence, or gauge, is another important feature, and unless right, bad results will follow in matching. It is best to have just as little lead as possible and use a pressure-lever to hold crooked stuff up. The result of too much lead is that the end of board jumps, or rather, inclines, toward groove side as the end of gauge is passed. This makes bad work. The cause of this is that the stock is going through at a slight angle and not square with rolls. The chip-breaker should not be too tight. All this is governed by the amount of pressure from pressure-bar and power of feed rolls. Chip-breaker should be as close as possible to cutter-head, that it may not "eat," or tear, the work. Knives set too far out on cylinder will eat when across the grain.

For fine, nice work one-eighth should be the projection from lip of head; three-sixteenths is about right for ordinary work. Knives must be ground true and not beveled off with a file. The proper angle cannot be given, owing to class of work; but would say fifteen degrees is about right. A good knife will stand more than this and do nice work; but the majority have hard and soft places, which, if too much angle, will crumble or turn the edge. A slim bevel must be set close to the lip (or chip-breaker, as termed) of the cylinder, or it will eat in crossgrain work, as in curly stock.