Building materials made from hard deciduous and coniferous trees have a wide range of applications; they are used for the construction and cladding of houses, paving paths, and interior decoration of buildings. The lumber on the market is divided according to the cutting method; it can be tangential, radial, longitudinal, disk or mixed. Depending on the presence of edges, boards are classified into edged, semi-edged and unedged.
Mechanical processing of logs can be carried out using special machines or electrical appliances by cutting or splitting. There are the following methods of cutting wood: planing, turning, drilling, grinding, all of which involve removing chips. There are three types of cutting - longitudinal, transverse and straight. The first involves cutting along the fibers, the second and third – perpendicularly. Sawing is the main stage in the manufacture of all lumber; the operational and aesthetic characteristics of the finished product depend on the quality of the procedure.
Tangential sawing
This method of processing logs is considered one of the most popular. With a tangential cut, the plane of the cutter passes at a certain distance from the core of the trunk, tangentially to the growth rings. The result is practical and durable boards that are resistant to shrinkage and swelling. Such lumber has an attractive texture - the graceful wave-like pattern of annual rings is clearly visible on them. Boards obtained by tangential cutting can be used for exterior decoration of buildings and creating a cozy interior.
High-quality parquet is also produced in this way. When cut perpendicularly, a natural pattern is visible on the boards - rings, arches, waves, curls. If the parquet is made from Siberian larch, it can be used for laying floors in rooms with high humidity, since products made from this species not only do not collapse when in contact with water and steam, but also become stronger. A wooden floor covering created as a result of tangential sawing will last for many years without needing repair or renewal.
Types of wood cuts
If you look closely at any block of wood, you can see on it a textured pattern formed by growth rings. Its appearance depends on the direction in which the tree trunk was cut. It is customary to saw it in three directions: along and across the grain, as well as at an angle of 45 degrees. If the cut is made at an angle, then it is called tangential. It forms a texture similar to cone-shaped lines.
Three different types of cuts depending on direction
If the cut is made along the fibers, then it is called radial. The parallel lines formed by the fibers are clearly visible on it. A cross section shows us the annual rings of a tree trunk in all its glory. The pattern is important for the external beauty of wood products, therefore, before making a wooden blank, you need to clearly imagine yourself in which direction we want the patterns.
Radial sawing
It is customary to call a radial cut of a log, carried out perpendicular to the annual layers. Lumber produced by this method has a uniform texture, they are characterized by increased strength and wear resistance, and are practically not subject to deformation. Radial cut boards have minimal shrinkage and swelling coefficients, so they do not collapse due to the negative influence of the environment and are excellent for external cladding of buildings. With this processing method, lumber has virtually no flaws. Defects may be caused by a violation of sawing technology (displaced core, incorrect size).
Radial sawing is used for the production of edged boards, a sought-after lumber used for finishing houses, summer houses and cottages. If the cladding is made of Siberian larch, it is ideal for decorating baths, saunas and bathrooms. Products made from this coniferous species do not require additional processing, have an attractive texture and have a long service life. Edged boards are widely used by interior designers; with its help, you can create a cozy atmosphere in a room. Lumber from Siberian larch contains resin, when released, it spreads a pleasant aroma.
Radial cut: gives rigor to the texture and elite quality to the material
High-quality parquet boards are created using the method of radial cutting of the trunk. The log is sawn perpendicular to the annual rings. Usually, the tree is first divided into quarters, and then sawing begins. The resulting material stands out with a clear pattern. This effect is produced by wood fibers that are parallel to each other and go in the same direction. When cutting radially, the outer layer has a uniform color, and there should be no knots, cracks or other small defects on it.
Cutting woodParquet from such dies turns out to be symmetrical, designed in strict colors. There is no naturalness and simplicity in it, which would be manifested through heterogeneous colors or a variety of patterns. That is why for classic and luxurious interiors only boards with a radial cut are used.
This cutting method produces parquet material of the highest quality, but of the total volume of wood, only 15% is suitable for the elite category. This is why finished coating is not cheap. But the quality characteristics are much higher than those of tangentially cut parquet. The wood is stable, not subject to drying out and swelling, so it can be used in rooms with an unstable climate. This is the longest-lasting type of parquet, and it will not need restoration soon.
But it should be remembered that even the best, elite type of coating will last less than it could if it is not taken care of and stable humidity is not provided (42 - 60%).
Mixed wood cutting
Semi-radial sawing is a common method of producing lumber. It involves cutting logs at an angle of 45°. This technology allows you to save raw materials and reduce the cost of the finished product. The only drawback of this cutting method is that the resulting board may be subject to deformation due to improper drying. Therefore, special attention must be paid to preparing wood for processing.
Semi-radial sawn timber can be made from both hardwood and softwood. Products made from Siberian larch are especially popular today; their demand is due to their strength, resistance to mechanical damage and aesthetics. Coniferous cladding reliably protects the building from the effects of atmospheric phenomena, helps retain heat and create a comfortable microclimate indoors.
Mechanical characteristics of wood
The mechanical properties of different types of wood are more important. After all, they influence the strength and durability of buildings or wood products. Mechanical strength is the ability to resist various static and dynamic influences from the outside. The strength of a material depends on the direction of the load. In this regard, it is customary to distinguish between shear or shear strength, bending strength and compression strength. Any wood has greater strength along the grain than across it.
Testing the strength of a wooden block in the direction of load
It is worth noting that damp wood becomes less durable. The same is observed in light and loose breeds.
Plasticity is the property that allows you to create bent parts from wood. More plastic rocks retain the shape obtained under a certain long-term exposure. Humidity and temperature greatly increase this indicator, so to make curved parts, wood is exposed to hot water or steam. Beech, elm, oak, and ash boast high plasticity. This cannot be said about conifers, since the structure of their fibers is too linear.
The hardness of wood is the ability to resist various penetrations of foreign bodies into it. There are hard tree species, such as: beech, maple, larch, oak, ash, elm (the hardest are boxwood and acacia) and soft ones, such as: linden, alder, spruce, pine. The level of wear resistance of wood directly depends on its hardness.
Equipment for cutting wood
For the production of lumber, modern high-tech equipment should be used, only in this case the finished product will have a minimum of defects. The amount of waste generated when cutting wood also depends on the characteristics of the special equipment. Today, angle sawing machines are used for the production of boards, beams, and parquet; due to their special design, they make it possible to produce high-quality products and reduce the amount of waste. Using equipment for radial sawing, you can produce not only radial, but also edged lumber. The basis for creating molded products is a log - a tree trunk freed from branches. Wood cutting can be done in various ways:
- at the sawmill;
- manually (using special sawing tools);
- on woodworking machines.
To use existing logs rationally, the craftsman needs to carefully study the sawing pattern (tangential, radial, longitudinal, mixed). Knowing how to distribute raw materials can reduce waste and significantly increase profits. For the production of wooden building materials at home, a manual method involving the use of chainsaws and hacksaws is suitable. However, homemade boards and beams, as a rule, have defects and look unaesthetic. For exterior finishing, it is advisable to buy attractive lumber from specialized companies. Large enterprises carefully control the quality of their products.
Existing cutting methods
Let's look at methods for cutting wood with a chainsaw using special attachments, which are widely used in the household. Working with boards in this way will allow you to solve a large number of problems - for example, preparing boards for finishing a barn or other utility room. Methods for preparing professional lumber will not be discussed here, since high-quality implementation of this process requires expensive equipment, which private farm owners usually do not purchase.
Sawing attachments are available horizontal and vertical. Each type has its own specific features.
Horizontal cutting with a chainsaw
Cut logs into planks with a chainsaw using a vertical attachment
The vertical design has a very simple structure. The adapter is attached to the base of the tire and the smoothness of its movement is adjusted using a special bar. This device is then attached to the board. The latter here acts both as a guide and a stop for sawing.
This design is not distinguished by great fine-tuning and dimensional accuracy of the materials produced. But it should be noted that the degree of accuracy of the device here is quite consistent with the purposes, because the attachment is usually used for simple tasks such as giving a log a cubic shape or preparing rough, simple boards for a barn.
Example of a horizontal saw
Horizontal sawing with a chainsaw
This design already has much greater accuracy (although it generates a large amount of waste compared to traditional sawmills). But it can only work with small logs - their diameter should not exceed the length of the tire. Its structure looks like this: the frame is attached to the base of the saw bar and at its end. To adjust the width of the cut, the attachment points can be moved.
To make the first cut, a frame is attached to the log, designed to serve as a place for support and guide the process. During the next cuts, these functions will be taken over by the smooth surface of the cut already made. Items that serve as guides allow you to adjust the width of the boards.
Before starting sawing, the log must be very carefully fixed: if the log bounces or emits pronounced vibration, an even cut will not work. To prevent jamming, blades are placed in the finished cut. First of all, you need to make a square blank from the log, cutting off the fillets (they can be used for the production of chips, fire, stove heating), and then you can begin to dissolve the log.
The described attachments for dissolving wood are easy to make if a person knows at least a little how to handle metal. They don’t require particularly tricky materials either. The given nozzles will serve as a good help for solving various kinds of household problems.
