sparks flying

[mickthetree]

Hey all

I found this piece of wood at a reclamation yard for a quid.

Assumed it was walnut.

First off, my plane went blunt very quickly. Assumed it was in need of a sharpen, rather than the wood dulling the blade.

Just tried resawing a piece and my bandsaw seemed to struggle right from the kick off. It did cut, but very slowly.

Then I noticed a burning smell and to my horror saw sparks coming out from the underside of the wood as the blade excited.

I assume the blade is now blunt as old boots, but is this normal for walnut?

It was sparking all the way through the cut, not just in one spot.

Went a distinctly yellowy colour when resawn

Any ideas what it is? and is this normal?

 

[ondablade]

It looks a bit like Iroko. It goes grey when it weathers. Yellowish in places when cut. If it darkens to a more tan colour some time after cutting then it quite likely is.

Iroko sometimes has inclusions of what is almost like cement in it, but usually in spots. It cuts freely otherwise though. Is it possible it's covered in dirt or grit that' blunting your blade? It doesn't take very much.....

ian

 

[mickthetree]

cheers Ian

The face surface is a bit rough, but I've planed the edges and I'm resawing it, so the blade is no where near the face now.

 

[OPJ]

Are you certain there was nothing metal hidden in there??? :shock: I doubt there are many timbers (if any!) which are capable of creating sparks when in contact with a running bandsaw blade. My other suggestion would be that the thrust-bearing was set too far back (perhaps not fastened off securely?) and this allowed the teeth of the blade to come in to contact with the side guides (assuming yours are metal or steel)?

No idea of what wood this is just yet. I doubt it is walnut but, its sapwood is also a lighter colour. Look forward to seeing some photos once you've planed a bit up! :wink:

 

[woodbloke]

If it's iroko it'll have a distinct 'peppery' smell which is highly irritating. It's also not that hard so it shouldn't blunt plane blades or dull bandsaw teeth. My guess is that you've go hold of something very hard, but I don't know what :duno: - Rob

 

[big soft moose]

If it's iroko it'll have a distinct 'peppery' smell which is highly irritating. It's also not that hard so it shouldn't blunt plane blades or dull bandsaw teeth. My guess is that you've go hold of something very hard, but I don't know what :duno: - Rob

jarrah strikes sparks sometimes from my chainsaw chain - but this isnt the right colouring to be that - but my gues would be something like that , iron wood etc

 

[RogerS]

I regularly get sparks coming off my thrust bearing. It's a pretty naff design TBH. As others have said, wood generating sparks? I don't think so!

 

[Chippyjoe]

Does your blade always spark when it gets excited!!! :lol:

Mark.

 

[woodbloke]

I regularly get sparks coming off my thrust bearing. It's a pretty naff design TBH. As others have said, wood generating sparks? I don't think so!

That sounds painful Rog...you seen a doc about that? :lol: :lol: - Rob...hat, coat etc

 

[JFC]

Wenge .

 

[mickthetree]

cheers for all the suggestions guys.

I had another effort this morning and it appears that RogerS was right. The sparks seem to be coming from where the back of the blade touches the lower rear thrust bearing.

Not sure why it struggled to cut it, maybe I dulled the blade on something else.

Sharpened my plane iron and that is now taking lovely shavings of it too.

Very tan in colour even though the board is quite brown. maybe it just goes like that over time?

Anyway, cheers for all the suggestions!

 

[L Harding]

Wenge .

I thought wenge, based on the first picture alone, i would of been sure of it, but the second picture where its been cut and shows a very light tan is not like wenge at all

Luke

 

[Steve Maskery]

It looks like iroko to me. The pale yellow darkening to brown. Cream sapwood.

Do you itch like mad after using it? Streaming eyes? Sneezing? Iroko!

And it sound to me that there is something wrong with your bandsaw setup, it really shouldn't be sparking.
S