# Cutting desert ironwood



## sbwertz (Dec 17, 2013)

I my tree trimmer brought me a six foot desert ironwood log.  It has been cut for seven years and stored in a barn. He is going to cut it in short lengths for me with a carbide chain saw blade.

My question, do I need a carbide bandsaw blade to slab it?  I will cut the blanks on the table saw, and I have carbide blades for it.


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## Jim Burr (Dec 17, 2013)

You'll need a laser to slab that sucka Sharon!! I have a 12"x12" trunk that I only cut when I have a blade on it's death bed! Another chunk is rotted in the center so I only have to cut about 3" at a shot...I have a root canal I'd rather go to!!!


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## desertrat (Dec 17, 2013)

Sharon a new blade of 6 or more teeth per inch will work just fine. I've cut a lot of it with no problem, just cut slow and allow the blade to clear the sawdust. 

John H


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## alankulwicki7 (Dec 18, 2013)

You'll never be able to cut it. Why don't you send it to me to save yourself the hassle....


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## Dalecamino (Dec 18, 2013)

Lucky you Sharon! Wish I had that problem :biggrin:


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## sbwertz (Dec 18, 2013)

I'm looking at the Lennox Trimaster.  It is supposed to be especially for high silica exotics, and supposed to last 40 times longer than a regular blade.  Considering how much mulberry (which is hard as a rock) I have to cut up, plus the ironwood, the $150 price tag for a 105" blade isn't too bad.  It is three times the cost of the Starrett Intenss Pro, which was my other choice.  Any of you use either of these?


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## edstreet (Dec 18, 2013)

Since carbide is mentioned I am wondering if this log is made out of metal?  If it's metal then yes odd's goes up drastically that you need carbide.  If its' wood then regular blades works super well.


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## plantman (Dec 18, 2013)

:cowboy::cowboy:Sharon; I use ironwood for the soles of the wooden planes that I make. It is extremely hard and can be polished to a glass like finish. I cut it with a 6 tooth per inch skip tooth blade on the bandsaw. Go slowley and let the saw do the work. It's going  to smoke and have sparks comming out of it as you hit pockets of silicone. There are over 80 species of wood that come under the name ironwood. Most popular in the United States are American Hornbeem or Blue beech found in the eastern states, and Honey Mesquite known as ironwood and found in Texas. The cowboys called Mesquite, Ironwood, because of its ability to burn slow and give off tremendos heat, and it was found growing on the open ranges.  Jim  S


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## sbwertz (Dec 18, 2013)

_This is Olneya_ tesota.  It only grows in the sonoran desert below 2500 feet.  It is not mesquite.  It is the only member of it's genus.


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## sbwertz (Dec 18, 2013)

edstreet said:


> Since carbide is mentioned I am wondering if this log is made out of metal?  If it's metal then yes odd's goes up drastically that you need carbide.  If its' wood then regular blades works super well.



It has a Janka hardness value of  3,260.  

Hickory, for comparison, has a Janka value of 1880.

The honey mesquite mentioned above has a Janka value of 2340.  

This stuff EATS blades.  It isn't that you can't cut it with other blades, it is just that if you ever want to cut anything ELSE with that blade, you'd best use carbide. 

It dulled a brand new Oregon chain saw blade in three cuts.  It was so dull it couldn't cut pine.


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## Swagopenturner (Dec 18, 2013)

I use a Laguna 105" Carbide blade on all my Mesquite, Desert Ironwood, and Tru-Stone.  I cut about 100 blanks with it then send it off to be resharpened.  No problems at all.


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