Post a Response Subscribe Guidelines

Sawing and Drying

You are not logged in. [ Login ] Why log in
(NOTE: Login is not required to post)

Post a Response The staff at WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at any WOODWEB Forum. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk.
Your Name:
Your Website:
Email Address:
Subject:
Message: (read message guidelines).
	Note: Do not use the below fields to advertise your business - only for links related to the discussion.
Thread Related Link URL:
Thread Related Link Title:
	To "point" to an image (picture) from another website, provide the URL (Web Address) of the file ( include ONE reference to http:// )
Thread Related Image URL:	Date of your Birth:
Upload a Thread Related File:	File Types: Image (gif-jpg-png-bmp), PDF, Sketchup, Video (mov avi wmv mpeg mpg mp4 ogg). (Image Upload Tips) I have read the Site User Agreement and agree with the Terms
	<= Check to receive e-mail notification of responses

Message Thread:

Gang Saw advice

4/27/25

Bill Sawyer

Member

Website: http://www.sawyerplastics.com

I need some advice. I manufacture large uhmw polyethylene parts for papermachines. No wood, but we use woodworking machinery. I need to increase productivity by making mutliple cuts on our large "board stock" The maximum size is 2 1/2 thick by 20 by 400 inches. This would work out to about 400 lbs. The feed rate needs to be high as the material will melt at slow chip load.

I have never used a gang saw before and I need to know if standard equipment would be able to handle this load, I would also appreciate any guidence on manufacturersas well if possible.

Please respond by my email and thanks very much.

Bill Sawyer

4/28/25 #2: Gang Saw advice ...

Dustin Orth

What saw are you using now to cut those blocks? How wide are the cut parts? How many of these cuts are you making a day? You mentioned 20x400, is that your raw stock or finished cut size? A gang rip might do a good job but its going to be blade choice and feed rate that are going to be your main thing. A good roller style power fence would be another thing to look at. Hp of gang rip saws will be sufficient to make a lot of cuts in one pass but if you are cutting 20" wide with a blade every 1" and 2 1/2" thick, that would require an insane amount of power, maybe more than the biggest saws have at 100hp. That may take a call to mareen johnson. If you are only cutting 2 or 3 blades, 50-75hp would be plenty. Good thing is plastic is a consistent material so once you get everything dialed in, your good to go except for changing dull blades out.

4/28/25 #3: Gang Saw advice ...

Bill Sawyer

Website: http://www.Sawyerplastics.com

Thanks Dustin:
We are currently using a saw we made 30 years ago. I DeWalt industrial radial arm saw on a track. We make one cut at a time at about 30 inches per minute. Our saw blade is a 14-inch special thin curf of 1/8in. We sometimes need to make cuts as narrow as 1in. from a board of about 14 in. wide at up to 2 in thick.

My biggest concern is the ability of a machine to pull something this heavy through the sawblades.

Our business in growing and our current methods are holding us back

Thanks for your response. I am grateful

Bill

4/28/25 #4: Gang Saw advice ...

Dustin Orth

I'm attaching a video link of my gang rip saw. https://youtu.be/Jp1Xnj03AtQ This an older video but I still have the same saw.

4/29/25 #5: Gang Saw advice ...

David R Sochar

Member

I suggest you call Mareen Johnson, manufacturer of Gang Rip saws in US. Their tech people can tell you, and they might even send you to one of their saws near you.

Buy & Sell Exchanges | Forums | Galleries | Site Map

FORUM GUIDELINES: Please review the guidelines below before posting at WOODWEB's Interactive Message Boards (return to top)

WOODWEB is a professional industrial woodworking site. Hobbyist and homeowner woodworking questions are inappropriate.

Messages should be kept reasonably short and on topic, relating to the focus of the forum. Responses should relate to the original question.

A valid email return address must be included with each message.

Advertising is inappropriate. The only exceptions are the Classified Ads Exchange, Machinery Exchange, Lumber Exchange, and Job Opportunities and Services Exchange. When posting listings in these areas, review the posting instructions carefully.

Subject lines may be edited for length and clarity.

"Cross posting" is not permitted. Choose the best forum for your question, and post your question at one forum only.

Messages requesting private responses will be removed - Forums are designed to provide information and assistance for all of our visitors. Private response requests are appropriate at WOODWEB's Exchanges and Job Opportunities and Services.

Messages that accuse businesses or individuals of alleged negative actions or behavior are inappropriate since WOODWEB is unable to verify or substantiate the claims.

Posts with the intent of soliciting answers to surveys are not appropriate. Contact WOODWEB for more information on initiating a survey.

Excessive forum participation by an individual upsets the balance of a healthy forum atmosphere. Individuals who excessively post responses containing marginal content will be considered repeat forum abusers.

Responses that initiate or support inappropriate and off-topic discussion of general politics detract from the professional woodworking focus of WOODWEB, and will be removed.

Participants are encouraged to use their real name when posting. Intentionally using another persons name is prohibited, and posts of this nature will be removed at WOODWEB's discretion.

Comments, questions, or criticisms regarding Forum policies should be directed to WOODWEB's Systems Administrator
(return to top).

Carefully review your message before clicking on the "Send Message" button - you will not be able to revise the message once it has been sent.

You will be notified of responses to the message(s) you posted via email. Be sure to enter your email address correctly.

WOODWEB's forums are a highly regarded resource for professional woodworkers. Messages and responses that are crafted in a professional and civil manner strengthen this resource. Messages that do not reflect a professional tone reduce the value of our forums.

Messages are inappropriate when their content: is deemed libelous in nature or is based on rumor, fails to meet basic standards of decorum, contains blatant advertising or inappropriate emphasis on self promotion (return to top).

Libel: Posts which defame an individual or organization, or employ a tone which can be viewed as malicious in nature. Words, pictures, or cartoons which expose a person or organization to public hatred, shame, disgrace, or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person or organization, are libelous.

Improper Decorum: Posts which are profane, inciting, disrespectful or uncivil in tone, or maliciously worded. This also includes the venting of unsubstantiated opinions. Such messages do little to illuminate a given topic, and often have the opposite effect. Constructive criticism is acceptable (return to top).

Advertising: The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not an advertising venue. Companies participating in a Forum discussion should provide specific answers to posted questions. WOODWEB suggests that businesses include an appropriately crafted signature in order to identify their company. A well meaning post that seems to be on-topic but contains a product reference may do your business more harm than good in the Forum environment. Forum users may perceive your references to specific products as unsolicited advertising (spam) and consciously avoid your web site or services. A well-crafted signature is an appropriate way to advertise your services that will not offend potential customers. Signatures should be limited to 4-6 lines, and may contain information that identifies the type of business you're in, your URL and email address (return to top).

Repeated Forum Abuse: Forum participants who repeatedly fail to follow WOODWEB's Forum Guidelines may encounter difficulty when attempting to post messages.

There are often situations when the original message asks for opinions: "What is the best widget for my type of shop?". To a certain extent, the person posting the message is responsible for including specific questions within the message. An open ended question (like the one above) invites responses that may read as sales pitches. WOODWEB suggests that companies responding to such a question provide detailed and substantive replies rather than responses that read as a one-sided product promotion. It has been WOODWEB's experience that substantive responses are held in higher regard by our readers (return to top).

The staff of WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at WOODWEB's Message Boards. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB's Message Boards after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages it deems inappropriate. (return to top)

Forum Posting Help
Your Name	The name you enter in this field will be the name that appears with your post or response (return to form).
Your Website	Personal or business website links must point to the author's website. Inappropriate links will be removed without notice, and at WOODWEB's sole discretion. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
E-Mail Address	Your e-mail address will not be publicly viewable. Forum participants will be able to contact you using a contact link (included with your post) that is substituted for your actual address. You must include a valid email address in this field. (return to form)
Subject	Subject may be edited for length and clarity. Subject lines should provide an indication of the content of your post. (return to form)
Thread Related Link and Image Guidelines	Thread Related Links posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should point to locations that provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
Thread Related File Uploads	Thread Related Files posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. Video Files: acceptable video formats are: .MOV .AVI .WMV .MPEG .MPG .MP4 (Image Upload Tips) If you encounter any difficulty when uploading video files, E-mail WOODWEB for assistance. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related File that contains inappropriate content will be removed, and uploaded files that are not directly related to the message thread will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links, files, or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)

Related Information:
Timber & Lumber Calculators
Exchanges: Lumber
Knowledge Base: Primary Processing

Recent Threads at all Forums

Sawing and Drying

Message Thread:

Gang Saw advice

FORUM GUIDELINES

Forum Posting Help

Sponsors