BladeSports Practice Station (Catalina Whine Mixer edition)

[EMCEE]

^^^ how many hits?

Too many bud. 7 to 11 hits on my first three 2x4 cuts. Jo, Bennie, Sue and the other experts make it look easy…it’s not ! I’ll give it another go tomorrow.

Today is OT, football, and beer day. Bad combo for swinging sharp things. Although, I might have snuck in a couple of paper cuts as I just finished the OT and haven’t yet imbibed. Thus far, that’s the most difficult cut for me.

 

[Standard78]

Too many bud. 7 to 11 hits on my first three 2x4 cuts. Jo, Bennie, Sue and the other experts make it look easy…it’s not ! I’ll give it another go tomorrow.

Today is OT, football, and beer day. Bad combo for swinging sharp things. Although, I might have snuck in a couple of paper cuts as I just finished the OT and haven’t yet imbibed. Thus far, that’s the most difficult cut for me.

Out of curiosity, how old or dry is that 2x4 you just cut?
I’m also wondering if a 2x4’s grain direction has anything to do with the number of swings it takes to complete a cut.

I try to use quarter sawn for framing, but I’m betting a new flat sawn 2x4 with very little growth rings would be a lot easier to chop through than the other two.

Now I wish I had your bench to experiment with.

 

[yoko]

Out of curiosity, how old or dry is that 2x4 you just cut?
I’m also wondering if a 2x4’s grain direction has anything to do with the number of swings it takes to complete a cut.
View attachment 2679206
I try to use quarter sawn for framing, but I’m betting a new flat sawn 2x4 with very little growth rings would be a lot easier to chop through than the other two.

Now I wish I had your bench to experiment with.

I think you are correct ,I don't know much but I have noticed cutters are very good at reading 2x4 and 2x6

 

[EMCEE]

Out of curiosity, how old or dry is that 2x4 you just cut?
I’m also wondering if a 2x4’s grain direction has anything to do with the number of swings it takes to complete a cut.
View attachment 2679206
I try to use quarter sawn for framing, but I’m betting a new flat sawn 2x4 with very little growth rings would be a lot easier to chop through than the other two.

Now I wish I had your bench to experiment with.

Based off of your pics, I think it was flatsawn and it wasn’t very aged. Whew ! If the other options are more difficult, I’m in trouble !

 

[bluemax_1]

Based off of your pics, I think it was flatsawn and it wasn’t very aged. Whew ! If the other options are more difficult, I’m in trouble !

View attachment 2679230
View attachment 2679231View attachment 2679232

I’ll admit I’ve never tested or considered this, but I’d think it would be easier to pop chips on all the other types vs flatsawn.

The only experience I have with wood is how it cracks/splits (and in karate, where the breaking demos were almost always splitting the boards along the grain, vs breaking them across the grain).

If you’re chopping into the long edge of a 2x4/2x6, the riftsawn and quartersawn looks like it could pop out chips along the grain more easily.

 

[Standard78]

Based off of your pics, I think it was flatsawn and it wasn’t very aged. Whew ! If the other options are more difficult, I’m in trouble !

View attachment 2679230
View attachment 2679231View attachment 2679232

That piece almost looks like it’s kiln dried or possibly pressed.
Since I have no experience with cut comps, I wonder if starting with 1x4 or a really low-grade wet 2x4 then working up to 2x4 like this might be beneficial.
Figuring out your right to left notching and your cut angle will probably be the toughest part, I assume.

 

[EMCEE]

I’ll admit I’ve never tested or considered this, but I’d think it would be easier to pop chips on all the other types vs flatsawn.

The only experience I have with wood is how it cracks/splits (and in karate, where the breaking demos were almost always splitting the boards along the grain, vs breaking them across the grain).

If you’re chopping into the long edge of a 2x4/2x6, the riftsawn and quartersawn looks like it could pop out chips along the grain more easily.

All good points but I’m only familiar w/ how wood rounds split under an axe and how power poles split. One thing I know for sure, I won’t be selecting the boards during competition. I better just learn how to swing the knife with consistency, accuracy, and a berserker’s rage.

 

[yoko]

All good points but I’m only familiar w/ how wood rounds split under an axe and how power poles split. One thing I know for sure, I won’t be selecting the boards during competition. I better just learn how to swing the knife with consistency, accuracy, and a berserker’s rage.

Or a drunken flurry lol

 

[Lorien]

I think a competition bench should be height adjustable so all participants can approach the course from the same angle of attack.

 

[EMCEE]

I think a competition bench should be height adjustable so all participants can approach the course from the same angle of attack.

 

[bluemax_1]

I think a competition bench should be height adjustable so all participants can approach the course from the same angle of attack.

It’s a good point. It’s a lot harder for someone Jo’s height to chop something that waist height or higher, than someone Bennie’s height chopping down.

 

[tinfoil hat timmy]

phone book and duck tape bros.

use the internet