Looks like a really great ride! Keen to go up there soon. Let me know if you ever come to ride in Knysna, I'm building a new trail if you keen to ride it.
One of the best trails in the area! Just saw your recent video now on this same trail, well done on going down there solo! Some sections are pretty sketchy, but so much fun. Keen to ride Knysna.
Those trails are the best. The video footage makes it looks so mellow. Doesn't really give perspective of the steep terrain, slippery roots, how intense those rock gardens actually are. Thanks for the video Peet, good to find a single video with all the major trails at Witfontein.
Hi Markus, the 75mm / 3" blade is a hybrid option between wide and narrow bands.. Using a narrower 2" blade s also a good option on this machine, and will allow for higher strain, this would however sacrifice some blade stability.
I am a bit shocked at how slow this machine cuts. I was expecting a lot more speed out of the model. For the price of this operation you need a lot bf an hour than what is being seen here. A circular mill is at least twice as fast with just a bit more waste.
Hi John, very good catch. This video was taken during initial testing, where we purposely limit machine speed to get the operator use to the controls. We're cutting significantly faster today after the initial training period. Compared to the circular saws, we generally do cut a bit slower on the band-saws, economically speaking though, our customers have testified to higher dollars and cents at the end of the month by taking the band-saw approach. This is of course dependent on specific circumstances of each mill.
A circle saw correctly matched to the timber could be 10 times faster but a wide bandsaw of that size with logs that size should be run at about 120 feet a minute. Anything much below that and the teeth are rubbing so going blunt quicker and the sawdust is to fine to be carried by the gullet. Sawdust left in the cut heats the blade and destroys the tension. Better to teach someone the correct way so they can see what they HAVE to achieve. Very few sawyers pick it up by themselves.
