A “hex” descended upon the component saw business at BCMC in 1981. Fortunately, this hex turned out to be a good “spell,” one that quickened the search for a machine that could cut any piece. Speed Cut, Inc. introduced the Timbermill, a 6-bladed (or hex-headed) solution [for image, See PDF or View in Full Issue]. The incumbents Clary and Idaco, and upstart DePauw, who offered only 4-bladed saws, were upstaged and quickly had to go back to the drawing board.
The most vexing cutting issue then was the increased incidence of scissors trusses, which required 5 saw cuts. Some enterprising CMs, like the Shoffner plants, could cut them with DePauw saws as long as the butt cut was around ¼”. But larger butt cuts were increasingly common as vaulted trusses with energy heels (higher heels for insulation) or vaults beneath bastard (dual-pitched) hips proliferated. Their bottom chords had to be separated and man-handled onto a Metra-Cut Saw.
Four-bladed saws constrained truss designers, who were able to “cut anything” with increasingly powerful software like On-Line Data’s Sketch Pad. But they were often chastised for sending pieces to the shop which couldn’t be easily cut. Angles less than ten degrees, scarf cuts more than 30 inches, and single piece bottom chords were verboten. The result was less-than-optimal designs, mis-cuts, and/or costly handwork.
Speed Cut, Inc. was ideally situated in Corvallis, Oregon, the heart of the Northwestern timber industry. They had previously developed automated machinery to cut hip rafters. And they became aware that their Metra-Cut saw was considerably less productive than a component saw. They also had to understand what pieces it usually cut. With this knowledge, their prior cutting expertise, and their name recognition, Speed Cut was able to gain rapid acceptance of their first component saw. In the process, they popularized the acronym “PAE” for Pivot Angle Elevation, illustrated by the three vertical scales shown here [for image, See PDF or View in Full Issue]. Later, these measurements were known simply as “centerlines.”
Since Speed Cut, Inc. was not affiliated with another entity, we negotiated a marketing agreement to distribute the Timber Mill to our customers. Despite our recent purchase of the DePauw saw, we needed to gain time to redesign that product. However, we were not alone in responding. By the mid-1980s, Clary introduced their Master Saw and Idaco their International Saw. About the same time, Alpine purchased Speed Cut and aggressively marketed the Timbermill. Belatedly, we brought out our aptly named Hex-Cut Saw. But, by then, the Timbermill had become the dominant component saw.
Late in the 1980s, competitive pressure continued to propel cutting innovation. Digital indicators replaced manual scales. Belts and vibrating conveyors replaced “drag-chains.” Upgraded guarding and safety systems were incorporated. And motorized movement of all saw axes became standard.
But a significant limitation of the component saw remains, even today. The end of the board may be more than one foot from the nearest support [for diagram, See PDF or View in Full Issue]. Any bowing or crowning at the end of this unsupported lumber cantilever creates a varying butt cut and uneven heel height. However, this drawback did not prevent the fully powered component saw from dominating machinery sales for the next ten years.
Next Month:
The DePauw Decade
Since 1970, Joe Kannapell has worked as programmer, Chief Engineer, Marketing Manager, and Sales VP for MiTek, plus 7 years at truss plants, retiring at the end of 2020.