In the laboratory testing two distinct washboarding patterns were obtained. They are labeled as Type I and Type II (Figure 1). For bandsaws, Type I washboarding is the one with he washboarding pattern at about 45 degrees. Type II washboarding is usually associated with small bites and the pattern slopes at 20 to 30 degrees from the path of the saw teeth. Although we obtained some data on the Type II washboarding, this report is associated only with Type I, as this is the type most often encountered in the primary sawmilling industry and is of principal concern to Forintek's members. It should be noted that the same two types of washboard exist for circular saws; however, these are not covered here.
The effect of the many variables listed above on the range of washboarding in bandsaws has been experimentally examined in some detail. The results are presented in this report along with some guidelines for the elimination of washboarding. Although much valuable data have been obtained during this study, more research is required in order to obtain a complete understanding of washboarding. The recommendations given in this document were found to be effective for 16, 17 and 18 ga. blades on a 5 ft. bandmill, but can be expected to be helpful for other sizes of bandmills also.