When large saws are operated at high speeds cutting accuracy deteriorates and very high levels of oscillation occur after the blade exits the cut. These high oscillation levels may adversely affect the next cut. This report describes laboratory tests that were conducted to determine if the addition of extra guides would improve the response of such blades.
Tests were carried out with four different guide configurations: a front guide; a front guide plus a pin guide; a front guide plus a pin guide plus a back guide; and a front guide plus a back guide. The results indicate that the addition of the extra guides has a marked effect upon blade response. In particular, the addition of a back guide results in a significant change in wedging of the cut boards.
The results presented indicate that extra guides could be useful in reducing cutting deviation. Further work is required to determine the appropriate location of such guides and whether the addition of such guides can be accommodated in a mill situation.