White “Faskut” saw

[Guineafowl21]

I might have a chance to get one of these, but I can’t find much info about it. 36” blade and roller feed. Here’s a restored one:

Taken from: http://www.ricknolan.co.uk/classic-woodwork-machines.html

The one I’ve seen (on a quick video taken by a mate) has had the motor removed and been converted to PTO shaft. I’ve got a 3 or 4 hp motor that could be fitted. It could go on the tractor for now.

The aim, given current timber/cladding prices, would be to convert some spruce logs I have lying about into cants or half-cants with the Alaskan chainsaw mill, then run them through this to make blanks for shiplap, which could then be formed on the spindle moulder.

Any info welcomed, thanks.

 

[Jonathan]

That’s a beast, would a 3 or 4 hp motor be big enough for that big blade?

 

[Guineafowl21]

That’s a beast, would a 3 or 4 hp motor be big enough for that big blade?

No, probably not, but if I don’t push it too hard, it might do. I could always retain the PTO adapter, then I’d have 80 hp from the John Deere.

 

[Cabinetman]

It’s difficult for my mind to understand the scale of this, at first I thought it was a very low table, then I worked out with a 36” blade the scale of what I was looking at and the whole thing is quite large! And no doubt Heavy.
Edit, just looked again and it is low, isn’t it?

 

[AJB Temple]

Do you know what power the original motor was? One concern I would in cutting shiplap, especially with a taper, is the blade stalling mid cut. But if the motor is powerful enough and you have infeed and outfeed rollers, it seems perfectly viable.

 

[Trevanion]

 

[wallace]

I was going to say you'd be lucky to get the blade spinning with 3-4hp, never mind cutting anything. Another thing is when blades get to that size they get expensive and the art of tensioning a blade is dead.

 

[AJB Temple]

I had to look up blade tensioning. Seems a skilled job. Presumably only needed on large blades.

 

[Mike G]

I would never be the one to dampen enthusiasm for a big bit of old machinery for restoration.....but if you are proposing to run this from a tractor PTO, there are big saw tables designed for just that. Maybe if the PTO was just a stop gap until you found a big enough motor, then I can see the point, but otherwise you are condemning yourself to working in a shed with a tractor engine chuffing out clouds of diesel exhaust.

 

[Guineafowl21]

It is a low machine yes. Presumably to account for the size of timber being put across it?

I think ‘my’ one has a modern TCT blade on it.

The idea is to have it on a little concrete pad just outside the workshop, with a carport-style roof, so hopefully the exhaust won’t be a bother.

Once again, Trevanion beats the internet! Two things strike me from that book entry - one, goodness me, it weighs about two tonnes, so will be fun to move about. Two, the required hp is around 30, an order of magnitude beyond my planned 3 or 4. I can’t believe that motor in the picture above is anywhere near that, though.

We’ll see. The old boy who has it used it to make fence posts, but I can’t imagine untreated, home-made posts would be much use. There’s also, apparently, a ‘big bandsaw/resaw’ up for grabs, a Stenner, I think. I haven’t bought a huge piece of cast iron for ages, so am getting withdrawal symptoms…

 

[Trevanion]

I had to look up blade tensioning. Seems a skilled job. Presumably only needed on large blades.

If you look closely at smaller blades you will generally see a shallow ring around the inside perimeter of the blade that’s been rolled into the plate, that’s what gives smaller blades tension but much less critical than on a 36” resaw blade.

Once again, Trevanion beats the internet! Two things strike me from that book entry - one, goodness me, it weighs about two tonnes, so will be fun to move about. Two, the required hp is around 30, an order of magnitude beyond my planned 3 or 4. I can’t believe that motor in the picture above is anywhere near that, though.

I do actually know someone who has one of these saws and collects Thomas White machines, I could pose some questions to him if you want.

 

[Guineafowl21]

I do actually know someone who has one of these saws and collects Thomas White machines, I could pose some questions to him if you want.

Of course you do Well, any general stuff would be helpful, but particularly his thoughts on powering it electrically. I can squeeze 10 hp 3 phase out of the rotary converter, and maybe 16-17 hp from the single phase supply - we’ve just finished burying the SWA for that.

All of this is second or third-hand, slightly vague info from my mate who’s an old farmer/contractor. Good with tractors and diggers, not so much on woodworking machines. He’s also mentioned a “five-head something-or-other” lying about. Could it be a tenoner, or a planer-moulder? Might be for sale, not sure. I just said “yes, please”. Again, we’ll see.

 

[Woodbloke]

Here's me thinking (before I opened the thread) that it was a new brand of Japanese pull saw..... - Rob

 

[fuse]

but I can’t imagine untreated, home-made posts would be much use

they will when steeped in the time honoured solution of red diesel and old engine oil .
Dont bother with that fancy nancy creosote stuff.......

The chap I worked for ( 50p an hour ) in school holidays had me sloshing that stuff on everything.
He had an unguarded rusty 2ft saw on the back of his Fordson Major.

Bought my first car off his dad for fifty quid,an Austin A40 farina.
Smoked like a train.
And he did
20 woodbines a day and he almost made it to a hundred years