The packing, it may be observed, is kept well lubricated with oil, and the following is the method of adjusting it.

The side of the saw on which the operator stands is the last to be packed, the packing on the other side being inserted so as bed fairly but lightly against the saw, so as not to spring it, which may be tried with a straight-edge. The packing on the other side is then inserted to also bed fairly against the saw, without springing it, and the saw is run until it gets as warm as it may, from the friction of the packing. If, then, the saw flops from side to side, the outside (circumference) is loose, and the packing is rammed together on both sides of the saw and near the saw arbor or mandrel, care being taken that in ramming the packing the saw is not unduly pressed on either side.

Expert sawyers generally change the packing when the saw is changed, and thus keep for each saw its own packing. The slot or pocket in which the packing lies is about 11⁄4 inches deep, and 1⁄2 inch wide.

Fig. 3116.

In ordinary circular saw benches or machines the packing comes about up to the level of the table, as shown in [Fig. 3116], in which a is a hand hole for putting in and lifting out the plate b, so as to put in or remove the wooden pieces c, d, upon which the packing rests.

VOL. II.PLANTATION SAW MILL.PLATE XX.
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Fig. 3117.

[Fig. 3117] represents a saw mill constructed by the Lane & Bodley Company. In this machine two circular saws are employed, the upper one being of small diameter and revolving in the same direction as the log feed. a is the driving pulley for the main saw arbor a, and b the driving pulley for the upper saw arbor b. The carriage feed is obtained by belt from cone pulley c to cone pulley d, on whose shaft is a friction pulley e, which, for the feed motion, is moved by lever e into driving contact with pulley f, whose shaft drives the pinion g, which gears with the rack of the carriage. The three steps on the cones c, d, give three rates of feed, and a quick return motion is given to the carriage by engaging the friction pulley with a wheel not shown in the engraving.

The log to be sawn rests upon the slideway s s’, and is secured thereon by the dogs j, j, which are capable of sliding up or down upon the heads h, h′. When the handles k are raised the slides carrying dogs j are free to be moved up and down h, h′, whereas when handles k are depressed the dogs j are locked and hold the log. The operation is to raise the dog slides to the top of h, h′, set the log up to the faces of h, h′, and then by raising handles k, let the dog slides fall, their weight forcing the dogs into the log, and the depression of k locks the dog slides upon h, h′, respectively.