Timber Tuff Timber Beam Cutter — Model# TMW-57

The teeth hold it in place while you rotate your saw down to cut a slice, then you slide it down a few inches and do that again. If you are careful you can slide it along the guide board, but you'll leave marks on the board from the teeth.

Unless you force the guide into the guide board the teeth will not dig in. I use a very sharp chain so can guide the saw through the cut. I generally have the saw bar at about a 45 degree angle and try to keep that steady throughout the length of the gut. If you do that it will give a smooth clean finish to your cut. If you use force and run your bar lower and higher trying to get a faster cut you'll have lots of uneven marks on the log cut. So, dragging the saw along without force you will not notice the teeth on the bottom of the guide.

The teeth on the inside keep the beam cutter in place while you are cutting. The u-clamp that attaches the bar to the beam cutter rotates. You are making a series of cuts (where the chainsaw bar is initially parallel to the ground/log and then turned downward cutting into the log) rather than one continuous cut. When you are done making a cut and it is time to move the beam cutter back (and you aren't pressing it down), it will slide along the guide board.

For the first cut you have to attach your guide board to the top of the log. Use counter sunk screws. I also used small wedges under the board to even it out. I also used winding sticks (look it up) to make sure that both ends of the guide board were in the same plane, that there was no twist in it.

Get the log top somewhat level with an ax or drawknife so the guide board is fairly level. It does not have to be very level top to bottom but does side to side so the guide board will be in one plane. A 2 x 4 is too small in width to be used as the guide board. You'll have to rip a wider board or add a thin filler to a 2 x 4. I'm using a 1 x 6 inch pressure treated board ripped to match the width of the bottom of the TWM-57. The guide board is screwed to the log. I use three 3 inch screws.

You would attach the 2x4 with long screws and make the first cut to provide the flat surface. Then turn the log 90 degrees and attach the 2x4 to the flat surface and make the second cut. Rotate 90 degrees and attach 2x4 and make a third cut. You would have a square piece of stock to cut desired board dimensions.

This Timber Tuff Beam Cutter is not designed to slide. You would need to pick it up and move it for each cut. If you want it to slide you would need to grind off the 3 teeth.