Replies

1. 
   jackplane | Oct 17, 2003 09:39pm | #1

     While I haven't cut up bowling lanes,I've worked with rock maple,probably this wood.

    I suspect the hard varnish on the lanes is what's causing your blades to dull;hitting a nail just compounds it.You could apply stripper and remove the finish in the blade path first,then use a Sawzall with a nail cutting blade.This is demo work,so cut to finish length later.

   Good luck.

2. 
   TomMGTC | Oct 17, 2003 09:49pm | #2

   I don't know of a good way to do a finish cut on bowling allys. The sheer number of nails in tem is incredible. I built my workbench out of one and I ended up taking the whole lane apart, board by board, and removing any nails that would be in the path of cutting tools, then reassembling using the remaining nails to aid in alignment. It worked very well but it was labor intensive. Took about four hours for a ten foot section.  

   Tom

   Douglasville, GA

1. 
   vanderpooch | Oct 17, 2003 10:08pm | #3

   I don't how clean the cut would be, but various makers make "demolition" skilsaw blades for cutting up nail embedded wood, roofs etc. I know dewalt makes one, which means it's probably available at big boxes. Might get you clean enough...

   -kit

3. 
   WayneL5 | Oct 17, 2003 10:44pm | #4

   I was thinking along the same lines as the others, using a reciprocating saw and metal cutting blade, or a demo blade, for a rough cut close to the final cut.  Then, checking the end with a metal detector and digging out or pushing through the metal it picks up.

   I've never tried it, but I wonder if an abrasive blade of some kind would work.  Cut and sand all in one step!

4. 
   jimmyk | Oct 17, 2003 10:45pm | #5

   laser

1. 
   Elcoholic | Oct 17, 2003 11:11pm | #6

   I would add an extension table, bigger fence or cross-cut sled as needed to my bandsaw.  Next get a Lennox recip demo blade designed for wood with nails and try to find a bi-metal bandsaw blade from a Lennox industrial blade supplier that's close.  Excessive burning might be eased by increasing the set, compressed air cooling and/or lubricating with Pam.  Cleanup the cuts with a sanding disk on your TS.John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   Life is tough.  It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne

5. 
   mike4244 | Oct 17, 2003 11:41pm | #7

   There are nails every two inches. 8d box nails at 4" centers, 8d screw nails in between. Cut with Dewalt blade made for cutting nail embedded wood. You will have to add a piece of trim to hide nails at front of tops

   mike

1. 
   eddiefromAustralia | Oct 18, 2003 12:06am | #8

   Repeating Mike's advice, I use a steel cutting blade for a circ saw in this application.

   About 100 tooth and designed to cut steel - wood is not an issue, cuts it well - gives a very smooth surface - I use the same blade to cut MDF.

   Cheers,

   eddie

6. 
   TomMGTC | Oct 18, 2003 12:26am | #9

   Do your lanes have metal brackets underneath that go the width of the lane. Most of the ones I have seen have these and once they are removed the assembly loses a considerable amount of strength. Most bowling alleys wer not glued together so they will flex once the steel brackets are removed.

   Tom

   Douglasville, GA

7. 
   Steinmetz | Oct 18, 2003 03:21am | #10

   Goober. Rip down the centers on every other T&G length

   Use a good stud finder to locate and then mark the area close to the nail.

   With a good saber saw,cut a series of 'Bites'on both sides of the nail, But STOP just short of the 'Joint'  You'll waste 50% of the birch, but save the cutoffs and glue together to turn knife and tool handles. Oh!, to remove these pieces, use a big pair of Visegrips .Stein

   Later, pull out the nails with the same Visegrips

8. 
   TomMGTC | Oct 18, 2003 04:01am | #11

   I don't want to offend anyone but if you have never worked with one of these old sections of bowling alley, how can you give decent advice on how to mill it. The one poster had it pretty close when he gave the nail spacing. I just counted the nails on one edge of a ten foot section. There were 62. Thats roughly 1 every 2 inches. A ten foot section will have well over 1,000 nails. They are not all set the same depth either.

   I can't imagine that a demo blade will give a nice enough cut that you would want to slap a peice of trim on and put it in your kitchen for the world to see. Removing the nails wherever joinery is to be performed is going to give the best results.  

   Tom

   Douglasville, GA

1. 
   mike4244 | Oct 18, 2003 08:06am | #12

   Tom, you are correct about getting a good finish sawing thru a thousand nails. I installed lanes in the early sixties, thats why I knew the amount of nails in a lane. I made work benches out of a few. After ripping to width with several steel blades ( carbide blades were rare or non existent in those days) I recut the top 5/8" with a straight edge and new steel blade. Trim piece was rabbeted out to fit ,rabbet covers ragged edge and nails. Another poster was correct in saying the steel T angle removed will weaken the top. Depending upon the application I would take this to mind.Might be able to remove steel, cut to fit and replace if there is enough room underneath.Lanes were made from maple on the approach and under pinsetter, the rest was longleaf yellow pine.

   As far as removing nails, good luck. The 8d box nails are rosin coated , the screwnails are extremely difficult to pull. These nails are hand nailed every two inches on center. Hand nails are larger in diameter than comparable nails for pneumatics.

   mike

   Edited 10/18/2003 1:14:16 AM ET by MIKEK4244