Abstract: A pressure bar of the fixed type for veneer cutting is heated to reduce frictional drag against the wood surface. In the preferred form, the pressure bar is contoured having a tip with a relatively small radius of curvature and a face, in advance of the tip, which has a relatively large radius of curvature. The combination of a heated contoured pressure bar provides performance comparable with that of a roller bar in terms of roughness and friction, but at significantly reduced cost.

Abstract: A tree cross-cutting blade has plurality of wedge-shaped ribs on the upper surface of and integral with the shear blade. The wedge-shaped ribs extend rearwardly from a bevelled cutting edge of the shear blade and distribute any splitting of the wood, due for example to a tree being frozen across the width of the tree and thus reduce the damage by splitting in a lengthwise direction along the tree. The wedge-shaped ribs may be curved, if the cutting blade cuts along an arcuate path, or straight if cutting is along a straight path. Two such tree cross-cutting blades may be used to cut a tree between them or one used to cut a tree against an anvil. If one is used to cut a tree against an anvil the shear blade may taper to increase in thickness away from the bevelled cutting edge to fell a tree in the cutting direction. The wedge-shaped ribs have pointed leading ends and are preferably triangular in cross-section.