resaw question

[Ted Daigle]

If I buy 4/4 or 5/4 wood, is it better to just plane it down to the size I want or does it make more economic sense to try and resaw it? I don't have a bandsaw (or a planer for that matter) :rolleyes: , but was thinking about getting a planer. Now, I'm kind of torn between the planer and the bandsaw. What do you guys do?

[David Perkins]

Here is my solution resaw on the bandsaw and finish it on the planer. That was how I got a bandsaw and a planer on the same trip. :p
David

[David Klug]

How thick do you want the board to be? Depending on the width of the board I would rip it with the table saw a little over size and if it is too wide, I would make two cuts on opposite sides of the board and use a hand saw to finish the cut. Then you can finish planeing it to the thickness that you want.

DK

[John Miliunas]

I'm with David P. on this one. Taking a 4/4 or 5/4 board and planing it down, to what is often 3/4 or less, only gives you a whole bunch of chips! A good quality BS and blade can often double your yield or better. I've even taken boards a tad over 4/4, resawed them real close to what I need and had enough thickness material left over to easily work for edging and such. A bit thicker stock and you can usually yield "leftover" thickness good enough for small knick-knack boxes or similar. My LT16-HD, combined with the Resaw King, leaves a finish smooth enough that, in most cases, one trip through the planer does the trick! :) I recently "demo'd" my saw to another fella looking to buy one and he brought over some Box Elder. It was only about 6 or 7" wide, but the cut was literally smooth enough to touch with a sander and it was ready for a project! Lots less waste! So, the "answer", IMHO is, BOTH! If your projects require stock closer to the rough-sawn dimension then, a jointer and planer would do just fine. :cool:

[Jim Becker]

Assuming you can fund the tools, resawing usually always makes sense as it gives you material for your project at less waste cost and the "left overs" can be used for future projects. But to effectively resaw material you'll want both a bandsaw and a thickness planer; the first to slice the lumber and the second to clean it up and bring it to final thickness. Theoretically, you also need a jointer to flatten the lumber first, but many folks skip that step as long as the lumber you are working with is "reasonably" straight and flat to begin with. Be choosy when you are choosing your lumber...

[Lynn Sonier]

If I had to decide between the planer and the bandsaw, I'd chose the planer. When I bought a planer, I never thought I would use it as much as I do. I just got the two speed 13.5 inch Jet and really like it.

[Stewart Crick]

I also am a proponent of resawing as well. But it does add concerns/steps. In my experience, resawing often releases internal tension in the board which usually leads to more movement in the board (even though, prior to resawing the board was acclimated to my shops environment) . So when I do resaw, I plan on giving the board another week to re-acclimate to environment.

Stu

[John Miliunas]

I also am a proponent of resawing as well. But it does add concerns/steps. In my experience, resawing often releases internal tension in the board which usually leads to more movement in the board (even though, prior to resawing the board was acclimated to my shops environment) . So when I do resaw, I plan on giving the board another week to re-acclimate to environment.

Stu

Stu, you're right about the internal stresses. Even when planing, you should leave yourself about 1/32nd before final dimension. Plane it down to that, then let the piece "rest" for a couple days before taking it to the absolute final dimension. :cool:

[Mike Circo]

I get a lot of my drawer stock from resaw. I take the thin cutoff pieces, usually about 1/4" to 3/8" thick, then laminate them together and get lots of cheap nice 1/2" thick stock.

About a third of my drawer sides come this way. Its a lot better than turning the wood into chips.

[Chris Padilla]

I just picked up a bandsaw and I can't believe the versatility of having one around. You will find you will use it WAY more than just to resaw. A planer does one thing...it does it very, very well, but it basically does one thing.

I've been putting together a cyclone DC system (literally from sheetmetal kit so lottsa bending and pounding) and I was able to whip up some hardwood blocks of various sizes and some with rabbets/steps (to help bend the metal) and cutting tiny block on a TS would be scary and downright dangerous. I put a 1/4" wide blade in my BS and it was very easy to cut small pieces and so much safer. I'm starting to see why European shops built up their shops based around the bandsaw. :)

In the end, if your budget can handle it, you should try to have both.

[Matthew Dworman]

Bandsaw is definitely the way to go. I would never reccomend resawing on the tablesaw. Although it can be done, it is possibly one of the most dangerous tasks to do on the tablesaw. Resawing with the bandsaw is cool in my oppinion. You can create veneers, bookmatched panels, not to mention that the kerf is somuch thinner and you waste less material, saving you $ in the long run. I do have a planer as well which is also great because I now only buy rough sawn lumber. I find that I get a better selection, save a lot of $ and end up with thicker components as well (4/4 s3s or s4s material is usually just barely 3/4" thick - many times 4/4 rough is actually slightly thicker than 1" and after surfacing, you can end up with 7/8, 15/16, or if you're lucky enough even 1")

[Alan Turner]

I think you need both, but you can live with a pretty inexpensive planer. For the BS, I would splurge. I can't remember the last time I had to buy stock for either drawer sides or bottoms; all are resaw fall-offs.
Alan

[John Bush]

I'm in the market for a BS in the 16-18" range mostly for resawing old walnut, cherry, and maple planks. What features are most critical in helping make the decision, and what features are over the top for a hobbiest. I like M&M with peanuts, but the MM16 is more than I wish to invest in. What type of blade guides are most appropriate,is the foot brake important, 2hp, tension spring, ease of blade changing????? Is it more logical to buy a solid basic model and augment with aftermarket goodies or is there a reasonably priced model that handles these ???? out of the box, (Grizz 17",18", 19")?? I know opinions will fly all over the map, but with all the great experience and talent out there I'm sure you all can provide some good suggestions. Thanks, John

[Jim Becker]

John, the Grizzley G0513 is getting good comments from folks and is reasonably priced. It has less power than most Euro saws, but is based on the same design. Bridgewood also has a couple of nice ones that are also less than the MM, Agganzi or Laguna machines. You might also look for a used/tradein on the MM or Laguna. Folks sometime upgrade to larger saws and the ones that are made available are usually really clean and attractively priced.