Learned something about resawing

[Lee Schierer]

Last night I decided to resaw a thick piece of cherry for a project I am starting. the board was already planed and measured exactly 1.680 thick, 72" long and 5-3/4" wide. I felt that if I were careful, I could get two 3/4" pieces from it after planing the cut surfaces. I drew guide lines down the length, checked my resaw set up and checked to insure the blade was perfectly perpendicular to the table with my Beall. I started to resaw and got about 2" into the cut and stopped to check the straightness of the cut and make sure I was going to get the result I wanted. I noted that the top of the cut was perfect, but the bottom had wandered off the desired cut line. After rechecking things, I noted that the bottom edge of the board was slightly out of square about 1/16" across the width of the edge.

Once I trued up the edge that was to be against the saw table and restarted the cut I was able to resaw the entire length and get two pieces that will easily clean up to be 3/4" thick.

So remember when resawing, it helps to have the edge against the table to be square to the side of the board that is against the resaw fence.

[Larry Fox]

Definitely true but when resawing I use one of those magnetic featherboards tight at the bottom and run a dressed face against a tall fence and I think this combination makes it less important to be square to side.. My fence is on the left btw.

[Chris Tsutsui]

Good Tip

So did you just run that edge of the board on a jointer before resawing?

I know that I would have just cut all the way through the board, cursed a bit when I found out it wasn't even.

Eventually I would run those boards on a jointer and planer till they were trued. By then they would be 1/2" thick.

[Lee Schierer]

Definitely true but when resawing I use one of those magnetic featherboards tight at the bottom and run a dressed face against a tall fence and I think this combination makes it less important to be square to side.. My fence is on the left btw.

I had a magnmetic feather board in place and the board was planed and jointed on all sides and my fence (same design and teh New Kreg BS fence) was to the left, but the weight of the board and pull of the teeth was deflecting the fence and pulling the board down to the table causing it to tilt enough that the bottom of the cut was moved about 3/32" off the desired cut line.

[Larry Fox]

Humm - interesting. My veneer is very consistent top to bottom and I have even left the edge rough before.

Either way - good discovery and tip, I will keep an eye on it next time I resaw.

[Myk Rian]

I had a magnmetic feather board in place and the board was planed and jointed on all sides and my fence (same design and teh New Kreg BS fence) was to the left, but the weight of the board and pull of the teeth was deflecting the fence and pulling the board down to the table causing it to tilt enough that the bottom of the cut was moved about 3/32" off the desired cut line.
Are you holding the wood to the fence tightly? Just a featherboard isn't enough.
Something isn't right with the BS setup.
If you resaw a piece of scrap without using the fence, how much angle do you have to set the wood to the blade, to get a straight cut?

[Dan Lee]

I do quite a bit of resawing and I always check; Blade square to the table. fence square to the table, face of the stock against the fence is square with the bottom edge.
Dan

[glenn bradley]

Yep, that's a good way to assure consistent results. I actually joint a face and edge, then parallel the faces with the planer. After I resaw I still have the two outside edges already prep'd. Run each through the planer again (flat side down) and resaw again, etc. till I'm out of board.

[Josiah Bartlett]

Also check to make sure your guides are properly adjusted. Often times the top guide post isn't exactly parallel to the blade, so when you move it up for a wide resaw the blade changes position with respect to the guides. If you don't readjust it, then the bottom guide can appear to be out of alignment if the top guide has moved the blade away from the neutral tracking point.

[Lee Schierer]

Also check to make sure your guides are properly adjusted. Often times the top guide post isn't exactly parallel to the blade, so when you move it up for a wide resaw the blade changes position with respect to the guides. If you don't readjust it, then the bottom guide can appear to be out of alignment if the top guide has moved the blade away from the neutral tracking point.

I did all that before making the first cut, but the cut still wandered until I got the bottom surface perpendicular to the side against the fence.