Resawing to thickness

[john brenton]

I got a deal on some 8/4 spanish cedar and I need to saw it into smaller planks. Well I took my 7 tpi ripsaw to it yesterday and it was a toooooooooootal bear. I tried with my frame saw but it was the same thing, and I also have almost no set on the frame saw blade and I doubt setting the teeth would make a difference anyways so that was no good. The wife's b-day is at the end of October and I need to get this to dimension asap. Is it impossible with the rip I have? No, but it's just not the right saw. I need bigger teeth and big gullets for this lumber.

I don't have a timber saw, and I was looking for some advice. Firstly, do you agree that a timber saw would do the trick on this cedar? Secondly, I don't see any timber saws for ripping...do you just use a x-cut, or do you file the teeth for rip?

Thirdly, any recommendations? In this case, unless anyone here has one and would like to trade or sell (I've got a Stanley 45 I don't use!), I would rather get a new one. They've got a German "Putsch" one man timber saw at woodcraft, and another German no name at traditional woodworker. Anyone have any recommendations??

Thanks!

[David Weaver]

Those timber saws are for crosscutting logs. They work well for that, but I don't think I'd try one rip.

If you can find an old long 28" rip saw with 3 1/2 tpi or something - one that's *very* sharp, you'll have what you need. In my opinion, and mine only from doing this a couple of times with smaller wood, you don't want razor thin set. Set like an old traditional saw will give you room to move in the cut and keep on the line and not waste wood.

Do you know anyone with a bandsaw? How many board feet of wood are we talking about here? I'd find someone with a bandsaw and get them a case of beer and have them run it through.

[Richard Niemiec]

Bandsaw, there's no shame in using one. Somebody with a bandsaw close to the GA coast - help this guy out.....

[john brenton]

There's no shame in my game, I would have every power tool under the sun if I could afford it. In fact, there's a guy selling a Mark V with a bandsaw attachment for $700...I'm sure I could talk him down to $500. I'm seriously thinking how I could buy that and convince my wife that I found it, or bought it for $30.

[David Weaver]

Would it be tall enough to resaw the boards you have?

My bandsaw does more resaw than anything else - it's nice to have enough room for most boards to avoid ripping and regluing.

[john brenton]

No, it wouldn't. I have (5) 7' long 8/4 boards about 7" wide. But I would rather rip, resaw and then glue up then spend an hour resawing only to have the saw skew and ruin it all....which is exactly what happened yesterday. Oh well, I just got my electric bill and looks like nothing will be happening with those boards for a while! Maybe they'll have to wait until I retire in 30 years.


Would it be tall enough to resaw the boards you have?

My bandsaw does more resaw than anything else - it's nice to have enough room for most boards to avoid ripping and regluing.

[David Weaver]

It's worth your while to have a welded steel bandsaw at some point in the future to do exactly what you're doing without ripping and without wasting wood or leaving yourself an undue amount to plane off because of wandering. Keep your eyes open. I've seen 18" bandsaws in the $500-$600 range here sometimes, including saws that run on 110 if that's an issue (it is for me). I have no problem resawing anything with a 110 powered 18" BS, though I'm sure I could run the wood through a lot faster if I felt like ramming it through a 5hp saw - it still takes much more time to joint a prospective board and wind up a saw blade to tension than it does to make the cut.

[Jerome Hanby]

I don't think the Shopsmith bandsaw will handle a 7" re-saw. I've done a little less than 6" and it was pretty close to maxed out. Also there is no way other than radical surgery to increase the re-saw height, no riser block option. In it's defense, the Shopsmith is a nice bandsaw and I love mine., It's just not a re-sawing monster.

But if you can grab the Smith with all the normal accessories and the bandsaw for about $500 and it's in good shape, it will really fill in the blanks in a home work shop.

[Rob Young]

7" wide board can be resawn using the table saw and a little extra work.

True one face and both edges to that face.

Raise blade on table saw and set fence. Blade height is a function of how hard the wood is to rip (use a rip blade, it works better for this). You may be making multiple passes say at 1-1/2" then 2" then 3". Eventually you end up as high as your blade will go.

Flip the board end-for end so that the same side is against the fence. Repeat. You can also do the flip and repeat at each individual blade height. Order of operation doesn't much mater here.

Now you have a board with maybe a 1" wide spine. Put your 7tpi rip saw in there and finish it off. The already cut portions will keep you true. Clean up the sawn spine and repeat as needed.

Watch your fingers and consider using a push block (not stick, a block) and featherboard to keep things safe on the table saw.

Obviously more kerf waste than a bandsaw but less waste than goofing up otherwise. :)

[David Weaver]

More smokey, too :D

[john brenton]

Thanks for the advice, and I know you're right, but I work with a guy whose nubby 1/2 thumb thanks to the table saw reminds me why I have chosen the neander route.

[John A. Callaway]

I ripped my maple with my table saw....none of it more than 4 inches wide though. I had to plane away some blade burn marks here and there...but all in all it worked out fine.

There is a millwork shop out in pooler...Home south architectual

http://www.homesoutharch.com/

they will resaw it pretty cheap. they jointed and planed down about 45 linear feet of walnut for me for a twenty dollar bill.

Give them a call.

[john brenton]

Thanks John, I didn't know there was a fellow Pooler dweller here in the neander section. We'll have to get together sometime; but you should know that I have absolutely nothing to share or impart other than a few ice cold German brewskies.

[Rob Young]

More smokey, too :D

Then tune up the saw and clean & sharpen the blade. :)

This is why you have to have one flat side and TWO squared edges for this to work.

[Bob Easton]

Yep, 7 TPI isn't course enough for resawing. 5 would be better, 3 best. You mention a frame saw. What kind of blade does it have?

Put the right blade in it, well sharpened, and with minimal set and you'll be on your way.

Two resources to check:
"Junior" Strasil has lots of valuable advice in this SMC thread (http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=77908).
I have a tutorial on resawing lumber (http://www.bob-easton.com/blog/?p=475) for boat building.

[lowell holmes]

A rip blade on the table saw will reduce the power required to rip and reduce the tendency to burn.

The difference in power required is dramatic .