Resawing w/ 14" Bandsaw & Spacer Block

[James Malcolm]

I recently got a good deal on some 12/4 material up to 12" wide. I need some thinner stuff and would maybe like to bookmatch my panels. I don't see a need to cut veneers at this point and I would certainly looked at a higher quality saw if that were the case. What do I really need to cut a 12" hardwood board in half? Will a 14", 1 or 1.5 hp, cast frame w/ spacer block work acceptably well with the proper blade? I'm concerned with how well a saw will operate at the limits of its advertised specs. I'm not a production shop, so speed isn't as much of an issue. I really don't have the money for a welded steel frame w/ the appropriate cutting height. My choices are either to take it to a millworks or get a cast frame saw and spacer block. I would buy or build an appropriate resaw fence.

[Joe Mindell]

I have a Jet 14" with a riser block and I've had no trouble resawing extensively with it. You need to spend the time to get everything lined up well and buy or make a resaw fence of some kind. I've used Highland Hardware 1/2" "Wood Slicer" blades, which have been reviewed well, and I've been happy with them.

I usually do the resaw a little oversize and then plane down to final thickness to insure that small misalignments won't kill me. Also, though the resawn surface if pretty good, it hasn't been perfect in my hands, so planing it is needed anyway

Hope this is helpful.
Joe Mindell

[Paul Murphy]

Another thing to plan for is stock movement after resaw. Even flat well acclimated lumber may move around after resaw, so leave room for re-jointing and planing. Long heavy boards will require infeed/outfeed support, so plan on that.

It can be done, just do the setup work and take your time. As an example of how I look at it I have a bunch of 8/4 maple...if I need one or two more maple panels to complete a door I might resaw them, If I need 100 bf of 3/4 and 1/2 stock I will almost certainly just buy enough 4/4 stock to meet that need.

[Mike Cruz]

You've gotten good advice from the two other posters. I would add that 3/4 hp would probably be stretching it, 1 hp would do the job but I wouldn't do too much of that kind of sawing with it, and 1 1/2 hp would be sufficient.

[Howard Acheson]

Folks have been cutting that type of material for years and years with a 14" 3/4 hp and 1.0 hp bandsaw.

The key is not the saw but the blade. Get a good 1/2" 2 or 3 TPI resaw blade. Align your saw properly and feed your stock evenly. Test out your setup on scrap 12" stock to ensure that the saw is cutting correctly.

[Josiah Bartlett]

I'm not going to comment on what results you may or may not get, but I would emphasize that you practice your setup on a 2x12 before you go trying to resaw your expensive hardwood. You need to set up the fence to account for blade drift and to make sure you have adequate tension.

And, it really helps if you joint the edge that rides on the table and the fence. If you can't joint the wide side, at least joint the bottom. Any wavyness is going to try to bind the blade, which is a real problem if you don't have much horsepower.

[Mike Cruz]

I wasn't trying to say that you can't do it with a 3/4 hp motor, just that I wouldn't risk it. Just because people have been doing it doesn't mean they should. IF your manual says you can, then by all means, have at it. The machines that the OP is refering to have 6" rip capacites from the factory. The block is an add on. Usually, add ons like this end up taxing the machine, and meeting or exceeding their limits. My point is that I would not risk damage to my machine by resawing 12" oak with a 3/4 hp BS. 1 hp, maybe. 1.5 hp, shouldn't be a problem.

[Van Huskey]

I wasn't trying to say that you can't do it with a 3/4 hp motor, just that I wouldn't risk it. Just because people have been doing it doesn't mean they should. IF your manual says you can, then by all means, have at it. The machines that the OP is refering to have 6" rip capacites from the factory. The block is an add on. Usually, add ons like this end up taxing the machine, and meeting or exceeding their limits. My point is that I would not risk damage to my machine by resawing 12" oak with a 3/4 hp BS. 1 hp, maybe. 1.5 hp, shouldn't be a problem.


I agree. You can resaw 12" dense tropicals with 1/2 hp BUT you and a person named Job need to have a LOT in common! When your feedrate gets very low the resaw quality suffers. I would want 1.5hp on a 14" cast saw for 12" resaws, especially if I had a lot of them to do.

I would suggest one of the Kerfmaster/Bladerunner/Woodslicer type of blades for this usage. They are basically the same blade, the Kerfmaster from Spectrum supply is the cheapest, the Woodmaster the most expensive. A 1/2" .022" 3 TPI or 5/8" .016" 3 TPI blade would be best for this saw. Be aware these blades are very sharp but dull faster than carbon blades but they are the best blade for the job on a 14" cast saw.

[James Malcolm]

Thank you all for the great information.

[Thomas Delpizzo]

I saw purchase a laser cutter that would cut through 2: plate steel. That should handle the wood and it's more accurate. Probably only cost about $150,00 with a kit through ebay!!:D

Actually, I have a 14" with riser and 1.5 hp and was advise that it should be no problem. If you have 1 good edge, use that against the fence to minimize blade jam and keep the feed steady. It will take a long time on your machine but it can be done with the right blade(s) as recommended. Good luck, have patience, and let us know how it works out. But don't risk it if you're uncomfortable or the manual doesn't recommend it.