Do any of you resaw by hand

[Tom Hassad]

I know next to nothing about hand tool work beyond hand planes. Does anyone resaw using some sort of hand saw? I have seen very few demonstrations on the web about resawing by hand - most use a bandsaw. I see many posts on this forum about handplanes or chisels. I am at that point where I either buy a bandsaw or try hand tool work. I imagine it would be difficult without the right saw. I have cut things by hand before but never resawed anything. I was wondering what type of hand saw to resaw say 6 to 12 inch wide stock. Thanks, Tom.

[Adam Cherubini]

Tom,

If you are just beginning your foray into hand tools, you've picked the most difficult and frustrating operation there is. Resawing by hand is very difficult. Guys talk about it, but I'm not sure how many of them do it. Resawing a pine 1x12x3' can take me as long as 15 minutes. In general, I find sawing akin to running physically. I can run or saw for 15 minutes without difficulty. After 20 minutes, I'm sweaty. After an hour, I'm pretty much done for the day. My advice is to buy the band saw but to use hand saws for all of your joinery at least. Every woodworker should learn to rip long stock by hand. But I think (having worked without power tools for many many years) a band saw would be a welcome addition to a hand tool shop. I think you have to buy a big one though. And I think I can rip a board faster by hand than a bandsaw can. But I can't resaw faster!

Adam

[Steve Branam]

Yes, I do, using either a well-sharpened 6 ppi ripsaw, or a one-man crosscut timber saw. I also have a 4 1/2 ppi rip. For dry wood, the 6 is sweet, and for green, the timber saw works best. You can see some of this in action at http://www.closegrain.com/2010/03/processing-green-applewood.html and http://www.closegrain.com/2010/03/lost-stickley-side-table.html.

There's also Joshua Clark's popular Hyperkitten framesaw at http://hyperkitten.com/woodworking/. I've have one half-built in my workshop for about 4 years (I'm going to finish it any day now!). In addition to instructions on how to build it, he shows how to use it. The key is the repeated flipping of the board to keep it on course. Josh's saw is a smaller version of Adam's 4-footer.

Bob Easton has a very nice article on resawing long lumber for boats at http://www.bob-easton.com/blog/?p=475.

As Adam says, resawing is physically laborious, probably not something you'd want to do in large amounts. But there are times when you need to be able to do it for small amounts of wood; 15 minutes work isn't that much of an investment, and it's very satisfying, so it's a skill worth developing.

[David Weaver]

Small pieces only. Never something 6+ inches wide unless it's really short.

My Bandsaw would be the last piece of electric powered gear to leave my shop (I don't generally use any other power tools other than a cordless drill and a belt sander for metal work).

[george wilson]

As mostly a guitar maker,I really don't count (to those making case goods),but my bandsaw was used much more than my table saw when I was more active in the 60's,before Williamsburg,(and didn't have a dust collector.) I could resaw guitar tops and backs,and rip the braces,cut out the neck. Generally,I could build the whole instrument as far as rough cutting was concerned,with the bandsaw. In Wmsbg. of course,I had to work by hand in the instrument shop.

[john brenton]

A long, course tooth, sharp saw can do anything...but that doesn't mean that it would be easy. The long part is so critical because you need to get all the sawdust out of the kerf, or you won't be making any progress.

My hats off to the guys that are having all the success at it. I've resawn quite a bit of 4" to 6" stuff with fairly good success, but have always RUINED anything over that. I don't see a bandsaw as being an anti-neander thing. I should have bought a bandsaw instead of a lathe this year...I really could use that a lot more than the lathe...but the lathe is sooooo much fun.

[David Keller NC]

As many on this thread have noted, it can be done (resawing by hand). But that needs a qualification - it's relatively simple to re-saw a soft hardwood board 12" long by rotating it in a vise and sawing out the corners. It's quite another matter to re-saw a 12' long board.

In my opinion, the key to doing this by hand has little to do with getting/making a decent saw to do it with - a large frame saw or a restored pit saw would do the trick. The problem is that historically, every period illustration I've ever seen has this operation done by two men so that the saw can be accurately guided from both sides of the kerf. For modern neanderthals, convincing another skilled woodworker to come over on a saturday and spend hours re-sawing a 12' long maple board when it can be done in 15 minutes on a bandsaw is a bit difficult.

[jamie shard]

This was a good thread along similar lines: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?159315-Sourcing-a-blade-for-frame-saw-for-resawing

I still do resawing, but only in pine boards about 6" wide (or thick, I guess, since that's the length of the cut)... and I just bought a small bandsaw based on the conversation in the above thread!

Hope this helps.

[Jim Koepke]

I have done much more ripping than resawing with a hand saw.

As funky and slow as my cheap 10" band saw may be, it is easier resawing with it than with a hand saw.

jtk

[Leigh Betsch]

God created electrons for a reason. Resawing is one of them. As is thickness planning.

[Ben Beckham]

I'm glad this thread came up. I've been doing more and more hand work and wondering the same thing. Since I don't have a bandsaw, I've always just taken a series of increasing-height cuts with the table saw. Probably not safe, definitely wasteful, and never consistent. I guess when you think about it, a couple nice panel saws are just as expensive as a used bandsaw.

[Pam Niedermayer]

Can someone please explain the difference between ripping and resawing?

Pam

[David Keller NC]

Can someone please explain the difference between ripping and resawing?

Pam

Hmm - I'm sure you know this, Pam, so I assume you're asking for the benefit of the newbies on the thread, but technically, there isn't one (a difference) - both are cutting with the grain of the board, as opposed to cross-cutting, which is across the grain. Presuming the piece was thick enough, most of us would view ripping down the length of a log as "resawing", while a "log" less than 3 or 4 inches thick would be viewed as "ripping".

[David Keller NC]

I'm glad this thread came up. I've been doing more and more hand work and wondering the same thing. Since I don't have a bandsaw, I've always just taken a series of increasing-height cuts with the table saw. Probably not safe, definitely wasteful, and never consistent. I guess when you think about it, a couple nice panel saws are just as expensive as a used bandsaw.

Yeah - I think Marc Adams (famous for conservative table saw practices at his school) would agree with the safety comment - making a non through-cut on a table saw is inviting kick-back, particularly if the wood is somewhat case-hardened and the kerf closes up. I'd spend the bucks to get a bandsaw.

[jamie shard]

...both are cutting with the grain of the board, as opposed to cross-cutting, which is across the grain.

Hmm... I think of resawing as making material that is less than, let's say, 1/2 in thickness. With that definition, resawing can be either cross-cutting or ripping, depending on the orientation of the grain.

Just looked at the dictionary, maybe I'm not using it right.

Re`saw´ (r -s ´)

v. t.1.To saw again; specifically, to saw a balk, or a timber, which has already been squared, into dimension lumber, as joists, boards, etc

[Pam Niedermayer]

Hmm - I'm sure you know this, Pam, so I assume you're asking for the benefit of the newbies on the thread, but technically, there isn't one (a difference) - both are cutting with the grain of the board, as opposed to cross-cutting, which is across the grain. Presuming the piece was thick enough, most of us would view ripping down the length of a log as "resawing", while a "log" less than 3 or 4 inches thick would be viewed as "ripping".

Thanks, David. I was beginning to think I was losing it. My motivation was to get people to stop making this silly comparison (Adam?!); but if newbies want to gain, fine by me. :)

Pam

[Jim Matthews]

I built Tom Fidgen's toolbox, entirely by hand.
This included resawing Sapele, Carribean heart pine and Willow to 5/8" thickness.

These are relatively soft woods, and have reasonably straight grain.

It took forever to finish.

Resawing is one thing I'll never do by hand, given a choice.

I'm starting to think that the milling steps are better done by machine, if time is important to you. The shaping and joinery and finishing are the fun Neander-tool parts.

[Pat Barry]

I recall seeing on this site previous, that to make the resaw process better with a bandsaw, you should first run the part on the table saw to establish the kerf on each edge of the board. Theory was this provided a starting path for the bandsaw. You could use the same technique with a handsaw instead of the bandsaw.

[Pam Niedermayer]

...Resawing is one thing I'll never do by hand, given a choice.

I'm starting to think that the milling steps are better done by machine, if time is important to you. The shaping and joinery and finishing are the fun Neander-tool parts.

I'm sure that people haven't liked this task for millenia, which is probably why riving was invented. :) If the grain is followed without breaking the strands, you can get very close to the size you need without much effort.

Pam

[Mark Dorman]

I used a 8 ppi recentlly to resaw qswo. Lot of work but I needed/wanted book matched parts. I cut 4/4 x 6 x 18" long and the longer saw worked better than my panel saw thats a few inches shorter. As mentioned before it seems the long saw helps clear the saw dust better. I also used a wedge part way through to keep the kerf open and some wax.

Mark186873

[Russell Sansom]

Out of desperation I once sawed a 5" thick chunk of African Mahogany in half around its periphery. The board was 5'-6" feet long and 3 feet wide. I was too poor and isolated to find a bandsaw mill that would do it for me. I took 20-30 minutes a day for a week using a one man "pit" saw. But once I made the commitment, it wasn't so hard. Just labor. But that was truly a special case. Knowing what I do now, I'd do that board the same way. It did turn into a fantastic table. But I'm with the group otherwise.

[Tom Hassad]

I am glad I asked this question - I appreciate the replies.

I am just not seeing, then, where the neandrathal approach fits in. I need to ask the next question - since most resaw by bandsaw - of those who do - how many stop the power tool process there and handplane to final thickness or do you also use a planer/jointer? I have some handplanes that I have used to clean up a table top or bring a glued on board to even thickness with a plywood panel. etc. I enjoy hand work and try to find more ways to fit that in because I started out with real crappy tools and don't want to spend a lot to replace them with very fancy jointers, planers if I can avoid it. Sounds like I will need to spring for a bandsw, however.

Pat, as someone who has experienced kickback before, I cannot use my table saw to resaw. My kickback expierence was not with resawing but I removed my guard once to run a board edgewise over the saw at both ends and I chickened out half way, too scared to go through with it. I rather use a bandsaw for that.

[Andrew Gibson]

I just got my first bandsaw, and all I can say is I am sure glad I did. it's a Grizzly 17" job and the thing is wonderfully for resawing. I love getting 3, 1/2" thick boards out of a piece of 8/4 stock. I milled up a piece of curly cherry today for boxes and it is going to be beautiful.

I have attempted to resaw by hand, but i have not developed my skill enough to make it through anything of substantial width.

[David Keller NC]

I am just not seeing, then, where the neandrathal approach fits in. I need to ask the next question - since most resaw by bandsaw - of those who do - how many stop the power tool process there and handplane to final thickness or do you also use a planer/jointer?

For almost all of us, the answer is "it depends". In my case, I'm looking for a result, not so much the experience (though not having to put up with the whine of power tools and blowing sawdust out of my nose at the end of the day is a definite plus). The result is colonial American furniture that is indistinguishable from an antique, and I can only accomplish that by surfacing & 4-squaring boards with handplanes, and cutting and fitting the joinery by hand.

I think most of us would tell you that hand tools aren't a cheaper option than a power tool shop. In fact, unless you're specializing in a particular type of furniture that needs a very limited kit of tools (windsor chairmaking comes to mind), an average hobbyist power tool shop may well end up being considerably cheaper than a well-equipped hand tool shop.

Just a few examples - while a sturdy, well-designed workbench is a nice-to-have in any shop, it's an absolute requirement in a hand-tool shop. For sizing, surface prep and 4-squaring boards, one typically wants 3 planes (a jack/fore plane, a jointer and a smoother), a marking gauge, a marking knife, an accurate, small square, an accurate large square, a panel gauge, a cross-cut panel saw, a rip panel saw, and a shooting board (typically a shop-made accessory). Add to this a sharpening setup for the tools (for most of us, a set of stones and a grinder of some sort), a small set of files, and a saw-vise (shop-made or purchased). This kit replaces a table saw, a jointer, and a planer, though for doing the joinery that a table saw can do you will need to add at least one rip-filed back-saw, a plow plane, and a set of chisels.

The total amount one spends on either side of the fence is highly variable - you can purchase a new contractor's ts, jointer,& planer, and purchase new, high-quality hand tools from Lee-Valley, Lie-Nielsen and others, and you'll likely spend a good deal more on the hand-tool kit. One can also purchase used power tools and fix them up, and purchase antique hand tools and do likewise. More often than not, you will still likely put more $$$ into the hand-tool kit.

There are way too many variables to say with certainty whether you will/won't spend more money on the hand-tool kit, but most of us don't go this way to save money. For most of us though, WW is a lot more fun with hand tools (and a lot less dangerous), so the accumulation of hand tools generally doesn't stop - that's why you'll see frequent references to the "slippery slope"!