Neander re-sawing

[Andrew Homan]

I've got some 8/4 (really more like 9/4) and 12/4 maple that I'd like to re-saw. Never done this before -- any suggestions? Does anyone do this with handtools or have I taken this nuttiness too far? A friend offered to let me use his bandsaw but I'd rather go cordless.

I'm planning to build a bowsaw soon, wondering whether I might also build a larger framesaw with a wider blade if this is the appropriate approach to resawing by hand.

Thanks,
-Andy

[Ken Bryant]

I've done resawing with a framesaw, but only on fairly short pieces -- bookmatching maple slabs for doorpanels. A regular framesaw worked ok, but somewhere I've seen pictures of a style of framesaw that looked like it might work lots better. It has the blade in the center, rather than at one side, with a stretcher on each side of it. The blade is mounted with a turnscrew at one end to provide the tension. Looks like it would be easier to keep everything aligned than with the usual "asymmetrical" bow saw.

[Eddie Darby]

An interesting frame saw blade:

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=6048

Can anyone say: "Look-out maple!"

[James Mittlefehldt]

Roy Underhill has a picture in one of his books resawing with a panel rip saw, however I have not as yet had the nerve to try that, despite the fact I seem to be able to rip saw to a line fairly well now. A frame saw is on my to do list just have not gotten there yet.

[Hans Braul]

Great question Andrew! I have been wondering the same. If I had a bandsaw I'd use it, but for the amount of resawing I see in my future, I wonder if a little sweat and an hour or two would do the trick. I've also seen pictures of the kind of frame saw that is designed for resawing (one frame member on each side of the piece, with the blade between). Looks like it would guarantee a straight cut.

Hans

[Robert Rozaieski]

I've made one and use it on occasion (I don't do much resawing presently). I've seen them in two different configurations:

The first has the stretchers set narrow (3"-6"). I've sometimes seen this version referred to as a veneer saw (not to be confused with the other type of veneer saw sold by most WW tool retailers).

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base_images/zp/hand_powered_saws_2.jpg

The other has the stretchers set wide. This is the style I made.

http://www.hyperkitten.com/pics/woodworking/frame_saw2.jpg

Note that neither of these saws pictured are mine. Mine is no where near as nice as these.

I made my stretchers about 36" but in use this is a little too long for me as I am relatively short and I really don't use the full length of the blade. Shorter (about 24"-30" for me) stretchers would be stiffer and make the saw lighter. Start longer than you need as it's easy enough to shorten them (even though I have not done so yet). That way you can fit the saw to your frame and stroke length. Set the saw up to cut on the pull stroke, DAMHIKT.

In use, I think setting the stretchers wide helps to align the saw straight better than the narrow stretchers would but I've never used a saw with narrow set stretchers so this is pure speculation. I used unglued mortise and tenon to put it together so it can be easily disassembled if necessary. The tension of the blade holds everything together.

The saw was easy to make and is not hard to use, but a straight cut is not guaranteed. Use the widest blade you can find to build the frame saw as this will aid in keeping the saw aligned in the kerf. The best advise I can give is to start the cuts from each corner with a back saw and use the backsaw to cut as deep as it will reach. Then use the framesaw to extend the kerfs from each corner and meet in the middle. This link has a good description of the process.

http://www.hyperkitten.com/woodworking/resaw.php3 (this is where the second pic came from).

Here's one more pic of a very nice saw and it's construction (again, not mine):

http://www.woodcentral.com/articles/images/416a.jpg

http://www.woodcentral.com/articles/handtools/articles_416.shtml

[Ben Mullin]

I've also done a little resawing by hand. I used a frame saw and took the likes of Hyper Kitten and others into consideration when cobbling mine together.

Here is a picture of my saw:
http://www.oldtoolsshop.com/Galoots/bMullin/galootmadetools/Cut1DiagonalSawnThumbnail.jpg

And you can read a little bit about it and a few other links of interest here:
http://www.oldtoolsshop.com/Galoots/bMullin/galootmadetools/index.html#FrameSaw


Ben

[Hans Braul]

The saw I saw and would like to build has adjustable stretchers so that you can set them just wider apart than the thickness of the board you are resawing. Seems to me that would eliminate the problem of sawing straight? Does anyone have pics of a saw like that?

Cheers
Hans

[Chuck Nickerson]

Now that their bowsaw is out, perhaps Joel at TFWW can get Gramercy started on this.

[Andrew Homan]

Now that their bowsaw is out, perhaps Joel at TFWW can get Gramercy started on this.

I'm about to build the bowsaw using the kit (blades and pins, plus Joel's instructions), and once I'm finished, I'll try to build one of these larger framesaws. I'm not exactly clear about how they establish blade tension (lacking the cord).
-Andy

[Mark Sweigart]

To apply tension, the blades are attached to a threaded rod, which goes through a hole in the frame. Then, a bolt/wingnut/etc. is used to tighten the blade.

mark

[Dan Moening]

Hans,

I can't load the image as it's not mine, but here is a link to a gentleman that has made a saw like you are asking for:

http://pages.infinit.net/perrons/Paul/Woodwork/Workbench/Woodvise/woodvise.html

Scroll down to the bottom of the page, he calls it a "veneer saw". Thick, heavy duty adjustable stretchers. It's been on my list of "make one someday".

[Craig Feuerzeig]

http://www.woodworksevents.com/images/toshio1.jpg

[Hans Braul]

Thank you Dan, that's exactly what I was thinking of. I think I need to make one of those - it doesn't look too difficult.

Hans