Resaw Technique

[Rick Moyer]

As I read threads on resaw fences etc., I wonder how most of you resaw? Is it better to use a resaw fence or a pivot point; or, is one way better than the other for different applications?
I have a 14" Grizz 0555 and can only resaw up to 6". I haven't really done any resawing yet, but anticipate trying to make some boxes which will involve some resawing. Was wondering which approach would be better. I understand about blade drift and think that's the reason for a pivot point, but maybe for smaller thinnner pieces a fence would be better?
How do you alll do it?

[Greg Cole]

Rick,
I've got my saw set up to use a fence for resawing. Tried the point method, but wound up adjusting the resaw fence(s) for the slight drift. Maybe my linear thinking of using fences for what they're for is a road block? Ah well, my resaw results are good, so the technique can't be that bad.:rolleyes:
Try it either way, shop built jigs-fixtures for either aren't time consuming. Find which style you like best and call it done.

Greg

[Paul Fitzgerald]

I'm a newbie, so read the following with that in mind. :D I'm gearing up to make about fifty 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" boxes out of 1/4" Cherry, so I've gone through the "how am I going to pull this off" process already.

Honestly, I think the choice between a flat fence and a point fence has a lot to do with personal preference. However, some say a point fence will help you keep the cut straight, especially if you have some odd grain patterns going on.

I went with a flat MDF fence clamped to my table and I have been extremely happy with the results. I resawed a 4' long, 6-1/4" wide , and 3/4" thick piece of poplar into two 3/8" thick slices yesterday with very little tweaking. I think clamping, unclamping, and adjusting the MDF fence is a huge pain, so I just ordered the Kreg fence (see http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=74984).

I found that the most important thing was an accurate setup. I spent a good deal of time tweaking the setup of my bandsaw to get it cutting well. The wheels, tires, blade, guides, bearings, table, and fence were all meticulously adjusted to run straight and true. It made all the difference in the world -- the resaw test prior to all that adjusting was a failure.

I found the next most important thing was the blade. I went with a 1/2" Woodslicer, which I absolutely love. There are a lot of people who rave about the Timberwolf blades, but I don't have any experience with them.

So that's my 2 cents. :)

Paul

[Pete Bradley]

I usually use a tall fence I made out of MDF. Two boards at right angle with triangular blocks, glued and screwed. I glued the "boards" together first, and then glued in the triangles with the base clamped down and the fence clamped and adjusted exactly vertical all along the length. For logs and slices of uneven material, I use a sled as shown here (warning big picture):

http://home.comcast.net/~bradlzz/bandsaw_mythbusters.jpg

There's much less mystique to resawing than one might think. I don't worry too much about drift. The most important factors are a sharp band of 3-4 TPI, avoiding flutter, and running the piece through the band in a way that doesn't twist. Resist the urge to run the widest band your saw will take, as it won't necessarily deliver optimum resaw performance.

Pete

[Greg Cole]

One more tip I got from one of the usual WW mag's was to make what I'd call a "double feather board". By this I mean make a small plywood riser and attach a feather board top & bottom (I milled some slots to use the runners that usually lock in the miter slots for the top one and just screwed the bottom one in place). I amdeone that's @ 6" tall with 2 of the bench dog plastic feather boards on it... I clamp it to the BS table and it applies pressure on the board high n low... if you are doing alot of resawing you'll soon tire of pushing against the fence.

Cheers.

Greg

[David Weaver]

I use a pivot point and a grip tite at the bottom of the blade in the feed. The grip-tite (any featherboard would work) keeps the bottom of the board snug against the pivot point and I use my hand to keep the top snug. It's a lot easier to just keep the top snug on a wide board than it is to keep the whole thing snug to the fence.

The one benefit to a pivot point is that if your board isn't perfectly straight, you can usually get decent results, and if the board wanders a tiny bit because you weren't paying attention, it's easier to get it back.

I think if you use a pivot point and keep the back of the board toward the fence a little (but not enough so that the board after the cut is angling in and rubbing the back of the bandsaw blade) with a decent featherboard, it's hard not to get a nice result.

[Sam Yerardi]

Rick,

I've tried both on my bandsaw (old Craftsman 12") and I tend to stay with the pivot method because I end up scraping or planing anyway. Either method works for me but the thing I like about the pivot method is if something goes wrong with blade direction (for whatever reason) I can try to compensate immediately. With the fence approach I won't know there is a problem until I'm done and maybe have ruined the board.

[Bruce Page]

Rick, I just use the fence that came with the saw and a good blade. I did mount an 8” tall piece of ply to the fence to extend the height a little.
Some pics;
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=61089

[Kevin Godshall]

Did you get the Re-Saw fence that Grizz sells with the 0555? I don't have much problem with drift unless my blade is shot or my guides are out of adjustment. The biggest thing I see as an issue, is to be patient. Let the motor turn the blade and let the blade do the work. All the horsepower you put into ramming the piece thru there is counterproductive. I know, I burned out my first motor on my 0555x (riser kit). Lucky for me, Grizzly is awesome at their warranty and replacement. But still, lesson learned. I take my time and have great results.

[Rick Thom]

My band saw tracks pretty much right on.. no drift. I keep the blade well tensioned and use a sharp 3 tpi resaw blade and added an extra height fence (MDF) bolted to my normal fence. I plane/joint the backside of the board flat and push it through the blade using a set of push blocks like these which I find more convenient and better than feather boards.

[Rick Moyer]

Greg, any chance of posting a pic of your "double feather board" set up?

Kevin, no just the stock fence, but I may do as Bruce did, install a taller aux board. I only can saw to 6" height anyway. Mainly want to resaw small boards for box making.

Thanks to all for the input.