resawing frustrations

[Ned Bulken]

I have several projects in mind which will only need 3/8 stock, I recently scored some nice maple, roughsawn and it is all at least 4/4, some of it is nearly 5/4. I tried resawing some of it on my bandsaw, and just can't manage to get a decent result. The bandsaw is a 12" craftsman, with a 1/2" 4 tpi blade. On smaller stock, <2" wide, I can get it to track well, and have no problems getting a good straight cut. When I try larger stock, about 4" wide, the blade tracks wierd and I can't get a straight cut, and wind up with 'wavy' stock. I would hate to 'lose' over half and inch by planing it down to thickness. I may wind up face jointing one side of the boards, putting the rip blade on the tablesaw and resawing it most of the way through on there, then finishing the last 1/4" on the bandsaw. I've used that technique to good effect before.
I'm not using a fence on the bandsaw, do you think that might help? I've pretty well got the drift angle but even when I keep the board straight following the angle, the cut isn't close to straight through the board, or rather it is, but at such an angle I'm wasting at least 1/3 of the board by planing out the rest to thickness. Any suggestions/ideas? I mean besides buying a better bandsaw, that's in the cards, but not til we make some money this summer. I'm not normally a crafstman basher but can't wait to replace this old saw for resawing. it does a great job on little stuff, and will likely keep it around for that use.

[Lee Schierer]

I think most of your problem is probbly the size saw you have. 12" is a little small for resawing. A good blade and proper tension will make the cuts go a lot better. I would recommend either Timerwolf or Tufftooth blade for resawing. The 1/2" 3 TPI is what I use and I get virtually no drift when the blade is tensioned correctly, but then I'm using a 14" saw.

[Mark Mazzo]

I may wind up face jointing one side of the boards, putting the rip blade on the tablesaw and resawing it most of the way through on there, then finishing the last 1/4" on the bandsaw. I've used that technique to good effect before.

Ned, I would suggest that you face joint one face of the board before attempting to resaw on the bandsaw. A rough face may be contributing to your problems here...at least it's not helping you any :D


I'm not using a fence on the bandsaw, do you think that might help?

Definitely use a fence. I would suggest "point" style fence (i.e. a straight fence with a small attached curved piece that allows you to pivot the workpiece to conteract drift and follow your intended cut line).

What I do is face joint one face of the stock, then I draw a line on the edge of the stock and set my point fence accordingly to cut that line. As I feed the piece through the blade, I angle the piece to follow the line I drew keeping it in contact with the point fence while I feed.

For an example of a point fence look here (http://www.prairieriverwoodworking.com/ProductDetail.asp?optionsid=121) for Mark Duginske's bandsaw fence system.

--Mark

[Hal Flynt]

One other thought. It sounds like the saw starts to bog down with the wider stock. Say it tracks well on 2" stock and the feed rate is X inches per10 seconds. If you go to 4" stock, and still go at the same feed rate as above, you are cutting 2 X wood at that rate. So slow the feed by difference in thickness. 4" would be half speed and 6" would be a third. My bandsaw gets wierd if I try to feed it too fast.

And of course the big solution is a BIG RESAW, now that you have a Need.

[Tim Sproul]

agree.

feed rate and blade tension....try tensioning the blade more, if possible. And slow down the feed rate.

[Bob Smalser]

You're wasting your time trying to get a cut that won't have to go thru the planer.

3/8 from 5/4? Plenty of room. I simply eyeball center without any fence then plane them using a backing board if the planer only adjusts to 1/2".

That's really all a point fence is, in fact....a guide so you don't have to fuss quite as much eyeballing center:


Resaw Fence

Get a new blade...the widest one you can find...tension it taut and reset your rollers for the bigger blade...set 3/4" X 3" board on edge and eyeball dead center as you resaw it right down the middle...with a light bandsaw you'll have to squirrel the board around to keep the cut centered, and a fence will just get in the way....then clean the rough edge to desired thickness in the planer....for 3/16" finished stock you have a whole 1/8" tolerance on the cut....and you can put the rough side down if you don't get it all.

Easier to freehand it, giving yourself enuf starting thickness for tolerance, than to mess around with resaw fences....they only really work well with big bandsaws using real resaw blades.

The 5 3/4" wide stock for these 3/8" bookmatched panels was done freehand from 4/4 roughcut Red Oak...with a skinny blade, as I recall, too.

If you must have a fence, then the single point ones work the best....those that I have made have been a simple 5/4 X 6" block set on edge, ripped to match the height of and fastened to the saw's existing fence at 90 degrees with threaded steel inserts and machine screws.

You can slot the holes in the bandsaw fence to provide some fore and aft adjustment.

Taper and bullnose the blade-side edge of the block, and you have a resaw fence that's adjustable 4 ways.

If you are more comfortable with a fence, then make one....less than an hour's job. Don't try to fix the board so's ya can't move it, or try the existing fence w/o the resaw block attached....even the stiffest blade on a small saw grabs some grain and wanders and ya gotta have room to move the board to compensate.

[Ned Bulken]

Wow, thanks gang!

in order:
Lee,
Thanks, I've heard mention of timberwolf blades before, the 12" saw is what is handy, and for now it will have to 'do'. I'm still learning about a lot of things, and resawing is just the latest attempt to build my skill set up.

Mark, I really like that link to the guide, have to see about picking one up, probably the 'set' for when my partner John and I get a bigger saw, but the 4 1/2" ought to do nicely til then.

Hal,
I'll definitely slow down my feed rate, sounds like that, plus more tension (Thanks Tim, it was as tight as I could get it but I'll try and crank it down a bit more) will make a difference.

Bob,
My goal is not to have a board that I don't have to plane at all, but simply not to lose as much stock to the process. The first attempts varied wildly from 1/2 on one side of the board down to 1/8 or less on the other side, no doubt I was feeding too quickly, and adjusting too much, I'll slow it down and see if that helps. I plan on planing to final thickness anyway, just don't want to feed the DC any more of the board than I have to.

I definitely want a bigger bandsaw, either a grizz or a delta 14" each with riser block are on the wish list. Probably going to come after the new planer, our old delta lunchbox is on its way out, probably sooner than later.

Thanks all for the tips, keep them coming, I'll be sure and show you what I finally Do accomplish , as in the finished products.

[scott bonder]

sounds like you might want to find a woodworker in your area that will let you use their larger bandsaw. I have let folks do that on my stuff. Always nice to meet woodworkers. If you want to haul it to Atlanta, let me know.