Cheap Bandsaw for Resawing

[Mike Cutler]

Resawing takes a few things. Resawing 8-12" wide material takes a few more.
- Resawing is a power game. You need power in the form the motor itself, and the mass of the wheels to drive the blade through that material.
I - t takes a robust setup. an 8/4 Maple board, 8-12" wide, of any appreciable length, is going to have enough weight that cheaply made trunnions are going to stress and the table will wobble on it's own under load.
- It takes a quality blade. Unless you have the ability the sharpen a carbon steel blade, you need to consider a carbide tooth blade for longevity. In 8"-12" wide Maple, you will see the dulling effects very, very, quickly.
- It takes robust guides, and fence. There are a lot of forces at play here.
Re-sawing thin veneers, as the off cut is quite a bit different than going straight down the middle of a 2" thick board. The thickness of the veneer, generally thin, does not present anywhere near the friction and pressure on the blade as a book match cut. You also have to realize that the material may want to change state just past the blade and begins to pinch the blade.Or it may want to spreading push itself away from the fence.
You don't want to go slow re-sawing, stopping, and starting, to apply pressure, or you will end up with a board face that looks like a cartoon washboard, and now what ever money you saved is going to be spent prepping that surface, which will add even more time. You want to apply a steady even pressure to the board going through machine.In other words, as fast as you can go keeping the gullets clear and not driving the blade into the guides. Each machine and blade will be different. It's a feel thing.
I don't know where you live , but if it's in the US, there is nowhere that a machine cannot be kept rust free for life. It might take some work, and prep, but we have machinery in marine environments here in New England that are a 100 years old, and they're not inside climate controlled buildings. It can done. Don't let that stop you from investing in a machine.
What do I have to re-saw with?
I have a Rikon, 18", 340. It's a 2HP bandsaw that came out in the early 2000's. I thin I got it for $1K then. It has a 1" wide Lennox 2/3 varipitch TriMaster on it right now. This is a $175-$200 blade.
The fence is heavily modified and the guide bearings have all been upgraded. Mine is what I would term a "cheap" setup. It can easily do what you need a saw to do.
If you're worried about rush, paint it with some marine epoxy and spray under the table with LPS 6. Remove the bearings when not in use and take the pressure off the blade, and this saw, or one just like it, will last your needs.
As for dust collection, you're going to need some dust collection, or a very powerful fan to blow that table, bearings and guides down. Sometimes I setup in the garage and use both, as well as a respirator if I'm working with nasty woods. If they are not kept clear, you're fighting a losing battle with material and debris buildup. It's not going to work well at all.
If you consider $1200 cheap, than you should be able to find an 18" to 20" bandsaw used, in working order, easily enough. Spend another $50.00 in bearings, and invest in a quality blade and you're set.

Update.
Someone is selling my exact bandsaw in the classifieds for $500.00. It's going to be hard to get less expensive than that.