An editor’s favorite, we used this jig in the WOOD magazine shop to resaw spalted maple into beautiful jewelry box stock. Get started harvesting logs right in your own backyard or local forest, using Brian Hahn’s favorite jig and technique for converting firewood into valuable stock. Download the Resawing Bandsaw Jig and Technique article, including step-by-step instructions, detailed illustrations, and a complete materials list.
If you’ve ever tried to resaw using a fence to guide the board, you know that the blade can sometimes drift, leav-ing you with an uneven cut. It’s better to steer the board with a resaw guide that makes contact with the wood at a single point. To use the resaw guide, first lay out the cut on the workpiece.
20) Bandsaw log sled and resaw fence for any bandsaw.
Re-sawing a board into thin, pliable pieces allows you to create curved shapes by bending and gluing the pieces around a form-a process called “Bent lamination.” Marking the board with the cabinetmaker’s triangle allows you to reassemble the thin pieces as they came from the board, so the lamination closely resembles a single piece of bent wood. Partially re-sawing a board on your table saw makes re-sawing with your band saw easier, because the blade has less to cut and the saw kerfs keep it from wandering. It’s a great method to use if your band saw bogs down during full-width re-sawing, and in many cases, it can save time by allowing you to re-saw without installing a re-saw blade.
I’ve had perfectly acceptable results resawing with bimetal blades and great results resawing with silicone-carbide, low-tension blades. Drift varies from blade to blade, so follow this simple setup procedure every time you change blades. Because bearings can be used in contact with the blade, they can help the blade run straighter, resulting in less drift.
bandsaw resaw jig plans Related Question:
What band saw blade for resawing?
Resawing involves making rip cuts in the face of a wide board. So just like you would on the table saw, you’ll want to select a blade with fewer teeth per inch (TPI) than the blades you use for crosscutting or cutting curves. For most 14″ band saws, a 1 ⁄ 2 “-wide blade with 2-3 TPI is a good choice.
How many teeth do you need to resaw a blade?
Typically, a wide 3-tooth-per-inch (tpi) blade provides the perfect blend of aggressive yet smooth cut and sawdust evacuation that resawing requires.
Can any bandsaw resaw?
Just about any bandsaw will do acceptable resawing. For example, all the cuts made in this story were done on an inexpensive, 14-in. bandsaw with a 3/4-hp motor. All we did to the saw was add a riser block to increase its capacity.
Can I put a wider blade on my bandsaw?
An 18-inch diameter wheel can use a 0.032-inch thick blade that is 3/4 inch wide. In general, thicker and wider blades will be the choice when sawing dense wood and woods with hard knots. Such wood needs the extra strength of a thicker, wide blade to avoid breaking. Thicker blades also deflect less when resawing.
What is Resawn wood?
Resawing lumber is cutting the stock lengthwise along the edge. Resawing a board creates a thinner piece of stock. This technique is used to make thin panels, such as veneer, and also to make book match panels.
Can I cut a log with a table saw?
When cutting logs with a table saw, the depth of the cut will be limited to the depth of the saw blade. This means you will likely need to split large logs down the middle in order to cut them. You will also need some sort of jig to help you secure your log to a carriage that you could then pass through the saw blade.