Resawing can be done manually with a hacksaw or by using a machine tool like a table saw, band saw or sawmills. For resawing, a band saw is preferred over a table saw mainly because of two reasons. The biggest advantage of using a band saw to resaw is that it can resaw wider lumber.
Resawing veneers requires a wide blade – commonly 2 to 3 inches – with a small kerf to minimize waste. Resaw blades of up to 1 inch may be fitted to a standard band saw. Resaw blades can be identified by their straight back, as opposed to headsaws and doublecut blades, which have notched or toothed backs.
Bandsaw Resawing from the beginning: resawing is cutting a sawn plank of wood into thinner planks on a bandsaw. Thus the cut runs through the plank’s width, which distinguishes bandsaw resawing from ordinary bandsaw rip cuts where the blade runs through the stock’s thickness. Resawing on a bandsaw is easy; all you have to do is cut straight lines.
The first step is giving your bandsaw a good tune-up to set the table perpendicular to the blade, get peak performance from the guides, and ensure the blade tracks true. “With your saw well-tuned, turn to the blade. Resawing wide boards requires a blade that cuts evenly throughout the stock’s thickness while evacuating large amounts of sawdust. The wider the blade, the straighter the cut, so use the widest blade your bandsaw can handle. Most saws accept at least a 1⁄2”-wide blade, and many even wider. Typically, a wide 3-tooth-per-inch blade provides the perfect blend of aggressive yet smooth cut and sawdust evacuation that resawing requires.
Finally, we’ll climb to the pinnacle of resawing technique and see how to saw custom veneer. Along the way I’ll show you how to tune your saw for peak performance and discuss what to look for in a resaw blade. It is critical to use a blade designed specifically for resawing.
First off, while table saws do work fine for resawing lumber, the blade can only protrude so high out of the table, usually no more than 2 or 3 inches, which means that table saws can only resaw lumber that is not very wide. With a bandsaw, the kerf width is much narrower than with a table saw, which allows for thinner cuts that saw away less material, which is pretty important for resawing. If you are resawing a 2 x 6 into two 1 x 6 boards, you would set the fence to 1 inch, as this is how much is being cut off the original piece.
So I thought it would be useful to write a short article about the physics of bandsaw resawing and how to prevent the blade from wandering. To illustrate some of the concepts, I made a simple “Model” of a bandsaw blade cutting through wood. Even 1/2″ wide blades have enough beam strength for resawing if sufficiently tensioned.
what does bandsaw resaw mean Related Question:
What is resawing on bandsaw?
Bandsaw Resawing from the beginning: resawing is cutting a sawn plank of wood into thinner planks on a bandsaw. Thus the cut runs through the plank’s width, which distinguishes bandsaw resawing from ordinary bandsaw rip cuts where the blade runs through the stock’s thickness.
Why is it called resawing?
The reason for the different terms is that ripping cuts are all cuts along the grain but not all rip cuts are resawing. Resawing, as the term is used today, refers only to cutting a board across its thickness, i.e. sawing a thick board into two (or more) thinner boards.
What is resaw capacity on a bandsaw?
The resaw capacity is the maximum height (thickness) that can be cut. For the small shop furniture maker, go with 14″ as the minimum for a bandsaw, though 16″ is better. Those doing larger work might even want 18″ or 20″ machines. Just make sure you have a minimum resaw height of 12″ for versatility.
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.
What type of bandsaw blade is best 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.
What is the purpose of a resaw?
A resaw is a large band saw optimized for cutting timber along the grain to reduce larger sections into smaller sections or veneers. Resawing veneers requires a wide blade – commonly 2 to 3 inches (52–78 mm) – with a small kerf to minimize waste.
What resaw means?
: to saw (something) again resawing reclaimed wood built from resawn lumber.
What size band saw for resawing?
To get started with resawing, I recommend a band saw of sufficient power and with a large depth of cut. Any motor smaller than 1hp and depth of cut less than 10″ will limit your effectiveness. (Some 14″ band saws have about a 6″ maximum cutso you’d be limited to a 12″ wide book-matched panel or less.)
What does 14 mean on a bandsaw?
Rob Johnstone: Band saw sizes are derived from the diameter of the wheels in the saw. So a 14-inch band saw will have wheels that are 14-inches in diameter. There is another measure that indicates how wide a board you can resaw.
Can you resaw with a table saw?
When it’s time to resaw lumber for thin stock, a bandsaw usually comes to mind. But in many situations, such as preparing 1⁄ 4 “-thick stock for a project, you can do it on your tablesaw. Most 10″ tablesaws easily resaw boards up to 5 1⁄ 2 ” wide.
How much HP does a bandsaw need?
A 3/4 or 1 HP bandsaw is pefectly adequate for re-sawing stock at home….
Why do bandsaws wander?
If the wheels are worn and do not have a distinct top to the crown then the blade will not know where to go, and may wander around. This of course can cause poor cut quality and difficulty in setting the guides.
What should I look for in a resaw blade?
The article analyzed the most important features that help determine the performance of a resawing blade, namely blade thickness, blade width, number of teeth per inch, tooth form and durability.
How do I choose a resaw blade?
For resawing, use the widest 3-tpi skip- or variable-tooth blade your saw accepts. Typically, the wider the blade, the straighter it cuts. Cutting green (undried) wood requires the widest 2–3-tpi skip-tooth blade your saw accepts.
What causes bandsaw blade drift?
Drift is cause because the blade buckles under the load. You can see that by stretching a ribbon between 2 points and applying a pressure to one of the edges, it will turn sideway easily. A sharp blade and high blade speed will help a lot with that.