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.
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.
You’re going to have to choose the right resawing blade depending on the type of material you’re sawing or the activity you’re carrying out with your bandsaw. In principle, the wider the bandsaw blade, the better it is for resawing due to its higher beam strength and better capacity to maintain a straight line through the cut. You don’t have to go buy the widest bandsaw blade you can find when your bandsaw cannot accommodate it.
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.
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.
To get started with resawing, I recommend a band saw of sufficient power and with a large depth of cut. “And, speaking of saw blades: the rule of thumb for resawing is “The wider the better.” Wider blades, 1/2″ and larger, cut straighter, which is the goal. Even if you don’t opt for a “specialty” resaw blade, stick with a wide and open-toothed blade to enhance your resawing activity.
what is bandsaw resawing Related Question:
What does term resaw mean?
: to saw (something) again resawing reclaimed wood built from resawn lumber.
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 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 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.
What is a drywall saw used for?
A keyhole saw (also called a pad saw, alligator saw, jab saw or drywall saw) is a long, narrow saw used for cutting small, often awkward features in various building materials. There are typically two varieties of keyhole saw: the fixed blade type and the retractable blade type.
What 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.
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 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….
What is a resaw guide?
Resaw guides provide a higher level of control when adjusting for band saw blade drift. Curved face of the guide helps steer board into the cut. Easily attaches to the face of the band saw fence. This 7″ Resaw Guide is designed for larger capacity band saws.
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.
How thick of wood can a bandsaw cut?
Band saws are the undisputed champ when it comes to cutting curves and slicing through thick material. Many small band saws can slice though lumber a full four inches thick, and bigger saws handle six-inch cuts.
What is angle cut?
Angled cuts are used mostly in the early stages of making joints. Curved cuts shape wood decoratively. A miter is probably the most common type of angle cut. A miter usually is made at 45 degrees in order to join two pieces of wood at a 90-degree angle, as in the corner of a picture frame.
How do you know what angle to cut wood?
The formula involves dividing 360 by the number of sides to calculate the corner angle. Then divide it by two to get the miter angle. If you’re making a five-sided project with all sides equal, you divide 360 by five to get 72 degrees. So each joint or corner forms a 72-degree angle.