Is this resawing good enough?

[Erik Loza]

You can get the Diemaster 2 from Spectrum in 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2", .025 and .035, 3 to 18 TPI, and in vari-tooth, standard and hook.

It use to be my go to blade for resaw, I like the Woodmaster CT better though if your saw can tension a larger blade.

Thanks for the info on the DM2, James.

Erik

[Art Mann]

For production resawing, what you are getting is ok, even good. It will definitely need further processing.

However, IMO you should use a Highland Hardware' wood slicer 1/2 inch 3 tpi. It will do the job and give a much smoother result. This would be for smaller work pieces and lumber that doesn't require serious HP to do the resawing.

I guess what I'm saying is that the wood slicer gets you closer to a use able finish. However, if you run the work piece through a sharp bladed thicknesser, you will get an almost glue ready surface. It will also be ready for a quick smoother plane session that's fairly short.

Yes! That exact saw blade leaves the nicest finish of any resaw blade I have ever owned but it still saws pretty fast. I have just ordered a new Laguna 14/12 and I am contemplating buying a Laguna Resaw King carbide tip bladefor it.

[Stew Hagerty]

I use Timberwolf blades exclusively. I also have a Grizzly Bandsaw. Mine is the G0555X Extreme Series 14" with the Riser Block.
This is the blade I use for resawing:

http://timberwolfblades.com/proddetail.php?prod=3423VPC

[Jim Andrew]

I bought some 3/8" 3 tpi blades from the local saw shop. Tried resawing some drawer sides, and found the blade worked very well. Was going to put the old 1" wide carbide tipped blade on, but did not have to.

[Phillip Gregory]

Subscribed, so I can learn something. I just got the same saw as the OP for resawing and like him, I'd never used one before.

[Robert Engel]

The blade from Highland is definitely good.

Use it only for resawing.

I use the 1/2" on an 18" bandsaw. Run the tension up pretty high.

If I was doing a lot of resawing, I'd be looking at a carbide blade.

[glenn bradley]

With the same blade and setup, I made another cut with a much slower feed rate.

Thanks for posting that Jay. I was feeling guilty; I had just resawn some cherry yesterday and finished milling it without taking pictures.

[Mike Cutler]

A 3 TPI skip-tooth blade will give you a pretty gnarly surface finish. Is the piece dimensioned the way you want? If so, the machine is set up right and it's just a matter of getting a blade for the finish you're looking for.

Erik

I agree.

Jay
The Lennox Tri-Master in 2/3 vari-pitch will yield a much nicer surface, still not finish quality, but nicer. However, you're looking at a $150.00 blade.
Like Eric pointed out, if the board is uniform in thickness, and will be going through a sander next, save your $$$$, and keep going with what you're using.

Red Oak by nature is kind of a stringy wood and not really all that dense. So what you're getting there doesn't seem to me to be that bad given the material.

[David Masury]

Additionally to a slower feed speed there are other factors that cause the rough surface.... the blade may have a tooth or three that is slightly offset more than the rest, you can jointer the blade, the band saw FPM is not optimized for the blade and you may not be able to do anything about it, the blade tension to too tight, try loosening the blade a bit... loose blades track better then over tight blades... you might want to try sharpening the blade, I have resharpened new blades to get a better cut... I do a lot of re-sawing and tweaking the blade and band saw doesn't take much time but the results are worth the effort.

[Art Mann]

.... the blade may have a tooth or three that is slightly offset more than the rest ...

I saw this exact problem on a brand new Timberwolf 3/4" resaw blade. A friend of mine was having a problem with a very pronounced repeating arc pattern with his brand new 3/4" Timberwolf resaw blade. It was only evident on one of the two cut surfaces. We used a dial indicator on a magnetic mount to measure the set on every tooth as the blade was manually moved. We found a couple of teeth that had a very wide set on one side of the blade.

By the way, he bought another identical resaw blade from Timberwolf and discovered cracks in the gullet of several teeth. This blade was replaced under warranty but it makes me question whether Timberwolf still deserves their sterling reputation. I had pretty good luck with my first Timberwolf resaw blade but I changed to a 1/2" 3tpi tooth "Woodslicer" resaw blade from Highland Hardware and it leaves a smoother finish than the Timberwolf did with very little difference in cut speed. I am currently resawing with a 1 hp motor and cutting speed is an issue.

[Jay Aubuchon]

Again, to be clear, I am not looking for a finished surface right off the bandsaw. I was trying to calibrate my expectations: how smooth a cut should I be able to get with this bandsaw? And if I should be able to get a better result, how can I get there? Your feedback and discussion have been quite instructive. Here's my summary.

a. Feed more slowly and smoothly.

Both of these adjustments noticeably improved my results. I got the best result using a finger board to hold the board firmly against the fence. That allowed me to better focus on feed rate and smoothness. My best cut is on the right.

SmootherStill.JPG

b. Try a better blade.

As I have seen in other threads, opinions vary. There are trade-offs among price, smoothness, and durability; different people have different needs. Some of the blades mentioned include the following.

Timber Wolf
Wood Slicer 1/2"
Lenox Diemaster II
Lenox Woodmaster CT
Lenox Tri-Master 2/3 vari-pitch

More than one person suggested trying various blades to find out what works best for me. I've ordered a Wood Slicer 1/2" to try. I'll probably also try the Lenox Diemaster II at some point. I don't believe my use justifies the cost of the carbide-toothed blades (but they do appear to produce beautiful results).

c. Tweak the blade and settings as needed.

Check whether a few teeth are set badly set. Consider sharpening the blade. Try increasing or decreasing the tension.

d. A band saw is like a stringed musical instrument.

I read this with some dismay. The only musical instrument I can play is a boom box.

Seriously, though, I think some of suggestions above are specific examples of this.