Resaw with table saw?

[Andrew McCarthy]

I am new to woodworking, and I just finished my first project, a router table. I purchased a 10" table saw for the job, so these are my only two pieces of equipment at the moment. I would like to try building small boxes before moving to furniture, as solid wood can be quite expensive. I am wondering how to get wood that is the correct thickness, as it is not sold this thin, and I am not sure that I could cut thicker wood to this thickness. Also, most of the hardwood that I have seen is rough, and it is my understanding that I would need a planer and joiner to prepare such lumber. Is this correct? I am basically asking how I would get or prepare hardwood to build a small box. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

[Cecil Arnold]

Some lumber suppliers sell 1/4" and 1/2" wood of various widths, however they charge based on 3/4" since they say it is milled from that stock. I would not recommend resawing on a table saw even though it can be done. It is risky and difficult.

[Steve Schoene]

You can resaw a limited amount on a table saw, but it is tricky since it usually ends up with a fairly thin piece of wood between the blade and the fence, which without a splitter and good jigs to keep the board upright and to push it through the saw blade. Resawing is much more safe with a band saw. And, you are right preparing rough sawn lumber is handled with jointer and planer if you want to use power tools. There is some merit for a newcomer to woodworking to dress lumber by hand. You would need a hand plane--a Bailey number 4 from Ebay would be the economical starting place. You would also need a way to sharpen the blade--preferably water or oil stones, but you can use sandpaper adhered to a flat surface such as plate glass or a granite tile.

[Don Frambach]

When I resaw with my table saw, I am careful to saw slightly less that half way through the board. I then flip the board over and saw slightly less that half way on the other side. I complete the cut with a hand saw. I recently resawed 5 inch oak with my 1.5 hp contractor's saw. It's best to use a sharp, thin kerf, ripping blade.

[Frank Hagan]

Most of the hardwood I buy here in California is surfaced on two sides, and ripped straight along one edge (S2S 1R is how I think they refer to it). I can true it up on the table saw using the factory ripped edge, so it works for me for my limited tools in my shop.

You can resaw on the table saw. Use chalk or a piece of masking tape to mark one side of the stock, raise the blade about 1/2", and run the stock through on edge with the chalk or tape against the fence. Flip the stock end for end and cut the other edge, again with the chalk or tape against the fence. Stop, raise the blade a half inch, and start again. Cut this way until you are almost through, then work very carefully, as the kerf can close on you as you reach the "cut through" point. I find this easier than the bandsaw, which I can never control well enough to resaw hardwood.

Binding happens to me if I'm trying to resaw a board wider than about 3 - 4" on the table saw. I use small wood wedges gently pressed into the kerf when I get close to sawing through, and you have to be careful that the piece between the blade and the fence doesn't catch and kick back. The stock usually isn't "ready to use", as the combo blade will leave ridges in it. So you'll end up planing the surface or using sand paper to make it smooth.

[Vaughn McMillan]

Andrew, resawing with a TS can be done, but as others have said it can be tricky and somewhat dangerous of you don't know what you're doing. (I've done a fair amount of it, but I did some pretty stupid things on the way to figuring out how to do it safely.)

As Cecil mentioned, you might want to look into suppliers that carry stock thin enough for the projects you have in mind. I know my local Rockler has 3/4", 1/2", 1/4" and 1/8" hardwoods (cherry, maple, oak, purple heart, and a few others). The thin stuff ain't cheap, but it's handy. You don't mention your location, but if you let us know, perhaps someone will have some specific recommendations for your area. You can also purchase a lot of this type of thing online.

- Vaughn

[Elliott Cameron]

Most of the hardwood I buy here in California is surfaced on two sides, and ripped straight along one edge (S2S 1R is how I think they refer to it). I can true it up on the table saw using the factory ripped edge, so it works for me for my limited tools in my shop.

You can resaw on the table saw. Use chalk or a piece of masking tape to mark one side of the stock, raise the blade about 1/2", and run the stock through on edge with the chalk or tape against the fence. Flip the stock end for end and cut the other edge, again with the chalk or tape against the fence. Stop, raise the blade a half inch, and start again. Cut this way until you are almost through, then work very carefully, as the kerf can close on you as you reach the "cut through" point. I find this easier than the bandsaw, which I can never control well enough to resaw hardwood.

Binding happens to me if I'm trying to resaw a board wider than about 3 - 4" on the table saw. I use small wood wedges gently pressed into the kerf when I get close to sawing through, and you have to be careful that the piece between the blade and the fence doesn't catch and kick back. The stock usually isn't "ready to use", as the combo blade will leave ridges in it. So you'll end up planing the surface or using sand paper to make it smooth.

Same goes for you !! What kind of advice is that to a novice ?

If you are having problems re-sawing on a BS you need to check that your blade guides are adjusted properly as well as the thrust bearings as well as the blade tension. You should also use a fence. You shouldn't have any trouble re-sawing on a properly adjusted BS. Thats what it is for.

High fives and pats-on-the-backs to Cecil and Steve for discouraging re-sawing on the TS. Vaughn you did good too.


Elliott FLA....USA

[Bill Arnold]

... You can resaw on the table saw. ... I find this easier than the bandsaw, which I can never control well enough to resaw hardwood.
...

I agree that one CAN resaw on a tablesaw -- after one has a lot of experience using it. It wastes material, though. A bandsaw is the best (only?) way to resaw correctly. If a bandsaw isn't doing a satisfactory job of resawing, the operator needs to fix what's not working correctly.

[Elliott Cameron]

When I resaw with my table saw, I am careful to saw slightly less that half way through the board. I then flip the board over and saw slightly less that half way on the other side. I complete the cut with a hand saw. I recently resawed 5 inch oak with my 1.5 hp contractor's saw. It's best to use a sharp, thin kerf, ripping blade.

Shame on you Don. This man is an ADMITTED novice and you go and encourage him to do something the vast majority of seasoned WWer's would even think of doing on a Tablesaw.
Holy Moley !!

If you get offended by my chastising...so be it. You need it for encouraging him to try that.

Elliott

[John Lucas]

Shame on you Don. This man is an ADMITTED novice and you go and encourage him to do something the vast majority of seasoned WWer's would even think of doing on a Tablesaw.
Holy Moley !!

If you get offended by my chastising...so be it. You need it for encouraging him to try that.

Elliott

Elliott,
I am realtively new to this Forum but this is the first time that I have read one poster chastise another so strongly...and not just this one person. I didnt know that any "posting police" were around. I thought this was a Forum - an exchange of ideas.
While I might agree with your resawing opinions, I do not agree with your refereeing what is right and wrong.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

I do the same thing as Don does...just finished a 1/4" cut last nite for a drawer bottom out of solid Maple on my 1hp Craftsman TS....not a bit of a problem. Of course I used a push stick for control.

[Andrew McCarthy]

Thanks for the advice everyone. It seems that there is a consensus that I should not try using the tablesaw to resaw a board, so I will try harder to find dimensioned lumber. I can appreciate the danger posed by a tablesaw, and for that reason I have the Biesemeyer overarm blade guard on my saw. I am close to Richmond, VA, so if anyone knows of a store that would have a variety of dimensioned lumber, I would be very appreciative. Thanks, Andrew

[Jim Becker]

You can resaw using the table saw as stated. Further, you can even resaw "wide" material with the table saw...make your kerfs on both sides (they will not cut through as the blade is not tall enough) running the same side of the board along the fence for both passes. Complete the cut with a hand saw. (Rip tooth configuration) The table saw kerfs will help to guide the hand saw. Then use hand planes to surface the board smooth.

Would I want to do it this way? No...I prefer a band saw for resawing. But it's certainly an option.

[Frank Hagan]

Well, chastising aside, I really don't see how resawing is any more dangerous than anything else you do with a tablesaw.

Perhaps what we should be telling novices is "Don't use a table saw; its dangerous".

Resawing on the table saw, if done the way I've described, keeps the blade "buried" in the wood, with the blade no higher than 1/2 the width of the wood. Incrementing the depth of cut by no more than 1/2" at a time doesn't over-tax my saw. The only slightly dangerous part is when you cut all the way through, and the possibility of binding or kick back is present. As long as you are aware of that, you can prepare for it and avoid it.

A quick Google search shows that its referred to fairly frequently:

http://grip-tite.com/difficult.html
http://www.workbenchmagazine.com/mai...ne-extras.html

If someone can tell me why resawing is so dangerous, I'll gladly change my mind. Until then, I'd rather give advice that helps someone make up his own mind than blanket statements not backed up with the "why" that a novice is likely to ignore anyway.

[russ bransford]

"Well, chastising aside, I really don't see how resawing is any more dangerous than anything else you do with a tablesaw.......................
............................................Perhap s what we should be telling novices is "Don't use a table saw; its dangerous".- frank hagan

it's a hobby. you learn as you go, not lose as you go.
with the inventions and advancements in the last few years, i believe rethinking the key tools in the shop is needed. at least for a novice, the idea of what tools are the most dangerous, is a lesson better learned ahead of time. as a hobbiest starting out it will take years, at a couple hours a week, to develop the skills needed to be comfortable with tools such as the TS. it will only take seconds to ruin a project, or worse ruin some part of their anatomy.

take a step back and watch a novice work. then rethink. maybe a guided circular saw and a pocket-hole jig would be a good start. just an idea.