Which Lenox Bandsaw Blade for Resawing?

[Tom M King]

Lenox Woodmaster CT 1" 1.3 TPI is what I use for making Cypress shingles. I made a sled with an adjustable fence that I can put any taper needed on them. They are pushed through about as fast as I can move the sled. My old sled ran on a 6' T-track, but I have linear bearing rods to make the next one out of if I ever get another shingle job.

From 10' boards on a trailer, with two helpers we could make a pickup load of shingles in a little over an hour. I set up a screamer table saw next to the trailer with a 20 tooth thin rip blade and no fence. One helper handed me a board. I ran it through the saw to rip the sap wood off. Second helper finished the cut and stacked the boards on sawhorses.

Next in line was a 12" miter saw with a 100 tooth blade with the trigger zip tied on. Helper 1 would slide a board through to the stop. With my left hand I slammed the saw down to make the 28" cut and with my right hand pass the piece to helper 2.

Helper 2 stacked the boards next to the big bandsaw. 24" Centauro running 10% overspeed with VFD.

When next stage was loaded. Helper 1 would put a piece on the sled. I'd hold it in place with a strip of wood about like half a pool cue with my right hand and slide the sled through as fast as I could push it with my left hand. Helper 2 took the two shingles off the sled and stacked them in the back of the pickup. Maybe 3 to 4 seconds per 2 shingles.

Don't ask me how many squares, but more than a few per hour.

See Cypress shingles page on my website.

[John TenEyck]

Lenox Woodmaster CT 1" 1.3 TPI is what I use for making Cypress shingles. I made a sled with an adjustable fence that I can put any taper needed on them. They are pushed through about as fast as I can move the sled. My old sled ran on a 6' T-track, but I have linear bearing rods to make the next one out of if I ever get another shingle job.

From 10' boards on a trailer, with two helpers we could make a pickup load of shingles in a little over an hour. I set up a screamer table saw next to the trailer with a 20 tooth thin rip blade and no fence. One helper handed me a board. I ran it through the saw to rip the sap wood off. Second helper finished the cut and stacked the boards on sawhorses.

Next in line was a 12" miter saw with a 100 tooth blade with the trigger zip tied on. Helper 1 would slide a board through to the stop. With my left hand I slammed the saw down to make the 28" cut and with my right hand pass the piece to helper 2.

Helper 2 stacked the boards next to the big bandsaw. 24" Centauro running 10% overspeed with VFD.

When next stage was loaded. Helper 1 would put a piece on the sled. I'd hold it in place with a strip of wood about like half a pool cue with my right hand and slide the sled through as fast as I could push it with my left hand. Helper 2 took the two shingles off the sled and stacked them in the back of the pickup. Maybe 3 to 4 seconds per 2 shingles.

Don't ask me how many squares, but more than a few per hour.

See Cypress shingles page on my website.

Professional driver on closed circuit course. Do not attempt.

John

[Andrew Hughes]

While you guys are throwing recommendations out I need a blade to make cedar shingles on my 20". $750 a square for shingles, decided as its for my own garage I'll cut them myself. Have a 1" carbide but it hit a embedded bolt in some oak I was sawing. Prefer carbide, what do you suggest for cedar up to 8"?

What does cedar up to 8 inches mean? Wood shakes and shingles are two different styles of roofing materials. Shakes are split and layed with a shake liner.
Shingles are resawn in different lengths not using any felt but relies on spaced sheathing. Three layers thick properly spaced.
Obviously you can do what you want if you resaw shakes you might get lots of diving boards. Before too long
Good Luck

[Larry Edgerton]

What does cedar up to 8 inches mean? Wood shakes and shingles are two different styles of roofing materials. Shakes are split and layed with a shake liner.
Shingles are resawn in different lengths not using any felt but relies on spaced sheathing. Three layers thick properly spaced.
Obviously you can do what you want if you resaw shakes you might get lots of diving boards. Before too long
Good Luck

Been a high end builder for over 45 years, know the difference between shingles and shakes. Have made a lot of shingles already, not really a problem but as I am in need of a new band I thought I would ask for preferences.You did not answer the original question. Cedar up to 8" is kind of self explanatory, but if you need clarification I cut it into blocks first on my sawmill, up to 8". And I did not say they were going on the roof, they are siding. I knew I should have just shut up.

[Andrew Hughes]

Cedar pretty easy on blades I don’t see why a carbide blade would be needed.
Side wall shingles that sounds like fun.
To be clear where I’m coming from I would never consider making shingles or shakes any more then a cabinet maker would think about making plywood.
Ive not seen 8 long shingles or 8 inch wide. Must be decorative
Good Luck

[lou Brava]

The Resaw King should give you a near perfect surface. What does your cut look like?
I guess it’s possible you have a blade with a tooth or two out I’ve seen on regular carbon blades usually around the weld.
Good Luck

Like this, not the best pic these pieces were off fall from a taper cut. If you enlarge you will see saw marks/lines. I have a feeling it's not a bad tooth after all. I think it's possible tension and or technique. These were cut on a sled & fence height is 4" these boards are 8 1/4". Next time I'm going to increase fence height & pay more attention to sled slop & applied pressure against the fence. I did aprx 16 of these cuts and there not consistent so I'm chalking up to operator error.
re.jpg
re1.jpg

[Larry Edgerton]

Cedar pretty easy on blades I don’t see why a carbide blade would be needed.
Side wall shingles that sounds like fun.
To be clear where I’m coming from I would never consider making shingles or shakes any more then a cabinet maker would think about making plywood.
Ive not seen 8 long shingles or 8 inch wide. Must be decorative
Good Luck

Again, you are making assumptions that are not in evidence. I did not say 8" LONG. I am cutting them in to blocks up to 8" thick and 18" long. I would be cutting 8" thick stock. Then I cut the end profile on both ends for the pattern I want on the butt, then free cutting the shingles. I like carbide. May not need it but I want it. If I had not hit a bolt the one I have would still be going strong after years of service.

[Tom M King]

For the Cypress shingle roof shown on my website, we cut 10,000 lineal feet of boards. That blade is still good, but I'd buy another one for another similar job.

I built lake spec houses with Cedar Shake siding in 1976 and 1982. Both are right down the road from our house and are still in good shape. Part of our roof is Cedar Shakes installed in 1980 and still has a lot of life in them. All on open purlins. That was before I had ever seen a stainless steel staple, so I expect the galvanized fasteners will fail before the wood does. It was also before I knew anything about Cypress shingles.

Shake is a 20th Century term to differentiate hand split from sawn. For many centuries they were all hand split and called shingles.

Install them according to the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau and you will get a roof that might last for 30 years. They've engineered the life out of them.

I came close to buying a 36" Northfield bandsaw on ebay yesterday, but don't have anywhere to put it. The only thing I would want it for would be making shingles to run a wider Woodmaster CT with bigger teeth on. It's probably a good thing I don't have anywhere to put it because I don't have time to mess with it now anyway.

[Andrew Hughes]

That’s good because a 8 long shingle would be very small rows. I have not laid shingles with a round or pointy end I can see why you mentioned the cost is high.
One inch stagger is typical for sidewalls out here. On roofs it’s a waste of money integrity of the work is paramount but some places want it.
Your lucky to have nice clear cedar to work with its one of my favorite woods.
Good Luck

[Tom M King]

We have White Oak siding on our house and on an addition gable facing the road I put fancy edged shingles I made out of White Oak.

On the shingle roofs I've found that were over 140 years old, under tin applied on top of them, about 1/4" of the exposed wood had been eroded away, so surface finish at install is not of highest importance. Those roofs never had any shingle over 5" wide and had a single nail in the center. 7" exposure with the single nail 15" up. The nail in the center has to be that high to be upslope of the slot between the next row of shingles up. Both roofs had failed by someone heavy footed walking on them to install TV antennas. The wrought iron nails had eroded away enough to let the shingles pivot on the single nail.

Since we can saw them any length we want, I made the replacements 28" long for the 7" exposure. That let me put another fastener in the next purlin up. It should exponentially decrease the chance of leaking from any shingle splitting too, but the main reason was for the extra fastener. The wood is a small cost in the overall job.

[Larry Edgerton]

For the Cypress shingle roof shown on my website, we cut 10,000 lineal feet of boards. That blade is still good, but I'd buy another one for another similar job.

I built lake spec houses with Cedar Shake siding in 1976 and 1982. Both are right down the road from our house and are still in good shape. Part of our roof is Cedar Shakes installed in 1980 and still has a lot of life in them. All on open purlins. That was before I had ever seen a stainless steel staple, so I expect the galvanized fasteners will fail before the wood does. It was also before I knew anything about Cypress shingles.


Shake is a 20th Century term to differentiate hand split from sawn. For many centuries they were all hand split and called shingles.

Install them according to the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau and you will get a roof that might last for 30 years. They've engineered the life out of them.

I came close to buying a 36" Northfield bandsaw on ebay yesterday, but don't have anywhere to put it. The only thing I would want it for would be making shingles to run a wider Woodmaster CT with bigger teeth on. It's probably a good thing I don't have anywhere to put it because I don't have time to mess with it now anyway.

I sold my commercial building Tom and no longer had a place for my 36" Oliver. I miss it, but trying to wind down. Only worked 56 hrs last week, and only 8 on Thanksgiving? Would have given you the Oliver for turning me on to those secret pencils. Shhh.....

I just ordered a Lenox Woodmaster CT 1" 1.3 TPI, thanks for the suggestion. I can't remember what the one I have is, old age I guess.

[Joe Adams]

I have been following along with all the replies to my thread and want to thank everyone for their advice.

Based on the feedback, I'm going with the Lenox Woodmaster CT 1.3 from Spectrum Supply.

Many thanks!

Joe

[Jeff Ramsey]

I use a Lenox WOODMASTER CT

1"x.035", 1.3T(.051 Kerf) on my Felder FB510 and the results are excellent.

[Thomas Crawford]

I use a Woodmaster 2 TPI and the BiMetal 1/2" 4 TPI.