Resawing on table saw?

[Matt P]

Need to resaw some 1" inch thick x 3.5" wide x 2' long walnut. Want to resaw it into two thinner boards. Have a Sears 10" benchtop bandsaw that is not very precise, or powerful, etc. Don't have any shop space (I work in my bathroom in a studio apartment in Manhattan.. can't buy a bigger bandsaw) I've read that you can resaw on a table saw, by cutting almost 1/2 way through, then flipping the board, etc.. Can I do this safely? Note my stock is pretty small in width.

Thanks in advance!
Matt
(This forum is great and really helps me.)

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Yes, this works fine. Use a push block that offers really good control, not just a stick, and take your time. Before I had a bandsaw, I made box lids for Christmas gifts this way.

[Matt P]

ok thanks Steve - how do I use a push block if the piece is a narrow, vertical piece against the fence? Do I also need a feather board to hold the piece against the fence?

Yes, this works fine. Use a push block that offers really good control, not just a stick, and take your time. Before I had a bandsaw, I made box lids for Christmas gifts this way.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Matt, what I do is use a long handled push block that is basically a foot long board, with 1/2" or so removed fron the bottom edge, except for a 1" or so piece at the rear, that serves to push the stock. I'll try to post a photo tomorrow. This type of stick lets you put pressure forward on the stock, and to maintain even feed with no reposition. Apply a small amount of side ways pressure to keep teh stock on the fence, but don't put any pressure after the cut, as it is easy to ruin a piece. Picture is worth a thousand, so I'll post one ASAP.

[Bill Huber]

Before I got my band saw I did it just like Steve said.

I did use a thin kerf blade which help with my under power saw.

Here is what I did.....

Drawing1.jpg

[Mike Cutler]

Matt

You can also resaw a much wider board by using the techniques outlined and getting a nice hand ripsaw, which would overcome the limitations of your bandsaw.
The "H" that is formed by putting that material through the table saw acts a guide for the ripsaw. Clean it all up with a hand plane and you're good to go.

The bathroom huh? That has to get interesting at times.

[BOB OLINGER]

Matt,

I was faced with about the same challenge as I am resawing some red oak to 1/2' thickness to run through my moulding machine to make shutter slats. Although I have a 10" Delta Commercial saw, I think the blade selection is more important. I purchased a Freud thin kerf rip blade (LU87R) and it worked great. I just started my project, so have a lot more to go. Others might suggest an alternate blade. My opinion, blade selection is most important.

[Stephen Edwards]

Ditto on the blade selection! The thin kerf Freud blades make all the difference in the world.

Before I got my bandsaw, and still sometimes, I use a thin notched (long) push stick to push the board through the saw.....and another stick or small board to keep pressure against the fence. That works well and is safe if you don't have a feather board. Remember to not stand directly behind the board that you're sawing......a little off to one side.

Bill's idea on the push stick is even better.

I cut a little MORE than half way through on the first cut. Flip the board and make the second cut. Remember keep the side pressure (hand held block or feather board) in front of the blade. Otherwise, you'll bind the board and be subject to kickback.

Good Luck!

[Ray Newman]

Yes you can do it that way on TS.

But I strong advise & urge you to install a low profile splitter/riving knife to prevent kickback in case the wood closes on the blade.

There are some inexpensive after-market ones available, like:

http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPR...plitters&smode=

I have a friend who had a piece of wood violently come back on him when he did what you are attempting to do w/o a low profile plitter. You never know what wood will do when it is cut/resawn in that fashion.

Also, as one poster said don’t install a feather board on the out feed side of the board so as not to close or pinch the board on the blade.

Incrementally raise the blade for a better quality cut & lessen motor strain.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Matt, Bills drawing is exactly what I was talking about. That push block lets you put down pressure on the stack past the blade, which is why I use it for most everything. On different cuts, like thin stock, you can let the blade run right through the push block.

[JohnMorgan of Lititz]

I haven't seen anyone else mention it - I believe, in addition to the riving knife/low profile splitter, a feather board, and a good push stick, it's super important that your fence is accurately setup and dead on parallel with your blade. I don't believe you want any binding whatsoever...


I'm curious to other's thoughts about that. Some say set the fence 1/1000th wider at the back of the blade. I personally prefer to keep it dead on...especially for a resaw operation...

[Russ Sears]

You'll also want to make sure your saw blade is 90 degrees to your table. If it's off a bit, you'll have more cleanup to do on the cut side.

[Lee Schierer]

Use a dedicated 24 tooth rip blade for this cut (thin kerf is acceptable).

Make the cut in at least four passes, always keeping the same side toward the fence.

Make sure you have a zero clearance insert when making this cut.

Make sure your saw is properly aligned to minimize burning and to avoid binding whch will produce kickbacks.

Use push sticks and don't stand directly in line with either half of the piece being cut.

If you have anothe piece of scrap or lesser value wood, try the cut in it first so you get the hang of doing it.

I've tried the saw part way through leaving the middle portion to cut by hand and frankly it is a lot of work even with a very sharp hand rip saw.

[Chris Padilla]

Personally, I wouldn't resaw on a TS but many folks have successfully done it over and over.

I'd take another look at that bandsaw you have and see if you can make it work for you. Practice on it some more before you tackle the real McCoy. Afterall, this is where bandsaws (well, most of 'em) are supposed to shine. I have zero experience with your particular bandsaw but just perhaps you can make it work and cut more safely....

[David Keller NC]

"Have a Sears 10" benchtop bandsaw that is not very precise, or powerful, etc. Don't have any shop space (I work in my bathroom in a studio apartment in Manhattan.. can't buy a bigger bandsaw) I've read that you can resaw on a table saw, by cutting almost 1/2 way through, then flipping the board, etc.. Can I do this safely? Note my stock is pretty small in width."

I'll suggest an answer to the last question first. No, you can't do this safely at a table saw. There are lots of people that do it, have done it, and will continue to do it without any incidents. But safety is predicated on what can happen, what the consequences are, and what the likelyhood is, not whether or not it's happened to you in the past. In this case, it's fairly difficult to install a low-profile splitter that will absolutely ensure that the kerf will not close and kick the board back at 90 miles an hour. It can be done, but because of the geometry of the saw cut, you'll need to custom-shape the splitter to stand back no more than about 1/4" from the blade along all points of the arc, and it must be precisely the same thickness as the kerf. One of the aspects of this type of cut is that boards are often case-hardened by the kiln drying process, and they will want to bow towards the heart of the board - which is really dangerous on a table saw, and completely inconsequential on a bandsaw.

Given the size of the stock you're trying to resaw, I would go with your bench-top bandsaw. If you will make a "point fence" to do this, install a narrow blade (3/16" is a good size), carefully mark the top edge of your board as a guide, and go slowly, even your saw will get through the walnut relatively quickly.