Synopsis: Resawing, the process of cutting thinner boards or veneers from thick stock, comes as a revelation to many beginning woodworkers. It’s what frees you from the dimensional constraints of the boards available at the sawmill and allows you to create perfect boards of multiple size and thickness. All it requires is a bandsaw and some know-how, and Timothy Rousseau has both. Here, he shows you how to set up the bandsaw for resawing, choose the correct blade, add a shopmade resaw fence, and finally, make a series of thinner boards out of one thick one. Master resawing and your furniture designs will take off.

Few techniques in woodworking can have as much impact on the design of your furniture as resawing. resawing, the process of cutting thinner boards or veneers from thick stock, frees you from the dimensional constraints imposed on the board at the sawmill. rather than compromising your design to work with the lumber as you bought it, you can saw the wood to create perfect boards for the project at hand.

The bandsaw is the ideal tool for this task, whether you have a 14-in. saw with 6 in. of resaw capacity or a 20-in. monster that can handle boards 12 in. or wider. With the right setup, you can cut thin book-matched or slip-matched boards for a door panel, create frames with perfectly straight grain, or slice a gorgeous board into a stack of thin veneers, ready for a table top, drawer fronts, or case construction.

Ready your bandsaw for resawing

No matter what size saw you have, you won’t resaw successfully if it isn’t set up well. Especially important areas are the blade, guides, and fence.

After putting the blade on the saw, many woodworkers fuss with centering it perfectly on the top…