Replies

1. 
   peterg62901 | Jul 07, 2002 12:55am | #1

   Seems like a lot to bite off to me.  Have you looked at a book about veneering and understand the process and equipment you might need?  I would try with purchased veneer first, unless there is a special piece of wood you want to use or want to justify buying a bandsaw. :)

   Good luck and have fun.

2. 
   RSRose | Jul 07, 2002 04:21am | #2

   Rich,

   If you're just getting started in woodworking, you're planning a project far beyond the scope of your experience. You really need to get a lot of experience under your belt before tackling something like resawing on a bandsaw - veneer, no less.

   Why does this intrigue you? Are you interested in resawing? Or in veneering?

   If resawing is your interest, get your bandsaw set up and use it to do more "mundane" work until you become experienced. I NEVER like to tamper with someone's enthusiasm, but you have a much better chance at success if you learn to play the scales before tackling a symphony.

   If you are interested in veneer, get some and gain experience with it before making your own. There is a bewildering variety of woods available in veneers in a wide assortment of thicknesses. You will need to become familiar with using contact adhesives, heat activated, water soluble, hide glue, etc. You could learn to use a variety of techniques that range from centuries old to contemporary - all useful and productive.

   Most workers cut their own veneer because the particular species or thickness that they want is not available. Or they have a rare or unique log that they want to use. For example, I started chopping some kiawe (mesquite) for firewood and discovered some of the most beautifully figured and colored wood I have ever seen. I put almost 1/2 cord of it away and have been getting 4" wide x 1-3' veneer (1/8") from it.

   You're right in anticipating that the bandsaw blade will leave significant mill marks. Different workers have various ways of dealing with "jointing" the log or the resulting veneer to get a face suitable for gluing. Methods range from hand planing to using a jointer, a planer, hand sanding, belt sander, drum sander, whatever works.

   Good luck,

   Rich

1. 
   gerry001 | Jul 07, 2002 07:43am | #3

   Rich,

   I'll agree with Rich Rose all the way. Start learning how to use the veneer first. If you do move to a bandsaw, you will always need to clean up the cut face, and how you do that depends on the thickness. Reducing the labor here depends on perfectly tuning up and using the bandsaw, and that's going to take some time. Start with the other end, and see how far your interest takes you.

   Gerry

2. 
   rerehab | Jul 07, 2002 06:29pm | #5

   Thanks for the feedback.  This is the kind of information I was hoping to get.  My interest in veneering was prompted by some projects I have been working on using recycled wood.  Given the limited nature of the supply of this type of resource, it got me thinking that it would be a good way to get the most out of any given board.  It was also in part out of the frustration of not being able to find a convenient source of wood at the thicknesses needed for my projects.  I have found that I have been having to take perfectly good 3/4 inch stock and mill it down to get a thinner piece.  I thought it would be nice to reduce the board down to the correct thickness, while at the same time, taking what would have been turned into shavings or sawdust into a usable piece of veneer (2 birds, one stone).  Before investing the time, much less purchasing new tools, I wanted a reality check.  There are certainly an unlimited number of areas in which I can improve my skills, so I want to avoid getting bogged down trying to do things that may never produce the usable results.  Thanks again for your comments.

   Rich

1. 
   dhpascoe | Jul 07, 2002 08:01pm | #6

   I've found that working with thick veneers is really pretty easy and they are useful for a huge array of projects, and I would consider myself a novice. Cutting them a consistent thickness, however, is not easy until you have your cutting set up perfected.

   I wouldn't waste my time doing it on the band saw because there's too much clean up involved and it's almost impossible to end up with a flat piece of even thickness. I do it on the table saw and routinely cut up to 5" wides, taking a 2-9/16" cut and flipping the piece over. But the blade I use is the real key. It's a Sears rip blade with very aggressive rake angle. This is essential for a blade burried in the stock. I send it out to a guy in Texas who has new sharpening equipment and he trues it so that it cuts perfectly straight, almost zero teeth marks and no tendency to wander or slew off.

   You have to be careful about reaction woods. I do a test cut to see if the kerf will close up or spread. If so, that piece can't be veneered with good results. This may nix a lot of nicely figured wood one may plan to use unless I want to do a lot of belt sanding. Normally, I select straight grain 8/4 stock x 5" wide but with a lot of elbow grease have done tiger maple. Most of my clean up is done with a scraper blade.

   I just finished a table with bubinga over maple where one 8' plank veneered the whole table, including legs and aprons. Saved about $200 in material and well worth the effort I think. No one can tell that that table is not solid bubinga.

   Dave

1. 
   RSRose | Jul 07, 2002 10:00pm | #8

   None,

   Wow, That's super-ripping!

   I hate to rip on a table saw. I can't stand to cut 4/4 stock, let alone bury a blade halfway into a 5" piece. The noise and "violence" of the operation really bother me.

   I use a table saw for cross cutting only. I do all my ripping on my bandsaw. The difference between the two machines is like night and day. The bandsaw is a quiet, relaxed, almost peaceful experience compared to the table saw. Cleanup of the cut edge is not a problem since I plane or joint anyway - always did even when I used to rip on the table saw.

   Rich

1. 
   NorthernWish | Jul 08, 2002 01:12am | #9

   One thing I would add would be to check out some books on bandsawing so that you find out all the intricacies before you get into it. 

   And I would think you would need a fairly expensive bandsaw.  I have one of Delta's lower-end models & it is not exactly an amazing machine & the accesories it come with are low quality (you get what you pay for and that was all I could afford).  And for re-sawing, you will need a fence to slide the wood (that is on edge) so you will either have to find somewhere that sells them or make one of your own.  I remember a FWW article on making your own from a few years back so you should check out the FWW index from the last few years to find it.  For re-sawing you will have to determine what the maximum width of the boards you may use will be, and get  a bandsaw that has the capacity to handle that size of wood when it is on its edge.  I think the higher-end machines can handle around 10"-12"(?), and if you need more than that you may need an industrial ($$$) machine.  I've never done re-sawing but from what I've read, the main things would be (in no relevant order): 1) a powerful motor; 2) a good fence; 3) a top-notch blade specifically made for resawing; 4) a machine that is well tuned & maintained.   You could use cheap pine or something to start out, just to get some experience before you use the wood that matters to you.

   I wouldn't let the saw marks stop me from doing it as you can use a plane, scraper, sandpaper, etc to do away with them.

2. 
   gerry001 | Jul 08, 2002 03:37am | #10

   Homer,

   A Jet or Delta 14" bandsaw with risers can handle up to a 12" width. This assumes the proper blade and a tuned up machine. Cutting 1/8 or thicker panels is no problem, since they can be cleaned up with a thickness planer. However, if you don't have one or are cutting thinner veneer (and don't have a drum sander), the saw marks are an issue. In fact, the final challenge in resawing is how to get the smoothest finish, as a little difference can cost hours of time.

   Gerry

3. 
   dhpascoe | Jul 09, 2002 04:34pm | #13

   Rich,

   Ripping on the table saw is only a problem with the wrong or dull blades and small stock. I always rip from a larger piece of stock so that the weight and heft of it doesn't cause me to be timid about holding it solidly. Knowing a good blade smith also helps a lot. Now that my blades are sharp and true, they go through hard wood like butter ... no smoke, no screetching, near perfect cuts. But then, it only took me 15 years to figure this out . . . . !!

   I found this to be the perfect solution because the cuts are so smooth, what little saw marks there are can be sanded out by hand without seriously altering the dimensions of the veneer, which is a big problem when working with woods that have inconsistent grain patterns. Attempting to plane a 1/8" x 5" veneer is near impossible because few pieces are ever flat. Maybe if you have a vacuum table . . . .

   Dave

   Edited 7/9/2002 9:41:40 AM ET by none

2. 
   RSRose | Jul 07, 2002 09:44pm | #7

   Rich,

   Well it sounds like your methods require some specifically thicknessed wood. I really think that you need to become familiar with the bandsaw before you attempt resawing. There is a very nice article in FWW, No. 122, Feb., 1997 "Resawing on the Bandsaw" subtitled "For predictable results use a high fence and a very tight blade" by Ronald Volbrecht. It discusses technique, preparation and setup of a high support fence, blade selection, tuning and touchup (grinding off rough welds, misalignment at the weld). For the record, I don't tension my Timberwolf blades as high as the article recommends.

   The author demonstrates very flat, evenly cut boards.

   Good luck!

   Edited 7/7/2002 2:45:35 PM ET by Rich Rose

3. 
   Alan | Jul 07, 2002 08:41am | #4

   Rich,

   I, too, would advise you to re-direct your enthusiasm.  Put all that energy into gaining useful experience by trying projects which you will be able to successfully complete.  The others have given you good advice about what you ought to learn and what you ought to learn to do before you tackle resawing veneers.

   I'm reminded of a story told about Mozart (probably apocryphal--but those are usually the best stories).  He was approached by a young man who said he wanted to write a symphony and asked Mozart how to go about it.  Mozart told him he should first try some simple pieces, a minuet, a fugue, a sonata, and work towards writing a symphony.  "But you wrote a symphony when you were only five years old" the man protested.  "Yes," Mozart replied, "but I didn't have to ask how."

   Alan

4. 
   kandrewk | Jul 08, 2002 05:37am | #11

   All I can say is go for it. Some of my first projects were vernier cut from walnut. I first run it on the jointer then cut my vernier, then plane another and cut & on & on. Then I glue the smooth side down, this leaves the outer surface with saw marks, then I  sand or plane the outer surface to my liking. I was a shoe repairman for many years, and found contact cement used in this trade better for me. It has a long open time, and can be thinned easily should it ever be needed. This glue remains somewhat flexible so I use a little wood glue at seams and edges where they meet. I have used shoe repair glue for the whole project also & it turned out ok. Most of my projects were small like boxes etc..Woodworking is a great way to turn loose your creativity

1. 
   gerry001 | Jul 09, 2002 03:57am | #12

   Here Kandrewk's post brings out some of the confusion we let ourselves in for. The differences between thin boards, panels and verneer differ in the telling and usage. Once you learn bandsaw basics, it's not hard to cut thin panels that aren't too wide or long. It's when they get both thin and wide that the difficulties begin. Here, just like many questions on finishing, your answers are going to be no better than your question, i.e. what do you want to achieve? Some things will be easy, and others can take a long time to master. We can't really say which, unless we know what.

   --Gerry