Replies

1. 
   JeffHeath | Dec 28, 2004 01:56am | #1

   cherryjohn

   When I resaw, I use a 1/2 inch 3 tpi blade.  Sometimes, I do it with a 3/8 inch blade.  IMHO 3/4 inch blades should only be used for resawing wide boards that are thick into bookmatched boards, not for veneer.  I don't even use 3/4 for that either, but that's just me.  When I'm doing bent laminations, I resaw 3/16 inch slices without any problem, and I use my wide belt sander to sand them smooth down to 1/8 for laminating.  I never use less than 1/8, so I can't comment on that, but I feel pretty confident that I could cut 1/16 with my setup if I tried. 

   You should be able to tune your saw to do this, unless there is something physically wrong with it.  Are you accounting for drift, and using a fence at least as tall as the 6" stock.

   JC

1. 
   cherryjohn | Dec 28, 2004 03:36am | #3

   I would have thought the wider balde would produce better results.  I think Ill get one of these blades you guys mention and try it.  I have not been using a fence , just following the line ;   this is another must do thing I guess

   Thanks for the input

    

2. 
   Mackwood | Dec 28, 2004 03:07am | #2

   I think I'm using the same blade as JC; 1/2" 3 TPI, Woodslicer from Highland Hdwr.  I have done 1/8" slices from 12-13" boards and I think I could do 1/16" if I really wanted to.

   Is your blade sharp?  If the saw is tuned resonably, I would get a dedicated blade for resawing and see if this changes the outcome.  I have a 1" blade that came with my MM16 but since I tried the Woodslicer, I've only used it for slicing small, wet, apple logs.  For resawing I would highly recommend the above mentioned blade from Highland.  It really works great!  With nice dry lumber it will cut just as fast as the 1" blade but leaves a much nicer surface and has a thiner kerf.  I've had no problem with drift or wedge cutting with either blade.

   Regards, 

   Mack

   "WISH IN ONE HAND, #### IN THE OTHER AND SEE WHICH FILLS UP FIRST"

3. 
   RMillard | Dec 28, 2004 03:40am | #4

   I have on several occasions resawed material to 1/16", that was much wider than your 6" width, although I never like to. I don't own a saw as large as yours. On my 14" Jet, I use Starrett Bi-Metal blades, and I never use anything wider than 3/8" I see no advantage in a wider blade, and I do see some disadvantages. You did not mention the fence you are using, but here is what I use. I use a tall straight fence,( I did not have much luck with the single point fence)and I adjust for lead. Make sure your blade is parallel to the fence, which may or may not be square to the table The rate at which the stock is feed plays a big part in how successful the outcome is, I feed quite slowly, just enough to keep the saw cutting. At first I'd over feed and get a stalled cut followed by a far too aggressive cut, which made a mess of everything. Also, while it slows things down, I found that it is best to have the 1/16" piece on the outside of the blade. This requires jointing the face and resetting the fence for each cut. There, of course comes a point where the piece becomes too thin to safely hold, and while I have never done it, you could glue it to another board to make the operation safe, and give you the maximum yield. I'd say you could get around 10 strips from your board, working this way.
   Rob Millard

1. 
   TomS | Dec 28, 2004 06:10am | #6

   "I use a tall straight fence" 

   Rob, is this a shop-made fence or did you purchase an after-market one?  If shopmade, do you have a source for the plans?

   Thanks,

   TomS

1. 
   RMillard | Dec 29, 2004 03:55pm | #11

   Tom,I have attached a photo of the fence I made. Like all the jigs/fixtures I make it is crude. If I had to do it over again, I would have used a piece of plastic laminate for the fence part, but I'm too lazy to redo it.The only thing that might not be clear in the photo, is that the bottom edge has a small rabbet to prevent dust from building up, and pushing the sawn piece away from the fence. I'm not sure how important this was, but I thought it was a good idea. Rob Millard

   
1. 
   TomS | Dec 30, 2004 02:43am | #17

   Rob,

   Thanks for the photo and the information.

   TomS

2. 
   BG | Dec 30, 2004 03:26am | #18

   Rob,

   I like the cut out in your fense but I'm curious why you did not use the metal fense in the background for resawing..ie. attaching your 12" high board to that ?  thanks 

1. 
   RMillard | Dec 30, 2004 05:34am | #19

   There is not enough play in the metal fence to allow me to adjust for drift, so I made the clamp on fence.
   Rob Millard

2. 
   chills1994 | Dec 30, 2004 06:39am | #20

   I have to throw in my two cents.  Take a look at my post about making shaker boxes,

   13764.13

   I'm using a straight fence adjusted to the drift angle.  I figured some sort of offset from the infeed and outfeed sides.

   I use one of those magnetic fingerboard thingeys to hold the stock tight to the fence.

   I thought about making a fence for the BS that would adjust for the lead angle and be microadjustable, but then I read Michael Fortune's article about setting up a BS.

   Maybe I don't have mine set up correctly.  Maybe I'll still have to make that fence.

4. 
   Peter36 | Dec 28, 2004 05:04am | #5

   Hello Cherry John. Since you are not using a fence I would guess that maybe the edge of the board is not square which becomes greatly exagerated over the 6" height. Try using a 6" high fence that is parralel to the blade in length and height and keeping your stock tight to it. If this fails I would definately look into the blades that the others have mentioned. Having said that, I would think that including face jointing you would probably get about 5- 1/16" pieces or maybe 7-8 if you are not face jointing after each piece.

   
   

   ---

   Edited 12/27/2004 9:08 pm ET by Peter36

5. 
   Telemike | Dec 28, 2004 06:11am | #7

   I resaw all of my veneer. I use a Hitachi resaw with a 2 tpi blade. I get 1+ sheet of veneer per quarter of thickness. I regularly get at least 4 and often 5 leaves out of a 4/4 board and 9 - 10 out of a 8/4. I like veneer to be 1/16" to use.

   I like to put my block through the drum sander between sawings. That way, one side of each leave is flat. Then, I put the other side through the sander.

   I prefer resawn veneer over peeled veneer (almost all commercial veneer) because it can be cut thicker and because it looks more like solid wood, not veneer, when finished. Peeled veneer is like plane shavings - the veneer has been bent 30 or 40 degrees microscopically where the knife cut if from the block and lots of fibers are crushed. They just don't look the same when finished.

6. 
   wafa | Dec 29, 2004 04:10am | #8

   CJ; get a copy of the recent "Fine Woodworking" magazine and read the Canadian Fortune's tips on tuning and cutting.

   I have read it through and through to make sure I haven't missed anything he recommends. He knows how to make the saw purr.  

7. 
   mike4244 | Dec 29, 2004 04:41am | #9

   The width of the blade is not all that critical.Use a 2 or 3 hook per inch blade. Make sure the blade is sharp.Saw or joint stock straight and square before resawing. From your post I gather the blade is not sharp, could be tensioning too. You should be able to resaw quite a bit of cherry before sharpening or replacing blade.Are you sure the stock is square before resawing?Use a fence, either a straight fence or a single point type. Determine if there is blade lead, adjust fence for it.

   mike

1. 
   cherryjohn | Dec 29, 2004 04:45am | #10

   this is what i love about these pages.  One question and it gives me a ton of things to look at.  I would like to get this problem solved and not have to buy a new band saw.  Thanks for all the input

    

1. 
   BArnold | Dec 29, 2004 04:47pm | #12

   Cherryjohn,

   I've resawn mostly cherry on my G0513.  I've done up to 10" wide cherry and have done a little 12" wide mahogany.  I use a 3/4", 3TPI Timberwolf blade and  do NOT adjust the fence for drift.  I make sure the blade is tensioned correctly and that tracking is centered.  I use a tall fence made from MDF that I waxed generously.  I made the fence to saddle the stock fence and it works great.  I generally cut 3/16" thick and plane to 1/8" finished.  As a test, I played around with a small piece of walnut and a 1/2" blade and sliced veneers 1/32" thick.

   Regards,

   Bill Arnold - Custom WoodcraftingClick Here if you're interested in a good,inexpensive website host.

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

8. 
   JohnSD | Dec 29, 2004 05:52pm | #13

   The article another poster mentioned is in FWW #173, December.  I tried this approach after some frustrating results and was very pleased.  I have had very good results resawing freehand- no fence.  With a good fence one could get very precise. 

   --JohnD

9. 
   DaleKrech | Dec 29, 2004 09:56pm | #14

   I recently started resawing with my new bandsaw, which is 18 inch. When I first started, I had the same problem.  I built an 8 inch high aux. fence with extra bracing to insure 90 degree. Extra clamps to make sure it was solid, etc.

   I can cut 1/16, or less, consistently with very little variation in thickness. Once I built the fence, the problem was solved.

    

   Dale

1. 
   cherryjohn | Dec 29, 2004 10:03pm | #15

   after doing some more runs after reading all these posts . i see that the fence is probaby my problem.  If I resaw from a 4" wide piece that has been flattened and trued i dont have a problem..a 1" wide board gives me a problem.  So I am thinking high fence and feather board.

1. 
   DaleKrech | Dec 29, 2004 10:24pm | #16

   From my experience, the fence is the issue. The one I built was from 3/4 Fin Ply, I screwed to the fence that came with the saw. Next, I added two "angle brackets" Basically 2 -1 1/2 X 3/4 pieces 12-14 inches long that can pivot at the top rear of my aux fence. These are then clampled to the table, behind the fence. I can adjust these angle brackets to insure fence is 90 degrees to the table, at both front and rear of the blade. I built this gizmo in about 20 minutes, and it was well worth it. Also, my fence is adjusted for the blade drift.

   I don't think you need a feather board, particularly if you are cutting veneers, which I typically shoot for 3/32. You'd have to continually readjust. If you've corrected for the drift, it's no big deal to hold against a rigidly secured fence.

   Good luck!

   Dale

   Edited 12/29/2004 2:28 pm ET by DALEKRECH