Tip #31
Band Sawing Versatility (continued)
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Resawing

Resawing thick stock into thin boards is one of the bandsaw's most useful functions. This operation cannot be performed efficiently on any other home workshop power tool.

To get a good resaw, first joint the bottom edge of the stock. Also make sure the surface that will rest against the extension is as smooth and flat as possible. If the board is cupped, the cup should face the extension. Check the squareness of the table to the blade and adjust it, if necessary- just 1° to 2° out of square will make the resawn board noticeably uneven.

Figure 14-19. Use a high miter gauge extension when resawing. Feed the workpiece very slowly, especially if you are using a blade that is less than 1/2" wide. Narrower blades can be used, but they are more likely to "bow" in the cut.

Since resawing usually involves stock several inches thick and many feet long, it's a good idea to use a long, high miter gauge extension. Clamp a feather board to the table to help hold the stock up on edge and flat against the extension. Use a push block to move the stock (Figure 14-19).

Place the miter gauge in the table slot that runs perpendicular to the flat of the blade, and lock it in place so that the fence is 1/32" to 1/16" farther away from the blade than the desired thickness of the resawn board. (This extra distance will give you room to surface the wood after it's been resawn.) Also clamp the feather board to the bandsaw table so that it will press against the stock just in front of the blade. Always use a push stick to finish a resawing cut.

If you're using a 1/4" blade for this operation, increase the tension to the 3/8" mark on the blade tension scale.

Figure 14-20. You can prepare a workpiece for resawing by making table saw cuts. The kerfs help to buide the blade and they reduce the amount of materials on which the blade must work.

As you make the cut, hold the workpiece firmly against the extension. Take your time and don't rush the cut. If you rush, the blade may follow the annual rings in the wood, giving you an uneven cut. As with ripping, blade lead can also ruin your cut. If the blade tends to wander, even when you feed the stock slowly, readjust the blade guides or the angles of the miter gauge. If this doesn't work, refer to the Bandsaw Owners Manual to correct blade lead. If none of these remedies correct the problem, use another blade for resawing.

Figure 14-21. The bandsaw's impressive depth of cut can be utilized to cut square stock round or prepare stock for lathe turning. Small circles require a narrow blade, so feed very carefully to keep the blade from bowing.

Many woodworkers prepare stock for resawing by first kerfing the material on the table saw as shown in Figure 14-20. The kerfs do double-duty; they act as a guide for the bandsaw blade and they reduce the amount of material through which the blade must cut.

It isn't resawing, in the strict sense, but the bandsaw's ability to cut through thick stock can be utilized to cut square stock round or prepare material for lathe turning (Figure 14-21). Cutting stock this way considerably reduces the amount of waste that must be cut away with lathe chisels.

Figure 14-22. Thinning out stock so it can be bent is a type of resawing. How much of the sotck's thickness you leave depends on how sharp a bend you must make.

Thinning Out-Thinning out is a type of resawing procedure that is used to reduce the thickness of stock in particular areas so the material will be easy to bend. Mark the section to be thinned on one edge of the stock. The section should be 1" or so longer than the bend you plan. Make the two end cuts first. Then, starting from any point between them, make an oblique approach to the straight line and continue the pass until it meets the first cut. Turn the stock end-for-end and complete the cut (Figure 14-22). Figure 14-23 shows an example of the kind of bending that can be done by using the thinning-out method. The thickness of the material that will be left after the cutting will depend on how sharp the bend must be. Bends made this way should, be reinforced with glue blocks.

Figure 14-23. An example of how stock can be bent after it is thinned out. The thinned sections will be weak and should be reinforced with glue blocks.

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