# Edge Ripping?



## b00kemdano (Feb 10, 2009)

Not sure what else to call it. I want to cut a 2x6 into two ~1x6 boards. So, I raise the blade nearly all the way and I stand the 2x6 on the edge and let 'er fly.

It was a bit unnerving - is there a better way to do this?


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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

b00kemdano said:


> Not sure what else to call it. I want to cut a 2x6 into two ~1x6 boards. So, I raise the blade nearly all the way and I stand the 2x6 on the edge and let 'er fly.
> 
> It was a bit unnerving - is there a better way to do this?


it's called resawing and I believe there are quite a few older threads about this that may give you some good insight. There are jigs you can make in your shop that will help a great deal.


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## b00kemdano (Feb 10, 2009)

lol thanks. Searching forums works a lot better when you know what word to use!

RESAW! :laughing:


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

*bOOk*

Normally, I do it the same way except I start with the blade only 2" high. I keep flipping the board end over end and raise the blade some until the blade cuts through. Sometimes the board is too tall. When that happens finish it off with a handsaw. 
And yes, it is unnerving.


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## BORKBOB (Feb 9, 2009)

Yes, there is a better way. Buy 1x6's :laughing:.

Resawing is a legitimate way to maximize material use or to provide stock of a specific thickness. Some folks use band saws to do this, even creating their own veneers. 

I assume you are using dimensional (construction) lumber. Here are a few thoughts:

This is a dangerous practice. Your pucker factor was trying to tell you something. 

Construction grade lumber is unstable. Its moisture content is allowed to be as high as 20% and it will change shape about every 45 seconds. 

Unless you rip a straight edge, it's very doubtful you will be dealing with a flat surface. It's also very doubtful that the board will be flat, so you'll be ripping aroung a curve. 

Your end result will not be 2 1x6's. You lose the thickness of the saw blade plus the instablilty of the wood almost guarantees saw blade marks; you'll lose more thickness getting a smooth surface. 

I don't hesitate to resaw on the TS, but I limit it to stock that I have prepared that I know is flat and square. I also use a sharp and clean dedicated rip blade and a splitter as well as a high enough fence to offer support.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

I've done it many times. The results are much better if the 2x6 is flat and square to start with. I'd also use a featherboard and push stick.


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## b00kemdano (Feb 10, 2009)

Thanks for the tips, folks! :thumbsup:

Now that I've been tipped off about "resaw"ing - I've been reading much about it.  

My goal is to use free wood as much as possible to build things like bird houses and feeders. As an experiment, my son and I drove around the neighborhood the night before trash day and filled my truck twice with wood that people were throwing away. Much of it was rotting, weatherworn, or just plain junk, but there was a gold mine of salvagable wood. Weather worn treated lumber (when resawn... resawed... ?? :shifty: ) looks fantastic as a bird house, and there's still plenty of good wood under the weatherbeaten layers. My gimmick for trying to sell this stuff will be that it's made from recycled wood.

Now, as for the true dimensions, it doesn't really matter since it's bird houses made out of recycled wood. The important part is that I have fingers left to assemble said recycled wood bird houses.

All of my reading has led me to believe that I need to buy a nice (sizable) band saw for the mainly dedicated purpose of resawing. I looked at the Craftsman 14" today at Sears and just wasn't that impressed. 

So now I'm off to scour the forums for band saw reviews before I post another goofball question that's probably already been answerd! :laughing:


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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

b00kemdano said:


> Thanks for the tips, folks! :thumbsup:
> 
> Now that I've been tipped off about "resaw"ing - I've been reading much about it.
> 
> ...


You are most welcome.....

Don't ever be afraid to ask any questions you have out here. I learned that it's usually the proud ones that are afraid to ask questions because they dont' want to admit they don't know the answer. The best way to learn is to ask away....:thumbsup:

Depending upon just how much wood you need to remove to get down to useable material, you could also just use a planer. Once you get down to nice useable wood you can go back and square everything up for production....

Good luck


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## Chiefwoodworker (Jul 17, 2008)

It's called re-sawing and is best done (and most safely done) with a band saw. If you don't have a band saw and must use a table, raise the blade in small increments and flip the board to do both sides for each time you raise the blade.


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## Sawduster (Dec 30, 2008)

Speaking of resawing on a band saw, I recently bought a Shopfox 14" band saw (a Jet knockoff) and so far, resawing has been a pretty disappointing experience. I dropped in on a friend of mine the other day and he said, "Hey Dave, look what I got." It was a Jet 18" saw capable of resawing 12" boards and driving a 1-1/2" blade. To me, it looked more like an altar than a machine.
Me: Holeee crap! Where did you get that?
He: Well my brother called me from an auction where a lumber yard was going out of business and asked me if I needed any power tools. I said I'd really like to have a band saw. He called me an hour later and said "Hey, you got yourself a band saw! He described it and I cringed and gritted my teeth and asked how much. He said well, with tax, the darned thing came to (are you ready for this?) $99.00. 
I immediately jumped on my friend and started choking him. (Actually, he's much younger and stronger than me so I just stood there and whimpered.)
Later he told me that if I wanted to buy the appropriate blade for it, I could come over and use it any time for my resawing. What a guy!


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## Chiefwoodworker (Jul 17, 2008)

I have a Laguna 18" and I can easily cut 1/32" slices from and 8" board with no problem. I use my band saw for ripping as well. It's faster and less waste than the table saw.


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