# Need help with resawing!



## UtahCharley (Nov 5, 2009)

Hey guys,
I am looking for a band saw. What I'm wanting to do is make small projects from wood that I find laying around. Either whole logs or old boards from demo buildings etc. 
I'd need it mainly for re-sawing the wood into workable boards. I'm tight on cash right now and I don't want to buy something that is really not beefy enough for the job. 
my question is this. While I save up for a big BS how can I get around not having one. Are there any ways to take say a log that is say 8" across and turn it into a 1" board without the BS?
I have a tablesaw, planner and chainsaw. Any tips?


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Short answer...NO*

Are there other resources, friends, sawyers, school shops, Vo Tech classes where you are?
Other than a used 14" from craigs list, there aren't any cheap ways.
There are some spankin' good deals on bandsaws right now from Grizzly and the Rikon at Woodcraft, on sale. I have a 10" Craftsman and a 14" Pro Craftsman, but I don't consider either powerful enough for resawing, You need about 1 1/2 HP for an 8" cut, and that will be a slow go. My resaws are both 3HP, an 18" and a 19", no problems with a 3 TPI blade. 
Aw, just go in debt, like the rest of us...:laughing: bill
BTW there 's a lot of homemade tools on you tube.
Here's a link herehttp://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f26/homemade-wooden-bandsaw-mill-8097/
Here's bandsaw sled I made:
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f27/cross-cut-sled-band-saw-9638/


----------



## clarionflyer (Apr 27, 2008)

I hear ya UtahCharley,
I'm kicking around getting a bandsaw, too.
My tablesaw cuts about 3 1/2 inches. So I'm able to "resaw" 7 inch boards by flipping. If your saw and jointer are tuned up straight, it works out pretty good. The tablesaw blade wastes a little more wood than a bandsaw.
For more than 7 inches? Woodnthings is right. There are a lot of nice bandsaws on sale right now. :shifty: I'm not sure about other techniques.
In the mean time, joint and glue 7 incher's together, I guess.


----------



## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

If you are serious about resawing it does take power. Yesterday I needed to resaw a piece of 11 1/2" wide by 1" think by 22" long Iroko. Took it to the Eglin AFB hobby shop where they have a very big saw. I did not time it, but I am sure it was well over 5 minutes to saw that 22" piece of Iroko. The attedent put in a new 1" blade for me to use. 

George


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I don't recommend a tablesaw for resawing a round log unless*

You make a jig to keep it from rolling around. I have used a hand held power plane to create a flat surface on one side to start out when I resaw. But the log had better be held securely on the TS or bad things will happen! :furious: bill
Check out this post: 
It saves a ton of work to rough out a board with twist, cup or bow in preparation for sawing, planing or jointing. Photos below show how to create a flat surface in less than 1 minute with a spud and a power planer to make the log ready for the bandsaw.. Not every needs one for this operation, but this sure make it safer to saw the log with flats on 4 sides. 
BTW part 2: The log is Box Elder and should have Flame inside!!!
Attached Thumbnails


----------



## UtahCharley (Nov 5, 2009)

clarionflyer said:


> I hear ya UtahCharley,
> I'm kicking around getting a bandsaw, too.
> My tablesaw cuts about 3 1/2 inches. So I'm able to "resaw" 7 inch boards by flipping. If your saw and jointer are tuned up straight, it works out pretty good. The tablesaw blade wastes a little more wood than a bandsaw.
> For more than 7 inches? Woodnthings is right. There are a lot of nice bandsaws on sale right now. :shifty: I'm not sure about other techniques.
> In the mean time, joint and glue 7 incher's together, I guess.


 
Yeah that is what I'm thinking I'll have to do. Use the tablesaw and then plane it down. I gues I'll just have to get some jigs set up to make riping smaller logs without much fuss.


----------



## UtahCharley (Nov 5, 2009)

woodnthings said:


> You make a jig to keep it from rolling around. I have used a hand held power plane to create a flat surface on one side to start out when I resaw. But the log had better be held securely on the TS or bad things will happen! :furious: bill


 
Yeah I was thinking of chainsawing 2 sides to make them flat but the planer looks pretty nice also. I'll fool around with it this weekend.
Thanks


----------



## Ledhead (Aug 3, 2009)

woodnthings said:


> <snip> There are some spankin' good deals on bandsaws right now from Grizzly and the Rikon at Woodcraft, on sale. <snip>
> Aw, just go in debt, like the rest of us...:laughing: bill


I've been really looking at the Rikon 14"Deluxe bandsaw at Woodcraft. 1 1/2 HP, large cast iron table, 13" max cutting height. This looks like a lot of saw in a 14". 

Does anyone own one of these? Whats the consensus on it? 

Bill, maybe I'll just go in debt like you suggest :thumbup:


----------

