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Need someone to resaw a beam but no one will help me!

4K views 22 replies 20 participants last post by  roman 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have long read about the beauty found in using resawn boards from old buildings. Well, over the weekend, a friend gave me a 3 large beams to use on a new kitchen table for my wife. The three beams are old grown pine - the longest - approximately 5.5"x8"x90" and shortest 5.5"x8"x50". Talk about a gift! Now I have to get them resawn.

I have called around the Shreveport Louisiana area and no one can help me. I couple of places were pretty curt - "Nope, don't know anyone that can do it". I guess I will mark them off my preferred venders list…

Anyway, does anyone out there on Lumber Jocks know of a place in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, or even SE Oklahoma that could resaw these beams into true 1×8s? I would do it myself, but they are too big for my Grizzly bandsaw to handle.

Thanks for any help that you can provide.
 
#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
It is a project for the wife? perfect reason to get a bigger bandsaw! Wish I could help, but Im not in the area, the main reason that mills dont want to touch the stuff is fear of old metal imbedded in the wood. Even the tiniest piece of a nail broken off in the wood can chip their blades and force them to resharpen, most mills will calculate the cost of this downtime, labor, and lost life on the blade at a couple hundred dollars. There is also the obvious reason, it is a small job, why would they shut down their operation for a minute to do your tiny job.

It is unfortuante that people are so concerned with efficiency and profit that they cannot take 5 minutes at the end of their day to help out a fellow woodworker, but its true. Your best bet is to look for a fellow woodworker with a large bandsaw, if they are friendly a case of beer and some good conversation will pay for the time, otherwise $50 seems fair to me. You might try putting an ad on craigslist, most of us woodworkers are on there looking for odd jobs, old tools, and old lumber.

good luck, and dont let that beautiful reclaimed lumber go to waste.
 
#11 ·
Why not just turn the beams and resaw at 5.5" instead? You are going to have to dress all the newly resawn lumber and join anyway. Adjust your dreams to the reality of your current equipment's capabilities. And besides, a couple more laminates will make a bit more stable tabletop. Personally, I would be thankful the 5.5" measurement fell within the scope/limits of your BS. This was a gift, so make the most of it without fretting so much. That's my 2-cents worth…
 
#12 ·
Good point Mike, but it is the size and weight of the beams that really concern me. The big ones take 2 strong people to move them, let alone put them on my bandsaw. I will cut at the 5.5 myself if I cannot find a someone to cut them for me.
 
#13 ·
Don't think about putting on your bandsaw. You want to think of it more like passing it through your bandsaw. You need some good roller stands. They should bear the brunt of holding the beam up, not your bandsaw table.
 
#15 ·
If you are going to cut them into 5.5" boards, you should be able to do it with a TS or circular saw and track, working from both sides. This is a good time to talk to the wife about a Festool TS 75.
 
#19 ·
I've seen Loren's idea used. Does anyone rent portable sawmills? How about those little chainsaw sawmill thingies? Good luck! I'd help but I no longer even own a bandsaw.
 
#22 ·
RE: I've seen Loren's idea used. Does anyone rent portable sawmills? How about those little chainsaw sawmill thingies? Good luck! I'd help but I no longer even own a bandsaw.

-Al, West Virginia, www.berthacombat.com

NO - I don't know of any mill owner that would consider renting their sawmill, except to a very experienced miller. There is too high a liklihood of damage occuring to either the equipment or the operator.
 
#23 ·
DIY….translation….do it yourself

rip 1/2 way through, flip and rip again

a good hand saw and a sharp plane your there

even with a cheap TS…..........I wouldnt waste my money hiring that out
 
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