# Table Saw resawing. Am i wasting my time?



## AKMECHANIC (Jan 29, 2012)

I am trying to resaw some vertically laminated poplar. I have a table saw that will saw 3 1/4". My boards are 5-6" x 2 3/4 - 3" thick that need to become 3/4" slices. Oh they are 6-7 feet long. I have had ok results but it is rather difficult holding such a long heavy board on there and worry about kickback. Do i just need to get a band saw?


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## Bill1225 (Oct 31, 2011)

I resaw on my tablesaw quite a bit but i use a quality 24 tooth think kerf blade, a out feed table and feather boards. I cant tell 100% by your pictures but your ts looks like a benchtop unit and my biggest fear in that set up would be over taxing your saw and burning it up.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

You can do it. Set up featherboards fore and aft of the blade. 
Set up outfeed support and infeed support if you can. A
bandsaw doesn't eliminate the need for proper stock support.

When resawing on the table saw I usually cut less than 1/2
way through, leaving 1/8" to 1/4" stock in the center. After
the second pass, the parts can be popped apart with a chisel
or cut quickly with a hand saw or sawzall.


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## taoist (Jul 31, 2011)

I may be wrong but I think you can saw it with a couple of roller stands, or at least 1, and 2 people. I think it would be very difficult to do alone. You need someone to keep the wood pressed against the fence and maybe need a higher fence face.
From your first picture it looks like you need to just turn it around, ie switch ends, and turn it bottom side up. I think with 2 people it would be safer.


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## AKMECHANIC (Jan 29, 2012)

Sorry i forgot to say i just got a new saw a few days ago. A much larger contractor/ hybrid saw with a 40 tooth Freud Diablo blade. I have yet to really use it, but i am sure it is a million times better then the pictured saw.


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## Danpaddles (Jan 26, 2012)

I resaw on the TS often, saves some time with the planer. Some guys say the big kerf of a TS blade costs you lost wood, but I've never had a resawn hunk come off the band saw that didn't need 5 or 6 passes thru the planer anyway.

One woodjock suggested leaving a "web" of 1/8 inch holding the halves together, then cut that with a hand saw. That is a very good idea, I usually do it that way.

You will have a good pile of sawdust at the end of the day!~


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## Sawkerf (Dec 31, 2009)

For what you're doing, use a low tooth count blade (23) and take your time. If you don't have it, set up infeed and outfeed support so all you have to do is keep the material moving.

When I resaw like that, I cut slices ~1/4" thicker than I need and get to finalthickness with the planer.


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## RibsBrisket4me (Jul 17, 2011)

Lots of good advice given…Low tooth rip blade, stock support, feather boards fore and aft of blade.

Leave some wood in the middle, and TAKE YOUR time to be safe!


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

You are probably better off resawing on the table saw with a thin kerf rip blade than with a bandsaw, at least you won't get any blade drift. Use roller stands and you should be ok. 6-7' is not that much to handle.

I know this is a pain in the ass, but to minimize waste, you could get your laminated stock planed up square, take a rip off the stock a little oversize, plane the stock again, then take the next rip a little oversize, and so on, that way you are already starting with one good side when you're planing to finished size.

I'm curious to know what you're using this laminated stock for, seems a little unconventional for the size you will get.


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## DamnYankee (May 21, 2011)

What they said. I resaw on TS very often and long pieces as well. In and out feed support, feather boards, and don't try to cut at max height, even with a true rip blade this an over fill the gullets on long stock. I also find taking smaller rips until you are through also help keep the cut straight and not push the blade (and thus the cut) out of perpendicular (at max height the putter edges of the blade at more susceptible to being pushed away or towards the fence)


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

Use a blade for ripping, like a 24 tooth. 
Take your time. If you hear the saw bogging down, slow down, you're going to fast and table saws are not cheap. 
For real wide stuff, take one to one and a half inch off both sides, then about that much again, and keep going till you're through.
Feather board. Feather board. Feather board. I can't saw that enough when resawing with a table saw. FEATHER BOARD!

I've done it plenty of times though. If done properly, there is no problem.


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

Also, I never use an infeed table. My shop setup just makes it too much of a hassle. I will set up my rollerstand if its something too heavy, but they're only for support. I don't depend on them to keep the material running straight. An outfeed table is important on long stuff though.

From experience, lack of outfeed table on long material can and will causing an offcut piece to twist, pinch the blade, break off pieces, and shoot it back at you at very high speeds.


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## AKMECHANIC (Jan 29, 2012)

Thanks for all the great advice! I have a few more questions…]

1. What is the point of not sawing all the way through, and having a web, on the last cut? Seams like more trouble to go back and hand saw it or use my sawzall. 
2. Should my thin slice be coming off on the fence side of the blade or the open side or does it not matter?

renners- I am building down hill ski cores. I am new to wood working so this is all new to me.


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

1. If you're careful, I saw all the way through all the time. One danger of sawing all the way through though sometimes, especially when cutting thin strips off, is the material falling back towards the blade, causing a kickback hazard. 
The way I counter this is small wooden wedges. As the slab passes the blade, I stick tiny wedges of wood into the kerf, this keeps material from binding, and also forces it to fall away from the blade once cut through. This is not fool proof though, As it falls, if you don't control it, it can kick the bottom side back towards the blade. 
Just go slow and make sure to remember that anything falling or hitting the wrong angle of a spinning blade is very bad and potentially very dangerous.

2. Since we're talking about resawing, I assume we're talking about thin material. In that case, always have the thin slice coming off on the waste side of the blade, or the side opposite the fence.
Once again, thin stock piched between the fence and a moving blade as it cuts through is not good. This creates the same issue I described in #1, except now it is in between the fence and blade giving it direction. Think difference between throwing a piece of lead from your hand, or giving it direction such as down the barrel of a gun.


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## Bill1225 (Oct 31, 2011)

ohh i forgot to mention and didnt see anyone else did either. is use a zero clreance insert so your piece cant fall into your saw from push stick pressure


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

Good tip Bill. I always forget that detail because I seldom take the ZCI out of my saw.


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## AKMECHANIC (Jan 29, 2012)

WudHeven - I had run both sides through the planer. The uneven part in the picture i should have cut off as it was excess that i did not want to plane down to. The remaining board was planed tho. Can the last uneven 4" or a 7' board cause much trouble?

Bill1225- Does one really need a ZCI if they are slicing off 3/4" chunks ?


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

You don't. Just like when you resaw on a bandsaw, it has to cleaned up with a planer or sander afterwards.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

That little strip of wood left uncut down the middle is very important. It's good insurance against pinching.
When you saw that much wood the heat buildup along the kerf can cause the stock to pull together and bind. That little uncut strip holds it apart.

It's really not hard to plane away after you snap the boards apart, and it adds greatly to the safety of the whole process.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Not the best picture, I'll have to look for some better ones. I have been re-sawing on my old Craftsman Contractor's saw a bunch of old white Oak rafters. They start out at 2" thick. I wind up with a few "halves' just over 3/4" thick, after planing away the saw marks. The main problem with these old rafters are NAILS buried out of sight. Old cut nails. This stack is one of two I have left.

I have to watch how fast/slow I push these through. I also set the height at just OVER the halfway point. That way I get a bit of overlap. It also allows the sawdust ( and bits of found nails)a place to go to clear the saw kerf.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

I'd rather use the bandsaw. Once tuned correctly it's possible to slice consistent 1/16" veneers with ease. It's also good for many other tasks besides resawing.


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## Tokolosi (Dec 14, 2011)

I think I have the same saw as as you. I re-saw on it a lot. A lot !
However I wont attempt that laminate! I have killed two table saws before. All because of over taxing them.

If you go through with it I would suggest cutting slightly oversize and then plane the boards to final width.


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## Bill1225 (Oct 31, 2011)

mechanic- a zci isn't 100% but any support of the work piece is all i think about . I couldnt tell from the pics it was 3/4" stock but any where u can a support is better! It really depends on your insert, I try to run a zci as much as i can. It allows as much solid"table space as possible which is good in my book


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

I've read several responses that mentioned a band saw would do a better job resawing. In my personal opinion, that is one hundred percent true.
However, I think the reason AK wants to do this is the that he doesn't have a decent band saw.

My only band saw is an old Craftsman 12" that, after many hours of trying and trying to set it up properly, have finally faced the fact that there is no way I'll ever getting accpetable resawing with it. So until I can get a better band saw, I do some resawing on the table saw.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Getting ready to make these:









Into something like these:









Using my 10" Craftsman Tablesaw. One of those made by Emerson for sears.


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## Domer (Mar 8, 2009)

I think it is somewhat dangerous to resaw on a table saw. The danger of kick back is real especially on big pieces.

It is a lot safer to resaw on a band saw. You might check to see if there is a Woodworkers Guild in the area that might eight have the tools or have someone who will resaw for you.

I know there are lots of guys who resaw on the table saw and I must admit that I have done it myself. But I try not to any more and if I do, I limit myself to pieces I can resaw in one pass.

My 2 cents worth

Domer


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

A few big "IF"s in sawing on the tablesaw.

IF the "top" and "bottom" edges are square to the side that will go against the fence,

IF the top and bottom are parallel to each other

IF the saw blade is MADE for ripping, as in 28 teeth or less

IF you have some sort of outfeed device out there to catch the piece after the cut.

Feather boards are nice IF you have them. Do NOT place them where they will cause a bind AT the blade.

IF all the above are in place, watch your feed rate, do not stop in the middle of the cut to change your grip on the piece, And be sure the piece being cut off has a place to fall, without getting "hit" with the saw blade.

I set the blade height to just over halfway through the board. This allows some overlap in the cut. This also allows a place for all the sawdust to go as I make the second cut. Just the way things work in my shop…


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