# Bandsaw -- To Use the Resaw Bar or NOT



## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

I have started another project, this time a Barrister's Bookcase and have a question about ripping 1/4in boards on my BS, from White Ash for use in place of the plywood called for in the plans.

After checking out the price of quality 1/4in Veneer Plywood, I have decided that it would be cheaper to just cut my own 1/4in thick boards for this project. I am starting with 6-8in wide 8/4 White Ash from which I plan on ripping 1/4in planks. I also feel like ripping "real" boards would be more "old school" and/or accurate for these Mission Style bookcases.

*QUESTION:* Should I use the resaw bar on my Rikon 14in Deluxe (10-325) BS, OR should I just use the full flat fence(on left) and rip the 1/4in slice off to the right(free side of blade) of the blade? Can either work? Which is a better technique?...

FYI-Currently have stock 1/2in 4TPI blade on machine, but could swap out for a Timberwolf 3/4in 3TPI that I have yet to mount.


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## cabmaker (Sep 16, 2010)

I think you ll want your fence (if used) to the left of the blade. And the pin works very well, you should give it a try. I vote for the 3 tpi. That s what I typically resaw with. Good luck with it.JB


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## buckles (Jun 10, 2011)

Mike
i would suggest that you try one cut each way and see which works for you. There is no "right way" only preferences.
Ash is hard, don't push. Use a wide 2 TPI blade
Regards
Joe


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

FWIW, I have already been ripping my 8/4 into several needed 4/4 to 3/4in finish, using the bar and the stock 1/2in 4TPI. I wandered ~1/16in back and forth over the roughly 26in piece. Easy work for the planer to correct, but this did cause me to wonder about ripping the thinner boards to size correctly.

I just hate to waste too much wood "practicing" if you know what I mean… *;-)*


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## JGM0658 (Aug 16, 2011)

If you have a well tuned BS and you mill the wood absolutely square I would go with the 3/4 3 TPI blade on the inside cut, it is more precise.

If you have some drift then I would go with following the line and the outside cut. You are the better one to judge which is better for you.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

How many/who has resawn thin panels WITHOUT using a resaw bar/pin?

I am asking this because it seems like I could get a straighter cut with the majority of the board left of the blade and against a flat fence. I am thinking, but do NOT know this, that the thin 1/4in panel(s) coming off the blade is/are flexible enough to NOT pose a pinch hazard? Has anyone done this in this manner?


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## bluekingfisher (Mar 30, 2010)

My two cents - go with the wider blade with less teeth every time for resawing.

My preference would be the flat tall fence everytime too, it has certainly worked for me. I have an 18" bandsaw and have it set up pretty well.

I did notice however that after some time the blade started to deflect a little??, so I took a break and cleaned the blade. I reckoned the blade may have been getting hot and became a little more flexible?? maybe I should have gone to the resaw bar at that point but like I said once the blade cooled again all was well.


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## hairy (Sep 23, 2008)

You are using 6 to 8 inch wide boards? Think about starting to resaw on the tablesaw.Raise your blade halfway up, make a cut, flip it over and make another cut, then raise the blade all the way up and repeat. Final cut is on the bandsaw to remove the center section.

Just a thought…


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## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

I too have that saw, I have had better results using the bar. I use a 3/4 3tpi timberwolf blade. However, I have on order a 1/2 woodslicer blade. I think I am a bit hesitant to crank a saw of this size to proper tension for 3/4 blade. Seems like a lit of force. But I am no expert, just my results so far.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

I use a 1/2" Woodslicer with the flat fence on the left of the blade.
Bill


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Well, I just came back in after installing the TimberWolf 3/4in 3TPI blade and have to admit that it cuts much easier and smoothly than the stock 1/2 4TPI that came with the BS. Just one mild point, the weld must be ever so slightly off of perfect because it flexes to the back on every revolution and clunks on the rear roller. The good news is that it does NOT affect the cut at all. I split a couple short ~3-4in 8/4 into ~1in stock for final finishing to 3/4. I DID use the resaw bar this time, since I was wanting to wait and hear from you all regarding using a flat fence only.

I think I will continue using the bar when resawing for thicker pieces and will try the flat fence only for resawing to ~1/4in or so. Headed back out to the shop but wanted to check in here while eating lunch. Thanks.


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

I re-saw a lot on my band saw. 8" boards down to 3/8" or 1/4" thick. I keep the "good" part of the board between the blade and the 6" tall re-saw fence. I find that the 1/2" woodslicer blade is much better for me than the Timberwolf blade was. I re-saw a lot of cedar and some oak and walnut.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Well I just spent another few hours in the shop cutting rough blanks for my Barrister's Bookcase. Got a ways to go, however, it is starting to look like I may have enough spare Ash laying around to complete a 3-high version without having to buy additional lumber. I have continued resawing 8/4 into 4/4 with the bar in place and am pleased that I upgraded from the stock blade. Don't really like the "clunk" of the blade shifting on every revolution, but the boards do look better than my attempt with the stock Rikon blade.

FWIW, I will probably give the 1/2in Woodslicer a shot since the stock 1/2in does seem below par from my own observations. I had always heard this was so, but wanted to "know" for sure. That will probably be next year or so…

Thanks Jim, when I get to cutting the 1/4in stuff I will definitely flat fence it with the good/main board against the fence. Just don't want to cut the 1/4in stuff just yet, until I can readily fit in the frames since we are finally experiencing some humidity here in south Texas. **

I am pleasantly surprised that this project has so many "small" parts compared to my 21st Century Workbench project. It sure makes the jointer, planer, TS, BS all much easier to use… Happy camper here ** for sure…


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## JGM0658 (Aug 16, 2011)

How many/who has resawn thin panels WITHOUT using a resaw bar/pin?

I have, but I have a big band saw and I spent some hours tuning it so that I would get no drift. The reason you cannot get a straight cut is because you have drift and/or the table is not perpendicular to the blade.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

As I changed out from stock to TimberWolf I spent a couple of hours adjusting and then readjusting (maybe four times from top to bottom and back). While I am sure that helped, the better quality blade seems to deservably beg for attention as well. Perpendicular was off by less than a degree and was corrected. Other than the fore and aft serge per revolution, the new blade is cutting fine.

By and large, I am learning just how sensitive the BS is to the smallest adjustments. Much more sensitive than I would have thought previously.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Mike, Have you tried 'stoning' the back side of your blade to help the 'thump'?


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

gfadvm,
Explain…


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## MOJOE (Jun 13, 2009)

Flat fence adjusted for drift and a Timberwolf….....I run a 1/2" 3tpi…..resaws like a dream!!! I think you will waste a lot more material with the bar since you will likely have to run both the 1/4 inch panel and the remaining stock through the planer to flatten the sawn faces.


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## MOJOE (Jun 13, 2009)

By the way, I think "stoning" the blade deal with smoothing out and slightly rounding over the back edge of the blade with a fine stone.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Sorry Mike- Just gently hold a stone (whetstone or whatever) against the back of the blade while the saw is running. Don't push too hard or you will push the blade forward. Feel the rough spot before and after you stone it to determine when you've stoned it sufficiently. I also radius the back corners of my blades slightly using the same method. I glued a whet stone to a piece of wood to keep my fingers farther from the blade (but I'm a chicken!). Let us know how this worked.


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## doordude (Mar 26, 2010)

mike, rockler carries a stone on the stick; to take any burrs off the back edge of a new blade.with blade running, your rounding the three points of the back side of the blade.lay stone on table rubbing blade,as it rotates. you'll get it when you see it. cost is around 8 or 10 dollars


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Thanks guys,
Sounds easy enough to do and makes a lot of sense. I'll give it a go.

A close inspection by hand rotation shows that the area 6-8in before and after the weld (~12-15in in total) moves back/aft by ~1/16th of an inch on every rotation. The weld itself appears smooth enough, but the joint-end angles just do not seem perfectly aligned/perpendicular when observed running. When looking at it stopped, everything looks fine so any error is miniscule, or less than a whisker ;-) Still plan on stoning the blade this morning and seeing if that helps.


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## IrreverentJack (Aug 13, 2010)

Woodgears has a post on stoning bandsaw blades. -Jack


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Well, I stoned the back of the blade with an old Hard Arkansas stone and rounded of the edges. After that I hand-turned the wheel and tried to get a good mental picture of just what was happening.

1. About 6in before the weld, the blade begins to move aft/back about 1/32in and stays there until about 4-5in after the weld. This causes the back lower guide wheel to engage/turn.
2. There are and never were any rough marks/edges/bumps on the blade.
3. The rest of the rotation BS blade rotation is stable and does NOT touch my back wheel on neither upper nor lowers guides. 
4. Since the back lower guide only engages/turns at that one slot, it sounds as if the blade were hitting something when running full speed,... "ching, ching, ching, ching, ching, ...
5. SO, I readjusted the back lower guide wheel to "just miss" the high spot on the blade. This means that during the rest of the rotation the rear lower guide has a gap of probably a full 1/32in or more when NOT actually cutting. Obviously the blade is pushed back against the wheel actually working/cutting stock. But all runs quietly otherwise.

I checked out the link Jack. Thanks. Not sure I am ready to grind the teeth just yet, but do understand what is possible.

In general, do you all think that my current tolerances are about as good as I can expect from the stock guides set from Rikon?


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## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

Sounds like there are quite a few stoners in this thread 

FWIW, I run a 3/4" 3TPI Woodslicer.. I get some drift, but I actually resaw anything <6> cuts.

Anyways, it looks like you found what works for your setup


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Mike, I've resawn without a pin with just a homemade 6" tall fence clamped to the table. I used a Lenox 3/4" 3tpi. I got no drift whatsoever but it was slow going. I think I'm running too low a tension. I'm in the market for a resaw fence right now so what do I know


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## DCarrier (Nov 23, 2011)

I cut veneer all the time on my 18" Rikon with a homemade tall fence. The Rikon fence highlights the China made quality of their machines. I have used both the 1 inch Timberwolf, and 1/2 inch Rikon provided blade. I don't like the Timberwolf but I use it. I have a new higland woodworking blade that I will try soon. I join and plane my board before each cut, use a featherboard on the front and I'm able to hold my tolerances within 1/64.


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

^Don, I don't like the TimberWolf either. I get jumped on all the time here for saying that, so you might be about to get some too, lol. I've had even worse experience with Carters. My choice is Lenox but the Woodslicer is really good too.


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## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

Grrrr! Timberwolf haters!

I've never tried one.. don't know that I will


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Just to give the 'wolves" some respect even though my blade does cycle fore and aft (NOT side-to-side), it does NOT seem to affect the cut I am getting. Retirement means limited income, so I will not be replacing the 3/4in anytime soon, though I understand that there are "better" blades out there. When this one wears out or I need another 1/2in (since the stock one really IS 2nd rate) then I'll try the Woodslicer).

I'll tell ya'll, there is nothing like being a low production retiree. Your equipment NEVER wears out and you NEVER get the opportunity to upgrade worn out equipment! *;-)*


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Mike, I feel your pain about the low production/low income, hee hee. When stuff breaks I have to save up money so I can look on eBay to buy used parts. 
In fact, I'm so poor I had to save up for three months to pay attention…. to my wife.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Uh… I'm still workin' on THAT one… *;-)*


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## BTKS (Nov 30, 2008)

I just got the 3/4 in woodslicer for a 14in Steel City BS. I love the blade! I've used a tall fence clamped to the table, a resaw pin and freehand. Go with what works. I use the pin for one or two cuts and a fence when I need several the same thickness, thus placing the thick board outside or to the right of the blade.
Highland woodworking has a link to "Slicing Wood article" from their site. It is a two page summary of resawing, blade tensioning and technique. They also mail this article with the woodslicer blade. It is a good read and quick get it done article.
Good luck with the resaw. Use what works for you.
BTKS


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## TCCcabinetmaker (Dec 14, 2011)

you can resaw stock on your table saw as well by flipping it end to end, though I do suggest with ash taking a few passes if you do it this way.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

TCCcabinetmaker,
I agree, and have been resawing anything up to ~2 1/4in (8/4 rough cut) on the TS (single pass/cut) but quickly remembered to switch back to my Freud 24T Ripping blade when my 50T combo bogged down. Also believe it or not in Ash, crosscuts look glue line smooth and even a +2in rip looks nearly like a glue line cut. That 24T Freud is amazing IMO.

I have one 10ft'r left of 8/4 Ash that is 9 1/2 wide and does NOT appear to have much/any twist. My only gripe is my Jointer is 8in! However, I have figured out how to joint boards wider than my jointer's cutter head. I remove the guard (yeah I know), make a jointing run, then rotate and make another jointing run, and repeat until really close to flat. THEN, I take the board to my 13in Lunchbox planer and plane the other (rough) side until i is smooth, and finally plane the jointed (smoothed) side. I did this with a shorter piece of 8/4 Ash ~8 3/4in wide and it came out perfect! And I wasted so little that it was still slightly OVER 2in when it was completely planed on both sides! Made me feel like my little 8in jointer had the big 10 inch! *;-)*


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## sawdustsux (Dec 10, 2012)

Laguna ReSaw blade 3tpi,


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## mandatory66 (Jul 26, 2012)

MIke, I have a Jet 14" saw and have good success re-sawing to 1/4" with the fence on the left & using a 1/2" Woodslicer blade. Big improvement with this blade. I adjusted the fence for drift as well. I have 3/4 inch blade but prefer the woodslicer.


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