resawing without a bandsaw?

[Beechwood Chip]

I need fourteen strips of wood 1/8" thick by 3" wide by one to three feet long. The species doesn't matter; poplar would be fine. I have a table-saw, a jointer and a planer, but no band-saw.

My first thought was to buy project wood that was already 1/8" thick S2S. That's my fall back plan.

My next thought was to take a 6' poplar 1x6 (3/4" thick), rip it into 2 3" wide pieces, cut to the lengths I need, and then crank the table saw blade 3" high, install a tall featherboard, and use Charles Neil's

to resaw it into 1/8" thick strips. But then I watched the video again, and at the end he warns not to try this when the stock gets really thin. I think ripping a 3/4" x 3" board might qualify into three 1/8" strips might qualify as "really thin".

But if the board is sandwiched vertically between the fence and a 3" tall featherboard (before the blade), and I'm pushing with a push-stick, it seems like it should be OK.

So, I'm asking wiser and more experienced woodworkers for advice before I try it. Pick one:

• Just buy the 1/8" pre-milled wood
• Cut it on the table saw, just stay out of the line of fire
• Use the jointer to plane the 3/4" poplar down to 1/8" , creating 1.5 board feet of sawdust
• Some other idea I haven't thought of

[bywc]

If i didnt have a bandsaw I would cut it in as straight as possible with a jigsaw then plane it down to the size I needed.

[JoeyBourgoin]

I would most likely buy pre-milled pieces. I have a band saw and if it is something that you don't need to keep the grain pattern to keep the visual I would just get the pre-milled to speed up the process and save on the blade.The length of three feet long would be a lot of re sawing and time sanding/planning all the milling marks off a lot of thin pieces of wood. Just my thought and 1 cent.

[Beechwood Chip]

Paul, can you plane wood that's 1/8" thick? I assumed that the planer would chew it up, and I'd need a drum sander (which I don't have).

That's an interesting idea about the jig saw - I could set up guide rails on both sides and use a 4" blade.

Joey, I hear you. I think that's the smart plan, especially since the customer is buying the wood. But "smart" and "fun" and "skill-building" and "adventurous" are all different things.

Thanks!

[bywc]

Yeah 1/8 is possible and if your model doesn't allow it just put it on a another board using good double stick tape and send it threw same way you would with pieces that aren't long enough I have heard of people going as low as 1/16 by using this method.

If it is Highly figured wood tho I would be careful as it will probably explode and if it doesn't trying to remove it from the carpet tape it will probably snap anyway but regular types of grain is fine just don't be sparing with the carpet tape and normally I attach it to MDF but I would assume plywood would work also.

Either way tho man safety gear and stand clear because you never know how its going to act, Ive done it probably over a hundred times making stock to scroll saw with and never had an issue except one time when it jammed so I just pulled the plug I didn't risk going close enough to hit the switch in case it did blow.

[russjohnson]

You could try and do it by hand with a handsaw or using a frame saw like this hhttp://hyperkitten.com/woodworking/frame_saw.php3

If your willing to get your Neanderthal on.

[Beechwood Chip]

There's a reason I posted in Normite City. For this one, I want to go all power tool.

I've sent the prices to the client. If he balks, then I'll go the DIY route with the jig-saw, jointer, and planer.

Thanks!

[nateswoodworks]

When I was first getting started in woodworking I had bone it on the TS several times before I had bought a bandsaw. I had done it a few times with just a featherboard and pushstick but to be honest it scared me. What I did was take a 2x4 and notch it out for the stock I needed to cut, in your case about 3'. Some carpet tape holds your stock into the notch and then just run it through the ts, I would raise your blade just ever halfway and flip it over and run it again, move your fence over and repeat. It worked good for me, just a thought.

[Beechwood Chip]

Nate, that's a great idea! I shoulda thought of it myself. If the stock is too thin, just make it thicker!

Thanks!

[nateswoodworks]

Nate, that's a great idea! I shoulda thought of it myself. If the stock is too thin, just make it thicker!

Thanks!

Not only that but it keeps your hands far away from the blade the whole time.

Nate

[flairwoodworks]

I use my tablesaw all the time for this. I've done some really thin stuff, making it even thinner. I've recently resawn some thin veneers.

Make sure you use a zero-clearance insert. I ripping blade (few teeth) is important, as well as a powerful-enough saw. You will probably have to take a couple passes, increasing the depth each time. A featherboard is nice, though I don't always use one.

PS: I'll be buying a new bandsaw soon specifically for resawing, so my tablesaw may have seen it's last resaw cut.

[Beechwood Chip]

Thanks - that's good advice!

[Bobby Slack]

I was not able to label each part. I have:

Part 1- represents the 2x4 with a notch.

Part 2 - represents the piece we want to resaw ... has a straight line in the middle which represents the saw cut.

Part 3 - Represents the saw blade projecting.

Part 4 - Represents the saw fence.

I hope this clarifies the issue.

Please let me know if I got this right.

Ripping with a table saw.skp

[Beechwood Chip]

Ahh, I was thinking of using the additional wood between the piece and the fence, so the thin piece would be free to fall away from the blade. You're suggesting putting the additionall wood outside of the blade, sort or like a big push-block. I'll need to think about that. It's nice that you don't need to re-adjust the fence.

How do you get the thin piece out from between the blade and the fence? A really thin push-stick?

Thanks!

[iSawitFirst]

I don't like ripping thin pieces between the fence and the blade, although I do have an 1/8" wide push stick.

Another tip is to run the cut side of the (thick) board through the planer each time you rip a piece of veneer. That way you always have one smooth, flat surface you don't have to sand and can maintain constant thicknesses easier.

[Bobby Slack]

Funny how things go. Your post was very good for me because I am doing more resawing on the tablesaw.

The method that I am using a couple of featherboards and no push stick because I flip the board ... flip ... flip so I never go over the middle of the board and there is a lot of room for my fingers. I was afraid of applying too much pressure on the featherboards because did not want to bend the wood.

So the next thing you post this and I did not want to appear as a crazy guy.

What I like of using this method is that, as you say, I never move the tablesaw fence and all pieces end up being the same size.

So far all I am doing is resawing. I needed two pieces of 1/2" so I bought 5/4 material and split it in half, cleaned up the saw marks on my planer and finished business.

Sounds like this could be a good way of using material in an efficient way. My concern is twist and warping.

The old way I accomplished this was by sizing my material on the thickness planer and ended up with a lot of saw dust.

Ahh, I was thinking of using the additional wood between the piece and the fence, so the thin piece would be free to fall away from the blade. You're suggesting putting the additionall wood outside of the blade, sort or like a big push-block. I'll need to think about that. It's nice that you don't need to re-adjust the fence.

How do you get the thin piece out from between the blade and the fence? A really thin push-stick?

Thanks!

[Beechwood Chip]

I was afraid of applying too much pressure on the featherboards because did not want to bend the wood.

Don't put a featherboard where it will push the wood into the blade, or where it will push the kerf closed (after the blade). Only use featherboards before the blade, where the are pushing the uncut wood against the fence and there's no danger of bending the wood.

If you push the wood sideways into the blade with a featherboard or anything else, you are likely to get kickback. You always want at least one part of the wood to be free to fall away from the blade.

[Bobby Slack]

The way I was cutting my boards was by creeping in and slowly raising the tablesaw blade, that is why when the featherboard pushed the board against the fence, it kind of bent the wood. So I did not use them.

By using the kind of taller featherboard with the notch as described on my drawing, I will be able to have better support overall.

Now ... I creep into the cut from both sides, since I flip the board over and over ... I leave the last 1/6" and finish it off with a jig saw, or if I leave a 32nd of an inch, I just cut it off with a chisel and knock it off.

The piece is never free to fly back.

For now, the only reason I would have a bandsaw would be to resaw wood. Two things come to mind. Money and space. If I am able to do this process safe and clean on my TS is one less machine to invest on ... and more handtools.

Don't put a featherboard where it will push the wood into the blade, or where it will push the kerf closed (after the blade). Only use featherboards before the blade, where the are pushing the uncut wood against the fence and there's no danger of bending the wood.

If you push the wood sideways into the blade with a featherboard or anything else, you are likely to get kickback. You always want at least one part of the wood to be free to fall away from the blade.

[Beechwood Chip]

Just goes to show that in woodworking there are few hard and fast rules. We always need to look at the particular situation and apply common sense, experience, and what we learn from others.

[Bombarde16]

You can certainly do 3" veneers on the table saw. Safest is to make two cuts almost halfway through from each side, then come back with a hand saw to separate the little spine left in the middle. Plane the remainder's face clean and you're back in business. I've cut laminates as wide as 6" with this technique and (knock on wood) haven't had any incidents or ruined pieces.

[Bobby Slack]

Rob. What style of saw do you suggest to use to cut the spline in the middle?

You can certainly do 3" veneers on the table saw. Safest is to make two cuts almost halfway through from each side, then come back with a hand saw to separate the little spine left in the middle. Plane the remainder's face clean and you're back in business. I've cut laminates as wide as 6" with this technique and (knock on wood) haven't had any incidents or ruined pieces.

[Bombarde16]

Rob. What style of saw do you suggest to use to cut the spline in the middle?

One of the cheap, two-sided pull saws from the borg works fine. If you have a panel saw that's filed for ripping, use that. On larger pieces and harder woods - or when I'm just lazy - I've even used a reciprocating saw: Fast, but it tends to make more of a mess to clean up.

[Bobby Slack]

Thanks. This is a new way of doing things for me where the color matching will be a lot better with this.

One of the cheap, two-sided pull saws from the borg works fine. If you have a panel saw that's filed for ripping, use that. On larger pieces and harder woods - or when I'm just lazy - I've even used a reciprocating saw: Fast, but it tends to make more of a mess to clean up.

[Chester]

When I was first getting started in woodworking I had bone it on the TS several times before I had bought a bandsaw. I had done it a few times with just a featherboard and pushstick but to be honest it scared me. What I did was take a 2x4 and notch it out for the stock I needed to cut, in your case about 3'. Some carpet tape holds your stock into the notch and then just run it through the ts, I would raise your blade just ever halfway and flip it over and run it again, move your fence over and repeat. It worked good for me, just a thought.

Nate -

Why am I having trouble understanding your 2x4 method???

[Bobby Slack]

I felt like a idiot so I posted a drawing on sketchup to see if everybody agreed with me.

Nate -

Why am I having trouble understanding your 2x4 method???