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I ahve been doing resawing with mixed results and would like some input on the process you guys use. How many cuts do you take before you rejoint the reference face? How thick do you shot for? Can I get two sets out of 4/4 lumber? Thanks Greenman

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I run the cut face through the planer, not the jointer, after each cut.
With a jointer you are likely to get the two faces out of parallel with each other.

With a well set up saw and thin kerf blade, it is possible to get two sets out of a 4/4 board. You won't want to do this however if you're not confident in your setup and technique as you could end up with a lot of headplates.

If you're talking about 4/4 as in 0.75" then you should definitely be getting two sets out of it. If you're talking 4/4 = 1" then it's possible to get three, but it's definitely not trivial!

In normal resawing, on thick boards, I go for five slices per inch and clean up the face with a super-light pass on the jointer between each. If it's Braz then we go for the six, but it is extremely unfun.

Make sure your fence is set up right for your blade, as bad blade tracking can lead to a few big problems: blade binding, tapered cuts, and increased blade drag which makes the blade bow more in the cut. Do whatever you can to make sure the blade is clearing out all the chips it makes, whether that's by lubricating the blade, blowing air down there, going super slow, or whatever works for you! As soon as the drag on the blade changes, the 'shape' of the blade cutting through the wood changes and you start getting waves and wobbles.

All the setup in the world won't do you much good if your saw isn't rigid enough, you're using the wrong blade, or you're using poor feeding technique. I use a Laguna 16HD with either an aluminum blade or the resaw king blades Laguna sells. I only use the RK on Brazilian, as they're absurdly expensive. I can't recommend blades for smaller saws, as all the ones I've used were someone else's. Do whatever you can to make sure the stock stays really cleanly against the fence the whole time you're cutting without endangering your fingers or pushing the cut closed (and binding up the blade!)

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

i dont clean the face unless i have a mis cut but i cut slow and i have quite a large saw (24"),
however i used to clean up when i was using a was using an 18" saw.

as bob says drift is very inprtant if you are using a carbide blade (as you should for resawing) you should be able to see light on both sides of the blade whilst cutting.

the key to resawing on a small saw is to go very very slow and let the blade to the work as you would when using a hand saw.

anything under an 18" saw is going struggle with deep cuts so you will have to really slow to give the blade time to clear the dust and chips from the blade.

especialy with woods like cocobolo that produce fine dust that will stick in the cuts and that will tend to burn whilst your cutting.

if you are getting a fine cut you should be able to get away without cleaning up, however if you are getting steps and a poor cut its very important to clean the cutting face.

try not to stop whilst cutting as this can cause steps which will not only possably ruin one slice it will cuase problems with the next cut,

i have spent a long time trying to get the cleanest sefice i can as it means i can cut thinner and therefor keep my prices down.

a slightly courser blade (3tpi) may be of benifit on a smaller saw as will help clear the dust clear from the kerf.

i use a 4-5 tpi tri master becouse i am looking for the finest cut i can get.
as a general rule though the courser the blade the rougher the cut.
but you you can still get a very good serfice from a 3 tpi carbide blade like the lennox wood slicer.

Joel.

I'm using the 1.3 tpi Lenox Woodmaster CT blade on my 16" Laguna and I love it.
With the 4 or 5 HP Baldor motor I don't have to slow down at all. As Bob said above a good setup and fence that allow to adjust for blade drift is the key. 2 sets from 1" stock is pretty routine.

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[quote="joel Thompson"
but you you can still get a very good serfice from a 3 tpi carbide blade like the lennox wood slicer.

Joel.[/quote]

Sorry that should read 1.3 tpi woodmaster (dyslexia combined with writing to fast again ).

i like it as a blade but i have been getting a smoother cut with the 3-5 or even 5-6 tpi tri master.

i can cut alot faster with wood master but i do sacrafice the smoothness of the cut which means i tend to loose about .2mm with the wood master.

it may well be that my saw is not as accurate bob c,s laguna and of course i have knowhere the experience.
my saw also has 5hp motor and while i can cut fast with a goodish cut i personlay prefer to cut slow at laest while cutting backs.
sides i tend to cut a bit faster.

i think if you are using a smaller saw going slow can result in a better cut and also the woodmaster 1.3 tpi may well be the best bet for 18" machine,


Joel.

like Bob I use the same blade. First off, it is a misconception that more teeth give a smoother cut. The key is the set up of the blade to feed rate and gullet. With a fresh blade it comes off the saw very clean. I use ceramic guides and have a 19 inch grizzly saw.
I have the resaw guide set up and I can tell you that you have to be careful. You can ruin more wood trying to get that extra set. A thin kerf blade is .062 and you can expect another .030 clean up per side. I don't use a planer I use a thickness sander. As you get thinner the wood flaps and you run a high risk or the wood exploding in the planner.
john hall

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

2 sets is pretty normal, 3 sets is tight but a full 1" will yeild them if you are running tight tolerances. It is more risky though. Proper set up, and fence alignment are key. Blades with wider kerfs allow a bit more room to avoid excess material effecting your tracking, tighter tooth offset will be more touchy. If you allow buildup the tracking will be affected. If the gullets clog you lose the ability to remove material. If you run your blade speed too slow relative to your feed rate, again you can't clear the material.

The blades mentioned are pretty good. I like the Woodmaster CT as a reliable workhorse. Trimaster is a nice blade, but can tend to clog with oily woods. Woodslicers, Bladerunners and the like are pretty nice low loss blades, but they can be touchy. Watch the clogging, sharpness, beam strength, and spot on set up is a must.

As long as we're on blades, has anyone here tried the Lennox Aluminum Master for resawing oily woods? I have read that it is a good blade for hardwood.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Hi Howard, I've used the Alumamaster for the past 2.5 years and won't use anything else now. It's a slightly thinner kerf than the Trimaster and with proper weld cuts smooth as butter in any wood I've put it thru including Thuya burl and Amboyna burl. I use a band heavy for about six months before having it sharpened at Hastings Saw.

Keep in mind that carbide tipped bands do not require drift adjustments as they are swaged and excert pressure straight down equally. Set teeth do require drift adjustments.

Were is Hastings saw? I haven't heard of any places that sharpen Carbide saw blades. Thanks Bill the Greenman

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