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I do not make traditional steel string guitars but I am going to cut some wood that would be fitting for Steel String or Classical guitars and I'm wondering what the minimum thickness dimensions for resawing would be. I'll use Borson for the best stuff, Allied for the really nice stuff and I'll cut the rest.

I don't want to get too greedy and make the sets too thin.. I realize this has a lot to do with the quality of the cut… but given a REALLY nice sawn finish what should I be shooting for for backs thicknesses?

Thanks, Peter

If the wood is raw (not milled or sanded) I would say at least 3/16. That should give you plenty of room for thicknessing and maybe a little extra. You can always remove wood, but it is a little hard to add.

I cut mine just under 3/16"... that is with a smooth cut.

Chuck

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there are a few factors involved. The way the saw cuts is the most important one. A thin kerfed Carbide tipped bans saw blade will need less clean up than a standard steel blade. 3/16 should be plenty for the backs that should give you .040 to clean off side marks from the saw. If you don't have a true resaw blade you may want to think to be a touch thicker for the backs.

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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

ok thanks..

If you use Dave Borson you should take advantage of his skill and cut to .090-.095 for the sides and .100-.105 for the backs if it means you can get an extra set. One of the nice things about Dave is that in addition to the nice surface of the cut, the boards come out very flat due to his cooling of the blade while sawing. It isn't inexpensive though, so you have to be able to get an extra set that is worth more than his costs for it to be worthwhile.

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

I have a 16" Makita resaw with a 3 HP induction motor. Blade speed is 4700 FPM. All the resawing I have done has been hand fed.
My targets are 0.170" for the backs and 0.155" for the sides. That is using 3/4" steel veneer-slicing blades that produce a pretty smooth, straight cut. I think it is a pretty decent setup, but not quite in the league of Dave Borson's.
If I am reselling the wood, I tend to err on the thick side, especially if there is nothing gained but peghead veneers and binding.
I generally keep the wood that comes out on the thin side, just to avoid any complaints.
I have built several guitars with saw marks showing on the inside. Doesn't hurt a thing.

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John

Different saw but I cut at about the same dimensions. I use Lenox CT Woodmaster blades.

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