You’re Resawing Boards the Wrong Way
People seem to hate how I resaw boards when I make my woodworking projects. I cut them in an usual way and it drives people nuts! Why do I resaw lumber in a weird way? Why don’t I do it like 99% of other woodworkers? This video answers these questions and more.
If you don’t know what resawing is, it’s standing a board on edge and cutting down its length. Probably the two most common reasons woodworkers do this is to make matched boards, meaning, cut a board in half and splay it out so the grain mirrors on each side. The other reason is simply making your own thin boards or veneer.
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Unless I’m resawing a really small piece or have a special project need, I’ll almost always use the table saw first to resaw my lumber, not the bandsaw. I place a jig over my table saw fence. This gives me a tall surface area so my workpiece is stable. I set the thickness of my workpieces by measuring from the blade to the fence. A table saw blade is ridged so I don’t have to worry about blade drift. Next, I set the blade height to just under half of the width of the board. I place the board against the fence and clamp a feather board in place so it keeps my workpiece secure and tight to the fence. Then, I make a cut. I push the board all the way through the blade and turn off the saw. After the one side is cut, I flip the board over and cut the other side. In total, it takes literally seconds to cut both sides. Afterwards, I go the bandsaw and quickly buzz the tiny piece left over in the middle. I can resaw a board completely using the table saw, but I find it safer to use the bandsaw to finish up that middle spot.
Here are some pros and cons:
• Speed: Resawing at the bandsaw is slow and I make a lot of curved cuts. That means I’m spending longer resawing boards, and then even longer by changing to thinner blades for cutting curves in boards.
• Accuracy: For me, there’s bound to be blade drift when I resaw on a band saw. The cut isn’t exactly the thickness I want.
• Cleanup: Bandsaw blades do not leave the cleanest cuts and leaves many more saw marks that I have to plane or sand away. The table saw leaves me which a tiny sliver in the middle, which is no big deal.
• Safety: The band saw is much safer for resawing. Again, THE BAND SAW IS MUCH SAFER FOR RESAWING! Use the method most comfortable for you.
• Dust collection: Bandsaw dust collection is awful.
• Material waste: The band saw usually does not waste as much wood. However, I often use a circular saw blade in the table saw, which is thinner. Add in blade drift and clean up work and the waste difference isn’t a huge amount.
YEP! I OWN A LAGUNA RESAW KING BLADE! But from my experience it doesn’t 100% address any of the cons I listed.
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Thanks for assuaging years of guilt about my table saw re-sawing. I’ve hidden the fact from everyone including my wife. I’m through re-sawing late at night and in private and am now proud of my alternative saw style. Bandsaws are for making cute deer and rough-cut-curved and roundly-shaped things. If you want it straight table saws are great! Good video as always.
Start by being blunt with your friends and family. "Hi, I'm a table saw resawer." It's what I did!
Nice "coming out" @garyfairbrother5532! Love your comment. This is my first viewing of Newton's channel and I liked it very much. NEWTON: I especially liked when you talked about blade drift and replied to the multiple of comments which basically state that drift does not happen. There you said "Well, ... It happened to me." Personally, I think that the kind of wood(wood species) and type of cut matters. Lately on the bandsaw (same as yours) I was ripping a freshly felled piece of poplar (riff-cutting, more precisely) and my blade drifted badly. I was sawing a piece about 5" by 8" by 20" on the 5" face and had serious binding of the blade towards the fence. But when I quarter-sawed the same piece of poplar (on the 8" face) there was no drift at all!!! @garyfairbrother5532: Question: Are you really the five thousand five hundred and thirty second garyfairbrother? LOL
Sorry: I meant "flat cutting" not riff-cutting.
After 45 years as a professional woodworker, I couldn’t agree with you more. It’s great to come across a guy who is spot on with everything he says.
Bullshit
Bullshit
You are spot on about brain drift. It's how I recently learned you can't touch the bandsaw blade.
I have ADD so I know my limitations 🤣
Hey, @georgestgoerge5110: Yes, you can touch the blade. The point you are trying to make is that you shouldn't touch it. (Hope you did not hurt yourself too badly.)
With a decent, properly tuned bandsaw, drift shouldn't be a problem.
Right on! I also don't have a band saw, though I would like one. Now I can resaw and use my Japanese pull saw to cut the strip left from the table saw.
An excellent choice
I saw you do this a while back and I started resawing this way and love it. Thank you for the video.
Great Video, Like you, I have been doing this for a very long time. When I first started woodworking, I had a decent table saw with adequate power and a cheap bandsaw which didn't have much power and terrible guide bearings. I like re-sewing material to get grain matching, so by default, I discovered this method. My equipment has improved but my methods have not changed. Thanks for sharing this method with other woodworkers.
Thanks heaps. I used to always resaw on the the table saw but have been battling the bandsaw for several years. You’ve reminded me why I did it on the table saw. I will now go out and save myself several hours of misery in the shop to resaw veneer for a couple of dozen kitchen door and drawer panels.
Thanks so much for taking the time to talk about your craft
after decades of using the tabe saw, fnally purchaced a band saw to resaw and your video is very helpfull - best of both world doing resawing - your way
Great point! I'm going to start using the blended resaw process! Thank you!
You did a really nice job of anticipating and addressing all the arguments against your approach. You convinced me to give table saw re-sawing a try.
Resawing on a tablesaw is a waste of wood. This KZheadr has a lite weight bandsaw. He wants the success of a Bigger better saw. He’s new.
Great informative video. I've been struggling with the drift even with a large resaw blade in my bandsaw. Ill be trying out this method next. Thanks for all the videos
I have a Laguna 14 inch bandsaw that has a foot brake. Absolutely brilliant. I wish there was an equivalent brake on all my machines. It also has exceptional dust collection. I'll take my bandsaw with a king resaw blade over an exposed table saw blade any day. It really doesn't take much effort to thickness away the tiny ridges.
Loved your vid. taking down boards on the jointer and thicknesser is slow and LOUD!!! I take down my 25mm boards on the table saw ( usually down to 18mm ), a quick sand with 80 grit with my orbital sander and all is good. My wife uses the offcut and I am happy with the time saved. regards, Allyn Hansen New Zealand.
I can finally come out of the closet and admit I use the thin kerf blade on my table saw to resaw then to the band saw. Thank you. You have given my life new meaning! :)
I enjoyed your video. In particular, I appreciate that you are simply trying to get a message across - I do these things because I find them to work well for me. I also appreciate that you encourage everyone to find the joy in their hobby. And … I watched the entire video before commenting. ;-)
Great video! I don't have my bandsaw anymore and for the 1st time since geyting rid of it I need to do some resawing. I was planning on using my unisaw with an auxilary fence to resaw the boards and was nervous about the safety aspect. Thanks for putting my mind at ease. I totally plan on leaving ~1/2" in the middle and just using a handsaw to get the rest of the way through. Thanks again.
This is exactly the method i use as well for many of the reasons you mention. At the end of the day, the results are good.
I use your system as well and I tend to use the bandsaw just the same. Your general comments are great and I say sort of the same things to myself daily. I might recommend watching Seths' Stockroom Supply Bandsaw demo. They are in Ontario Canada. I come away impressed by this.
Excellent video. Also, I'm in love with that double feather board!! Just went and ordered one on Amazon.
Great video. Thank you for sharing your views and preferences. I always learn something from you.
Thanks for the video. Pros and cons are useful to determine what methods I would use. If I were doing production work a lot of what you listed would need to be considered. Since I am doing mostly personal projects, I weigh the personal satisfaction of the process. I really like that you encouraged us to use the methods and tools that we find satisfying, especially for someone like me who is into perfection and doing things the "right" way. I'm going to kick back, relax and enjoy myself in the future.
Interesting, Billy. I've seen you use this method many times. I figured this is why, but you just validated it. Bill
I like your method a lot. My big 17” bandsaw is great for rough resawing on logs and really big boards, but for finer work, not so much (for all the reasons you cover here)
I've been resawing with just the band saw for years even though Ive seen this method before. I think I'm going to come back and try it with a table saw for some of the benefits you mentioned. One that I didn't hear you mention is that I sometimes get thicker boards open up or close down if there are any internal stresses. Knowing which way it's going to go before I get to the band saw will help me prepare better either by having a wedge on hand if it's going to close down or biasing my cut if it's going to open it up
New subscriber here. I was convinced that I’d like your channel when I heard you suggest trying something new to reduce frustration doing it the way “you’re supposed to” (I’d often thought to try resawing on the table saw, but figured this was “wrong”); and your desire to distinguish between fact & opinion. I’ve got some resawing to do today & will try your method. Thanks for sharing your method.
I never thought about putting a circular saw blade on my table saw. Food for thought. Thanks for the video.
Thank you so much for that advice, I have a Laguna saw and a Laguna blade and I have tried till I am blue in the face to get no saw drift. I don't know whether it's the blade or what but I have watched so many KZhead videos who all say something slightly different and I think that yours has hit the nail on the head.From now on I will use a thin kerf blade and finish it off with the bandsaw.
I have some resawing to do today. I’m going to try the suggestion of changing tablesaw to a thinner blade before bandsaw. Makes good sense. Thanks
Thanks for the tip. I am about to do some resawing and this should help.
Spot on Video!! Thanks for speaking out.
You got it right! I am retired so I look on my computer and see how other people do certain jobs. I found out that some people handle the facts mighty reckless.I also see that some people have a better idea than I had.
Great video, nice coverage of the pros and cons. I still like to resaw on a bandsaw. I have to so not an issue. Cheers
Amen, agree with your take 110%. Hobby WW but I’ve been doing this 60 years and still have all of my fingers 😅. Much simpler and no blade drift using Table Saw and clean up on band saw and surface planer. GREAT TIP, KEEP UP YOUR GOOD WORK! 😊
Billy great video as always! 👍👍👍👍👍
Great video as always thanks for the great tips
Yeah this makes a lot of sense, I’ll be doing this way for now on, thanks for the video
Great video, Billy. Thanks for sharing it.
Thanks for watching 👊👍
Thanks, I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one that resaws that way.
Great video! I’m convinced to give it a try ! There’s another reason to resaw, and it’s my primary use…not book match, but it’s cousin boxes w grain flowing around all 4 corners.
Absolutely, and I have video on that so I should have mentioned it.
Very good video, awesome technique.
I wondered if anyone else used a thin kerf circle saw blade before going to the bandsaw to finish the cut. Best method that I have found too after 40 years of horseing around with it.
I learned to resaw watching your videos. Works great. Apart from the wide board too big for my baby bandsaw. That was hard work with the pull saw.
Same
Nice vid. I have one heck of a time resawing on a bandsaw.
Thanks for making that video after i added to the many people who asked about it. You definately made many valid points - so ill give it a go next time.
I get why people ask. If enough are asking then I should take time to answer. 👍
Excellent video! I've done it both ways but not owning a bandsaw and having to use friends, I'm switching to your table saw method. I built your fence last night, ordered a Suizan Ryoba saw, and presto change-o, I'm all set.
destroyed a 3/4 piece of walnut trying to get 2 pieces as close to 3/8 as i could - wound up with some skinny 1/4 because i didn't know the proper way to resaw, until now! Thanks for the insight!!!
I resaw at both the cabinet saw and bandsaw. It depends. One thing’s for sure. The book match is better at the bandsaw. A well tuned bandsaw with a 3 to 4 teeth per inch hook blade will leave the surface fairly smooth. Good video.
I feel more comfortable resawing on the bandsaw, hope to upgrade my tablesaw someday. Great video!
Then that's the perfect method! 👊
Excellent video! I would add that by using a Saw Stop table saw, one is much safer cutting on the tabke saw than the bandsaw. Thanks for posting this!
That's the way I learned how to do it. I took woodworking courses at Cerritos College and one of my instructors Tony Fortner taught me that exact method. Use the table saw to get most of the way through then finish on the band saw. It has always worked for me.
I have done it a couple of times on the table saw, using the method you demonstrated, but I just don’t like putting a board on edge and pushing it through the blade. Once past the feather board there’s nothing to push it towards the fence and if (when) tension is released it can get wonky really fast. I have an old underpowered Delta clone bandsaw with a riser block and I use the Woodslicer bandsaw blade for all of my re-saw operations. There’s more than one way to skin a cat and whichever way works best for each individual is the right way.
If you're not cutting all the way through you can put a feather board halfway up the board at the blade. This will hold the board in place and not pinch the kerf. I saw him cutting that small piece on the table saw just holding it with the push stick and thinking "that's really going to hurt when it kicks back and hits him".
This is good. I just picked up a bandsaw and a nice 3 tpi blade specifically to resaw. I'm easily loosing 1/8 by the time I'm done planing anyway because I'm still learning how to get a straight cut with tbe BS, may as well let the tablesaw take that out for me. I bet I actually get a better yield.
Great video. Hope your always lucky to your work 👍👍
8:19 😂 the comic type speech bubbles! There's a whole story you could imply with the lady telling the guy to leave a comment, lol Love it
Excellent tip.
95% consistent with my own experience and it's good to hear some validation. The difference is I use a full-sized thin kerf rip blade (3/32) which is more 'general purpose' than a circular saw blade i.e. doesn't need to be changed out. Also my old bandsaw was kept for use with the curve-cutting smaller blade as that sort of stuff tends to be smaller anyway. My Resaw King (and drift fence) on the Laguna handles smaller/easier resaw tasks OK, but for bigger more exacting projects, the table saw method is definitely preferred, more consistent, and less risk.
Ah of course. Thin kerf rip blade. Not sure why i didnt realize the obvious. Thanks!
I use one of those too. But I recently saw the newest version of my circular saw blade is only 0.054" wide! Wow!
1000% agree. I wish I didn’t sell my table saw. Although I would hardly call my old Shopsmith a table saw:-0 it seemed dangerous, HOWEVER I love this idea of yours!!! I have the Laguna re-saw blade on a 14" Rikon and still get some drift because of the hardwoods I typically use. I need to purchase a table saw and use this technoque. Thanks SO MICH FOR SHARING
OMG thank you. So easy. So fast. Thank you
this is very helpful
Great video. You are one of my favorites.
The last tip is the most important! And so often we forget it in our hobbies
I have tried all the things, I still get drift, and it is frustrating! Thank you for the Circular saw blase on a table saw, GENIUS!! I don't do a lot of would working , but I am always cutting knife scale out of call blanks I get 2-3 times the handle material for the same price as buying book match scale sets. Thank you.
I have the privilege of owning a RIKON 10-340 for resawing, but it too has blade wander even with a 3/4" blade. Most time I do what his guys does and remove the bulk of the material with the table saw and wiz thru with the band saw to remove the rest. But I did learn to use a circular sawblade, although that leaves a bigger bridging piece, to reduce the kerf of the saw blade,
MY exact thoughts . . . thanks.
thanks, good points
Totally agree...it's a bit scratchier on table saw but if your mindful and listen to the machine it's the way to go imo...
Very informative thank you. Might be worth checking maximum rpm of circular saw blade vs max rpm of same blade size on table saw for safety reasons. That said, it's always possible to make a table saw by bolting a circular saw under a table (loads of videos on youtube). Thanks again; you've probably saved me hours of re-finishing (I have over 1000 small pieces to re-saw :)
I have the same bandsaw as you. Maybe the dame tablesaw if you have the 3hp PCS. I have had mixed results with using the bandsaw to resaw, I usually use the tablesaw method myself. So I would agree with you 100% on thos one. 1 also hate changing blades on the bandsaw. I usually keep a 3/16 4tpi skip tooth on mine or a 3/8.
That's what I keep in mine as well.
Great information.
Wanting to be a "Real Woodworker" I went the route of milling air dried wood. More time consuming but lower initial costs. Even went to chainsaw milling. Watched KZheadrs resaw and followed the common consensus. Bandsaw for long resaw cuts, especially when the cut is almost the total hieght of my ability to cut. I've had all of the problems. sometimes drift other times not. The table saw with a thin kerf blade is efficient . Your video is spot on. Murphy Tested and Recommended. Would add that cutting rough sawn lumber to approximate finished sizes improves my efficiency, while Murphy my mentor does not. Thanks for posting this.
Thanks for the video, I really like this idea. For me, it seems like there are less places for me to screw things up doing your way. Lol.
Great video. I am not a huge fan of resawing on the bandsaw, and find it easier and faster on the table saw. I would also argue that having a table saw is more common than a bandsaw. What I personally like to do it at my blade height barely under half of the width of my board. Enough that it still holds together, but also that the sliver holding the two pieces together can simply be broken by gently tilting the sides back and forth. When done like that, clean up is minimal and can even be done with a small plane or a scraper!
Sometimes I get the cut that close that I'm able to break the two pieces apart. From now on, I'll work at doing it on purpose.
A great common sense approach to the task...
I now feel better about using the table saw 2 resaw! 🎄
I agree 100%. I resales like you do mainly because I feel more comfortable doing it that way. GO BLUE!!!!!
As comfortable as Harbaugh in Walmart khakis.
Great video. I also prefer to at least start a re-saw on the table saw, also with a taller fence addition. However, if the board is not too long I'll do at least one low pass on the ends. That makes it so easy to locate the bandsaw blade at the start. It also means the cut is finished before my fingers get near the bandsaw blade.
Your suggestion to make the cuts on the table saw first does work and I have used this method. However, I prefer to just change my band saw blade, set up a guide and resaw as much as needed. If I lost concentration while running a power tool it time to shut it all down and take a break.
Hey I have done it both ways and the taller boards gets a trip down the table saw while my less tall boards may just get the band saw. Gads that broken blade really went wanky on you. Thanks for sharing and I need to get a thin kerf blade for my table saw to reduce wood loss.
Funny, and way true! I noticed the press you made. Are there plans for this? Where did you get the press screws? Thanks, and keep up the good stuff.
Excellent video, and great info. Thank you for sharing a reality check. I have always been in the camp of all the waste…. But using the bandsaw exclusively and cleaning up the cut easily makes up for the reduction. One thing I do want to say, you using your fingers to push through drove me nuts. I have the scar from nine stitches on my fingers from doing just that on a bandsaw, when the saw found a soft spot in the wood, and suddenly sped through the end of the cut. You should use a push stick on the bandsaw too. Again, thank you for great info.
I really like you're approach to re-sawing. Sadly I don't own a planner and I'm not skilled at hand planning. In this case do you have any tips or tricks for making the final separation cut on a band saw? I currently use a 9" lower-end band saw, but it works just fine for most of my projects. I would also need to follow-up with my orbital sander or belt sander depending on how clean a cut I can achieve on the bandsaw. Anyway, thanks for the great content. :)
Hi Did you make the press used in this video or did you make it please?
I like this guy. Lots of good points. I always have problems setting up my bandsaw to for resawing boards. The circular saw blade tip was great. Is that blade thinner than a thin kerf blade?
Good Slstuff fosho!!! Right out of the park!
I prefer to resaaw the same way you do. But I add one safety consideration. (Always thinking about safety as I teach Woodworking in a school.). As I near the end of my cut on the Band Saw, I use a scrap wood block to push the piece the last two or three inches, rather than reach around and pull from the back side of the blade. Every saw Knick on the scrap block is a reminder that they kept their fingers safe.
On this topic. I am considering getting a new band's hall. Cancel debating between getting a Laguna, 14 inch band all or or Spring. A little bit more and getting grizzly 19 inch band saw. They both have about the same Resaw but the 19 inch saw can cut more larger wood Horizontal And has a 3 horsepower motor instead of a 2 and a 1/2 horsepower. It doesn't look like I can get the Laguna blade for it. So I'm looking for the opinion. Does that blade really make that big of a difference
thank you will try this i get crazy drift on practice pieces just one question what blade on table saw should i use for best result? and how thin could i go?
Good video. .same issues. Bandsaw drift is real
I never considered using a circular saw blade on the table saw! I suppose thin-kerf table saw blade would achieve about the same result as well. Interesting stuff.
Great idea about leaving that little band of wood in the middle. Safety first!
Do you feel that there is a blade height limit with TS method? That is, to ensure that the blade stays at 90 degrees and doesn't get warped offline by a hardwood piece, for instance, when it is fully extended?
3:52 those diagnosis and prescription 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Awesome .... Thanks
Blade drift. Yup, I screwed up a box because of that. Thought to be smart and cut the lid on the bandsaw. Tried to save it and put it o the table saw. Got frustrated, threw a hammer through the lid.
I understand your pro/con list mostly, but do you not cut oversized and sand to smooth when resawing on the bandsaw? If I were aiming for a 1/8” board for a project, I do not expect it will be smooth enough for most operations so when sanding you will go under that. Is this not a concern for your projects?
I used to keep a combination blade in my tablesaw, but after I did my first resawing with a brand new Freud rip blade I was so impressed with the smoothness of the cut that I have never put a combo blade back in the saw. I have a compound miter saw and radial arm saw that I use for crosscuts. I do as in the video here and have the table saw do most of the work, finishing off on the bandsaw, then running the pieces through the thickness planer for final surfacing.
I often use a rip blade too
Amazing🙏
I completely agree.
When going to bandsaw to finish the cut are you aiming for the center of theTS kerf?