Resaw and plane? Or just resaw?

[Joe W.]

I would like to try cutting some 1/4" and 1/2" hardwoods and not having any luck in the local area.  

I know I could order wood and have it shipped from a variety of suppliers - but -
I am researching to see if
1) it would be worth it to get a band saw and resaw the piece into pieces, and 
2) if planning the wood after resawing is necessary.
I have zero experience with either, so thought I'd start here tap into the long-timer pool of experience.  

[Dan]

What? Buy more tools? HELL YEAH! It's very satisfying to turn a thick board into a thin board even if you have to spend $800 to do it. And don't stop there, get a drum sander and make your own store-quality boards. 

[kmmcrafts]

Before I had a bandsaw I just planed the boards to the thickness.. but what a waste of good lumber by turning it into sawdust chips.. LOL.. The bandsaw is a very nice addition to any shop that uses a variety of woods and thickness.. But, in my experience... I have to run my resawn lumber through the planer to smooth out the saw marks left behind by my bandsaw.. I'm no expert on bandsaws and set up of them.. Have read where guys can produce close to usable boards straight from the bandsaw and to a sander to smooth it.. but not me.. Well honestly I suppose I could sand it but it's so much quicker to fire the planer up and make a pass or two..  

[Tom-in-Ashland]

If you plan on resawing something more than a 6" wide board you will need at least a 14" band saw and 16" would be better. Also strongly suggest you consider a Laguna ReSaw King blade - They are expensive ( start at $150) but well worth it.  IF your saw has only a very small amount of drift while resawing a drum sander will serve you well but if  the drift is significant a thickness planer may be a better option. 

[OCtoolguy]

1 hour ago, Joe W. said:

I would like to try cutting some 1/4" and 1/2" hardwoods and not having any luck in the local area.  

I know I could order wood and have it shipped from a variety of suppliers - but -
I am researching to see if
1) it would be worth it to get a band saw and resaw the piece into pieces, and 
2) if planning the wood after resawing is necessary.
I have zero experience with either, so thought I'd start here tap into the long-timer pool of experience.  

Following

[OCtoolguy]

I have a Delta 14" bandsaw but I need a good resaw blade. Not gonna spend $150 for one. I'm going to try a Timberwolf 1/2" 3 tpi and hope for the best. I also have a Delta 12" planer that is like new. A friend gave me a log if black walnut that is 4 ft. long by about 8" in diameter with the bark on it. I'm anxious to give resawing a try. Not sure if I need to de-bark it first or not. This topic comes at just the right time.

[kmmcrafts]

3 minutes ago, OCtoolguy said:

I have a Delta 14" bandsaw but I need a good resaw blade. Not gonna spend $150 for one. I'm going to try a Timberwolf 1/2" 3 tpi and hope for the best. I also have a Delta 12" planer that is like new. A friend gave me a log if black walnut that is 4 ft. long by about 8" in diameter with the bark on it. I'm anxious to give resawing a try. Not sure if I need to de-bark it first or not. This topic comes at just the right time.

Timberwolf blade will serve you well, I ran those for resawing up until last year I finally bought a woodslicer blade and that one has really lasted quite a while, I think probably longer than the Timberwolf for sure.. But it is a little more money. Always wanted to try one of those high priced carbide or was it diamond blades.. anyway.. like you.. I have a hard time spending $100+ for a blade.. I suppose if it lasted for 5-10 years it'd be worth it, LOL

[dgman]

And now for something completely different. I resaw with my table saw. I use a thin kerf ripping blade in my table saw. Even though my Delta Unisaw is three horse power, I resaw the board in 1/2” increments. The widest I can resaw is 6”, flipping the board each pass. If I need wider boards, I’ll glue and clamp to make wider. Using feather boards to keep the board against the fence, it’s easy to do.  I resaw a little thicker than I need, then plane to thickness.
My band saw is a POS. That’s why I use my table saw.

[OCtoolguy]

1 hour ago, dgman said:

And now for something completely different. I resaw with my table saw. I use a thin kerf ripping blade in my table saw. Even though my Delta Unisaw is three horse power, I resaw the board in 1/2” increments. The widest I can resaw is 6”, flipping the board each pass. If I need wider boards, I’ll glue and clamp to make wider. Using feather boards to keep the board against the fence, it’s easy to do.  I resaw a little thicker than I need, then plane to thickness.
My band saw is a POS. That’s why I use my table saw.

I had a saw like that before we went out on the road. Great saw. Now all I have is a Dewalt jobsite saw that I have tuned the best I can. I have a Diable thin kerf combination blade. I might try it with 4" or so boards but nothing more. I'll try the bandsaw/planer and see how it works. I did it once on my prior Delta bandsaw but it was a U.S. made saw. Another tool from my past life. 

[Jim Finn]

I resaw all my wood on my 14" Grizzly band saw with a Supercuts carbide infused blade, 1/2", and it works well for less than $40.  Does not last forever but lasts a LOT longer than a Woodslicer.  I resaw 6" wood mostly cedar and some maple, walnut, and oak.  I plane it after resawing. A sharp blade is a must for resawing well.

[TAIrving]

Following - I am also interested in resawing as I have a source for mesquite end pieces from a local furniture maker but it is too thick for scrolling.  

I bought a 10" bandsaw off Craigslist for a bargain price but am not able to get any consistency in resawing, and only 3" width at that.  Am now looking for a resawing solution.  

I am willing to make someone a really good deal on a used 10" bandsaw, shipping not included.  

[Sycamore67]

I have a 16" Bandsaw set up for resaw, two planets and a drum sander.  Dressing is not as easy or cheap as it sounds.  It has a learning curve making some scrap boards.  It will take some experience to get it right.  These things also make a lot of dust so some dust collection is needed.

And, it is not cheap when you look at the cost of tools especially today.  You can buy a mountain of wood from Ocooch Hardwood for the cost of the tools.

The question becomes do you want to spend a lot of time and money to resaw or buy the wood and spend the time on scrolling????

I use my resawing tools mainly for processing wood I get from a saw mill to make furniture.  

Lastly, I also have a 10" Rikon bandsaw that I love and keep a 3/16" blade on it.

[kmmcrafts]

2 hours ago, Sycamore67 said:

I have a 16" Bandsaw set up for resaw, two planets and a drum sander.  Dressing is not as easy or cheap as it sounds.  It has a learning curve making some scrap boards.  It will take some experience to get it right.  These things also make a lot of dust so some dust collection is needed.

And, it is not cheap when you look at the cost of tools especially today.  You can buy a mountain of wood from Ocooch Hardwood for the cost of the tools.

The question becomes do you want to spend a lot of time and money to resaw or buy the wood and spend the time on scrolling????

I use my resawing tools mainly for processing wood I get from a saw mill to make furniture.  

Lastly, I also have a 10" Rikon bandsaw that I love and keep a 3/16" blade on it.

I can totally relate, I specifically bough my bandsaw to do resawing.. BUT.. the time, blades, and plainer knives all add up and I personally am busy enough that it's not really worth my time and expense to do resawing.. I do it in a pinch and it is nice to be able to do that in a pinch.. but it's so much more convenient to just buy the wood I need.. Maybe a hobbyist can benefit IF they was getting free cutoffs from a mill or something but for me the time alone spent devalues the lumber greatly.. and I much rather be scrolling than resawing and all that mess..

[Dave Monk]

It all depends on the amount and type of work you do and if you can afford it. Another factor is if you have the space.  If I wouldn't have had the equipment I have my lumber bill would have been more than double this past year. 

[OCtoolguy]

In my case, it's more of something I just want to try. Since I have the equipment, and somebody gave me the log, I thought it might be fun to learn something new. I realize that there is more to it than just running wood through a piece of equipment. That's why I'm here reading all this info. I might do it once and think it's just not worth it. Or I might enjoy it and want to try it again. Who knows? For me, it's just the chance to learn something new that I've never done before. I did have a Chinese cheapo 14" bandsaw years ago and ran a 2 x 4 through it to see if I could make a 1/16 " board out of it and it worked pretty well. So, It's just something I want to try. Getting the log into a cuttable piece first will be the challenge. Should I debark it or make a sled and just run it through to get it flat on 2 sides? This is something that I will have to decide after more reading. Keep the great info coming.

 

[Dave Monk]

6 hours ago, OCtoolguy said:

In my case, it's more of something I just want to try. Since I have the equipment, and somebody gave me the log, I thought it might be fun to learn something new. I realize that there is more to it than just running wood through a piece of equipment. That's why I'm here reading all this info. I might do it once and think it's just not worth it. Or I might enjoy it and want to try it again. Who knows? For me, it's just the chance to learn something new that I've never done before. I did have a Chinese cheapo 14" bandsaw years ago and ran a 2 x 4 through it to see if I could make a 1/16 " board out of it and it worked pretty well. So, It's just something I want to try. Getting the log into a cuttable piece first will be the challenge. Should I debark it or make a sled and just run it through to get it flat on 2 sides? This is something that I will have to decide after more reading. Keep the great info coming.

 

Some people want live edge.......if that is the case leave the bark on.  What will you do as far as drying it?  Hope Joe doesn't mind that we have gotten side tracked.

[OCtoolguy]

1 hour ago, Dave Monk said:

Some people want live edge.......if that is the case leave the bark on.  What will you do as far as drying it?  Hope Joe doesn't mind that we have gotten side tracked.

There won't be a huge amount of wood so I'm going to sticker it up on a high shelf in my shop.

[tomsteve]

this is the dome clock i built a few years ago. all lumber started as 3/4" thick stock. 

i saved a boatload of $$$ by resawing( done on my table saw) and planing to 1/4" thick stock.

 

planing after resawing= consistency in thickness.

[OCtoolguy]

47 minutes ago, tomsteve said:

this is the dome clock i built a few years ago. all lumber started as 3/4" thick stock. 

i saved a boatload of $$$ by resawing( done on my table saw) and planing to 1/4" thick stock.

 

planing after resawing= consistency in thickness.

Awesome project! You did good! 

Edited December 2, 2021 by OCtoolguy

[Bill WIlson]

If you have a decent source locally for rough sawn lumber, you may be able to cost justify a bandsaw and planer, but you will need to resaw a lot of wood.  

That said, I do it.  The bandsaw and planer are good tools that serve other purposes in my shop, besides making thin stock, so it wasn't a hard decision for me.  I will say that to get usable stock from a bandsaw without running it through a drum sander or a planer requires a pretty decent bandsaw (and blade), with adequate power and capacity.  As important, (maybe more so) is that the saw needs to be tuned very well in order to produce veneer quality results.  This is all achievable, but know what you are getting yourself into in advance, so that you have reasonable expectations and don't abandon the idea out of frustration.

It really comes down to the convenience factor, even more so than economics.  As I said, if you have a decent source for affordable rough sawn lumber it's probably more viable economically, but ultimately, having the ability to whip up stock of any thickness I need, when I need it, is a real bonus.  I'm fortunate to have several hundred board feet of hardwood at my disposal though, so that colors my perspective, to some degree. 

 

[kmmcrafts]

I'm fortunate to have a "Good" lumber supplier not too far from me and that I spend enough with them every year than I get discounts on their already fairly low prices.. IF I wanted and was more of a hobby I could get all the free lumber, cutoffs, and scraps from my brothers mill that is just 6 miles up the road.. or the mill that is right across the street from me that my uncle owns.. LOL.. The issue here with the lumber from the mills for free is.. I have to be there and pull the pieces from the conveyer belt before it goes into the chipper.. the other issue is.. it needs to be dried.. then after it is dried.. I need to mill it plane it etc. etc. so at the end of the day how free is that lumber to spend a day for a truckload of odd and end pieces that need to come home and sticker.. then mill / plane it etc... Not very cheap in my opinion.. I live on a gravel road.. while there isn't much traffic etc.. and they put dust control on the road but that stickered lumber somehow gets covered in dust after setting out there for 1 - 1.5 years.. chews up the blades and knives of the planer pretty bad especially in rough cut lumber as the dirt and grit sticks right to it..... Anyway.. at the end of the day.. I've been there done that trying to save money on free wood... In my case it's much cheaper to buy it.. Now.. I do NOT buy thin stock.. but the lumber I do buy is 7/8 - 1"  planed already.. Since I mostly cut 1/2 - 3/4" stock.. I have no real need to resaw a lot.. If I'm cutting 1/2 I do mill it down.. but being a smooth board to start with it's quite easy to brush any dirt / dust etc. off.. Most everything I cut is 1/2 + thick for hardwoods.. My ornaments are 1/8 ply so I don't need to mill all that wood for ornaments. 

I could see one that has to mail order their lumber might be able to save by milling their own wood.. especially if they primarily use thin stock.. It's nice to have the equipment to do it, BUT.. the equipment is expensive and a large floor space to take up in the shop too.. Hobbyist probably don't use enough lumber to pay for the expense.. and a business doesn't have the time to waste picking scraps from the mill and sticker it, mill it plane it etc. etc. Comes a point where all that time could have made a large amount of finish products.  

[Millwab]

Another consideration for resawing is if you have a need for book matched pieces. If you have some wood with interesting grain patterns book matching can give you some very interesting box tops, etc. 

[Joe W.]

On 12/1/2021 at 9:17 PM, Dave Monk said:

Hope Joe doesn't mind that we have gotten side tracked.

No, no.  This is all great info and thanks to all for the feedback.  
The take-a-way for me is realizing there is a "break-even" point that is both partially objective and partially subjective. 

On the Objective side is comparing the actual cost of finished/cut wood purchased vs. buying rough wood and finishing it myself with the money spent purchasing the equipment. 

Then on the subjective side is looking at the time involved in converting the rough wood to finished (and the learning curve that goes with it) compared to doing something else (scroll sawing).

Having read the comments, I'm leaning toward buying the finished wood instead of making my own.  Some of what is influencing my thinking is also the fact I don't have a lot of space in the garage now as it is. 
And I just remembered Dover AFB has a wood hobby shop (I'm retired AF), so I'll visit them and see about using their equipment. 
Shop hourly rate is something like $3 an hour as I recall.     

[rash_powder]

On 11/30/2021 at 9:17 PM, OCtoolguy said:

I have a Delta 14" bandsaw but I need a good resaw blade. Not gonna spend $150 for one. I'm going to try a Timberwolf 1/2" 3 tpi and hope for the best. I also have a Delta 12" planer that is like new. A friend gave me a log if black walnut that is 4 ft. long by about 8" in diameter with the bark on it. I'm anxious to give resawing a try. Not sure if I need to de-bark it first or not. This topic comes at just the right time.

I would try to remove as much bark as possible due to all the dirt and grit that accumulates in bark - I would think that will wear the blade faster.  That being said I have dabbled in attempting to make my own boards and cut through the bark.  Cheap Olson blades were used though.  

[kmmcrafts]

6 hours ago, rash_powder said:

I would try to remove as much bark as possible due to all the dirt and grit that accumulates in bark - I would think that will wear the blade faster.  That being said I have dabbled in attempting to make my own boards and cut through the bark.  Cheap Olson blades were used though.  

I agree, my brother uses a debarking machine to strip the bark from logs before he loaded the conveyer.. dirt and grit play heck on a blade.. BUT.. If you want the bark on the edge of the boards then have at it.. if not I would try to strip it off.