I need help with band saw resawing.

[Goat]

I have purchased a Rikon 10-325 14" Bandsaw to do some resawing of some black walnut I have for a custom job. I'm getting a little frustrated making the cut perfect. I need to make my just over 2" thick walnut slabs into 2 1" book matched slabs. I'm run some different wood through as test runs and some are good but others not so much. In fact I think I'm actually getting worse at it, haha.

Is there anyone in the New Bern, NC area that's experienced with bandsaws (especially in resawing) that could come over this weekend and help show me what I'm doing wrong.

If so please PM me.

Greg

 

[Stuart Kent]

I start my resaw cuts by finding exact center and cutting as much as I can on the table saw. I use a 2" feather board to assist in keeping the board on edge and then I make several passes, flipping the board over end for end (thereby indexing the cut off the same side of the board). I raise the blade a bit after each flip and judge that amount by what feels comfortable and feel to me - it changes significantly from one species to another. I usually try to leave about 1 1/2" to resaw out on the bandsaw. The resulting resaw cut on the badsaw is very clean, does not wander or 'track' poorly throught the cut, and the whole process feels safe and controlled. It's also a lot easier to follow a table saw kerf cut that a pencil line. I clean up with a quick pass through the planer or drum sander.

 

[Matt Furjanic]

Is your blade sharp? I find the most important thing about resawing is a very sharp, new blade.

 

[Rwe2156]

You didn't say how wide the boards are, but no matter, the ts technique described is the preferred method by many.

I do not use it, tho.

I've found the biggest factors are the following:

Use a resaw blade. I use a Woodslicer.
Sharp blade
Highly tensioned blade.
Guides and rollers adjusted as accurately as possible.
Table 90 to blade
Accurately jointed wood with square edges.
Slow feed rate.
Check grain direction make sure you feed in such a way to keep and blade drift toward fence, not away.

 

[Mike Davis]

If you are using the blade that came on the saw that would explain your problems and why you are getting worse instead of better.

Get a couple Woodslicer blades from Highland Hardware then follow Dr. Bobs advice about set up.

 

[Roy G]

Are you using a rip fence to guide your wood? I have had better luck with using a point fence and guiding the wood past it. The bandsaw blade can wander and needs to be steered by moving the wood slightly.

Roy G

 

[drw]

I have the same bandsaw, and have had reasonably good success with resawing. Typically, I am starting with 2" wide stock with a goal of ending up with smooth, flat 3/4" stock. Irrespective of your saw, blade and technique it would be a significant challenge to start with stock just over 2" and end up with 1" book matched stock. If possible, you may want to consider starting with thicker stock or determine if your plans with work with 3/4" boards.

 

[Ken Massingale]

I have the same bandsaw and resaw often.
Get a 1/2" bimetal blade for resawing from the guys at woodcraftbands.com
Watch this by Alex Snodgrass, especially the section about where to place the blade on the upper wheel.
I use Cool Blocks instead of the side roller bearings.

Good luck, you will enjoy the Rikon.

 

[pcooper]

I found that video very useful!! I've got the same Rikon, and while I have not had issue with resaw or any other cuts, I know it's not set up right. I'll go through the setup like this video shows and see if there's a difference. I'm sure there will be. It seems pretty simple to do if you do it the way shown.

 

[Ken Massingale]

Phillip,
Centering the gullet on the wheel instead of centering the blade on the wheel made the big difference for me, along with using Cool Blocks with the blade buried.

I found that video very useful!! I've got the same Rikon, and while I have not had issue with resaw or any other cuts, I know it's not set up right. I'll go through the setup like this video shows and see if there's a difference. I'm sure there will be. It seems pretty simple to do if you do it the way shown.

 

[Hmerkle]

Phillip,
Centering the gullet on the wheel instead of centering the blade on the wheel made the big difference for me, along with using Cool Blocks with the blade buried.

yes to centering the gullet... but Cool blocks! :icon_thum

 

[Barry W]

I have the same Rikon saw and haven't had the nerve to change the original blade. Mike where would I find Dr. Bob?

Greg, apologies for using your thread.

 

[pcooper]

This morning I spent about an hour with my Rikon bandsaw doing the blade adjustment. I took the table off as suggested in the video elsewhere in this thread, and adjusted exactly as the video described. It was not a difficult thing to do, and after putting the table back on tried a cut. It was PERFECT!! I had not had many issued before, but it was more accurate this time than ever before. Now I have less nervousness in doing blade swaps, I think the change of a blade will be an easy and simple adjustment.

 

[Rwe2156]

You can get a perfectly tuned bandsaw and not follow the video.
I've tried his technique and never seen any diff putting gullets on center of tire.
As long as the blade is tracking true and under enough tension I don't think it matters.

I know a lot of people put a lot of stock in what Mr Snodgrass advocates about this, but anytime somebody make something like this look so cut and dried/black and white, it just raises my skepticism level.

I think he's wrong about bandsaw drift. I think there IS such a thing and every bandsaw I've ever seen has a fence with a wide range of adjustment. I'm on my third model and every single manual talks about adjusting fence to drift. Plus multiple videos plus many well respected teachers demonstrate resawing by first adjusting the fence to the drift angle.

Don't mean to rant.
Perfect guy for a demonstration booth, tho. Just a little too pedantic for me.

 

[Mike Davis]

I have had drift so bad it bowed the blade and made a curved cut in the wood. I mean curved from top to bottom. The top and bottom of the blade were held by the guides while the center of the blade drifted to one side.

I know it can happen. I know that was the problem because I adjusted the angle of the fence and nothing else and the next cut was perfect.

 

[pcooper]

I have had drift so bad it bowed the blade and made a curved cut in the wood. I mean curved from top to bottom. The top and bottom of the blade were held by the guides while the center of the blade drifted to one side.

I know it can happen. I know that was the problem because I adjusted the angle of the fence and nothing else and the next cut was perfect.

I've had the same thing, however I never did figure out what was causing it at the time. I figured it was the wood, or maybe a dull blade, but that was a while back, different bandsaw and a lot less experience working wood.

As for the guy in the video...well, he's a bit over the top... a good salesman for sure.

 

[Charlie]

Adjust the blade parallel to the fence and there won't be any drift, unless the blade is dull or has more set on one side than the other. Disregard where the blade rides on the wheel, as long as the blade is parallel to the fence. The adjustment should be made with no guide bearings/blocks touching the blade.

 

[Matt Furjanic]

Right on Charlie! Note that Charlie said "fence parallel to the blade," not parallel to the edge of the table. The blade will probably not be square on with the table. I have three bandsaws and on none of them does the blade track square with the table. Just ignore the factory set of the fence (which is probably set square with the table). Set the fence parallel to the BLADE! It sometimes looks a little wierd, but it works.

 

[Charlie]

Matt,
I didn't say set the fence parallel to the blade.
I should have said, first, set the fence parallel to the miter slot and then adjust the blade parallel to the fence by changing it's position on the wheel.
Everything should be parallel, perpendicular and/or square to the saw frame and wheels.
Guide bearings/cool blocks are parallel/perpendicular to the saws frame and wheels. If the blade is not correctly positioned on the wheels it will be twisted out of parallel/square before entering a guide and it will be twisted after exiting the guide.
That is why Mike had the situation of the blade cutting crooked in between the guides. As the blade exited the upper guide it wanted to follow the twisted position it was in before entering the guide. As the blade got closer to the lower guide, the guide removed the twist from the blade.
Personally I think blade guides are to help keep the blade in alignment because of the grain changes in some woods.
Just my 2 cents, but I can resaw on my 14" Rikon with no problem with the blade wandering.

 

[BKHam]

I've had some success resawing but definitely interested in getting better so i watched the Snodgrass video. I had a 5/8" wide blade on my Rikon bandsaw right now by chance. the bandsaw has 1" wide tires and the stated manufacturer capacity for blade width is 3/4". If you follow the Snodgrass advice about having the deepest part of the gullet in the center of the tire, then a 5/8" blade would nearly be hanging off the tire on the backside. a 3/4" blade would no doubt be hanging off the back side of the tire with that setup.

am i taking his "center of the tire" instruction too literally or is the real width capacity of a 1" tire only a 1/2"?

Ken M, do you put the gullet in the center? how wide a blade do you use? any chance you can show with a picture?