I’m making something. I need some thin maple, thin mahogany and thin “white wood.”
The thickness of the wood I need is 3/32″ thick.
Not a quarter inch thick; not an eighth of an inch thick.
It has to be 3/32″ thick.
Further it needs to be 3 1/2″ wide and of various lengths from 4″ to a foot long.
My tablesaw will cut to a depth of 3″.
I don’t know how to fashion a hold-down for the Excalibur fence so that I could pass the timber through the blade at a depth of say 1 3/4″, flip the board over and pass it a second time. I have hold-downs all right enough but they will only accomodate a board 2 3/4″ wide.
After jointing a piece of maple I attempted to resaw it to 3/32″ thickness on my Delta 14″ bandsaw using the only width blade I own, namely, a quarter inch wide blade.
I set up a clamped-on fence after drawing a “lead line” on the table of the bandsaw. I tensioned the blade to a bit more than the 1/4″ mark on the Delta spring tensioning device. The blade did not cut a slice of equal thickness throughout; not quite a barrel cut but not a perpendicular to the table cut, either.
So, what I really would like to do is to buy some 3/32″ thick hardwood offered by someone who can cut the mustard.
Any suggestions re where to buy such thin hardwoods will be appreciated.
Many thanks
William
Replies
I wouldn't recommend sawing it on the table saw. It's not really safe for that kind of cut and when you flip the stock, the adjoining cuts hardly ever match up well, leaving you with some sort of ridge down the middle.
You make no mention in your post of a thickness planer, which would be the ideal method. Most planers have a minimum capacity of 1/8", so some sort of sled or auxiliary bed will be in order to make up that extra 1/32".
As far as 3/32" being commercially available, it seems unlikely. Woodcraft stocks 1/16" and 1/8", but nothing in between. Plus the width is only 3", and the prices are exorbitant.
I slice 4-5" veneers to 1/16" with my table saw all the time from 4/4, 6/4 and 8/4 stock, only I waste more material than I gain, and that hurts $$$. But it's still cheaper than using all solid stock. However, I don't think I could hold down to 3/32 unless I was slicing from very wide stock, like at least 4" wide. The trick is that everything has to be perfectly square. I use a very aggressive angle rip blade, an el cheapo that has been trued up by a real pro blade smith. Cuts with no wobble and no teeth marks on the rip and very little drag of the stock as it goes through the blade. Accuracy is easy with the right blade. I can make four pieces from 1" stock. If you have the right blade, you could probably do it if you don't require too much material, like with a large table top I'd have a hard time getting numerous exactly dimensioned veneers, but for small projects it works well, like cabinet doors panels.
So how did you box yourself in to 3/32"?
Handplane.
Woodcraft sells thin wood but it's expensive and it still may not be exactly the thickness you need.
Your problem with the resaw on your bandsaw may be the tension rods (rollers) are not set right. If they are not adjusted right your blade will wobble, causing the blade to not cut straight. Try that before you go out and buy expensive veneer.
Len (Len's Custom Woodworking)
Edited 7/2/2002 12:38:42 PM ET by LRUTHERFOR1
Thanks everyne. Good suggestions, all.
William
I make something, sometimes twice, each year.
Hi
Try: Northeastrn Scale Lumber Company
99 Cross Street
Methuen, MA 01844
http://www.northeasternscalelumber.com
or
Warner Woods West
P O Box 100
Ivins, UT 84738
(435) 652 4400
Both these companies supply model boat builders and stock foreign and domestic woods.
Good luck.
Hank
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