Realistic expectations for resawing with a 14″ bandsaw
Friends –
I have a small basement shop that doesn’t allow for large tools. My largest tool is a Grizzly G0555 14″ 1 HP bandsaw with the 12″ riser block and the Grizzly resaw fence. At woodworking school we had a huge bandsaw with a 1″ blade that could easily resaw pretty much anything very accurately, and could cut 10-12″ wide slices of 1/8″ veneer with a resaw fence and a little attention. Cut, do a quick pass on the planer and repeat. I’m not expecting my Grizzly to do that, but I’d like to know what type of results I might be able to get with some careful tuning and maybe an upgrade or two.
I just bought a truckload of reclaimed barn wood at auction. There is a lot of 200 year old white oak, cherry, and walnut. Most of it is either 12/4 barn flooring or 8×4″ beams. This stuff is very heavy and breaking it down has been a challenge. I can mill it reasonably flat and square to about 6×4, and would then like to be able to resaw with the Grizzly for maximum yield. Right now I have to start all resawing on my table saw, as the Grizzly won’t work at all with the fence without a ton of drift. If I’m very slow and careful, I can resaw a 6″ beam freehand with decent results, in that I lose a little less than with the table saw, but I wish that I could get a result that would plane flat in a pass or two and not use up so much wood. I really have to steer my material when I’m working freehand. I’ve tried to be careful with my setup, and I’m sure I could be better, but clearly there are built in limitations for that tool.
What is my saw really capable of with the right setup and accessories? Thanks!!
Replies
I have a Delta machine with similar specs except it has 1 1/4 hp. It will cut 8" hardwood fairly easily with moderate speed. With some tuning to get rid of the drift, you should be able to do as well. You may need a better blade. However, I think some added power will help you too. I would go for 1 1/2 hp or more. To add hp to mine, I ganged up two motors of the same speed and rotation. One is 3/4hp the other is 1/2hp. Just make sure your circuit and switch can handle the extra amps. I use a 1/2" skip tooth blade on mine.
I resaw with 14" Grizzly bandsaw with the same riser block. I mostly use a 1/2" resaw blade and I can easily saw 6" without drift. If I put a 3/4" blade in, I can get up to 10", but I do get some drift. It is around 1/8". It did take some work to set up my saw. I went with the Micheal Fortune series of videos that can be found on this site. I have also learned that if I get drift, 9 times out of 10, my blade is dull and switching the blade solves the problem.
Adding horsepower and a riser block to a basic old Delta clone is stretching your luck. That is likely to be the cause of drift when the wood gets thicker. The machine was designed to stay relatively straight with a 6 inches throat and 1 hp at 14 inches moment arm trying to close the gap between the wheels. Adding height and hp is causing more deflexion , the top wheel is brought down and the blade looses tension. It will work if the feed is so slow that there are less forces and thus not requiring a larger motor. In other words, it’s not the hp but the frame that needs beefing up.
After I got my Grizzly G0847 14" bandsaw last year I used it to resaw a ~ 12" mesquite log that had been waiting in my back yard for about 10 years. Very dry and hard. I had to take it slow but with a pretty new good quality blade (I think a wood slicer) I got some nice planks out of it. The blade was pretty dull by the time I was finished! The widest veneer I've cut with it is 1/8" by 6" hard white maple which came out pretty nice and needed a little touch up on the planer before laminating, this with a new 3/4" timber-wolf blade.
Second what Jake mentioned. Get your machine properly tuned up for the resaw.
How to Set Up a Bandsaw
Furniture maker Michael Fortune shows you how to properly set up your bandsaw for flawless cuts, every time.
By Michael Fortune Apr 07, 2011
https://www.finewoodworking.com/project-guides/shop-machines/how-to-set-up-a-bandsaw
+1 more
If you have to "steer" your wood to get a straight cut, it's not set up properly.
Your miter slot fence and blade should all be parallel to one another. Most 14" saws can't properly tension anything over a 1/2" blade no matter what the manual says.
I have found that with careful setup, good results can be obtained on a 14" machine.
I can re-saw up to 200mm/8" fairly easily as long as I have a sharp blade and take my time.
I find that using a tall fence (I added some melamine to the standard fence) and checking blade alignment with the fence make a big difference. I use a 1/2" 3TPI blade for almost everything. Ensure the fence is a perfect 90 deg to the table, and that the blade is the same.
Try sticking a flat piece of steel (I use my combination square blade) to the blade with a couple of magnets. Scooch the fence up to it and ensure the visible gap at both ends is the same when the fence is locked down. This works way faster than trying to use a dial indicator and gets really good results. Pretty much removes all drift from rip cuts against the fence.
It also helps a lot to have a properly jointed face and edge, and if you have the energy to use one, a featherboard is also very helpful, though if you have set it up right, the board won't pull away from the fence.
I completely agree with you on the sharp blade. Last night, in the evening woodcarving class I am taking, we have a new bandsaw that has been tuned up and a brand new carbide blade. The person who pushed my wood through (essentially resawing a 6" wide piece of lumber) followed this advice. I was awestruck at how clean both faces were. She does a lot of veneer work and has her technique down. I am used to seeing washboards at home but this only had the slightest hint of a few ripples and I mean really slight as in a few swipes with a lightly set hand plane and they would be gone. Really makes me appreciate what a sharp blade and a well set up bandsaw can really do.
Use a Wood Slicer blade from Highland Hardware. It is thin kerf and variable pitch so it takes less power and runs smoother. It is well worth the investment.
Lots of good suggestions here. Thanks, everyone!!
Use a band saw guide upgrade kit! It will be huge upgrade for your band saw machine, and the quality of your cuts!
I have a Rikon 14" bandsaw with 1-1/2hp motor. with a 3/4" blade in all the time. I resaw 8-9" boards constantly with no drift. to the set up- very tight tension, I use a magnet on the blade and place a 12" rule on the magnet then align the blade ( rule )to the fence. NO drift- also the blade is running just off center, so the teeth are just to the left of the crown on the top wheel. always have a 3-4 tooth blade for 3/4"-I got this set up from mr. snodgrass( I think this is right) give it a try---good luck
I have never owned a bandsaw larger than 14". There is no question that you can resaw with a 14" bandsaw. I've done it for many years. I would say that the 1 HP motor will make this a slower process. There are, however, some things you should make sure of:
1. A sharp 3 TPI blade that is dedicated to resawing. Unlike others, I'm not in love with one blade or another. It's sharpness is possibly the most important factor. I currently use a Starrett blade and it works well and seems to last longer than others I've used, including the Wood Slicer.
2. Make sure your bandsaw is set up correctly. One great source for bandsaw setup is Alex Snodgrasses videos. I've used his set of steps for the past 10 years and my results improved the first day I set the saw up with his steps.
3. Slow and steady is the best way to resaw, especially with t he 1 HP motor. Patience is necessary. If the wood is forced, there will be consequences lowering the quality of the cut.
I have the same Band Saw and I can resaw no problem with a 1/4" blade I keep on mine. Blade has to many teeth, so it is not ideal but it works. But I don't resaw that much. But it cuts very well and very straight.
You don't need fancy guides either. Factory ones are fine if they are in good shape. I replaced mine with Cool Blocks because I got sick of bearings that constantly needed to replaced. I have replaced the cool blocks with hardwood and it worked just as good. Just didn't last that long. I plan to 'someday' replace the cool blocks with steel blocks.
It is much more about getting it tuned up correctly than throwing parts at it. That saw is more capable than I ever expected.
I don't think it's a problem resawing with blades less than 1/2". I've seen it done and, as long as the setup is correct on the saw, it should work. However, to get the kind of result you want and to get the kind of cut you really want, as straight as possible with no wandering, the blade should have no more that 4 TPI. 3 TPI works best but, 4 can work and sometimes the cut is actually smoother. More TPI than 4, though, will probably cause overheating of the blade and, hence, a possible loss of the set of the teeth.