Resawing Bandsaw Question

MadmaxPlisskin | Posted in General Discussion on June 7, 2020 11:58pm

I’d like to buy 2x material and resaw to 1x material. I know after cutting the 2x and sanding, the two boards will not be 3/4”. How close can I get to 1x thickness? Is milling my own 1x material possible with a bandsaw?

Replies

dlu | Jun 08, 2020 02:47am | #1
With a well tuned bandsaw and a narrow blade like a Woodslicer, you'll loose about 1/32" to the kerf. Figure maybe a total of 1/16" with sanding or planing. This assumes that your technique is good and the saw is cutting true – mostly this means that you've got enough blade tension and are using an appropriate blade (one with big gullets so that the blade is clearing the chips without "overloading" the gullets which can cause the blade to bow which means more wood will have to be removed to flatten the stock).

If you're learning to resaw, I highly recommend Michael Fortune's articles in FWW on setting up and tuning a bandsaw. It really is possible to set up your saw so that there is no drift in your cuts. It's worth the trouble. Also, call Itura Design (they have no website) and request a copy of their catalog, there is a wealth of information there on resawing and bandsaw tuning in general.
lat_axe | Jun 08, 2020 03:31am | #2
Is that the mildest and most subtle spam ever or am I just become oversensitive to the phenomenon? :-)

I ask myself, see, why a poster would post this generalised stuff that anyone can already find by entering "bandsaw" in the FWW search field. Then I notice a point at Ithingies-R-Us.... Why not a point at 29 other suppliers of bandsaw gewgaws?

Not that it matters really. How many people read this forum? Where is Knots, that vibrant WW society of old?

Lataxe
_mj_ | Jun 08, 2020 08:52am | #3
No website and no phone number...I don't think so.

Madmaxplisskin, When you say 1x and 2x I think construction lumber which is likely to require planing of the outer surface also. My guess is 1/2" yield at best. If what you mean is true 2" thick material you should be able to get 3/4" slices (possibly 7/8) if you can get a good centered resaw cut. I second the Woodslicer blade choice.
MadmaxPlisskin | Jun 08, 2020 10:33am | #4
Yes I am referring to construction lumber. I’ve never owned a bandsaw so these may seem like dumb questions and I just joined this website to learn from you guys as I have no mentors. I am considering buying a bandsaw and it would be mostly to resaw at least at first. 1x material is so expensive and I thought in the long run this may payoff.
john_c2 | Jun 08, 2020 11:56am | #5
The other problem is, construction lumber is very wet compared to furniture grade wood. When you resaw construction lumber you have a dry side that went through a kiln, and the wet inner part. You are apt to get a lot of cupping and even twisting after resawing construction lumber.

A lot of inexpensive bandsaws do poorly when resawing. They'll result in the need to thickness plane resawn lumber even more.
MadmaxPlisskin | Jun 08, 2020 05:23pm | #6
So is this not a realistic goal then?
john_c2 | Jun 08, 2020 05:34pm | #7
Construction lumber is 1-1/2 inches thick. With luck, you might get 2 thicknesses of 5/8ths, but it's better to count on 1/2 inch when all is said and done.
gulfstar | Jun 08, 2020 05:38pm | #8
1X lumber is cheaper here than 2X , and that is true in general for hardwoods as well. It would be hard to make it pay for itself considering the extra handling and equipment.
MadmaxPlisskin | Jun 08, 2020 06:16pm | #9
The handling and equipment is what I’m trying to consider right now. White pine 2x6x8 for instance costs me $6.50ish and 1x6x8 pine costs me $9.25ish. I just didn’t know if Resawing that 2x6x8 to 1x material was possible (too difficult) to save $2.75ish if I only get one true 1x. I have practically no experience with a bandsaw so I wasn’t sure if that’s a task I can perform with a proper bandsaw.
john_c2 | Jun 08, 2020 07:50pm | #10
Look for local sawmills. There are a couple around here where I can get clear 1x12 white pine, S4S for $1.50 a foot. It's lower priced than construction lumber at the big box, which is wet and full of knots.

Beginning woodworking can be daunting. Working with crappy materials just makes it harder.
dlu | Jun 08, 2020 08:23pm | #11
A couple of thoughts on this, one is that an 8' 2x6 is (roughly) 8 board feet of lumber, a 1x6 is half as much wood (again, roughly). If you're getting usable wood that is more-or-less equivalent to 1x stock you're looking at a price difference of around $12, that could make resawing a more interesting proposition.

So, the second thought, do you need true 1x lumber? One of the advantages of having a bandsaw is that you can resaw your stock to the actual dimensions that you want. For example, you might take that 2x6 and resaw it into 3/4" inch boards for drawer fronts and 1/2" boards for the sides in a small cabinet. So you might end up with both a lumber savings and the ability to create more nuanced designs.
gulfstar | Jun 08, 2020 08:52pm | #12
That can’t be right. I get 1 X6 , 8 ft. For $2.15 and the 2 inch X 6 for $4.69.
_mj_ | Jun 08, 2020 09:05pm | #13
A major issue for construction lumber is that the measurements do not extend to the edges... "2x4" material has rounded corners resulting in more waste. I would take 3/16 off in both dimentions to get to square.

Also, the finished numbers are shrinking; I bought "5/4x6" material to replace some boards in my deck. The deck was built 25 years ago, and the old boards were (are) 1" x 5.5" actual. The new ones are just shy of 1" , and only 5 3/8" wide. I don't think my ruler has grown.

I try to buy roughsawn lumber by the board foot. You can put a ruler on it and the lumberman has to look you in the eye when he sells it to you.
rob_ss | Jun 09, 2020 05:46am | #14
There are three issues here it seems:

1. Can you resaw?
2. Is it worth resawing the specific material to save money
3. Is the specific material the best option?

Firstly, without a band saw this whole question is moot. If you are looking to save money on early projects then NO NO NO to the re saw. NO... NO...
You will have to spend out on a reasonably decent band saw. Something with at least 1300W of power (about 1.5 to 2 HP) perhaps https://www.amazon.com/RIKON-Power-Tools-10-326-Bandsaw/dp/B01D35Z3PU
If you can't afford this tool or something similar second hand then forget the whole re-saw thing for now.

2. Think about it. You are considering paying at least USD 1000 out for a used band saw, decent blades AND a dust extractor (worthless without one) to save a few $$ on dressed timber. The tool is a lot of fun and well worth it, but to be honest re-sawing lumber to save money is the least useful aspect of the saw. Re-sawing for convenience is another matter, but not to save money. You would be better off buying finished pine boards and spending time in the shop using them.

3. Pallets and construction lumber can be used to make some great projects and depending on your source can be very dry. It is, however a very difficult way to begin with wood. Wood with lots of knots in, that is usually from the least sound parts of the tree or is from rapid grown plantation timber is hard to cut cleanly, warps and twists and does not finish well.
I would recommend you start with buying better quality pine boards. Most big box stores sell this in many different sizes and you can do some really good things with it. As it is already the finished thickness you can focus on other things...

I use a LOT of kiln dried treated 2x4 for garden projects and have even turned some successfully. If, however, something finer is your goal then using the pre-dressed pine is the best starting place as you will learn useful skills. Once you know how to make that into something good, then you are better positioned to make us of the more advanced tools.