Resawing / veneer making

There are probably umpteen books, videos and websites out there on this topic ... I know I've seen a few that seemed to touch on it (but only just enough to sell something).

Can anyone recommend a good web-site or book with a step-by-step (cookbook) walk-through of resawing logs into lumber and lumber into veneer?

I have a 1 hp 14" Chiwanese bandsaw with aftermarket riser and a Timber Wolf 3/4" x 3 tooth blade. I've been having a lot of fun maiking thin pieces of poplar and QS Oak out of thick ones today.

I need to cut slippery elm bowl slabs into platter slabs (in a 2 for 1 exchange since I now need more final pieces than previously contemplated) and figured tamarind heartwood (harder than calculus!) into veneer for my son, the budding luthier. Hey ... the stuff is pink, curly, and hard to pull nails out of. Accoring to Randy at Woodcraft, it has a specific gravity of .9. According to my hammer, it has a Vulcan death grip on ringed nails.

I'll probably need some way to hold the bowl slabs upright without sacrificing too much flesh.

I'm in no immediate hurry, so 'shop=built' accesories / tools are just fine. Will I need a fancy-pants bandsaw table or will the stock contraption suffice if I just pay attention to what I am doing?

It seems like anthing I want to do in the shop requires me to do two other things and learn three new tricks before I can even get back to draining the swamp. This might make a good topic for one of Macs Musings. IE: "Ya can't get there from here."

Bill

Reply to
W Canaday
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hello,

are you using a HF el cheapo bandsaw with a raiser like me (at least, I know that you are using the same blade:-)

if this is the case, all data following comes from the: "been there, done that" department...

Depending on the side of your logs, you use various techniques (assuming of course that your TS is setup properly, your table is 1.57079 rad to the blade (90° for you non mathematicians:-) and that your table is SECURLY held at that angle (will no move overtime as you slam your large log on it)

for larger logs, heavier, harder to play with: you need a basic but long fence (I use a peice of extruded aluminum rail around 5 foot long, but you might be able to get by with a 4*4 planned down to be flat and slick) that you clamp at 1" from the blade (or so) normally, you just need to do that // to the blade as you get more or less no drift on a 3/4" blade, but dbl check first. then, setup rollers back and front of your TS, and BOLT the log to a planned

2*6 or 2*8 or bigger, if possible on the straightest side of the log, potentially using a power hand plane to get it flatter. once it is securly in place, use the wedges and put them at the angle between your log and the 2*x to ensure better stability. you MUST have the bolts/screws secure, and sunked in the 2*. Step one, use that setup, cut 1" or so from the log by sliding the 2*x (setup flat on the table) next to the fence. this will give you a 90° between the side of the 2* and the middle of the log

then, pivot the whole thing 90° and slide the 2*x on the fence repetidely, moving the fence 1" at a time to make your boards (at the end, you might need to create a new flat slider on the log by doing another cut at 90°.

for small logs and veneer, creating a sliding sled is the best in my opinion, Rockler has one, but I made mine from aluminum at the local machine shop. I imagine that you can make one out of hardwood, but it will not be as easy.

regards, cyrille

Reply to
Cyrille de Brébisson

There is a lot of good information concerning resawing and working with veneers at

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Look at the links.

Reply to
Leon

I made this jig to resaw small logs which I saw on

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Unfortunately, the owner of the site has passed on, but I think he left some valuble information. It works well on my 14" bandsaw.

Marc

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Reply to
marcaf

Well you can get there from here. But you've got to go over there first.

If you want to start with logettes (little logs - the size you can actually lift onto a table AND control while bandsawing) this may be of use.

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should join a face between cuts and having a drum sander is handy too.

charlie b

Reply to
charlie b

Thanks ... I had found what looked like a great article on the FWW site ... but I don't think I want to pay them $34.95 to take a look at page two of a *.pdf file.

This looks (at first glance) to be about what I need.

Bill

Reply to
W Canaday

it right away without having to make a super-duper bandsaw table.

I am interested in learning how to do things the simplest way that provides the required result. I am not a gadget-hound. I want to "make stuff", not make stuff to go on my stuff to make stuff with.

Bill

Reply to
W Canaday

If I left anything critical out or there's ambiguity in the exploded view of the table and fence feel free to e-mail questions. Wth a digital camera, I can e-mail photos - with notes, arrows etc.

charlie b

Reply to
charlie b

I hate this laptop with the mouse thingy in the middle ... if this is a repeat posting, that's why.

Charlie, your web site is a major boon! I intend to try my hand at building your resawing sled / bandsaw table. If I get stuck, I'll let you know.

I have some slippery elm that is significant because of its source ...being able to resaw it will let me share the commemorative pieces at least twice as far.

Thanks ...

Bill

Reply to
W Canaday

BIll:

First, I can't take credit for the add on table and fence - the idea came from a Journal of American Woodworking (I think that's the magazine name) - my interpretation of what's in that article.

If you look at the first two pictures on this page you can see the problem with the tall fence face - it hits the blade guides when the throat height is less than the height of the fence face.

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need to make some fence faces of various heights of 3/4" ply, with counter sunk T-nuts, and route some grooves in the main face for "male" knobs to pass through from the back of the fence into the "add on" fence face T-nuts. By having a range of auxilliary fence faces, I can keep the throat height to the minimum required by the height of the stock being resawn - BELOW the upper blade guides. THEN I can more easily resaw thin slices without kludging things like in the two pictures - screwing "add ons" onto my main fence face.

There ain't no board stretchers - but resawing is close.

charlie b

Reply to
charlie b

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