How to resaw safely on the tablesaw?

[Dengue]

The blade on my table saw projects 65mm above the table, and using a thin rip blade with 3mm kerf, I want to safely and neatly resaw 120mm boards on the table saw.

I tried it freehand, with a push stick and with a featherboard holding the material against the fence up to the start of the sawblade, and invariably the saw blade chewed into one side towards the end of the pass where I was unable to keep both pieces perfectly upright. I felt the situation was not under control and possibly dangerous and decided not to do it again until I knew how to do it properly.

Can anyone please suggest a proper method of doing this procedure by hand, if that is possible, or suggest some ideas for a jig that will do this safely and perfectly every time?

[Wongo]

I have done it a million times. I will take some pictures tonight and show you how.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

One option is to set the depth of cut just under half the board. Say, 58-59mm, so that you're leaving a thin connecting strip between the two boards.

The two halves can be quickly & easily separated with a handsaw or similar; I use a japanese pull-saw for this, as the lack of set to the teeth leaves minimal markings on the cut surfaces.

It does mean that the cut surfaces need to be dressed, but every oversized board I've ripped on a TS - no matter how I've ripped them - has needed a modicum of dressing anyway. :rolleyes:

[Wongo]

What skew said plus you need 3 things.

1. a high fence to support the board
2. a push block to keep the board against the fence
3. a push stick

Use a bit of imagination you can cut veneers up to 1mm thick. No kidding.

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[Dengue]

Many thanks for these photos Wongo, very much appreciated. Another case of a picture worth a 1,000 words :wink:

Can you please comfirm that you leave a small conmecting strip that has to be removed manually ? Even for your 1mm veneer? On a 1metre long board, surely that would take a bit of skill to get it right without damaging the freshly cut surfaces.

Would the use of a featherboard against your melamine horizontal pushboard improve the situation?

I like your big push block on top :2tsup:

[Wongo]

Can you please comfirm that you leave a small conmecting strip that has to be removed manually ?
Yes. Leaving a thin piece loose between the fence and the blade is not a good idea.

Even for your 1mm veneer? On a 1metre long board, surely that would take a bit of skill to get it right without damaging the freshly cut surfaces.
For 1mm veneer I use a different technique. Cut the veneer on the left side of the blade and do not leave a connecting strip. It is too hard to remove without damaging the surfaces. Move the fence by 4mm after each cut (4mm - 3mm blade width = 1mm veneer). You need to start with a fairly large block say 100mm wide. And you can only make 10-15 cuts before the block gets too small.


Would the use of a featherboard against your melamine horizontal pushboard improve the situation?
No. I hate featherboards. In my opinion they often make the situation awkward. Featherboards on a jointer or a router table is an absolute joke. I will shop here before the safety nazi jumping all over me.

[nrb]

Just a thought on using a thin kerf blade don't feed too fast as you run the risk of overloading,if that happens the blade will distort and you will not get an accurate cut.

[Wizened of Oz]

using a thin rip blade with 3mm kerf,

BTW 3mm is not a thin kerf blade.

[Wongo]

How thin and any links?

[Wizened of Oz]

How thin and any links?

Hi Scott.
Is the question directed at me?
If so, then I call 3mm and 3.2mm(1/8") kerf standard kerf blades (what else?). I have a Flai Mustang 2.8 kerf and I don't call that thin.
My thin kerf blade is a CMT 1.7mm kerf (http://www.carbatec.com.au/ultra-itk-rip-and-crosscut_c3390).

If Dengue follows your advice he should overcome most of his resaw problems.

[Wongo]

Thanks Brian. This is 1.7mm for a 25cm blade. :o I did not know they existed.

[Wongo]

Now I must get one. What are the chances Carbatec actually have one in stock? :rolleyes: :D

[Evanism]

What are the chances Carbatec actually have one in stock? :rolleyes: :D

Haha! Comedy gold!

[Wongo]

Just read the fine print



Please note that thin kerf blades will require modified riving knives on most table saws to suitably match the thinner kerf of the blade.


That is no good for me. Oh well 3mm kerf is good enough for me I suppose.

[Wizened of Oz]

Now I must get one. What are the chances Carbatec actually have one in stock? :rolleyes: :D

Every chance, Scott.
A blade this thin does not have very much carbide in the teeth and I reckoned mine would not take another sharpening so I bought a replacement from Carba-Tec only about a month ago.
As to the matter of thin riving knife, surely a bloke of your undoubted skill could make such a simple item.
My tablesaw came with a riving knife that came over the top of the blade, preventing partial cuts. Damned nuisance. I made two replacements from 1.5mm brass sheet using the bandsaw, drill and file. Nothing flash, but eminently serviceable.The thicker knife is two thicknesses epoxied together and sanded a little to reduce the thickness a tad.

[John Samuel]

Must agree with Brian. A man of Wongo's demonstrated talents should have no trouble making a new riving knife.

My old contractor saw has a splitter rather than a riving knife. When I got a thin kerf blade (from Carba Tec)I went hunting for a piece of steel that would do the job as a splitter. Found a sabre saw blade a Bunnings that was very close. A bit of grinding and rubbing to get it to shape then used epoxy to fasten it into a ply throat plate. See pic. It works like a charm.
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