I have a great 14"
bandsaw — it just isn't set up to do re-sawing. I would like to be able to go out and
buy a larger unit, but I can't afford that right now — so I am doing the next best
thing. I am upgrading my saw by: 1) getting a really good re-saw blade; 2) adding a riser
block to double the capacity; and 3) assembling a device called "Hand Held Saw
Mill" that I just received from Rockler. I have a lot to do, but at the end, I hope
to be slicing boards for a bunch of decorative boxes that I will make this fall.
The picture at the right is a preview — my first slice of a fireplace
log — it works. Now, let me back up and start from the beginning.
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I started the day by wheeling the bandsaw out to
"center-stage." I haven't polished the table in months, so I spent a few minutes
doing that.
Before I do all the changes to the bandsaw, I want to make a few cuts to have
a "before" comparison. So polishing the table was step 1.
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While this OEM fence could
be higher, I have set it carefully to the tracking of this blade. I have set the cut width
to about 1/4" and am slicing some mahogany with a "good" quality 3-tooth
blade. With careful pressure and steady feeding, it is cutting well.
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In
this soft wood, the cut is a good one — pretty straight and clean the entire
length.
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I decided to
"up the ante." Here, I am trying to slice an almost 6" block of Brazilian
Rosewood — the hardest test I have at hand. I am not trying to force the cut at all.
I am simply feeding the piece at a rate that I think is comfortable for this blade and
stock.
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It did fine for the first
1/3 or so, and then you can see that the blade was bogging down and not clearing the
saw-dust from the cut. Not only did this overheat the blade but it caused it to start to
wander — you can't see it here, but the end of the cut became uneven and curved or
sloped.
It is time to make some changes.
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Next in my plan is to
change to a really high quality re-saw blade. This is a Timber Wolf blade that has the
same number of teeth as the one on the saw but with a more aggressive hook which will help
to keep the sawdust extracted from the kerf and not cause binding.
By the way, I am a "newbie" when it comes to all this. In addition
to a lot of reading, I had a phone conversation with Art Gschwind, the CEO and founder of
Suffolk Machinery, the importer of these blades. He listened to the setup I had and what I
wanted to do and then recommended the blade that would work best for me.
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With the
new TimberWolf blade installed, I want to "track it" so that I can set my
fence to its track. I start by drawing a straight line down a piece of scrap wood.
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I
free-hand the cut following the line as best I can. When I found the best feed angle for
staying on the line, I stopped the saw and carefully set the fence angle to match the feed
angle. Fact is, for this blade, the best track angle was exactly 90o or no
deviation at all.
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Well, here are the two cuts
I made on the dense Brazilian Rosewood. The cut from the old blade is at left and the new,
TimberWolf, on the right. There is considerable difference — absolutely no sawdust
was captured in the kerf with the TimberWolf. I could also feel the difference — it
fed easily and didn't start to bind as the cutting progressed. A taller fence would have
helped both cuts. I will add that to my to-do list.
Next, I want to add the riser block so that I can double my cutting capacity.
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