Resawing by hand

S

Sven

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Well I never recommend anyone doing things the way I do, but I don't have a problem showing my methods off. This weekend I dug out a mahogany board from the 1960's that my dad bought for a boat project. It was a couple of metres long, tapered from 300 to 400 mm in width and was only 15 mm thick. My bandsaw was never gonna make it so I cut it with a frame saw. The trick is the first step, cutting a slot with a tool called the kerfing plane. Both that and the frame saw are the designs of Tom Fidgen, and the blades come from Bad Axe toolworks.

I'll put a link to a blog post, but also a couple of pics here.

http://www.argapa.blogspot.se/2015/04/resawing-on-large-scale.html

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I was thinking about doing some hand resawing. I think this just pushed me over the edge into trying it.
 
Go for it! It's immensely satisfying when it works.

(Just don't blame me when your back and arms hurt in places you didn't know were there.)
 
Wow. That really is impressive and not easy to pull off... I could see how the kerfing plane would be key..... By the way, that frame saw is an ancient tool. Before there were sawmills here, the Russians used to use them to cut boards out of the massive redwood trees using a huge frame saw and a deep pit. One guy in the pit and one guy up above to cut perfectly dimensioned lumber.

What was the final thickness of your plates? I'm guessing about 3 or 4 mm.
 
They are around 4 mm. I keep thinking I could have gone for four slices. But that would probably have left me with none!
 
I think this was an amazing feat :bowdown:
 
Sven, could you give us a pic of the business end of the kerfing plane please? I guess it cuts a groove to guide the frame saw blade.
Cheers
Max
 
Sven’s blog for September2014 has another article on resawing.
H
 
I'm fine with one blade, but for this board it could well have been six inches longer!
 
orangeena said:
Sven, could you give us a pic of the business end of the kerfing plane please? I guess it cuts a groove to guide the frame saw blade.
Cheers
Max
Click to expand...
Your guess is right, and I would've given you that pic if I hadn't left the tool at the cottage. Check out Tom Fidgen on youtube, he has a series of vids of making and using the kerfing plane.
 
I found Tom subsequently and am planning to make a crappy version of one for myself. I have a big lump of English Walnut looking at me in the garage.
Got another question though. What number of teeth per inch does you frame saw blade have?
Cheers
Max
 
I don't know exatly, but somewhere around 5 - 7 tpi I'd say. Got it from Bad Axe Toolworks, but you could find an old blade and use it as long as it is filed for rip cutting.
 
Timbuck said:
Sven ..It's just a thought .. If you added another blade to that frame saw, you could have done 3 slices in one cut :p
Click to expand...

That is exactly how the early steam worked veneer saws were arranged, multiple saw blades in a 'gang'. They had blades very similar to the blade in the frame saw that Sven has made.



I made a frame saw early last year. It's not the type intended for resawing although I guess you could put it to that use. I bought one of the Japanese blades from Fine Tools, which is a very good blade if not a little expensive. Not sure how it would cope with very deep material. I've crosscut through 6" softwood with ease. I think it would struggle with resawing.
 
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