How to Resaw on a Band Saw Step by Step

What resawing is and what it asks of your saw

Resawing means slicing a thick board through its width to make thinner boards, bookmatched panels or veneer. It is the toughest job most band saws see, because the blade cuts a tall, narrow slot and has to clear a lot of sawdust while staying straight.

Three things decide how well it goes: the blade, the setup and your feeding technique. Get the blade and setup right and the cut mostly takes care of itself. Rushing the feed is what tends to cause wandering, burning and rough surfaces.

Step 1: Choose a blade built for tall cuts

Blade choice matters more than any other single decision. A wide blade is stiffer and resists drifting. Coarse teeth with deep gullets carry sawdust out of a tall cut instead of packing it in. Sharp teeth track straighter than worn ones, so a fresh or carbide blade pays off in hardwood.

Our best band saw blade for resawing page puts several options on one spec sheet. Here is how a few of them compare, using the published specs.

Step 2: Match the blade to your saw and tension it

Blade length has to match your saw exactly. Common lengths in our data include 93.5 in for many 14 in saws, 111 in, 116 in and 131.5 in for larger saws or saws with riser blocks. Check your manual before you buy. Also confirm that your saw can properly tension the width you want, since a wide blade needs more tension than a narrow one.

Unplug the saw before you change a blade. Then work through this order:

• Install the blade with the teeth pointing down toward the table at the front of the cut.
• Apply tension according to your saw's manual and the blade width.
• Spin the wheel by hand and adjust tracking so the blade rides centered on the wheels.
• Close the guide door and recheck that the blade stays put.

Step 3: Set the guides and raise the guide post

Guides keep the blade from twisting. Set the side guides just behind the tooth gullets, so they support the blade body without touching the teeth. Leave a small gap, about the thickness of a sheet of paper, between each guide and the blade.

Set the thrust bearing a hair behind the blade so it only touches when you push the wood into the cut. Then raise the upper guide assembly so it sits about 1/8 in above the top of the board. Lower guides give more support, but the guard must still clear your stock.

Wear hearing protection and eye protection for this job. Resawing is loud, and fine dust is common in tall cuts, so use dust collection or a dust mask as well.

Step 4: Prepare the board and set up a fence

Start with stock that has one flat face and one square edge. A rocking or twisted board can bind in the blade and kick back toward you. Joint or plane one face and one edge first, and use the flat face down on the table with the square edge against the fence.

Use a tall fence, or clamp a tall auxiliary fence to your regular one, so the board stays upright. A narrow point fence is a popular choice because it lets you steer the board to follow the line if the blade drifts. If you use a standard fence, try a test cut first and adjust its angle to match how your blade actually cuts.

Mark a line on the top edge so you can see where the blade is headed. Leave a little extra thickness so you can plane or sand the cut faces smooth afterward.

Step 5: Make the cut

Turn the saw on and let it reach full speed before the wood touches the blade. Feed the board slowly and evenly with both hands, pressing it lightly against the fence. Let the blade do the work. If you push hard, the blade bows and the cut leaves a curve in the thickness.

Use a push block or push stick near the blade, and keep your fingers out of line with the cut. Stand to one side so you are not directly behind a tall board.

Watch the exit end of the cut as well as the top. If the blade burns the wood, slows down or wanders, stop the saw, wait for the blade to stop and check for dull teeth, low tension or sawdust packed in the gullets.

For very tall boards, many woodworkers cut from one edge until the kerf is a few inches short of the far edge, flip the board end for end, and cut again from the other edge. The two cuts meet in the middle.

Step 6: Finish and check your work

After the cut, turn off the saw and wait until the blade fully stops before you reach in. Clear the offcut and check the thickness at several points along the board. A slightly wavy surface is normal, and a jointer, planer or sander can clean it up.

Keep resawn boards stacked with spacers and stored flat for a few days, since freshly cut wood can move as moisture changes. One listed blade in our data is noted as not for wet wood or logs unless dried to 10 percent, so check the blade's own limits before you cut green stock.

If you are still shopping for a saw to handle this work, see our best band saw for home workshop comparison. For choosing among blades more broadly, our best band saw blades page covers other cutting jobs too.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my blade drift during a resaw cut?

Usually the teeth are dull, the tension is too low, or the guides are set too far from the blade. Feeding too fast also bows the blade. Fix those, then adjust your fence angle to match the way the blade cuts.

Can I resaw with a narrow blade?

You can make shallow cuts, but narrow blades flex in tall stock. The 1/4 in blades in our data are better for curves. For deep cuts, use the widest blade your saw can tension.

How tall a board can I resaw?

It depends on your saw's cutting height, the blade and the wood. One listed veneer blade gives a depth of cut of 1 to 8 in in hardwood and 1 to 6 in in softwood. Check your own saw and blade specs.

Do I need a special fence?

Not required, but a tall fence helps keep the board upright. A point fence also lets you steer the board to follow your line if the blade wanders.