Which Bandsaw Blade Should You Use for Resawing?

What makes a good resaw blade

Resawing means slicing a thick board into thinner boards or veneer. It is the hardest job you can give a bandsaw blade, because the cut is tall, the blade is buried in wood for its whole working length, and any weakness shows up as drift or a wavy surface.

Three things matter most: width, tooth count and tooth quality. Length is a fit issue rather than a performance issue, but it can rule a blade out before you start comparing anything else.

Width: go as wide as your saw allows

A wide blade is stiffer from side to side, so it resists wandering off the line. For tall cuts, pick the widest blade your saw can tension properly. That is often 1/2 in to 3/4 in. If your saw cannot tension a 3/4 in blade, a 1/2 in blade that is properly tensioned beats a wide one that sags.

Narrow blades have their place. The 1/4 in and 3/8 in blades in our lineup are built for curves and general work, not for slicing a wide board on edge. You can see how widths stack up on our band saw blade for resawing comparison.

Tooth count and tooth type

Resawing makes a lot of sawdust, and that sawdust has to travel up the cut inside the gullets, the spaces between teeth. Coarse blades have bigger gullets, so they clear chips faster and run cooler. Fine blades pack with dust, heat up and drift.

For that reason, look for roughly 2 to 3 teeth per inch. The Timber Wolf 3/4 in blade on our page has 3 TPI, and the Dark Stone carbide blade has 2 TPI with a hook tooth shape that suits fast chip removal in dense wood.

A 12 TPI blade is a different tool. It makes a smooth cut in thin stock, but it is not suited to tall resaw cuts.

Tooth hardening and carbide

Hardwood dulls plain steel teeth quickly, and a dull blade is the most common reason for a resaw cut that wanders. Two upgrades help. Induction-hardened teeth, like those on the Timber Wolf 3/4 in x 3 TPI blade, hold an edge better than standard carbon steel. Carbide-tipped teeth, like those on the Dark Stone blade, are the longest-lasting option on our page.

The Timber Wolf 3/4 in blade is described as generally used for straight-line cutting in hardwoods 6 in to 10 in tall and softwoods 5 in to 8 in tall. Its milled teeth give a thin kerf, with a total set of .048 in, so you lose less wood to sawdust.

Match the blade length to your saw

Length must match your saw exactly. A 93-1/2 in blade fits many 14 in saws. Larger saws, or saws fitted with a riser block, often take 111 in, 116 in or 131-1/2 in blades. Small 12 in Craftsman saws use an 80 in blade.

Check your manual or the spec plate on the saw before ordering. Also confirm that your saw can tension the width you want, since some saws are limited to narrower blades.

Resaw blade options compared

This table pulls together the blades from our lineup that suit resawing, plus two narrow blades for contrast. All numbers come from the published specs.

The Timber Wolf VPC blades are listed for kiln-dried domestic wood and softer exotics, with a depth of cut of 1 in to 8 in in hardwood and 1 in to 6 in in softwood. They are not meant for wet wood or logs and limbs unless the wood is dried to 10%.

A simple way to choose

Work through these steps in order and the shortlist gets small quickly.

• Find your blade length in the manual and rule out anything else.
• Check the widest blade your saw can tension, up to 3/4 in.
• Choose 2 to 3 TPI for tall cuts in thick stock.
• Decide between hardened teeth for value and carbide for the longest edge life.
• If you mainly cut veneer, look at the 1/2 in VPC blades.

Safety and setup notes

Unplug the saw before changing a blade, and wear gloves when handling it, because teeth are sharp even when new. Wear eye and hearing protection while resawing, since the cut is long and loud, and add a dust mask because the sawdust volume is high.

Set the upper guide just above the board, keep your hands clear of the blade line, and use a push stick or a tall fence. Never force a stalled cut. Back out, check that the blade is sharp and properly tensioned, and start again.

Frequently asked questions

Can I resaw with a 1/4 in blade?

It is a poor choice. A narrow blade flexes in tall cuts and drifts easily. Save 1/4 in blades for curves and use a wide blade for resawing.

Why does my blade drift to one side?

The usual causes are dull teeth, too little tension, a blade that is too narrow, or too many teeth clogging with dust. A sharp, wide, coarse blade fixes most of these.

Is a thin kerf useful for resawing?

Yes. A thinner kerf removes less wood, so you get more usable boards or veneers from each thick piece and the saw works less hard.

Can I resaw wet or green wood?

Check the blade listing first. The Timber Wolf VPC blades are not meant for wet wood or logs and limbs unless dried to 10%.