bookmatching??

[Rudeboy]

I know what it means, but how exactly to you go about doing it?
what kind of saw do you use?
it is possible to do at home or should i ask the people at the wood shop to do it for me?

[Rodent]

do you have access to a bandsaw that has a cutting depth (height) of 7" or more? does this saw also have a 3tpi or 4tpi blade available?

if the answer to either or both of these questions is no, then I'd suggest you seek outside assistance from someone who has the tools needed to make this cut. if you find someone local, it'd be great if they'd allow you to watch their workflow from a safe distance - this way if you ever aquire the proper tools you'll have an idea what techniques you need to master to make bookmatched tops

all the best,

R

[T2W]

.... and if the answer is yes, then you split your piece right in half, unless you cut it with a laser or some other unknown thingie, you wont get a perfect bookmatch, blade is usually 1/8, so bookmatching a piece of Spalted Maple can be hard cuz the spalt is usually all over the place. If youre a complete newb, know that bookmatching is done by resawing a piece (with blade parallel to width of your piece) and then opening it up like a book.... bookmatching ! the trick is to try to keep the cut width as narrow as possible, if you cut it, then plane it, chances are the grain wont be quite symmetrical when youre done. However with a bandsaw, you can get satisfying results by only cutting and sanding a bit. Then you gotta glue both pieces together, a jointer is good to have before doing so... Bookmatching can be hard, but its really nice when you get it right. Good Luck.

[Son of Magni]

You can also do it on a table saw, preferably with a thin-kerf blade. That's how I first did it and it worked out fine.

[Rodent]

Originally Posted by Son of Magni

You can also do it on a table saw, preferably with a thin-kerf blade. That's how I first did it and it worked out fine.

cutting anything with a blade that exposed sends shivers up and down my spine

you must have your cabinet saw precision tuned, eh SoM? I can't imagine safely bookmatching with great success with your typical 10" Black/Decker table top unit. but you say it can be done - what's the secret to a reasonably good cut while also keeping all your fingers and avoiding a board kicked back into your crotch?

all the best,

R

[SDB Guitars]

I have resawn wood on my old Craftsman 10" table saw... but it's a 350lb monster of cast iron, and tuned up pretty well. It will resaw up to ~6.75", just know that you have to go slow, and flip the billet. If your blade is not perfectly perpendicular, you will end up having to plane a fair bit off, and that's no good.

I now have a bandsaw with a 3tpi blade, and it will resaw up to 8", although I wouldn't actually try to cut anything over 6.5", as I like to see mode of the blade as I work, to keep the cut straight.

[Son of Magni]

Yup, flipping the billet, check the blade and fence are square to the table, and trim for width first so you don't have to go beyond about 6 1/2. Featherboard, pusher, goggles, hold your breath, etc...

[T2W]

Originally Posted by Son of Magni

hold your breath, etc...

HAHAHHAAH, yeah its hard on the nerves, I still cut a lot of wood this way since i dont have a Bandsaw to call my own yet. Its tricky.... but it works, I bookmatched two tops that way and they look fine. Im sure it would have been better though if I would have had a bandsaw, cuz I cut it with a ripblade 24T 3/16 wide.. I have a freakin hole in the ceiling of my dad's shop after a piece of Maple lodged itself there after a kickback occured... came about 6" from my face.... Im sure Maple in the face hurts.

[DavidRavenMoon]

Originally Posted by T2W

.... and if the answer is yes, then you split your piece right in half, unless you cut it with a laser or some other unknown thingie, you wont get a perfect bookmatch, blade is usually 1/8, so bookmatching a piece of Spalted Maple can be hard cuz the spalt is usually all over the place.

No, no , no! A resaw blade is at least 5/8 to 3/4"! They are specially made for resawing.

You also have to have your bandsaw well adjusted to keep the blade tracking straight. Usually the fence has to be adjusted to the blade, since they cut on an angle.

And you need a saw with a riser block if you want to do anything that will fit on the front of a guitar or bass.

I did a lot of resawing with a Delta 14" saw with a riser block. I made a higher wooden fence that attached to the metal fence that came with the saw. I used a Wood Slicer resaw blade from Highland Woodworking. Another good one is from Lee Valley.

[Son of Magni]

My Freud 10" tablesaw blade is .094 and since it leaves such a nice surface there's almost no sanding so I think the end result is just as good as a bandsaw.

Originally Posted by T2W

...I have a freakin hole in the ceiling of my dad's shop after a piece of Maple lodged itself there after a kickback occured... came about 6" from my face.... Im sure Maple in the face hurts.

My saw is a bit underpowered. It has yet to kick anything out of my control...

[wilser]

I resaw with my cheap 1hp 14" craftsman that will do up to 8.5" wide boards. It works well when set up correctly and I've resawn in full height zebrawood, wenge, bubinga, hard maple and rosewood as well as some softer woods without stalls or problems.

Another hint is to keep your dust collector in good shape for the resaw operation. Make sure there are no blockages obstructing the suction power! Go slow and let the tool do the work. You shouldn't have to put a lot of muscle in it.

[T2W]

Originally Posted by DavidRavenMoon

No, no , no! A resaw blade is at least 5/8 to 3/4"! They are specially made for resawing.

umm.. I meant the width of the blade....as in the width of the teeth.

[Jim Breece]

Part of this depends on time: what I just did would never work if I were trying to make money building for others, but it's my vacation project (plus lots more evenings and weekends) so I don't mind. Bloodwood top and cherry back- with both I made one pass through my tablesaw, flipped the billet upside down and made another pass, then handsawed through the remainder in the center. Handplaned the edges, joined them and then planed like crazy and sanded to get the big surfaces flat. Obviously, I couldn't make a living this way, but it works w/the tools I have. I didn't feel like I was pushing safety limits at all in the sawing.

[Nelson Guitars]

Table saw resawing is not for the faint of heart or the inexperienced. For one thing, you must have properly dried material. If there is any case hardening in your lumber you run a risk that it will pinch your blade as you proceed with the cut. Once in the middle of a cut you are committed and most are reluctant to let go and allow the material to shoot across the room. They will fight and push really hard to control the cut. With 3-4" worth of blade exposed this is a recipe for lost limbs.

The band saw has another advantage, a small kerf. Most table saw blades have a kerf of 1/8" or more. Band saw blades are much thinner and therefore your book match will be much closer.

Upshot? Yes you can resaw with your table saw, but it is very dangerous. You can also ride a motorcycle without a helmet and live to a ripe old age. Is it worth the risk? I say use the proper tool for the task. Who among us won't take the opportunity to do a little tool shopping anyway?

Greg N

[DavidRavenMoon]

Originally Posted by T2W

umm.. I meant the width of the blade....as in the width of the teeth.

The width? The width is 5/8" - 3/4". Do you mean the kerf? Bandsaw blades don't have an 1/8" kerf. Certainly not resaw blades. The Wood Slicer is .022". That's less than 1/32"!

That's one reason not to use a table saw.

[T2W]

Originally Posted by DavidRavenMoon

The width? The width is 5/8" - 3/4". Do you mean the kerf? Bandsaw blades don't have an 1/8" kerf. Certainly not resaw blades. The Wood Slicer is .022". That's less than 1/32"!

That's one reason not to use a table saw.

Yea I meant the kerf (woohoo new word !) Im surprised though, Ive never seen a blade that thin. good info, thanks Dave.

[wilser]

I can't wait to try a Lenox tri-master! those things are supposed to be IT.

[scottyd]

Originally Posted by wilser

I resaw with my cheap 1hp 14" craftsman that will do up to 8.5" wide boards. It works well when set up correctly and I've resawn in full height zebrawood, wenge, bubinga, hard maple and rosewood as well as some softer woods without stalls or problems.

Another hint is to keep your dust collector in good shape for the resaw operation. Make sure there are no blockages obstructing the suction power! Go slow and let the tool do the work. You shouldn't have to put a lot of muscle in it.

Just wondering does it have that kind of depth stock or did you install a riser?


I've used my table saw a couple of times, Using the table saw is no big deal as long as you set up a couple of feather boards, a good fence and go slow and keep your hands clear with a push stick/block. I did it with a hand saw one time (never again!) and a band saw the rest. Band saws the way to go. I've got a new Ridgid 14" that I want to get a riser for to leave setup just for resawing.

[SDB Guitars]

I *definitely* used a push stick... there is no way I'm getting my fingers that close to the blade!

[wilser]

the machine doesn't take a riser block. it's the stock resaw capacity.

Originally Posted by scottyd

Just wondering does it have that kind of depth stock or did you install a riser?


I've used my table saw a couple of times, Using the table saw is no big deal as long as you set up a couple of feather boards, a good fence and go slow and keep your hands clear with a push stick/block. I did it with a hand saw one time (never again!) and a band saw the rest. Band saws the way to go. I've got a new Ridgid 14" that I want to get a riser for to leave setup just for resawing.