Re-sawing is basic to wood cutting and is a useful skill in the workshop. It is useful in certain applications as well. Bandsaws are useful since they are designed to handle any standard sized board and will cut whole logs.
Material hardness and texture need consideration since they are major contributors to issues like blade bounce and tooth stripping.
To help assure an easy cut, there are special re-saw blades available that are extra wide to prevent bending while cutting. Their sharp teeth in a skip tooth arrangement will clear sawdust fast enough to allow for more cut time.
Tooth form describes tooth shape, and for re-saw purposes, a hook tooth is best. The hook angle cuts aggressively but with a slow feed rate for a smooth cut.
The regular set consists of a repetitive pattern, with one tooth set to the right, the next to the left, and the third (the raker tooth) without a set. This set type is best on uniform sized materials. It is used in contour sawing and for cutting thick and solid materials. It can be applied to vertical bandsaw machines for contour cutting and re-sawing purposes as well.
The experts at Fine Woodworking Magazine recommend a 1/2″ wide saw blade that measures 0.025″ thick, has a skip tooth pattern, and with 3 tpi. A somewhat coarse blade that will re-saw straight, wide, and curve cuts.
The recommended dimensions are available at Sawblade.com in the form of carbon and bi-metal bandsaw blades. They are durable blades constructed from high-carbon steel and are ideal for economical cutting of non-ferrous metal and wood.
The CT1002 tipped saw blade is designed for the metal cutting industry to cut tough materials that a bi-metal or carbon blade won’t. Bi-metal and carbon blades are not recommended for wood cutting and especially not for re-sawing.
These blades are hi-lo tooth height coupled with ground kerf-makers and are designed to cut high nickel alloys and exotic material only.
Triple Chip is used by large manufacturers and steel service centers, allowing for faster cutting in high production settings, and for anything requiring a tight, smooth tolerance.
The CT1002 saw blade features are the reason why it is not suitable for re-sawing, even if it is a tough saw blade and will cut hard materials. It still isn’t recommended for wood cutting due to its thickness, width, and the tooth set.
Using also a carbide-tip saw blade coupled with the appropriate speed and feed rates will pose less threat to the cutting procedure.
