About Resaws
A resaw is a specialized bandsaw designed to cut thinner boards and veneers from thick planks. Resawing essentially means rip-cutting timber lengthwise—along the grain of the wood—with a thin kerf (blade cutting width) to waste as little stock as possible.
Baker Products Band Resaw 770
Timber mills use larger resaws to rip planks into smaller pieces. Smaller woodworking shops use resaws (or general-purpose wood bandsaws with enough power, sturdiness, and tension to run a wide resaw blade) to cut custom thicknesses that are unavailable from typical lumber yards.
A true Swiss-army knife of sawmills, resaws are essential for timber mill operations, enabling the ripping of planks into smaller pieces. They are also invaluable in small woodworking shops, where they are used to cut custom thicknesses that are not typically available from standard lumber yards.
Resaw Purpose & Function
A resaw is useful for:
- Reducing larger sections of timber into smaller, thinner pieces
- Producing thin veneers from solid wood
- Maximizing lumber recovery from expensive or exotic woods
- Producing book-matched panels that go together
To make straight, accurate cuts at high speeds, a resaw must keep the blade stretched tight during use, such as with pneumatic pressure (called air strain, where “strain” refers to blade stretch). To that end, manufacturers design very robust frames for resaws to accommodate blade tension as high as 25,000 psi or more. Some manufacturers refer to high-tension construction in product names such as USNR’s Horizontal High Strain Resaw.
Because resawing creates a lot of sawdust, resaw blades need wide gullets (valleys) between their teeth to keep the dust from clogging the kerf and deflecting the blade from its straight path (drifting). Hence, many resaw blades have only two or three teeth per inch. This low tpi count has the additional benefit of reducing drag as the blade cuts through thick planks at high feed rates. To maintain rigidity under these conditions and avoid drift, resaw blades are wider than typical bandsaw blades. Blade widths of 0.75 to 1 inch (1.9 to 2.54 centimeters) are commonly used in smaller resaws, 1.25 to 2 in. (3.17 to 5 cm) in larger resaws, and 2 to 3 in. (5 to 7.62 cm) for cutting veneers.
To support wider blades, resaws have wider drive wheels (band wheels). The wheels are also larger in a resaw, with diameters such as 28 or 59 in. (71 or 150 cm). Large drive wheels that have been dynamically balanced contribute to smoother sawing and higher precision. To make demanding cuts through dense lumber at high speeds, resaws use high-powered electric drive motors, such as with 20 or 40 horsepower (15 or 30 kilowatts).
Resaw Configurations
Resaws come in horizontal and vertical configurations, as well as with twin blades to make two cuts simultaneously, like the Wood-Mizer HR250. There are also multiple saw systems like the Brewco B-800 High-Speed Resaw with up to six bandsaw heads in a row to make one cut after another.
Other resaw types include vertical linebar, center split, quad, and slant models. In high-volume lumber mills, resaws use advanced feed systems with hydraulic or pneumatic components to ensure consistent and accurate lumber feeding.
Benefits Of Using Resaws In Woodworking
While sawmill facilities use resaws to extract the most lumber at the highest grade from each log, smaller operations and woodworkers use them to make custom boards at the exact size they need without excessive planing or sanding. Some benefits of resaws include:
- Minimizing wear on other tools
- Making furniture, cabinets, decorative woodworking, and more
- Using materials efficiently
- Preparing stock for bending or laminating
Considerations to keep in mind include selecting the right resaw blade. Make sure it is wide enough for the thickness of the wood, but not too wide for your saw’s drive wheels and strain capability (wider blades require more tension power).
Also, it is crucial to properly tune a resaw to make accurate cuts. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to set up the blade, fence, and any guides. Using infeed and outfeed tables can also help eliminate blade drift and increase productivity.
Where To Buy & Finance Resaws For Sale
Explore TreeTrader.com to find new and used resaws for sale. Other types of sawmill equipment on the platform include portable and stationary models, bandsaw mills, and board edgers.
For financing options for resaws and other tree care and forestry equipment, visit GoCurrency.com.
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