mds2 Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 I was given a beautiful piece of walnut crotch by a friend a few weeks ago. 3" thick, 15" wide and over 4' long. Amazing figure. This was the "missing" center piece from a flitch I bought from him a couple years ago. I stood it next to my bench for a couple days while pondering what to do with it. It really was just too thick for anything I could imagine. So I grabbed my $5 Irwin saw from Menards and went to town parting this thing in two. Pics in the links: http://instagram.com/p/mn6fI1FSMT/ The most recent issue of FWW has an article about using blue tape for cutting dovetail joints. I thought I'd apply the same principle here. I was really happy with the results. http://instagram.com/p/m8jwVOFSFX/ http://instagram.com/p/m9Bfz2FSI6/ http://instagram.com/p/nY5L9XFSKF/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pghmyn Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 Nice looking piece. How long do you think it took you to cut all the way through? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mds2 Posted May 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 I'd guess about 6 hours. 20 or 30 minutes here and there over about a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mds2 Posted May 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 That slab matches faces with this one: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pghmyn Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 That slab matches faces with this one:yeah. That's a pretty awesome grain. Any projects in mind for the 2 new pieces? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mds2 Posted May 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 yeah. That's a pretty awesome grain. Any projects in mind for the 2 new pieces? I'm going to rotate one of them 180 degrees, joint them together, clean up the edges, and make it a coffee table top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 Did you modify the saw's teeth? Inexpensive home center saws are typically filed for crosscutting, not ripping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mds2 Posted May 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 I did not. This was basically a cross cut the whole way though since this was the dead center of the crotch. I have to say I am really impressed with that cheapo saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G S Haydon Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 mds2 I love you! You just went and did it with a hardpoint! 6 hours with awesome results! Hardpoints rule (as does this project) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhl.verona Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 Well I'm really impressed with your tenacity - and the results. I've never been that successful with such a short saw, I'd got the idea that you'd need at least twice the length of saw than the board you're sawing. Did you keep flipping the board around, or just keep going on the one side? John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mds2 Posted May 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 I basically used the same method I've watched Paul Sellers use to cut tenons. I cut at an angle from each side and then sawed straight across from top. Back and forth flipping it around in the vise. A large bandsaw would have been ideal, but I dont have one. I figured, the only way to get it done was to do it. So I did it. That is a 20" handsaw I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h3nry Posted May 1, 2014 Report Share Posted May 1, 2014 Wow! I'm impressed. Makes me feel like a wimp for moaning about all the resawing I had to do on my last project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-astragal Posted May 2, 2014 Report Share Posted May 2, 2014 I read,"re-sawing MY hand". Glad that was wrong. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mds2 Posted May 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2014 I read,"re-sawing MY hand". Glad that was wrong. Steve I've tried that before. Same saw even. Got a nice little scar from it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted May 2, 2014 Report Share Posted May 2, 2014 Nice work! I've looked at some pieces of similar and thought, "if only that was thinner..." (without planing away half the thickness) Good on you for diving head first into it. How even did the pieces turn out? I suppose if you start sawing in square, then the saw pretty much tracks itself through the rest of the cut? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mds2 Posted May 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2014 They are really close to even thickness now. Probably within an 1/8", but the two original outside faces were not parallel. I haven't measured them because I am going to take them somewhere to be planed. Yes, using the method that I did, it did track fairly even. But you still have to be diligent about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJsumthn Posted May 4, 2014 Report Share Posted May 4, 2014 Thats the good thing about being a hobbyist woodworker is that you can spend 6 hours to cut a board in half. I'm curious as to why you are outsourcing the planing? If it were me I would have outsourced the resawing and done the planing by hand (if I could only choose one to outsource). I give you a hell of a lot of credit for resawing that!! Do your arms look like Popeye's now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snider.mark@gmail.co Posted November 2, 2014 Report Share Posted November 2, 2014 Any updates on that coffee table...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mds2 Posted November 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2014 Thats the good thing about being a hobbyist woodworker is that you can spend 6 hours to cut a board in half. I'm curious as to why you are outsourcing the planing? If it were me I would have outsourced the resawing and done the planing by hand (if I could only choose one to outsource). I give you a hell of a lot of credit for resawing that!! Do your arms look like Popeye's now? The main reason is that I have a saw that can do it but not a planer wide enough. I could plane it by hand but didnt feel like it. I'd give anyone a run in an arm wrestling match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mds2 Posted November 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2014 Any updates on that coffee table...? I have two slabs that I keep tripping over leaning against a cabinet. Thats as far as i got. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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