Re-sawing by hand.


mds2

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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/

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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.

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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

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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.

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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?

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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. 

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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?

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  • 5 months later...

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.

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