If you have an exotic or a pricey wood stock like mahogany and need to cut it into thinner stock, don’t go with anything else than the best bandsaw for resawing.
The preferred method of resawing a piece of wood is on a bandsaw. Now, you can do that on a table saw, but you won’t get the same result.
I know a lot of people struggle with a bandsaw, especially when it comes to resawing. It’s not uncommon because there are a lot of aspects of it like blade tension, technique, etc.
Before you start resawing, make sure to set up your bandsaw properly. I will talk about the process later. For now, let me give you a quick peek at some of the most popular resawing bandsaws out there.
On a side note, if you don’t know which one to get, make sure to check the buying guide at the end of this article.
Also Read: Best Cordless Jigsaw for Woodworking
Contents
6 Best Bandsaw for Resawing – The Ultimate Top Picks of 2023!
Here are some of the best resaw bandsaws out there that are reliable and easy to use.
WEN 3962 Band Saw
The WEN 3962 is a 10-inch band saw with amazing cutting performance and cutting capacity. The thing I really like about WEN products in that they offer a lot more features than their competitors. This bandsaw is no exception. For a 10-inch bandsaw, it is about as good as it gets.
When you set this one up properly, the performance is awe-inspiring. Powering this saw is a 3.5-amp motor and features a 9-3/4-inch throat. This saw has the ability to cut depths of up to 6-inch. It has two-speed settings that allow you to operate the tool at either 260 RPM or 1520 RPM.
This saw uses 72-inch blades for both powerful and intricate cuts. The blades can range in size anywhere from ½ to 1/8-inch. For a 10-inch saw, this one has a spacious worktable. On top of that, you can also swivel it up to 45-degrees. This makes bevel cuts much easier.
Pros
- It features ball bearings for smooth operation
- Very easy to assemble
- Flexible work light
Cons
- Somewhat hard to get it adjusted
With this beast of a saw, you can make cuts up to 9-3/4 inches wide and 6-inches deep. As for the additional features, you will get an elevating stand to maximize workspace, built-in 3-in-1 dust port, a miter gauge and fence for angled and straight cuts as well as an onboard measuring guide.
Grizzly G0555 Bandsaw
Up next, we have a 14-inch wood cutting bandsaw from Grizzly. Powering this unit is a strong 1 HP motor that is wired for both 110V and 220V single-phase power. It’s a two-speed saw with a blade speed of 3200 FPM and 1500 FPM. The FPM here stands for feet per minute.
The blade capacity of this tool is 1/8 to 1-3/4-inch wide and comes with a 3/8-inch blade. It’s a standard-length blade that you will find in most hardware shops. The cutting capacity at the width is 13-1/2-inch with a resawing capacity of 6-inch. For smooth and quiet operation, the blade spinning wheels are made from aluminum.
They are also computer balanced for optimal performance. Both the upper and lower wheel runs on heavy-duty ball bearings. The best feature of this saw is its quick blade tension release mechanism. This makes it very easy to change the blade on this bandsaw.
Pros
- Durable cast-iron frame
- An easy blade release mechanism
- Ball-bearing blade guides
Cons
- Only suitable for small shops and home use
Overall, all I can say that it’s a high-quality bandsaw for resawing. If you want to increase the cutting height, you can add an optional riser kit, which makes it a good value for small woodworking shop owners. All the components, including the frame and the base, are built sturdy, which should minimize vibration.
Rikon 10 305 Bandsaw
Another 10-inch bandsaw in this list and this time it’s the Rikon 10-305. It’s perfect for hobbyists and woodworkers that want some small and affordable. If you have a small space and don’t have space for a large bandsaw, go with this one. You can store it when not in use with ease and can easily transport it.
Although it’s a scaled-down version, it has enough power for pen blanks and cutting bowl. It is powered by a 1/3-HP motor, which should be enough for all your DIY resawing projects. The key selling point of this bandsaw is its heavy-duty components. Instead of plastic, the frame on this is made of steel plate.
Along with its solid steel design, you also get a sturdy cast-iron work surface. It’s a 13-3/4 x 12-1/2-inch worktable, which is rare on a 10-inch bandsaw. Not only that, but you can also tilt the table from 10 to 45 degrees. In addition to that, you can also lower or raise the guidepost height via the micro-adjustable guidepost.
Pros
- Solid steel plate design and cast-iron table
- Easy to adjust guidepost
- Features a rip fence
Cons
- It doesn’t come with a miter gauge
In short, the heavy-duty construction and easy tracking adjustments make this bandsaw a good value for the money. For dust management, there is a dust port built-in that you can use to remove most of the dust and keep your workspace clean. Just make sure to get a separate stand and a miter gauge.
JET JWBS 14DXPRO Band Saw
The JET JWBS-14DXPRO is a 14-inch solid bandsaw that has some amazing cutting performance. Right off the bat, a unique feature I would like to point out is the built-in riser kit. This machine is powered by a one and a quarter horsepower motor that is wired for both 115V and 230V single-phase power.
The motor on this is mounted on a lower saw housing, which makes it easy to access the hardware to adjust the tension of the belt. Along with that, it also provides easy speed change between 1500 and 3000 SFPM blade speeds. As for the blades, the manufacturer has added a lot of cool features.
First of all, it runs on a pair of precision cast machined and balanced cast-iron spoked wheels that turn on large, sealed ball bearings for smooth operation. You can increase or decrease the blade tension via a convenient hand knob. There is a scale to adjust the width system for the blade that you are currently using.
Pros
- A large 15×15 cast iron table
- Toolless bearing adjustments
- Large 4-inch dust port built-in
Cons
- The instruction manual isn’t very detailed; there are better ones online
In a nutshell, this is a machine that will easily satisfy you with its performance. You can tilt the table from 0 to 45 degrees. The physical size of the JET JWBS-14DXPRO bandsaw and its cutting capacities that involve flat and resaw modes make this a good fit for any size shop.
Delta 28-400 Band Saw
Delta is a brand that you can count on when it comes to making quality machinery for woodworking. They have a wide range of bandsaws and table saws to choose from that are designed to deliver quality and precision. The Delta 28-400, for example, is a resawing band saw that you would really love working with.
It’s a very well finished saw both inside and out, and you can really see the attention to detail on this machine, which makes this a very solid bandsaw for resawing. For accurate cutting performance, there are five lower and upper ball bearing blade guides that also provide smooth precision.
For easy blade tracking, the spoke wheels are constructed using durable aluminum, and they are also rubber-coated. You can also change the blade tension without using any tools. The main attraction of this bandsaw is its heavy-duty steel frame. This reduces flexing and vibration and also provides longer durability.
Pros
- Heavy-duty steel frame design
- Aluminum trunnion table support
- Two-speed drive system
Cons
- This one doesn’t come with any miter or fence tool
Overall, the cutting capacity is 13-5/8″ wide x 6″ thick and fairly generous. It is similar to what you have already seen so far. Spec-wise, it has a 1HP dual voltage (115/230V) motor and features two-speed settings. You can operate this tool on 1620 and 3340 RPM and accept a 3/4″ max-width blade.
Shop Fox W1706 Bandsaw
The Shop Fox W1706 is a 14-inch bandsaw and is the last entry in this list. This particular model uses a 1HP motor prewired for 110V. You can also change the wiring to 220 if you want. It has a throat capacity of 13.5-inches and a max cutting height of 6 inches. If you want to increase the height, you can buy a riser block kit.
Just like the rest of the bandsaws in this list, this too is a two-speed saw. To change the speed, you can use the pulley on the bottom to go from 1500 RPM to 3200 RPM. On the top and the bottom, this saw has cast iron wheels and uses a standard 93.5-inch length blade.
The surface table can be tilted from 10 to 45-degrees and includes a nice aluminum fence. Now, if you draw your attention to the blade guide, you will see that this one has a tri-bearing blade guide setup. On the backside, there is a large 4-inch dust collection port if you want to attach your collection port.
Pros
- Solid and durable cast-iron table
- Easy to set up and use
- Changing the blades is effortless
Cons
- Don’t use the blade that comes with this saw
Now, the characteristics of this saw are exactly the same as the Grizzly Industrial G0555LX model. It is almost identical to this in terms of spec and design. In this low to med segment, most tools are manufactured by a single company. They are just rebranded by different companies.
Everything You Need To Know Before Buying A Resawing Bandsaw
One of the benefits of owning a bandsaw is that it allows you to resaw wood. If you don’t know what resawing is, it is essentially vertical ripping. You stand the board on the edge of saw and rip it through the blade into thinner stock.
There are a number of reasons why woodworkers prefer resawing on a bandsaw. First of all, you can take a piece of exotic or pricey wood and turn it into a thinner stock with precision. This way, you get better use of your stock and save wear and tear on your blades.
However, it isn’t that easy. A lot of woodworkers struggle with resawing. There are aspects of it that just make them pull their hair out. Now, before I get into all of that, the first thing you want to ensure is to get the best band saw for resawing.
And, to do that, you need to keep a couple of key factors in mind. This way, you will know what you want, what features to look for, and what to expect from the bandsaw that you will be buying.
Warranty
The reason why I’m talking about warranty first is that these are heavy machinery. You never know what part or component will get damaged from the shipment. That’s why it’s a good idea to check the warranty first before anything else.
It goes without saying that with any purchases, accidents can happen, and that’s why you need a good warranty period to back you up. It is also a good indicator of how durable the components are or how confident the manufacturer is with their products. Longer warranty on a bandsaw means it will easily last longer.
Power
Whether it’s a 10-inch or 14-inch model, the motor that drives your saw is important so that you get the power you need to cut through tough woodblocks. It’s the key to how effective your band saw will be.
Make sure the product you are choosing has a minimum of 1 HP motor powering it. For a saw like this, more power is better, but you don’t want to go below 1 HP. Anything less will make the saw struggle when you are ripping through a thick board.
Variable Speed
When resawing, it’s better to make a slow and steady cut, and this is why slower cutting speed is preferred. Most bandsaws out their will have two-speed settings. It’s a standard for this type of tool to have this feature.
When you are not resawing and want to make more intricate cuts, you can easily crank up the speed for faster and more accurate cuts.
Blade Guide Wheels
The wheels that drive the blade plays a significant role when it comes to the saw’s performance. Now, there is two material mostly used for making the spooked wheels – Aluminum and Cast iron.
In cheaper saws, you will mostly find aluminum wheels. They are lighter and cheaper to make. On the other hand, high-quality bandsaws will have cast-iron wheels. These are heavier wheels that are ideal for resawing.
Throat Capacity
For the resawing purpose, having a bigger throat capacity is better. A smaller throat capacity of 4 or 5 inches is insufficient for resawing. Make sure that the bandsaw you are buying has more than 8-inches of space between the saw table and the top blade guides.
Tips for Resawing – The Ultimate Guide
Before you start to resaw, you need to make sure to properly tune up your bandsaw to make sure that it is in peak condition and ready to make the best cuts possible. To achieve that, let me give you a couple of tips that I think can help you with resawing.
Properly Cutting A Veneer
For example, let’s say you want to cut a veneer from a block of mahogany wood that you can work on a project. The first thing to figure out is where the veneer comes off the board.
The best way to peel a veneer is from the outboard side of the board. It’s kind of counterintuitive if you are used to set up a table saw for this purpose. The piece you want to cut is not between the blade and the fence.
The Correct Cutting Approach
The reason why you want to cut on the outboard side is that if the skinny piece is between the blade and the fence, the board could collapse in and mess up your cut. So, you should set the fence so that the veneer comes off from your right-hand side.
Blade Selection
The other thing that is really important is blade selection. For bandsaw, you should go with low tension blades. There are a lot of benefits to using a low-tension blade.
With a blade like this, your bandsaw isn’t the one that is stressing out because of the lower tension of the blade. This means you will have more horsepower to spare to make the cut because you haven’t drawn the blade up so tight. You can get through bigger pieces more easily.
Using Thinner Kerf Blades
In addition, with a lower tension blade, you should also use a thinner kerf blade. It’s like a table saw where you run a thin kerf blade on your saw to take out less wood and not stress out the saw. The same principle goes here.
Because of the low tension, they have very little if any tendency to drift. So, when you do your fence setup, it’s much easier to do with thinner kerf, low tension blade in order to get a good quality cut.
Tooth Count Of The Blade
Look for a tooth count of 3 to 4 teeth per inch. This way, you will get a superior surface finish off of this blade that is also going to require very little work on the veneer itself to clean it up afterward.
Use A Push Pad
Although it’s not that important, it’s better to use a push pad in order to make the cut because you are taking the wood off the outboard side. This means the blade itself is very close to your hand.
If you want to be safe and don’t want to accidentally cut your fingers, I recommend you use a push pad just in case something goes wrong, and the blade does exit at some point; it won’t hit your fingers first.
Final Tips
To round it up, everything depends on the blade selection and also take it easy as you are pushing the material though. Try not to overfeed the woodblock and go along with the momentum.
If you follow these tips that I’ve stated here, you will end up with good cut quality, and you will really enjoy your resawing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How to avoid drift on a bandsaw when resawing?
No matter how you set your bandsaw up, a tensioned blade will want to drift. However, if you want to reduce drifting, try lowering the tension. If you want more details, have a look at this video.
How to clean the mess after resawing?
Make sure to turn on the dust collector if you have it available otherwise, you will end up with a lot of mess.
Can I resaw wood using a table saw?
While you can do that, it will be very time consuming because you would make to make two passes instead of one. It’s also a bit safer, especially if you are resawing veneer.
Aluminum or cast-iron, which guide wheel is better for resawing?
For the best performance, make sure the saw you are buying uses cast-iron wheels.
Final Thoughts
As I’ve said before, the preferred method of resawing wood is on a bandsaw because you have more control over your cuts. It’s also very safe and easy to use compared to a table saw.
However, picking the best bandsaw for resawing is crucial because there a lot of aspects that come into play. Hopefully, with the help of this guide, you will easily be able to find the right one for your needs.
