Resawing at the Tablesaw

It’s often the perfect tool for the job.

- Paul Anthony

The technique of resawing refers to slicing wood across its widest dimension. It’s basically a form of slabbing done to make thin stock from thick stock. It’s also used to create book-matched figure, where resawn pieces are edge-joined to create a mirrored pattern for use as a door panel, box lid, or tray bottom.

Resawing is usually done on the bandsaw, which is good at slicing wide boards, and in one pass. Plus, the thin blade on a bandsaw makes a narrower kerf, reducing waste and increasing yield. That said, resawing on a bandsaw can be fussy, and depends on a sharp blade, well adjusted guides, and a meticulous fence setup. On the other hand, resawing on the tablesaw is fairly straightforward. Although making deep cuts like this with the stock on edge can feel like a dicey operation, it’s not dangerous with the proper saw setup. And, by cutting in from both edges of a board, you can effectively double the cutting depth of the blade, allowing a typical 10" tablesaw to resaw stock up to 6" wide.

5 keys to safe, successful resawing