Question: Resaw fences

[CDPeters]

I am curious to know what you think about the 2 prevalent fence styles used for resawing on the bandsaw, the full fence vs. the single contact point "guide".

Which do you use / prefer? Why?

My thoughts are that the full fence, carefully set up and corrected for any drift, would produce better results, while the single contact point "guide" might be quicker to set up, but also might be trickier to produce nice straight resaw rips.

What are your thoughts on the subject?:eusa_thin

Thanks!
Chris

 

[jdulaney]

Never have I used a full fence, but I have used the guide and gotten decent results. I don't claim it was perfectly square when all was said and done, but I figured that was what the plane was for.

 

[Joe Scharle]

I don't think there is a single answer. I use a flat fence with wood that's dry and straight grained. Grainy stuff will have me using a point fence and sometimes I'll use a point fence with straight grained wood simply because I'm to lazy to change a blade that I know has drift, but still very sharp. A flat fence is a joy to use when cutting a lot of veneer and the output only needs sanding.

This fence is pretty much always on one band saw.

View image in gallery

And this point fence just pops on and off as needed.
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View image in gallery​

 

[TBradley190]

I agree with Joe, no correct answer. I can tell you since my Ricon purchase, I have experimented alot with both and I'm leaning toward the tall flat fence more and more especially since I've got set properly now. Atleast with the 3/4 woodslicer blade. But their are some plus to a single point also.


Tim

 

[Bill Clemmons]

I think it depends on whichever you are most comfortable w/, and what you're trying to cut. I'm more comfortable w/ a tall fence, but have been known to use a single point guide (although not very well).

Here's a fence I made for my Rikon 14" (10-325). The fence that comes w/ it isn't the best feature of the saw.
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View image in gallery​

View image in gallery​

Bill

 

[Robert]

"Atleast with the 3/4 woodslicer blade. But their are some plus to a single point also. "

Maybe that's the key I was looking/listening for, blade width being used with either method.

Is their a difference in the minimum width blade recommended to be used with either guide fence? or would it be about the same for both?

Thanks,
Robert

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Robert, I use a 1/2" Woodslicer blade from Highland for resawing and have been extremely pleased w/ it. I do all my "scroll" cutting on another 14" BS w/ a 1/4" blade on it.

Bill

 

[Ken Massingale]

Interesting fence Bill. Will you share some info on the design, please? And, what's the orange stuff? :=)

 

[tryingtokeepmyfingers]

1/2" Woodslicer blade from Highland for resawing

yea I have that blade also and so far it is a dream..

so far I like the flat fence and have gotten good even cuts doing it that way...

on the topic of bandsaws what about the wheels being coplanar. I read book about setting up the bandsaw after I bought my rikon 14" used and to get the wheels coplanar as the guide I was using I had to adjust washers to make the wheels in line... I thought I was doing the right thing but at the wood working show the Carter bandsaw guy said I totally messed up and the offset was on purpose and that doing that will come back and bite me with the blade coming off one day... It all looks right to be and the blade tracks great and I have gotten good cuts. I just wondered it anyone else had thoughts about this and I do not think it is too far off track since the better your saw is set up the easier to get a straight cut with the fence..

anyway

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Interesting fence Bill. Will you share some info on the design, please? And, what's the orange stuff? :=)

Ken, the fence is kind of a copy of a copy of a copy of my original fence. :eusa_thin I posted pics of a fence I made for another BS (it can be seen in the background of the second pic), then Salem (eyekode) improved on that and posted pics, then Padauk improved it even more and posted pics in this thread. By then I had my Rikon and needed a bigger, better fence, so I copied Padauk's fence, although mine isn't nearly as pretty or nice as his. You can see more pix of Padauk's fence here, and mine here, along w/ my first crude version. Confusing, isn't it. :icon_scra

What I like about this version is that the fence is tall enough for wide boards, yet still allows the blade supports to come almost all the way down. It is also adjustable for drift.

The orange stuff is surveyors tape draped over the blade supports. The Rikon has a tension release lever in the back, and I release the tension on the blade when I finish w/ it each time. The orange tape is attached to the lever to remind me to tighten the tension BEFORE I turn it on. Otherwise I'll forget and all h*#@ will break loose. :gar-Cr

Bill

 

[ScottM]

I am sure it is just me and lack of experience but I have had better success with a single point fence. The stock I re-saw is seldom more then 8" high.

 

[jhreed]

Bill, re-orange tape. There are 3 signs of encroaching sinility. The first is memory loss, uh! I forget what the other two are.
James

 

[Joe Scharle]

Bill, re-orange tape. There are 3 signs of encroaching sinility. The first is memory loss, uh! I forget what the other two are.
James

James, shouldn't that be:
There are 3 signs of encroaching sinility. The first is memory loss, uh! I forget the other one

 

[striker]

I use a fence but add a spacer block so the material only contacts the fence on the front half of the table. In other words, the material only comes in contact with the fence prior to going through the blade . This prevents the resawn material from pushing off the fence if it takes a bow after sawing.

Stephen

 

[Mike Wilkins]

A lot will depend on the type saw you have. The larger machines, like my Laguna LT18 uses a 1" blade for resawing. And with the power of this machine, the large cast iron wheels and the beam strength from the wide blade, I have never had a problem with drift. Smaller saws do not have the capacity to tension a blade properly, and therefore have to make adjustments for drift.

I use a tall fence for most all cuts with this machine other than curved/scroll cuts.

There are some great books on the subject of setting up a bandsaw properly, using either the tall fence method or adjusting for drift. One of the best ones is by Lonnie Bird published by the Taunton Press. When in doubt, open a book. :thumbs_up

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Bill, re-orange tape. There are 3 signs of encroaching sinility. The first is memory loss, uh! I forget what the other two are.
James

What orange tape? :icon_scra:rotflm:

 

[Ken Massingale]

I use a fence but add a spacer block so the material only contacts the fence on the front half of the table. In other words, the material only comes in contact with the fence prior to going through the blade . This prevents the resawn material from pushing off the fence if it takes a bow after sawing.

Stephen

Excellent suggestion Stephen, thanks.

 

[merrill77]

I use a tall fence. If you have one board to resaw, the point fence might be quicker. If you have 5-10, then the time spent adjusting the fence for the drift pays off pretty quick. I get better results with the tall fence and a tall featherboard.