How do you set up a band saw for resawing and are the Carter guides worth the money?
Rob Johnstone: I got to play with… I mean test … the Carter guides at a trade show and, in that brief bit of time, found it worked very nicely. Are they worth the money? What do you use your band saw for? If you use it for intricate and accurate shaped cutting, I would say yes. If you use it just for resawing and rough cutting, I would say no. As to how to tune up your saw, look to the article linked to this page.
Ian Kirby:”Begin with a sharp blade designed for resawing. Get the tension and tracking right by trial and success. Use a short fence ? a nosed or rounded end block will do for some people ? about the height of the cut. Don’t force the feed. You need to let the sawdust be carried away or it can be instrumental in causing the cut to wander.
I happen to like Carter guides and think they are worth the money.
Michael Dresdner: I have tried several resaw setups, and few work well. Oddly enough, I have had better luck simply sawing to a drawn line on the wood with no fence at all. As for Carter guides, they are great, but it depends on what they are replacing as to whether or not they are worth the price.
Ellis Walentine: With a 1/2″ x 3 tpi (teeth per inch) hook-tooth blade on the saw and tensioned tightly, I raise the upper guide above the work, clamp a “point fence” to the table to the right of the blade, gauge a line on the top of the board I’m resawing, and feed the stock at the highest feed rate the saw will take without bogging. Blades are designed to cut best, with the least chatter, when there is solid feed pressure. The best blade I’ve used for resawing is the Lenox Pro-Master III, with variable pitch carbide teeth. At about a buck and a half an inch, it’s a big initial investment, but it pays for itself in excellent cuts and long blade life. You can also have it resharpened. As for Carter guides, I know there are plenty of people who rave about them, but I personally think they’re very noisy. They also don’t support the blade close enough to the work to suit me. I’ve been hearing good things about Louis Iturra’s new ceramic-roller aftermarket guides. If I had a saw that they fit, I’d give them a try. It beats the expense and hassle of replacing the whole guide system.
