Dwight Brown Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 I got some nice big viola size spruce (500mm) , It is in very nice wedges and the grain seems to be just about perfectly quartered. It is stamped 2013 so it is a bit new to use on anything but I was going to put it away in my hope chest/wood scholarship closet for a few years. Should it be sawn in two so it will season faster or should I just leave it alone. It is european wood if that matters. How new is too new? The spruce is really something, you can run your hands over the edges and the stuff just sings when you hold your ear to it. It smells so lovely and clean. OK, I'm a nut case :-) I I was thinking that I would need to find someone with a large bandsaw with a re-sawing blade or can it be done by hand (not by me!) DLB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Noon Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 This would do it: Shipping is a bit expensive, but I could do it no problem. If you are disorganized and might lose the halves, I'd avoid sawing them. It might season faster if they are resawed, but probably not by much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwight Brown Posted July 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Wow Don, that baby is a whopper! DLB "Me disorganized? I would loose my liver if it wasn't clearly labeled" :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Yacey Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 I have many billets that were sawed almost completely, save for the last 3/4 inch or so to hold the two pieces as one for storage. When preparing for use, the last little bit can be sawed by hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Húslař Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 I use this for hand cutting : Is is great tool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conor Russell Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 A good rip saw will make short work of it. You'll get one on ebay. There's a saw doctor who sells there, and his saws come properly sharpened and set. I got a Disston from him, and although I prefer my old English saw for maple as it has a bit less set, his is great for spruce. I often get three sides from a thick billet. Until you've used a good handsaw, you won't believe just how good they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berl Mendenhall Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Dwight, if you are going to have someone else saw them then by all means send them to a violin maker like Don. Don't trust them to just anyone with a ban saw, they will probably ruin them. Having said that, I agree with Conor. If you are going to saw a bunch, say six or eight, it will try your muscles. If you are just doing a top and a back, it's perfect. A properly set and sharpened rip saw will track straighter than you can probably do on a ban saw. Here is a jig I made for my bench. James Michael Jones made those beautiful rams horn wing nuts and long square headed bolts. I like using this jig just because I like using those wing nuts. It's amazing how well well made things work. They spin in and out on those bolts like they were machined together. Very well made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathan slobodkin Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 As Bill Y. says I always saw them through as far as the last 20 mm using the band saw and then turn off the saw to back them out. You need to make sure your saw is properly tuned and that you set the table so the cut comes dead center on both the top and bottom of the billet (plane the thick edge of the billet straight first). I have found with my old rockwell 14" saw that the best blade is a 1/4" 6TPI Hook. I've tried the "resaw" blades but the saw doesn't have enough power for them and the smaller blades work better.I use the same blades for resawing cello ribs as well. Just don't force the wood. Let the saw do the work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathan slobodkin Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Forgot to mention wood stored this way is definitely usable in five years and I start counting the day it came into my shop. No aspersions on wood dealers intended..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael.N. Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 To be honest Viola sized resawing is child's play in comparison to some types of bandsaw resawing. Even my rubbish bandsaw is capable of that. You can certainly hand saw it if you have a decent margin for waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwight Brown Posted July 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 Thanks guys! Those J.M.Jones wing nuts are magnificent. He cut the ff holes on the DaSalo viola yesterday. He has a wonderful aesthetic. DLB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bress Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 A good rip saw will make short work of it. You'll get one on ebay. There's a saw doctor who sells there, and his saws come properly sharpened and set. I got a Disston from him, and although I prefer my old English saw for maple as it has a bit less set, his is great for spruce. I often get three sides from a thick billet. Until you've used a good handsaw, you won't believe just how good they are. If you have a saw that only needs to be sharpened, Mark Harrel (http://www.badaxetoolworks.com/) will joint, sharpen and set your saw for $45. He did a first rate job on one of my saws. If the saw needs restoration work it's probably cheaper to buy a properly restored saw on eBay as Conor says. I'll be sending Mark a Bishop back saw to sharpen that I picked up at an estate sale. The Bishop is replacing a Disston with a handle that's a tad small for my hand. -Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCockburn Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 This would do it: Bandsaw - Aggie.JPG Shipping is a bit expensive, but I could do it no problem. If you are disorganized and might lose the halves, I'd avoid sawing them. It might season faster if they are resawed, but probably not by much. That is an extremely manly bandsaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violins88 Posted July 15, 2015 Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 This would do it: Bandsaw - Aggie.JPG Shipping is a bit expensive, but I could do it no problem. If you are disorganized and might lose the halves, I'd avoid sawing them. It might season faster if they are resawed, but probably not by much. The new DSM-5 is out. It lists "bandsaw envy" just below "penis envy" as a high ranking illness. It's an illness of mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Noon Posted July 15, 2015 Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 "bandsaw envy"... It's an illness of mine. I found the perfect cure, and I no longer covet any bandsaws. "Cuz I bought them and/or modified them to way beyond what I need. Here's the "little brother", outfitted with variable speed DC drive and a permanent magnet DC motor, plus more manly dust ports. It can also resaw just fine, if I put the bigger blade on it. Unfortunately, this cure does absolutely nothing for jointer envy, which has gotten worse since Roger Hargrave posted his photos. If I cure that, then I'm sure my "shop size" envy will get really bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.