If you remember, I was
trying out the Festool Rotex RO 150 Sander/Polisher a couple of weeks ago,and I was so
taken with how the walnut plank looked, that I decided to "celebrate" the open
split rather than to cut around it. The plank is 1 1/4" thick so I want to re-saw the
section in half and butterfly the sections as panels for doors in a CD cabinet.
I start by marking a 6" by 26" area that will show the split best.
The board has no good edge, so I literally place the rectangle where I want it.
|
 |
 |
This should give you a
better view of what I am doing.
|
I have moved the plank to
the Festool Multifunction Table where I am aligning the line I have marked for one side
with the carpenter's square which I have resting against the guide rail. I nudge the plank
until it is square to the guide.
|
 |
 |
With the saw on the guide
rail, I plunge the saw to check that the plunge depth just allows the blade to touch the
kerf in the table top.
|
I am making the
first cut. The plank is so heavy, I have not felt it is necessary to add any hold
down clamps. I do keep firm pressure on the saw and the guide rail. The wood is dense, but
the saw cuts it without motor strain. Once again, the vacuum pickup works. There is no
sawdust to be found.
|
 |
 |
I shift the wood and setup
and make the second cross cut.
|
With the piece cut to
length, I have rested it on the long side and am clamping it so that I can rip the length.
It is a few inches too long to use the table's own guide rail.
|
 |
 |
The red Jorgenson hold downs
do fine on the board, but I install the Festool clamps in the guide channel and clamp the
guide securely to the workpiece.
|
I align the guide rail to
the rip cut line I have drawn and make the cut.
|
 |
 |
I have moved the board and
reset the guide to make the final cut. In the space of 5 minutes, I have made the four
cuts from a very irregular board. The cuts are sharp and accurate — and the whole
task was safe.
|
In the past, I have resawn
boards using the bandsaw. I want to try a different method today. I set up the table saw
with a clean rip blade that I have set to cut right down the middle of the board. The cut
height is set to cut less that half way through.
|
 |
 |
I have made the first cut
and have flipped the board end-to-end and make a cut from the other side. You can see that
about 1" remains uncut in the center of the board. Doing re-sawing this way keeps the
board together and gives you more control of the piece. If I were slicing all the way
through, the inside board would want to be kicked back. Note that the closer magnetic
holddown is set in place but barely "kissing" the wood. I want to keep the board
in line but not cinch the kerf.
|