Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 17 hours ago
For close to two decades, I’ve fought my bandsaw when it comes to resawing lumber. It’s taken me almost that long to figure out the real issue isn’t the bandsaw or my setup. The actual problem, which continues to be a problem, is outdated blade technology.
Early blacksmiths discovered that if saw teeth were offset—or “set”—alternately left and right, it created a slightly wider kerf than the blade itself, which helped prevent binding. The problem, as I covered in my bandsaw drift video, is that if even a single tooth on one side or the other becomes damaged or dull, the blade will drift towards the side of least resistance. If you’re freehand cutting without a fence, this isn't much of an issue. But resawing is where the mind-numbing frustration kicks in.
Nowadays, we have carbide-tooth blades that don’t rely on setting. These blades don’t drift. This means I can make a series of cuts on a piece of lumber and get near-perfect results with minimal cleanup required later. The downside is that they create a wider kerf, but that doesn’t matter as I used to rely heavily on my planer to clean things up. The best part of carbide blades is that they last much longer than regular blades, making them worth the extra cost.
Check out my other channel! → @makethingswithrob
Become a patron! → patreon.com/makethings ←
Huge thank you to my patrons that keep this thing going!
*MAKER TEAM*
Michelle B
Keith Current
William L McNally
Rich Lightfoot
Tutor the Barbarian
Mike Lornitis
Les N.
Gary G.
Aubrey G.
Nukebert
Sam W.
Aaron Knows DIY
Doug F.
Make Things
#MTbitesize #makethings
For close to two decades, I’ve fought my bandsaw when it comes to resawing lumber. It’s taken me almost that long to figure out the real issue isn’t the bandsaw or my setup. The actual problem, which continues to be a problem, is outdated blade technology.
Early blacksmiths discovered that if saw teeth were offset—or “set”—alternately left and right, it created a slightly wider kerf than the blade itself, which helped prevent binding. The problem, as I covered in my bandsaw drift video, is that if even a single tooth on one side or the other becomes damaged or dull, the blade will drift towards the side of least resistance. If you’re freehand cutting without a fence, this isn't much of an issue. But resawing is where the mind-numbing frustration kicks in.
Nowadays, we have carbide-tooth blades that don’t rely on setting. These blades don’t drift. This means I can make a series of cuts on a piece of lumber and get near-perfect results with minimal cleanup required later. The downside is that they create a wider kerf, but that doesn’t matter as I used to rely heavily on my planer to clean things up. The best part of carbide blades is that they last much longer than regular blades, making them worth the extra cost.
Check out my other channel! → @makethingswithrob
Become a patron! → patreon.com/makethings ←
Huge thank you to my patrons that keep this thing going!
*MAKER TEAM*
Michelle B
Keith Current
William L McNally
Rich Lightfoot
Tutor the Barbarian
Mike Lornitis
Les N.
Gary G.
Aubrey G.
Nukebert
Sam W.
Aaron Knows DIY
Doug F.
Make Things
#MTbitesize #makethings
