Resaw With Hand Tools
20160804_213900
So, let's say you have a board that is 1" thick, but you want a board that is 1/4" thick; you have two options. 1. You can run it through the planer and turn 3/4" of White oak into dust. 2. You can cut it down to thickness and keep a board that is over 1/2" thick. I think most of us see the wisdom in #2, but feel the pain of being out of breath after cutting through that much wood. To see which is truly easier, I tested two different methods of doing just that and cutting the board by hand
First, is the standard method of making a mark where the cut should be, grabbing a hand saw, and making the cut. This method can be fast, but it also scares a lot of people.
The second method is one that has become more common recently and that is to make a kerf on either side of the board for the saw to run in then grab a large frame saw and rip it down quickly.
The first may be simpler, but if executed well the second can be a lot faster, and with a properly set saw, it can be a lot cleaner too.
So which method would you like to try? Here is the video comparing the two different setups.