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[Jarrod]

I ran across this thread while searching for info on cedar, and just had to post an update...  yeah, I'm a showoff. 

I did wind up getting the harbor freight 4-speed bandsaw, but I got it from craigslist.  And I only paid $75 for it.   The same guy also sold me a ryobi thickness planer for $125.

Can you say stoked?   

I've done some work on the bandsaw to get it up to snuff for the resawing I hope to do with it.   first thing was to put some wheels under it so I could move it around.   Then I added a table extension on three sides to get a little more work surface, as well as a fold-away extension to support the long stock I plan to resaw as it passes the blade.   The other big reason for the table extension was to have a place to mount T-tracks so I could do fine adjustments to the fence to correct for blade drift.   Add to that the "Woodslicer" resaw blade from Highland, some Cool Block guideblocks, and new urethane bandsaw tires, and I should be really well set up for cutting skin strips.   I figure I've got about $150 into it right now.   Yes, I'm a happy boy.





I've already run the thickness planer through its paces, ran all my remaining balsa from Ecuador through it.  That stuff was very uneven in thickness, almost as if some gringo just tried to mill it all up on a big table saw.    the balsa was virtually unusable as it was, and with the thickness planer I was able to get it all to a consistent thickness, and the finish from the planer is so fine it looks like it's been polished.   About half of the wood was good at just under 1/8", and the rest I had to take all the way down to 1/16.   Not a bit of trouble with the planer at that thickness, very confidence-inspiring.   



I hope I don't sound like I'm bragging...  I'm just thrilled to have been able to assemble the tools I need to really do some good work, and at a seriously unbelievable price.   The guy I got them from was selling off his wood tools because he was tired of messing with wood.   He also had a full-sized craftsman lathe and ALL the accessories for turning bowls and platters and stuff...   Only $125 for that too, but I just didn't have room for it or adequate desire to learn to work it.   It was still very difficult to walk away from, however.

Anyway, more updates to come as I start doing some serious resawing!

[Jarrod]

I've seen the future of Oldham compsands, and it isn't balsa.  Except maybe the rails.  I went to lowes and sorted through an entire pallet of cedar 2x4s to cut into strips on the bandsaw.  This shit is sexy.  Crazy colors on this stuff, too bad most of what is in the store is so knotty.  But with careful resawing I'm hoping to get a board's worth of skin material out of each 2x4.

[SuperFatPat]

Hi Jarrod,

Looking good.  Cedar is fun to play with.  I'd love to pick your brain a bit on technique for the thickness planer.  How do you avoid snipe with the long pieces of wood that you're running through?  I had lots of issues with unevenness when I tried to go down to 1/16".   Care to share any specifics?  Looking forward to seeing some cedar boards.

Pat

[Glenn Shotwell]

Great setup on the outfeed table, I like how it folds out of the way.  Are you using the t-track to hold the re-saw fence or are you clamping one on from the inside of the saw, or using the t-track and clamps?  I'd be interested to see how that goes.

Also great to hear you get thin stock out of the planer.   Hope you can get some balsa or paulownia to make stock from soon.

[Jarrod]

I wish I could say I had some special technique I could share WRT the thickness planer, but its really just dumb luck.  I just crank that sucker down as far as it will go and send 'em through.  I did get some snipe on a couple, but there didn't seem to be any particular reason.   For the most part it worked well.  The only pieces I had problems with had to do with the grain, or with the wood being kind of wet.

I got the T-track and knobs from rockler.com, that was actually the main reason for making the extension table to begin with, for some place to mount the t-track.  The outfeed table was actually kind of an afterthought, but I'm very glad I had it after a day of resawing wood.  The first cedar stick I tried to cut had me beating my head against the wall, I was sure my cheap saw was going to drift all over the place.  Figured out it, it was just some weird grain in that wood, the rest of the sticks cut just as pretty as can be.

I'm putting some of the wood to use right now, should have something to show for it soon.