Perfect veneers sliced at the bandsaw

This video is about getting consistent slices of veneer. My method involves a super simple jig to make cutting your veneers the same size thickness every single time! It’s repeatability utilizes drill bits for sizing in tiny increments if needed. This tip and many more can be found in my new Ebook "Tricks of the Trade" Volume I.
ramonvaldezfinefurniture.com/...
And my website:
ramonvaldezfinefurniture.com/
Lots of woodworking tips, projects in progress, finished pieces and more at my Instagram account:
/ ramonartful

[@tomtomisek]

Dang, I keep thinking I know how to do something... then, Ramon really shows me how it should be done. Thanks for posting this stuff, Ramon!

[@ramonartful]

Ha ha…thanks. It is the best way I’ve found to consistently set up my bandsaw to slice veneers. I use to slice a ton of em and needed a better way than trying to guess with the factory fence!

[@heruvey87]

next project pay check im buying the E book , im calling him sensei

[@stewartmcmanus3991]

Well, that was clever, why didn't I think of it????? Thanks mate, Stewart, south west Australia.

[@ramonartful]

I love this jig! My tall fence can be set precisely with drill bits…right to the 64th of an inch. Oh wait…right to the tenth of a millimeter 😬 thanks Stewart

[@Sbregher]

Headed over to get your e-book! Your tips are awesome!

[@ramonartful]

Thank you tons for the support!

[@cdbflynow]

Clever setup Ramon. Thanks for sharing. Paul

[@ramonartful]

Thanks Paul! Thanks for checking it out

[@user-sk5po9ni6v]

Hey Ramon, tried your technique, and got some perfect .02" veneers. Not often do I run into advice that actually works. Love ya man!

[@ramonartful]

That is great to hear! Thanks a ton

[@Brian-dr2yi]

He is just on another level.

[@markpeterman]

If you glue a sacrificel board to the outside of the veneer board, when you reach near the end of the veneer board, you aren't trying to push thru a thin board without any support.

[@ramonartful]

I’m just over here having fun Brian! 😬

[@ramonartful]

Good tip, Mark

[@neisendesign]

Thanks for another great tip, Ill be trying this out tomorrow!

[@ramonartful]

It’s a method I came up with years ago when I had to slice veneer in the same thickness when I taught a marquetry class. The problem was other people in the shop would move the fence at the band saw. My simple jig solved the problem. Occasionally, we would cut different thickness veneers...hence the drill bit trick. Thanks for checking it out

[@patrickosullivan9422]

Thank you, this is my first visit to your site, I am very impressed, great tips.

[@ramonartful]

Hey, welcome and thanks for the good words!

[@johnfrazier9327]

Great tips!

[@ramonartful]

Thanks John!

[@scottcallan3897]

great idea, thanks so much

[@ramonartful]

I love this trick...so effective, accurate and repeatable! Thanks

[@brenon4766]

I don’t really veneer much. But......I do have a repetitive ripping task on the bandsaw that this would work perfectly for! No setup fuss.

[@ramonartful]

I really do love this trick. It works well to set up quickly and accurately! Thanks

[@AnthonyScopatz]

This is an amazing tip!

[@ramonartful]

Thanks a ton! I love that simple jig!

[@TreeOfLifeWoodworking]

wow i love this!!! im gonna make this

[@ramonartful]

It’s one of my favorite jigs…quick easy and accurate! Thanks

[@arubanjames]

You are a master!

[@ramonartful]

Ha ha …thanks! Always a student! 😬

[@junolanding558]

How cool is that? It's extremely cool Ramone! The same jig can be used with set up blocks for other thicknesses. My tape measure will never touch my saw blade again. Thank you Sensei Ramone!

[@ramonartful]

Thank you for watching! I’m getting footage together for a future video that will be focused on stops, blocks and spacers in the wood shop. Such a huge timesaver and massive help with accuracy.

[@bullfrogpondshop3179]

New subscriber, really cool tip! But I feel like you left out one important detail: how to make the setup jig so that it accurately lines up with the left side of the blade?

[@ramonartful]

Hmmm…good point. Well it’s quite simple. Using a straight board along the left side of the blade…make sure the teeth engage this board and clamp it down. It needs to be parallel to the right edge of the table. Then place a piece of 1/4” material…sized to fit the remaining area of the cast iron top plus a bit more extended past the right edge. (Cut a notch to clear the blade) It helps to clamp this as well. Then add a cleat (or two if your table has a pin, like mine) under the 1/4” piece…glue, pin or screw into place. I loooove this thing…use it all the time! Hope that helps. Much thanks.

[@carpicabeckers6029]

Sei un grande!

[@ramonartful]

Muchas gracias!

[@weltonfickeisen2294]

Thanks for the great videos. What blade are you using for resawing?

[@ramonartful]

Thank you. I’ve been using 1” wide, Lenox Woodmaster...carbide tipped. They cut good , last long. But I’ve had a few with bad welds. It doesn’t seem to effect the cut, just mostly annoying as the blade moves forward and backwards slightly as it cuts.

[@Hatchmade]

I have yet to get a clean resaw off my saw. I don't get any drift but I think I usually feed it too fast. How fast do you normally push it through?

[@ramonartful]

That’s a good question that I should have talked about in the video. Feed rate (on any machine) is important, of course. The router, table saw, bandsaw...they will all tell you how you’re doing. The sound should be right. If the machine is struggling, the motor will be screaming! I hear small routers on IG all the time just crying for a slower feed rate! 😆. Slow and steady is best at the band saw. Too slow isn’t good either...it needs slight , constant pressure. It’s hard to tell someone about proper feed rate...but listening to how the machine sounds will tell you a lot. I have an IGTV video that talks about other factors like bearing block adjustment, blade tension, etc. Those aspects are everything to getting a bandsaw cutting properly.

[@reforzar]

Brilliant. Do you rejoint the face after cutting to cut the next veneer?

[@ramonartful]

Not usually. Most times I just slice all my veneer, then run em all through the drum sander. If the cut is clean...this works well and is fast. I do at times (if it’s only one or a few pieces) I’ll slice at the bandsaw, joint, slice, etc. thanks

[@chornykot03]

how did you make that jig to be exactly 0 from the blade? also is it 0 from the back of the blade or from the tooth that is set towards the fence?

[@ramonartful]

I removed the tapered pin that levels the split table...at this point the jig is wild (big) but has the cleats in place. I begin to make the cut for about an inch (25 mm) and stop the saw. I now have a perfect reference mark. At the table saw...flip the jig upside down and make a clean, straight cut. The cut should be 0 at the teeth of the blade. This relates exactly to where the band saw makes the cut...or dead on “zero inches”. (Millimeters 😬)

[@befmx31]

Ramon, you mentioned Alex's video on bandsaw setup. His set up says to put the gullets of the blade in the center of the wheel. Your saw looks like it is sporting a 1 inch blade. The wheel on that saw, if I am not mistaken, is 1 inch wide. So do you run the gullets in the center of the wheel and allow the back of the blade to hang off the wheel? I have the Griz 513BXF. Thanks.

[@befmx31]

513 XBF

[@ramonartful]

Hello…I had to go look! 😆 The rubber wheel is almost 1 1/4” wide…and the back of the gullets are close to the center of the wheel. The blade is indeed hanging off the back edge. Which means, the front of the blade has the most tension which allows it to track straight…or inline with the miter slot and fence. Hope that helps. Thanks

[@befmx31]

@@ramonartful Hey, thanks for the reply. I have always wondered if it was okay to run the blade like that. I never got a 1 inch blade because I wasn't sure. If you are running yours like that then it must not be a problem. My next blade will be 1 inch. I currently use a 3/4 inch Woodslicer. I think my biggest problem when in comes to resawing is blade tension. Do you have a good way to set the tension? I mean the "pushing it with your finger" thing is just so subjective. Thanks.

[@ramonartful]

@@befmx31 Yeah...it works. And you're right...pushing on the side of the blade has too many variables. Besides what you mentioned...how much space between the wheels should there be? Anyway, I do the blade tension by the flutter test. I have an Instagram video on it but I couldn't find it. Google the "flutter test, band saw". It works well. thanks

[@befmx31]

@@ramonartful thanks. I have heard of the flutter but I will look for it. Thanks again.

[@billystray7007]

Ramon, curiosity question; did you come up with this system because you weren't getting good results resawing with the factory fence ? IE tracking away from the fence?

[@ramonartful]

Hey Billy. Yes…my results were hit/miss with the factory fence. I did a lot of research and realized that many bandsaws don’t automatically cut parallel to the fence. (Band saw drift) But I wanted it to…why else have a fence!? By trial and error I determined that by placing the gullets of the blade near the crowned wheel that it would track much better. Now, it’s cutting true and parallel with the edge of the table or miter slot. I use to cut a ton of veneer for my marquetry classes and needed a way to quickly, consistently and accurately slice veneers the thickness I needed. The drill bits and shop made jig work amazingly well. I use it all the time. The cursor on my fence can only get me close, but with my method , I can now set it up to within 1/64”! Thanks

[@billystray7007]

@Ramon Valdez Fine Furniture exactly what I'm thinking !!! Why have a fence if it doesn't work?!! Thanks Ramon

[@paulyanney3151]

What brand/type blade are you using? Thanks

[@ramonartful]

I’m using a Woodmaster carbide tipped blade by Lenox…sold by Spectrum Supply. I think 1 1/2 teeth per inch. They last a good while and cut clean. Thanks

[@homezero]

Question: is the width of the blade important? Would it be repeatable with a 1/4-inch blade?

[@ramonartful]

Great question! And yes, it is important. In general, you’ll want a wider blade for re-sawing. Think about it like this… Narrow blades are designed for making curved cuts… The narrower, the tighter the turn. Conversely, a wider blade will track straighter…hence, a better choice when slicing boards at the band saw. Thanks

[@homezero]

@@ramonartful Thank you for the fast response. I am surprised at how many do not even look at the comment and just click "Like" if that. Thanks again!

[@ramonartful]

@@homezero I feel that it's important to engage...at least answer questions! Much thanks

[@marka9292]

What blade do you use for resawing

[@ramonartful]

I’ve been using a 1” wide carbide tipped Woodmaster from Lennox. I buy them from Spectrum Supply. Pricey, but cut extremely well and last a long time even in tricky exotics. Thanks www.spectrumsupply.com/band-saw-blades.aspx

[@derekcraig3617]

You said that you set your cuts to come out at 5/64 (a hair over 1/16). so then why did your five veneer sheets stacked up come out to 5/16 instead of 25/64 or (6/16 + 1/64?) sorry if it's a dumb question.

[@ramonartful]

Not a dumb question at all. I cut them at the bandsaw a tad over 1/16”…literally 5/64”. After running them through the drum sander to remove all bandsaw marks, they’re dead on nuts 1/16”. To check the accuracy of my efforts, I stack em to check the dimensions. Five pieces sanded to 1/16” equaled 5/16”. Hope that helps. Much thanks.

[@eatdrinkwineguy]

So good! What is the blade size?

[@ramonartful]

Thanks! I use the Woodmaster carbide tipped, 1” wide, 2 TPI (I’ve used 1.3 teeth per inch as well, both good) Bandsaw Blades Direct carries em. I will say this...I have received two blades with bad welds. They seem to not be exactly straight in line ...front to back. So, as you’re making a cut, the blade moves forward and backwards slightly as the weld passes the rear roller supports. It doesn’t seam to effect the cuts...just annoying. But the blades last long. I’ve sliced miles of hard, dense, splintery Wenge many times.

[@enzprintco.8625]

Drink every time he says “boom”! Jk lol. Great tip!!! Thanks! :)

[@ramonartful]

Ha ha…I’d get drunk really quick! Thanks 🙏🏼

[@waterboy8999]

Hey Ramon, I've watched this one before and here I am watching again but I've stopped at the part where the guy uses tape on the drill bits, I know a guy that would use magnets and make him look like an amateur, the guy I'm talking about uses magnets on everything! I love your videos man.

[@ramonartful]

Ha ha…I know! I’ve been wanting to add magnets to the back side of the fence for that exact reason! You’ve inspired me to do it! Thank you tons 😬👊🏼

[@waterboy8999]

@@ramonartful tour welcome, I bet that made you laugh!

[@Tensquaremetreworkshop]

Interesting how woodworkers 'invent' techniques that are standard practice for machinists. Dowel pins for standard sizes, gauge blocks for anything else.

[@ramonartful]

All I know is that I’ve never seen anyone create a jig that makes the left side of the blade at 0”…and uses drill bits as spacers for super accurate set ups. It works amazingly well. My dad was a machinist so I like accuracy 😬 thanks

[@Tensquaremetreworkshop]

@@ramonartful No, they would reference the inside of the blade. A jig such as yours depends on a number of settings remaining static. Including, but not limited to, drive wheel rubber wear, table movement on adjustment trunnion, thermal expansion of table vs jig, debris on jig, kerf thickness, etc. Ideally one measures as directly as possible. The crucial two items are the distance between the inner kerf of the blade (not the face) to the fence, and the parallelism between blade and fence. The latter has some tolerance, as the material only needs to clear the back edge of the blade. There is a device called a 'blade buddy', which attaches magnetically to the blade, and extends front and back. This is used to align the fence angle to match the blade (the actual angle of the blade is dependent on the rubber that covers the wheels, which is both not flat and can have crud on it. Not something to rely on). A small strip with a magnet set into it would both attach to the blade and hold thickness shims to set the distance. A 'tail' could also have a magnet and hold the second shim. There is a further improvement that can be made- but I will save that, as I think I will add a video to my site on how to construct such a jig.

[@hellomate639]

Heh. I'm watching this so I have a much faster way of cutting pieces for instruments.

[@ramonartful]

It’s my favorite way to quickly set up the band saw. Wanna cut seams that are beautiful and quick right on a table saw? Check out this video. Perfect Veneer Seams! kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5iuhIuDeq9op5I Much thanks.