Resawing without a bandsaw?

[atgcpaul]

I'm building this bar with a curved front.  It is 6' wide.  I'm planning a frame and panel front using 3/4" thick fingerjointed teak flooring (same stuff you see on the shelves).  Even if it weren't fingerjointed, I'm at a loss as how to make the two curved rails without a bandsaw (or tablesaw).  It's not a very sharp curve, but I don't think the fingerjoints would survive cold bending.  Maybe fashion some kind of steam box but then I'm concerned the glue in the fingerjoints could fail.  I'm also considering kerf cutting to make the bend, but you'll see the kerfs.  Maybe they can be hidden with thin molding?

I guess I could also try to hand resaw them and then glue them back together.  The frame will just be 2 1/4" wide.  I mean, that's how it used to be done, but there's got to be another way.

For cutting tools, I have a dual sided Japanese saw (rip and crosscut), cordless circular saw with 6 1/2" blade and Kreg edge guide, jigsaw, tracksaw with 4' track, and reciprocating saw.  The teak isn't extremely expensive (80cents/lf) so even if I butcher it, I can smooth it with handplane.

   

[jteneyck]

Rip it on your tablesaw.  You should be able to rip 2-1/4" w/o issue.  3/32" thick; 8 layers = 3/4".  Option two would be to ask a friend who owns a bandsaw to resaw the stock for you.  


John

[fredhargis]

It sounds like you don't have a tablesaw (?). if not, I think I'd try the kerf bending, and then glue a trim piece on it to hide the kerfs. My guess is your suppositions about the steam box and cold bending are correct.

[Stwood_]

Looks to me that should cold bend. Do a little at a time. Pull it down a third and let it set a day......etc etc.

[JohnnyEgo]

You can / I have split boards with a Sawzall and a long blade. You will lose a lot more material than you might think. Not just the kerf width; the blade will wander back and forth a lot, and you will lose a lot of thickness in jointing and planing. But I have split a 2 x 6 into two half inch boards with a corded Sawzall many years ago, so it can be done with some care. I split a lot more boards with a tablesaw and a thin rip blade before I had a bandsaw as well. Definitely a much easier approach.

[Don_M]

Two options;

Router: Make a template from ½” birch ply and attached to bottom of full width of material and then route the curve using either a bushing (on the router) or a pattern making bit. I have done this several times and it works fine. Just go slow and count on several passes. If you don’t own a router then welcome to one of the important reasons for building something – buying new tools!

Lamination: Take about six, 1/8” thick pieces laminated/glue and clamp against a curved form.

IMO – Kerf cutting would be a challenge. It would take quite a number of (deep) kerfs to bend hardwood.

[atgcpaul]

Looks to me that should cold bend. Do a little at a time. Pull it down a third and let it set a day......etc etc.

I started to give it a try, but I can just imagine it exploding.

It sounds like you don't have a tablesaw (?). if not, I think I'd try the kerf bending, and then glue a trim piece on it to hide the kerfs. My guess is your suppositions about the steam box and cold bending are correct.

Correct, no tablesaw with me.  I think I will give the kerf bending a try.  Using an online kerf bending calculator (https://www.blocklayer.com/kerf-spacingeng.aspx) and entering some knowns, it says I need to cut just 12 kerfs spaced every 24" at a depth of 9/16".  I'll cut twice as many kerfs in some scrap and see what happens.  It should be easy enough to clamp the two rails together (they are T&G), mark out my kerf lines, then use a speed square with my circular saw to cut these out.  I'll report back.

[Tapper]

"Router: Make a template from ½” birch ply and attached to bottom of full width of material and then route the curve using either a bushing (on the router) or a pattern making bit. I have done this several times and it works fine. Just go slow and count on several passes. If you don’t own a router then welcome to one of the important reasons for building something – buying new tools!"

^^^^^^^^^

Doug

[rwe2156]

Looks to me that should cold bend. Do a little at a time. Pull it down a third and let it set a day......etc etc.

I agree - more of an arc rather than a curve.

[Stwood_]

The problem with cutting distant kerfs, especially deep kerfs, is that you end up with bumps/rises, on the material. It is not a smooooooth bend/arc