Quandry

[Tynyyn]

So Bandit is tossing build threads on here all of the time and I feel so inadequate because of his desire and skills with working on the wood.  I hate you Bandit.



I have one build project which has been sitting on my workbench for a very long time.  I just cannot get off "Go" and have procrastinated so long I've about lost interest in this project.  All it is is a saw till.  Two sides, two French cleats notched into recesses in the sides for the back and maybe a couple of drawers on the bottom.  It ain't rocket science, but I am wanting to do this project unplugged.  Now comes the reason for my procrastination..... the sides.  I have two hand planed 7" x 18" x 1-1/8" pieces of red oak which I've been dealing with.  What I want to do is saw one piece into two halves, but do it with a rip saw.  It would be so easy to cut it on my table saw or resaw it with the band saw, yet I have told myself over and over to go unplugged.

I have two rip saws, one is a 3-1/2 tpi and the other is a 5 tpi.  Which one should/could I use?  Would 1/2" sides be thick enough for a till which will hold about 15 hand saws?  I've spent a lot of time getting these two red oak boards planed square and flat that I would hate to cut one in half just to have the sided not be strong enough for the weight.

Thoughts from you guys?

[Rick Barton]

Argue for your limitations and sure enough they're yours.

[DaveParkis]

I'm a looong way from being a good woodworker, but I think the 1/2" boards should be fine unless you really load up the drawers. As to which saw t use, I think either one will be fine. The 3 1/2 will cut faster but you'll need to be a bit more careful.

[Admiral]

5pt, and yes, no problem.

[Rob Young]

5pt, and yes, no problem.

Yep, either a resaw or a rip operation with a 5pt saw is pretty easy.

And at 1/2" you can use a finer saw if you are ripping.

8pt-ish saws are very common and nice to have around.

[bandit571]

Hmmmm
 

   
Get busy.....

[MattP]

5pt, and yes, no problem.

I agree. I just ripped two pieces of 4/4 red oak with a 9 point because it is the coarsest cutting saw I have. Not feeling a lot of sympathy for you not wanting to rip 1/2" with a 5 point I'd have killed for last weekend.
 Get to work!