slicing up 2" thk flame maple

[Jedi Clampett]

I was able to buy a 2" thk by 10" wide by 24" slab of flame maple, just wondering how you would slice it up. I have access to a 14" bandsaw, would saw it by hand, but have never figured out how to do that? So wiping the slate clean, I am looking for ideas to slice this up into 1/4" slices? Time is not important I am retired and I may just need some special handsaw? However I would be grateful for ideas?

[Barry Daniels]

You might want to search the forum for the term "resaw" in the title. Should be lots of threads on the subject. Your bandsaw is the right tool but it will need to be setup properly using the right kind of blade.

[Clay Schaeffer]

If you have a table saw you can kerf both sides to remove much of the material and then remove the center section with a handsaw using the kerfs as a guide. This method can also be done on a bandsaw, but most 14 inch saws will only cut up to 8 inches (with the upper guides removed) unless they have a riser block.

[Gordon Bellerose]

How you slice this wood, depends on what kind of guitar, or guitars, you are going to build.
Do you want it for acoustic, or electric guitars?

If it was me, this is how I would do it.
For Electrics:
First, cut the width down to around 6 1/2 inches. A 14 inch band saw will then be able to re-saw to the desired thickness. The left-over 3 1/2 inch piece can be used for other things.
Be sure to use a good sharp blade, as wide as the machine will handle.

For acoustics:
A bit more difficult. If the 14 inch band saw has a riser, allowing it to cut up to 10 inches thick, no problem. If not, then you can use a good rip blade on the table saw, as Clay said above.
Stand the piece on edge, and rip approx. 3 - 3 1/2 inches deep from either side to the thickness you desire, and finish by hand. This is of course, a bit more wasteful, as the kerf is a bit thicker. And the hand portion will test your patience.
You may want to take that beautiful piece of wood to a professional shop, and get it re-sawn to the thickness you want, for whatever type of guitar you are building.

[David King]

If the maple isn't quarter sawn would it even make sense to slice it up for acoustics?
Regarding setting up the bandsaw, your most important tool will be a similar sized block of scrap hardwood that can show how how well or how poorly the blade is tracking. You probably don't want to find that out on your nice wood.

Ripping on the table saw first always seems like a waste of wood to me but I have been forced to do it on a couple of occasions. I have a 10" ripping blade that cuts a 1/16" kerf that I use only for that job.

I like the bands I get from http://www.spectrumsupply.com/kerfmaste ... total.aspx
I bought a 1/8" diamond chainsaw file off Amazon for $5 to resharpen them and it works really well for me. My 5/8" x .016" blade takes out only .029" per slice and tracks nicely through 8" of wood. I end up with about .003 to .005 of irregularity that needs to come off each face on the jointer.

[Bob Hammond]

Really, I'd like to know if that is your true given name. No disrespect intended, but it sounds a bit fantastic.

[Peter Wilcox]

Really, I'd like to know if that is your true given name. No disrespect intended, but it sounds a bit fantastic.

I was born over 10yrs before the Beverly Hillbilly TV show, my first name is Jedidiah which is from the bible, so when the tv show came out, I was called "Jed" as a nickname, but when starwars came out in the 70s people started calling me Jedi which is a contraction of my name.
at least it is not Dweezel!

http://www.mimf.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2684

[Peter Wilcox]

For electrics, (as Gordon says), depending on the wood (figure/straightness/defects), I'd cut a 3" to 3 1/2" board off one side - probably enough for 2 necks with 3-on-a-side headstocks. Then resaw the remainder into 2 half inch book matched boards for a carved top instrument, and four 1/4" pieces for 2 drop top instruments (or all 1/4" if that's what you want). Of course the saw kerfs will cut down on the possible thickness somewhat. I'd definitely use a band saw - anything else will waste a lot of wood.

[Bob Hammond]

I'm pleased to meet you, Jedi.

[Mark Swanson]

Lots of folks use maple that is flatsawn for acoustic guitars. Maple Gibsons are all made that way. As long as the wood is selected with care and it's good stuff you can use it. That is not to say quartersawn stuff would not be better....

[Andrew Berry]

Resawing can be done by hand with a rip saw, but I don't envy you trying to do that much maple. But here's a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_fvnSwhJuM