Delta table saw

[Dagny]

I mentioned in an earlier thread my solution to high lumber prices. Went in the woods and harvested a white oak, white ash and yellow popple.

My mezzanine and stairs are done and I started on the railing. It's becoming clear that my table saw is not up too the task. I was ripping some white oak two by eights can't rip two feet without the overload button kicking out. new blade slow feed don't matter. Then this morning the belt broke. I know I am asking alot of it. And after looking at newer saws I am thinking of making my own with a fixed blade. Was wondering where I could get an arbor and some pillow blocks and put a real motor on it like 5 hp.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

What old Delta Saw do you have? Making your own seems like a bad idea.

 

[The Cobbler]

I think you should look at bandsaws with resaw blades

 

[PoorUB]

You would be surprised what a cheap import bandsaw and good blade will do. This one will do what you need easily. Grizzly Bandsaw

I have a old Craftsman 12" bandsaw that I have ripped oak 4" thick. Cut it like butter. It helped when I replaced the motor with a 1/2 HP.

Making a saw is a bad idea. You will have a ton of work into something that probably will not work either. A 5 HP table saw needs a huge amount of rigidity to handle the HP and torque.

 

[tarbellb]

Is the wood wet, just harvested right? If yes, its expanding and binding the blade, plus a vacuum or suction action happening.

Thats a tall task for any non industrial table saw. Band saws are more suited for milling lumber.

A beefier TS will help, but really 2" wet hardwood through anything but a band saw is tough.

 

[Packard V8]

As several have already said, a tablesaw is the wrong machine for resawing. Get a bandsaw. A good old one is best, but even a cheaper import with the correct blade will do a much better job and with the thinner kerf, will yield more board feet.

jack vines

 

[Dagny]

Trees were cut in Feb. sawed in april and dried in a building with 40 % humidity. it is not kiln dried lumber. I live in a hardwood rich area and own thousands of very nice trees. A while back I was wiring a shop that was built by the Amish and they had a kick *** table saw with a honda engine on it. I don't think it was adjustable and they were sawing red pine on it but I was impressed with the feed speed.

 

[Boilerhouse]

I reread your post and it doesn't sound like you are re-sawing, but simply ripping the 2x8's into 2x4's or something like that, If so, a tables saw is the right choice. So the question is what HP does your Delta have, and very important - are you using a 24 tooth rip blade? - because if does make a big difference.

 

[saryon7]

Have you tried a thin kerf rip blade? Might give it a try. Ripping thick lumber is a tough cut even on cabinet saws. Rip cuts are a hard cut. if it has a high moisture content, even more so.
I usually use a combo blade, but on thick hardwoods, you can see big differences with a RIP blade.

 

[tarbellb]

Rule of thumb- 1 year dry time for every inch thick the slab

I would wager you still got some wet wood, and a underpowered table saw.

Suggestions for a thin kerf low count rip blade are good, waxing the blade+ table goes along way as well.

 

[RivennHewn]

Delta has made a lot of saws over the years.
Some great, some ****.

which one are you using?

 

[Firebrick43]

How was it milled?

I have never had any luck using any table saw to rough out lumber from big plain sawn slabs. Sure if they are 1x6 but I use my chain saw mill and just cut slabs and leave the live edge on them while drying. Sometimes they are 20" plus wide. The local guy that has a large woodmizzer is an old curmudgeon and will not saw any other way, especially quartersawn even though he has a hydraulic log turner on it

After dry I chalk out where the boards I want are, and then use my track saw to rough out the side to the middle of the slab. The riving knife and anti kick back locks make pretty short work of it. Plus many threes the good stuff will not be parallel to the slab edges but at some angle, with the track saw you can adjust in seconds instead of using a sled on a table saw. after one side is cut out I cut off the outside edge of board on my unisaw and cant remember having issues there. I use a ridge carbide blade the does an insanely good job.

I mill boards at 2" and if I want 1x material I resaw on a laguna bandsaw with a 3/4" carbide resaw king blade. All most table saw quality cuts.