[JerryBurks]

I got a chunk of local SoCal Mountain Mahogany from a colleague (actually a thick branch). I did not even know about this wood before but looked it up and found one can make pretty neat things with it. Very heavy and hard (does not float) but mostly for small stuff because the wood is gnarly and the trees grow slow. They can have 50-100 growth rings per inch.

Now I was trying to resaw that piece with my band saw into thin boards but only to ruin the blade right away. The circular saw with carbide blade would surely cut it but at the risk of flying fingers. I am kind of at a loss what to do with it now. I hate to use it at firewood but it is very difficult to deal with.

Any ideas?

[ger21]

Get a better bandsaw blade, one made for resawing?

[fizzissist]

I got a chunk of local SoCal Mountain Mahogany from a colleague (actually a thick branch). I did not even know about this wood before but looked it up and found one can make pretty neat things with it. Very heavy and hard (does not float) but mostly for small stuff because the wood is gnarly and the trees grow slow. They can have 50-100 growth rings per inch.

Now I was trying to resaw that piece with my band saw into thin boards but only to ruin the blade right away. The circular saw with carbide blade would surely cut it but at the risk of flying fingers. I am kind of at a loss what to do with it now. I hate to use it at firewood but it is very difficult to deal with.

Any ideas?

It is the BEST for smoking chicken!!! (or ribs, or steak, or sausage) Don't just burn it, use it for smoking!!!
If you need to make some stupid trinkets, go buy some walnut or mahogany or something.

[louieatienza]

There's a lot of discussion on resawing in the guitar forums. The general consensus favors a variable pitch 3-4tpi blade. You can get them at Grizzly or such.

[JerryBurks]

There's a lot of discussion on resawing in the guitar forums. The general consensus favors a variable pitch 3-4tpi blade. You can get them at Grizzly or such.

Thanks Louie and Gerry! It did not come to my mind that this rather fine pitch blade might not be suitable but then I bought this band saw many years ago, did not use it very much and have overall no clue what works and what does not. I will see to get a coarser blade.

[JerryBurks]

It is the BEST for smoking chicken!!! (or ribs, or steak, or sausage) Don't just burn it, use it for smoking!!!
If you need to make some stupid trinkets, go buy some walnut or mahogany or something.

Well, it was actually the idea to make some stupid trinkets out of it :withstupi

Maybe something like this to justify all the CNC expenses to SWMBO.

Anyway, what you are telling me is to save all the scraps and chips to throw on the BBQ smoker next time. Thanks, good idea!

[louieatienza]

You're welcome. Just remember, resawing is really a rip operation which needs coarser teeth to cut along the grain and clear the kerf!

[fizzissist]

Well, it was actually the idea to make some stupid trinkets out of it :withstupi

Maybe something like this to justify all the CNC expenses to SWMBO.

Anyway, what you are telling me is to save all the scraps and chips to throw on the BBQ smoker next time. Thanks, good idea!

Hey, I got a SWMBO'd too. To satisfy that, I usually end up buying highly compressed carbon. That leaves me free to do whatever I want (with whatever is leftover.... ).

[PaulRowntree]

Hey, I got a SWMBO'd too. To satisfy that, I usually end up buying highly compressed carbon. That leaves me free to do whatever I want (with whatever is leftover.... ).

As a chemist, I tried to convince my SWMBO that graphite was the most stable form of compressed carbon, and therefore the better symbol of ... well, everything. She was not impressed by my logic or my thermodynamics.

[JerryBurks]

...well, and replacing a missing lower guide block. I got to the Rockler store before they closed and bought a more suitable blade, replaced that missing guide block and bingo - that band saw suddenly works, even with the rock hard wood. I guess I am just a bloody amateur.

After slicing the wood into boards I must say the effort is worth it. The Mountain Mahogany is not only hard but also very beautiful, a bit curly and with fine grain and reddish color. Since I have it now book-matched it would be perfect for knife handles or pistol grips. Too bad it is normally not commercially available but I heard the Forest Service sometimes gives it away when they thin out. Below a picture of a small area that I sanded and oiled: