How to Cut Thin Hardwood Strips with a Band Saw Fence
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A band saw can resaw a board into thin strips without the narrow offcut getting trapped between a blade and a table-saw fence. The trade-off is that band-sawn strips often have a rough or slightly wavy face, and the cut can drift if the blade, fence, or stock is poorly set up. For strips that will be glued or finished, plan to leave enough thickness for cleanup.
Contents
Choose stock and strip size
Start with straight, dry hardwood. A twisted board is hard to guide safely and tends to produce strips that vary in width. Check for nails, screws, and other metal before cutting. If the board is bowed, joint one face and one edge first; a flat reference face makes the cut easier to control.
Decide whether you need a finished thickness or a rough strip. A 1/4-inch finished strip, for example, may need to be cut around 5/16 inch thick so you can remove saw marks and correct small variations. The exact allowance depends on blade condition, setup, and how you will clean up the cut. A planer, drum sander, or hand plane can bring strips to final thickness, but very thin pieces need careful support to avoid damage.
Check your band saw’s resaw capacity—the maximum height it can cut—and leave room above the stock for safe guiding. Do not try to cut a board taller than the machine can handle, or force a board that barely fits under the guides.
Pick a blade for resawing
For most hardwood resawing, a sharp blade about 1/2 inch wide is a useful starting point. Its width helps it track straight, while a coarse tooth pitch clears sawdust better than a fine blade. A blade with roughly 3 teeth per inch is common for taller resaw cuts; shorter stock may work well with a finer pitch. Match the blade to the stock height and the saw’s minimum blade-width recommendation.
A narrow blade can turn tighter curves, but it is more likely to wander during a straight resaw cut. A fine-tooth blade can leave a smoother surface, yet may cut slowly and pack with sawdust in thick stock. If you need to buy a blade, compare 1/2-inch resaw blades by width, tooth pitch, length, and compatibility with your saw—not just by tooth count.
Set up the saw and fence
Unplug the saw before changing the blade or adjusting the guides. Tension the blade according to the saw maker’s instructions, then set the guides close to the stock without touching it. Check that the blade is tracking correctly and that the table is square to it. A dull blade, loose tension, or guides set too high can all cause drift, burning, or a wandering cut.
Use a tall resaw fence that supports the board, or a shop-made auxiliary fence attached to the saw’s existing fence. Set the fence parallel to the blade’s actual cutting path, not automatically parallel to the blade body. Many band saws have a small amount of blade drift: the blade may cut straight when the board is held at a slight angle. To find it, make a test cut in scrap while keeping the board’s edge aligned to a marked line. Adjust the fence angle until the cut tracks without having to twist the board.
For thin strips, set the fence so the distance from the blade to the fence matches the rough thickness you want. Measure from the blade’s tooth tips at the table, and make a test cut in scrap. Blade deflection can make the strip wider or narrower than the setting. If the board presses hard against the fence, reduce feed pressure and check the blade and alignment rather than leaning harder.
Make the cut safely
Wear eye protection and use dust collection where available. Keep hands away from the blade; use a push block or push stick to finish the cut when the board gets close to the blade. Stand in a balanced position and feed the board steadily, keeping it firmly against the fence. Do not pull the stock backward while the blade is engaged. If the cut begins to bind, stop the saw and wait for the blade to stop before freeing the workpiece.
Feed at a pace that lets the blade cut without straining. If the motor slows, the blade squeals, or the cut face burns, ease off. Excessive feed pressure can bend the blade and make the strip taper. Very slow feeding can also burn hardwood, especially with a dull or clogged blade. Make one test cut, then adjust the feed rate and fence setting based on the result.
After each cut, measure the strip at both ends and in the middle. A difference of more than a small fraction of an inch points to drift, uneven stock, or inconsistent feeding. If the cut curves, do not try to steer sharply back to the fence mid-cut; stop and diagnose the setup before making more strips.
Compare fence options
| Fence setup | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Standard low fence | Short, narrow stock and occasional cuts | Limited support for tall boards; easier to tip or twist stock |
| Tall auxiliary fence | Repeatable resawing of boards with a straight reference edge | Needs secure clamping and may need adjustment for blade drift |
| Resaw guide or point fence | Boards with an irregular edge or a cut that needs steering | Requires more operator control and is less convenient for repeated fixed-width strips |
A tall auxiliary fence made from straight plywood or hardwood is often enough for a home shop. If you resaw frequently, a dedicated band-saw resaw fence can make setup more repeatable, but it will not correct a dull blade or poor tracking. For occasional work, a securely clamped shop-made fence is a sensible low-cost choice.
Clean up and troubleshoot
Band-sawn faces are rarely ready for a fine glue joint. Let the strips rest before final sizing if the lumber is not fully stable, then plane, sand, or joint the faces as appropriate. Thin stock can flex or chip, so take light passes and support it well. If you are using a planer, follow its instructions for minimum workpiece size and use a carrier when needed; do not send a dangerously thin strip through unsupported.
Burn marks usually mean the blade is dull, the feed is too slow, or the blade is rubbing from poor alignment. A wavy face often signals blade drift, insufficient tension, a blade too narrow for the cut, or too much feed pressure. Strips that vary in thickness may come from a board that is not flat against the table or fence. Correct the cause before producing a batch; sanding every strip to compensate wastes time and can leave the pieces too thin.
Keep a note of the blade, fence angle, and fence offset that worked for a particular setup. Recheck with scrap whenever you change blades or stock height. A few minutes of testing is cheaper than discovering that a stack of hardwood strips is tapered or too thin to use.
