: Paul,

: I'm not so sure that you will get a decent result from that kind of set up,
: or even a safe piece of equipment for that matter. Trying to resaw a thick
: block like that with a short stroke saw will be very hard to do because
: the blade will bind and overheat in the center as the sawdust accumulates.
: Band saws excell at resawing because they cut down and through the
: material, holding it to the table and clearing all the sawdust from the
: cut, keeping the blade cooler and eliminating the lift of a reciprocating
: type saw. Try a simple experiment to see what I mean, put an 8-10"
: blade in that HF recip saw and cross cut a 6x6. Let's assume the recip has
: a 1" stroke, the firt and last inch of that cut will be much cleaner
: than the center, which will show at the very least the paint that burned
: off the blade, and at worst the wood will be burned from the friction of
: all the sawdust clogging the cut that the short stroke can't clear. If
: that doesn't convince you, try to rip that 6x6 with the same set up. The
: result will be similar but will require more effort because the blades are
: not designed for ripping.

: If you still want to try and build this machine I would suggest building a
: giant scroll saw. Binding the blade at both ends will make it safer and
: more accurate, and by offsetting the fulcrum you can increase the stroke,
: improving the quality of your cut. Also consider a rotating crank/rod
: assembly rather than the recip saw as your motor, the reciprocating
: transmition robs power and adds heat to the system. You won't however be
: able to easily overcome the lift issue and will be cutting very slowly
: indeed.

: Tom

I get to use the big bandsaw at work for cutting blanks, but if I didn't I think I'd just laminate the blank out of pieces I'd pre-cut so you didn't have to make that cut in the first place. Would take a little planning but you should be able to laminate a blank that will closely resemble the final shape so you'd need far less hand finish work.

Just a thought, not tried it.

Bill H.