A jig for resawing logs on the Bandsaw

This is a quick and dirty jig that makes a seemingly hard job simple. I had several pieces of spalted sweet gum that I wanted to cut some veneer from. Problem was how to hold it while I cut the thin strips? I have seen several sleds for the bandsaw, all of which were overly complicated to me.

Being a firm believer in the K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) methods I dug through the spare lumber pile (not scrap! Spare lumber) and came up with a piece of flat 3/4" ply and a piece of pine. Then I simply took some screws and attached the two together. I didn't worry about them being square. All that matters is that the side that will ride on the fence is flat.

They just don't get much simpler than this!

You may need to vary the sizes according to the log your cutting. I tried to make the back a little bit taller than needed so it would work with the next one.

Now the trick to holding the log is running at least a couple of screws through jig into the log. I like deck screws because they grip so well. You can see two of the screws in the above photos. Once the log is secure in the jig and can not move it's time to resaw!

This was my first cut. My goal is to get a flat surface to work from. I hate to waste wood so my first cut was a a little short. I had to make a second cut to get a good flat face on the log.

I then removed the log from the jig. Laid it on the new flat surface and inserted a couple of new screws and trim off the side. Make sure the log it secure! If it moves it will mess up your strips.

Now the log is ready to start cutting what ever strips I want. You can cut it in the jig. I prefer to take it off and just run it on the table with the flat side against the fence. Just watch those fingers!