Cutting quarter sawn Hickory strips from bandsaw

[bigcountry]

How in the world do you guys cut nice strips from hickory?  It kills my bandsaw.  My bandsaw does ok with osage, and black locust, but hickory is tough. 

I am thinking of flatening the bottom of a stave, and then taking a circular saw with a carbide bladeand going up the stave following a line.  If I can get one flat side, I think I could put on my rickety table saw and cut backing strips that way.  But the bandsaw ain't going to work.  At least mine won't.  Its a 12" craftsman.   The 1/2" blade has cut out about 5-6 bows.  Maybe its dull.

[Eric Krewson]

With a brand new 1/2" 3tpi blade on my Griz I can only cut 6 or so hickory backings and the blade is shot, tough stuff that hickory.

[Pat B]

I used my table saw but I think that can be dangerous. Finger boards are a must.   

[bigcountry]

With a brand new 1/2" 3tpi blade on my Griz I can only cut 6 or so hickory backings and the blade is shot, tough stuff that hickory.

Ok, I guess that explains it.  One can't appreciate hickory and its toughness until they dry it and cut it.

I had a lumber guy tell me, to cut it wet.  He has a bandsaw sawmill, and said he doesn't mind cutting oak, or anything dry except hickory and HHB.  He said its much easier wet. 

[bubby]

I cut my backing's on the table saw, use a finger board and a push stick

[Marc St Louis]

With a brand new 1/2" 3tpi blade on my Griz I can only cut 6 or so hickory backings and the blade is shot, tough stuff that hickory.

Odd.  I can cut a lot more backings than that before my blades are shot.  The high density tropicals are what kill my bandsaw blades

[ken75]

i love hickory , i just buy lots of blades !

[Eric Krewson]

After I cut about 6 backings I start getting burned streaks in the hickory from my blade being dull. I can use the same blade for a while on other woods before I chunk it but it is shot for anymore backings.

[Badger]

  I have the 14" delta, 2 years ago I cut about 160 backings, I don't think I used more than 2 blades. One big thing on bandsaws is that you cannot always use a fence when resawing. Seldom do you push the wood straight through as you do on a table saw. I use the corner of a 1X4 spaced about 3/16 from my blade and then feed the wood through at whatever angle keeps the blade in a relaxed position. very seldom is it a traight push. If you go just a little bit faster than the wood wants to go your bade will be toast almost immediately so getting a feel for the right speed is important, I go by the sound of the motor. I use a 3 tooth but a two tooth is better if you can find one. Steve