NBD……new bandsaw day…

[Silky999]

I have a new purchase and this paired with my Triton router means I can start making my own bodies from slabs and blanks. This opens up the world of new woods and shapes…..any tips or advice from old hands with a bandsaw?

[Hellzero]

Try to keep as many fingers as you can... 😉

[Silky999]

41 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

Try to keep as many fingers as you can... 😉

I have every intention of not being digitally challenged at any point

[alittlebitrobot]

Nice one!

 

First of all, really take the time to set it up. True the table, get everything nice and perpendicular, watch videos about how to get the blade tension right (extremely tight is not better - it can lead to wandering when trying to cut a straight line), remember to de-tension the blade after every session (and remember to tension before turning it on the next time!)

 

Dust collection is a necessity.

 

As with any power tool; let the tool do the work. Don't push wood through with any force - let the gullets clear to avoid burning the woods and overheating the blade. Watch this video.

 

The bandsaw was invented for butchers to cut through bone. Bear that in mind. A lot of people who've been maimed by a bandsaw got bit when they were pushing the piece through and, just at the end, an unexpected soft spot in the wood meant that the last centimetre or so happened way quicker than they were expecting, and the thumb followed through... Always use a push stick or sacrificial block for that last bit of the cut when the blade is about to pop out.

 

Never cross-cut through a pipe/cylinder (eg. a log) freehand - make a jig. See YouTube.

 

If cutting curves (like a body blank) make sure you have a blade of the right width for the job. Narrow blades are good for tight bends but less reliable for long, straight cuts - and vice versa.

 

Snapping a bandsaw blade is a real change of underwear moment. The one time I did it, I realised in hindsight that I'd been so focused on the curve I was cutting, I lost track of where "straight" was. That is, the imaginary straight line from the front of the bandsaw, through the blade, and out the back. I had been moving the wood (MDF actually) around the table in a way that was twisting the blade.

 

The great thing about the bandsaw, unlike the table saw, is that it's not trying to suck your fingers in or throw wood at you. If you're making a cut and you don't like how it's going, just stop pushing, leave one hand on the workpiece and turn off the saw with the other.

 

It's a great tool, and it looks like you've got a good one. Enjoy!

Edited Friday at 21:33 by alittlebitrobot
clarity

[Silky999]

That is some really great advice…..I have a dust extractor already so will hook that up. 
 

I have looked at some YouTube stuff and intend to use push stick and the fence where possible. The machine will take up to 3/4 blade but from what I have seen so far suggests that 1/2 width with 4-6tpi seems a good compromise for cutting a body as long as I don’t get to ambitious with too tight a radius. Would that be a good option for a general purpose blade? Tuffsaw blades appear to get a lot of recommendations on various sites.

 

i have also seen the cautionary videos about cross cutting anything round as it can get a spin on unless it is clamped in something or wedge in a jig etc.

 

I am going to practice on a load of scrap to get the feel of the bandsaw and dial it in. It seems that blade tensioning is a bit of a black art and the tension guide on the saw is just that…a guide. I am both excited and nervous about using it.

Edited Friday at 23:03 by Silky999

[alittlebitrobot]

13 hours ago, Silky999 said:

The machine will take up to 3/4 blade but from what I have seen so far suggests that 1/2 width with 4-6tpi seems a good compromise for cutting a body as long as I don’t get to ambitious with too tight a radius. Would that be a good option for a general purpose blade? 

For me, because changing the blade is a massive pain in the joolies, I tend to stick with the widest blade. It's best for straight cuts, and anything with a tight corner can be achieved with relief cuts, rather than one continuous cut.

[jimbobothy]

... one piece of advice I have been given is don't have an excess of blade showing, ie. have the top and bottom guides appropriately adjusted height wise. This also reduces the risk of injury if/when a blade snaps as more should be guarded.