best band saw
The band saw can perform the functions of a shopful of cutting tools. It can rip like a table saw, cut curves like a jigsaw, make fine cuts like a miter saw, saw logs like a mill, cut joints like a handsaw, and even follow templates like a router. The band saw also excels at two jobs that no other tool can do: cutting compound curves and resawing wide stock. Let’s look at each of these functions in more detail and see what a band saw can do for you.
Rip like a table saw
If you’ve ever ripped thick hardwood stock on your table saw, you’re probably aware of the problems associated with this method. The saw blade tends to bog down, sometimes stalling the motor. There may also be a lot of feed resistance, so when you’re done you have burned edges on the stock. These problems occur because a table saw’s blade is thick and produces a wide kerf, usually 1/8 in. It takes a lot of power to push a thick blade through heavy stock. Many table saws just don’t have the horsepower to rip a thick piece of heavy hardwood.
You can remedy these problems by ripping thick stock with your band saw. Because a bandsaw blade is so thin compared to a table-saw blade, the bandsaw quickly and easily cuts through thick maple, cherry, or any other hardwood. In technical terms, handsaws have less feed resistance than table saws. Also, you won’t have the burn marks on your stock because a bandsaw blade doesn’t heat up like a table-saw blade does. Best of all, ripping with a bandsaw is safer because (here is no chance of the stock being kicked back toward you as there is with a table saw (see the drawing below). The bandsaw is the safest way to rip stock that is twisted, cupped, or warped. Ripping such stock on a table saw is dangerous because the stock can bind and pinch the blade, which increases the likelihood of kickback.
The constant downward pressure of the band saw blade pushes the stock onto the table so it can’t kick back.When ripping with my bandsaw, I use a wide, coarse blade and a fence mounted to the table to guide the stock. For details on setting up your own bandsaw for ripping,you can click here.Cut curves like a jigsawFor most woodworkers, I he handsaw is the tool of choice for sawing curves. No other woodworking tool performs this task as quickly or as precisely. A band- saw’s narrow blade allows you to follow the curves, while the saw’s table provides support for the stock. Because the blade is continuously moving downward as you cut, the stock isn’t lifted off the table as when using a jigsaw or a scroll saw. This gives you the confidence and concentration to focus on making the cut.
When cutting curves with my band saw, I find it’s important to use the widest possible blade that can follow the radius of the curve I’m sawing. A wide blade is easier to control and has less of a tendency to wander. I’ve provided a radius chart to help you deter¬mine which blade width to use for various kinds of cuts and more tips on sawing curves here.Make fine cuts like a scroll sawThe band saw is also a good tool for building projects with fine, intricate scrollwork such as Chippendale-style mirrors. Blades as narrow as 1/16 in. are available that will enable you to squeeze around the tight curves typically made on a scrollsaw. In fact, I prefer a handsaw to a scrollsaw because the scroll saw has an annoying tendency to vibrate, and the reciprocating motion of the scrollsaw can lift the work from the table and spoil the cut.Saw logs like a lumber millAs woodworkers, we all know how expensive lumber has become. One way to save money is to saw your own lumber on your band saw. Obviously, you can’t saw big logs into planks for large-scale furni¬ture, but many small logs will yield lumber that’s suitable for small-scale items such as small chests, jewelry boxes, and other decorative projects
Finding small logs suitable for sawing isn’t as difficult as you might think, even if you don’t live in a rural area. People who sell firewood are often willing to sell a small log or two. Better yet, many loggers and tree surgeons will give you small logs nr pieces of logs for very little or nothing. Often the logs with the most spectacular figure, such as the fork or crotch of a tree, are the least desirable to professional loggers. If you saw these pieces yourself, you’ll end up with some exceptionally fine lumber. If you enjoy woodturning, you’ll find that the band saw is a great tool for sizing up small chunks of green logs for turning blanks. Here I’ve detailed some of the things you’ll need to know to turn your handsaw into a small sawmill.
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