I’m going to put up a bandsaw class… working on an outline now… look for the 1st class on 15th…
It will cover how to change the blades, Aline guides And adjusting the drift.
When to use a jig versus fence
Resawing
Is there anting you would like covered?
A review of the bandsaw rules.
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Possibly how to determine the blade needs changing. Like to have some way to define “Dull” rather than toss a blade because I wasn’t satisfied with the cut.
I’ll add that, thanks for the suggestion
I just submitted the event for the bandsaw class June 15th at 7 pm
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Not seeing that on the calendar. Should it be posted?
It usually takes a day or two to show up
Forgot to send this earlier – better late than never.
I vote for the following two things to include in training (if you haven’t already included these):
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How to cut logs: See attached pdf. Btw – I have a cradle and the jig mentioned in the pdf, on the storage shelf (middle shelf close to the wood shop). Feel free to use in your class.
BandsawLogCutting.pdf (344.1 KB) -
Min and Max Thickness of wood for a given sawblade. Manufacturers and others recommend at least 3 teeth in the wood at all times. So the thinnest material you can cut with a 10 tpi blade is .3 inches (three spacings). Why three? Thin wood can be pushed into the blade gullet causing the blade to take out large chucks of wood at each pass and can result in a poor cut and in extreme cases (very hard wood and fast feed) can break the teeth of the blade. For a 1.3 tpi blade it’s a min of 2.3” wood.
The max recommended teeth in the wood is 24 (some say 12 or 36). I’ll use 24 as the max for now. So the max thickness of wood to be cut with a 10 tpi blade is 2.4” and a 1.3 tpi blade the max is 18”. The reasoning behind this is that too many teeth in the wood does not allow for efficient clearance of the wood chips, it will take too much pressure/time to cut a thick piece with a high TPI blade and theoretically the extra pressure/time/heat will result in more blades broken.
Note width of the blade here is irrelevant – width has to do with cutting curves and stiffness to stay straight – I’ll guess that narrower blades break more often.
Min and max wood thickness for different bandsaw blades
Min thickness (3 teeth rule) Max Thickness (24 teeth rule)
10 TPI any width .3” 2.4”
6 TPI any width ½” 4”
3 TPI any width 1” 8”
2 TPI any width 1.5” 12”
1.3 TPI any width 2.3” 18”
Sources
The Three-Tooth Rule - BandSawBlogBandSawBlog.
Band Saw Blade Tooth Selection - Ellis Mfg, Inc.
Bandsaw Blade Education | Laguna Tools
https://www.highlandwoodworking.com/library/manuals/rikon/bandsaw_blade_selection_guide.pdf
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Dan ,
Logs will need to be a separate class. I was talking with @SWA earlier this week about this…
Two things with our saw.
The table is really small for processing logs… we need a table extension to do it safely with the proper jigs…
Two people man handling logs in order to cut them isn’t safe…
We need proper jigs that utilize either the miter slot or the fence as a backstop. Also a table extension that supports the jig and or log in front of the blade and after the blade.
What we will need to discuss is maximum length of a log that can be safely cut on the bansaw by one person utilizing a jig. Along with the maximum thickness of the log this will need to be incorporated into the rules of the wood shop. Along with a hard fast rule no log cutting without a jig. Cutting logs without a jig has lead to the damage to the bandsaw 5 out of the last 6 times…
I know our wood turners are typically making spindle blanks and bowl blanks. The largest lathe can accommodate just under 24 inches. And I’ve already seen people turning three and 4 foot long vases on that big lathe.
However the laguna throat is 17 inches. It doesn’t take an account the jig to hold the log. With the jig, the logs gonna have to be smaller than 17 inches to fit. If they are making a bowl blank.
Which bring us to the needed Jigs… I’m making a 12” high fence extension for resawing. Our current fence isn’t tall enough for most stock, if making veneers or book matching flat boards…
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We do have a hard and fast rule about cutting logs already in the rules and posted on the machine: “
Use the cradle when sawing logs & limbs to prevent rolling / breaking the blade”). Can you cover in the class? Based on the number of incidents I have seen - I don;t think people know about this rule. -
Separate log class would be good. I’d be glad to help create the class content).
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My opinion - 18" long and 12" diameter is the max log I can cut using the jig I made and not need a second person or a roller stand. The jig I made does not rely on the fence. The cross cut cradle I made can handle up to 30" log, 15" in diameter.
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An idea for a rule (feel free to chime in here): Max diameter 12" and the log/cradle/jig have to sit on the table without human or mechanical (roller stand) support. This would effectively limit the log length to about 18" for rip cuts and 24" or 30" for cross cuts. Note that there will be pushback on this as we allow a 8’ board to be ripped on the bandsaw which obviously needs human or mechanical support.
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When/if we create a supplemental table (I’ll help with this) then the rule in number 4 still applies but with a supplemental table a lot large log will be fully supported by the larger table.
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Note that for cross cuts - chainsaws are a better option for large logs… and we have a very nice one … but not sure where it is.
Is the Laguna bandsaw going to stay? What are the options if it’s going away?
The big Green Machine out in the far corner of the shop.
Great class on Laguna last night.
Thanks.
Class was great. Learned a lot about the bandsaw and adjusting the tension, positioning the fence, etc. that will help out in the future.
Here is a copy of the class outline I cam up with…
The class will take 3 hrs … I will put up more classes up in July… sadly I don’t have time to put another class up this month…
Also I will have a bandsaw log milling class in mid July as well… still working on that outline for that class… it needs to be a separate… of fact I think is should follow the bandsaw class I’ve outlined below… as skill building in stages… because milling logs and drying green wood is well beyond the beginner wood worker…
Bandsaw essentials
Getting Stared
The size of a bandsaw is determined by the diameter of the wheels, not the capacity of the saw. The blade runs continuously around the two wheels, always driving down toward the bandsaw table. The width of blade a bandsaw will accept varies from machine to machine, but generally range from as small as 1/8" to as large as 1" or more. The thickness capacity on bandsaws is outstanding, usually 6" or more.
Saw Maintenance
Tires
If sawdust builds up on the tires, you’ll need to clean them. With the blade removed, use mineral spirits as a solvent for cleaning the tires. We use Mineral spirits or denatured alcohol. Apply with a damp clean cloth and wipe. Some saw have a brush on the lower wheel this helps reduce the buildup of saw dust.
Cast Iron Top
Maintain your saw table by coating of wax, or a similar silicone-free lubricant. A sealer will prevent your cast iron tables from rusting, and well help material move more readily across any type of table
Blade Selection
Hook and skip tooth patterns are common for woodworking. A hook tooth is more aggressive than a skip tooth. A good rule of thumb is to have 3-4 teeth in the stock when cutting. The thinner the material, the higher the tooth count should be. A 4 tpi (tooth per inch) blade is a good general purpose choice. Width of blade depends on the curve you’re trying to cut. A 1/4" wide blade is good for most cuts. Re-sawing requires a wider blade and low tooth count. Use narrow blades to cut small circles. See radius chart .
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Installing the Blade
Before installing a blade, be sure the teeth point down toward the table. Sometimes blades get turned inside out, which will cause the teeth to point the wrong way.
Thread the blade onto the saw. If necessary, use a spring clamp to hold it onto the top wheel. Make sure the blade isn’t detouring around anything it shouldn’t.
Wide blades should be centered on the tire. Make sure that no part of a blade ever projects off the wheel. Be sure to back off your thrust bearing and guides before putting the wide blade on, so the blade isn’t rubbing on anything as you install it.
Apply a little tension, hand turn the wheel, and watch the tracking. Shoot for the teeth of the blade being centered on the tire (on narrow blades), using the tracking adjustment to position the blade. No part of the blade should be projecting off the back of the tire.
Check tension by applying gentle pressure to the side of the blade. It shouldn’t deflect more than 1/4”
Setting up the Bandsaw Blade Guides
Position the thrust bearing so it’s .003” behind the blade. The thrust bearing shouldn’t spin when the blade is idling with no cutting pressure on the blade.
Position the guide blocks so the front of the block is behind the gullets of the blade. It’s very important that steel blocks and guide bearings are never allowed to touch the teeth
Phenolic guide blocks can be gently pushed against the blade and locked in place. Steel blocks should have .003” space (use paper as a spacer) between the blocks and the blade. Guide bearings should also be .003” from the blade. Repeat this process for the thrust bearing and guides below the table
When you remove and coil a blade, be sure to add a piece of masking tape to the coil so it can’t suddenly spring open.
Take the blade over to Black Smith…
Setting Up Drift Compilation
After the blade is installed need to check the drift of the cut. Every blade is different and it needs to be checked. This essential for resawing and using the Fence.
- You will need a hardwood board 10" to 12" long. 4" to 5" wide. Mark a line with a speed square or straight edge down the center of the board.
- With the fence out of the way slowing cut the board down that line until you are cutting along the line straight. Lock the board into place. Shut the saw off.
- Your fence bolts need to be loose … With the board locked into place slide the fence over to the board and align the fence along the length of the board. Tight the fence bolts.
- Now move the fence so you can make a 1/8th inch test cut.
- If you get a consistent and equal measurement you’re done.
Making Cuts
life lesson: as long as the marital is moving forward the blade will continue to cut.
Cutting Basics
You’ll get the best control by allowing the heels of your hands to rest on the bandsaw table, and controlling the cut with only your fingers. Here are some more tips.
• Keep the upper guide as close as possible to your work, without rubbing.
• Keep your feed rate consistent and smooth. Slow, accurate cutting is better than cutting fast and missing your line.
• Try to maintain a fluid motion rather than constantly starting and stopping
• When possible, anchor one hand and use your fingers as a pivot point.
• Watch your hand position when you’re exiting a cut. At this point it’s often best to pull, rather than push, the board
Relief Cuts
Relief cuts allow you to cut a small radius that, without relief cuts, a blade wouldn’t be able to handle. Cut straight up to the line so that as you’re working through the curve, the waste pieces can fall out of the way of the blade.
Nibbling
Nibbling is a great technique for finishing square inside corners or straight internal edges. Be sure that you’re making very light passes as you do the nibbling
Compound Cutting
Compound cutting is a great way to get three dimensional objects from blocks of wood. It’s useful for furniture making, such as cabriole legs, and carving, such as duck decoys.
Trace the pattern onto both faces of the blank. Once you’ve made the cuts from one face, you’ll need to use masking tape to put the pieces back together so you can cut the adjacent face.
When any bandsaw cut includes a sharp inside corner that will require backing out of the cut, make the shortest and straightest cut first.
Duplicate Parts
There are a variety of ways to cut a pile of identical duplicate parts. If your saw has the capacity to do it you can stack the parts, holding them together with double-faced tape, and cut them all at once. Keep them in a stack until you’re done sanding, and they have to be identical.
RESAWING
There are two methods;
Single point contact resawing
Single point contact resawing is very simple to set up and use. Build a jig for your bandsaw and set it up the correct distance from the saw blade. Be sure you’re using a suitable resaw blade.
It’s very important that the contact point of the jig is in front of the teeth of the blade. Your board must contact the fence before it contacts the blade.
Mark out a line on the edge of the board indicating where you want to make the cut. As you cut you’ll need to steer a little so you can keep the blade on the line. The fence will stabilize the board and help with consistency of cut.
Resawing with drift compensation
Resawing with drift compensation is more complicated to set up than a single point fence, but worth learning. Here are the key points to this process:
• Mark a line on a board that is parallel to a straight edge
• Free hand cut to the line, feeding at whatever angle is required to make a straight cut.
• When you’ve established the correct feed angle stop the saw, freeze the board in place, and trace the edge onto your bandsaw table. • Set your resaw fence to the angle you just found.
• Do test cuts to determine if your fence angle is correct.
• Once the test cuts feed correctly, you’re ready to resaw.
• Use a feather board to keep your material tight to the fence, but don’t allow it to push on the blade.
Eliminate Jams
If the insert in your table is worn, leaving a large gap between the blade and the insert, you can run into the problem of small parts getting jammed between the blade and insert.
A simple solution can be found in the form of a piece of scrap plywood. Using your bandsaw, cut a kerf into the piece, stopping at the approximate center. Use double-faced tape to hold the new auxiliary table in place, and you’ll have zero clearance around your saw blade.
Eliminate Jams An alternative for preventing jams is replacing the insert. You’ll need to find one that was specifically made for your saw. Carefully cut a kerf into the insert to allow the blade to enter
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Hey! That’s me! 
Yep, I made this as part of the bandsaw class. It was an excellent class and I’m really glad it was offered! I’ve used bandsaws many times in my life, but I never had to set them up, or be sure that they were ready to be used, and certainly not how fix them if something went wrong - even something simple like changing the blade. I learned all that (and more!) in this class. HB was an excellent instructor and I’d highly recommend his class. In fact, I’ve had nothing but great instructors for all my woodshop classes, so thanks to you all for sharing your expertise with the community! Cheers!
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