If you're making carefully crafted parts for furniture or need to cut the same design into several pieces of wood at once, the band saw is the tool of choice--and one of the most versatile power tools you can own. To determine the size of a band saw, measure the distance from the blade to the throat (figure A). That measurement is a little more than the largest piece of wood the band saw can handle. The band saw's large circular blade (figure B) is placed around the tool's top and bottom wheels (figure C). Some band saws have built-in fences. If yours doesn't, clamp a piece of scrap wood into position to use as a fence (figure D). To resaw (cut a large piece of wood into a thinner, smaller piece), lower the foot of the saw to the corresponding height of the work piece. Start the blade, and feed the work piece directly into the blade, giving the wood a little pressure with your hands (figure E). Protect your fingers by using a push-stick to send the wood through the blade. To cut an arch or circle, adjust the foot of the band saw to the height of the work piece. Then cut small pieces from the wood surrounding the circumference of the circle (figure F). The band saw can be used to cut several pieces of wood of the same size simultaneously. Stack the pieces together and secure the stack with masking tape (figure G). Adjust the band saw's foot to the appropriate height. Feed the stack of wood through the blade just as you would a single piece (figure H). The cuts will be identical on each piece from the stack (figure I).
Making Straight Cuts With a Band Saw
Keeping stock straight is one of the key techniques for cutting on a band saw, but it's not always easy. If the guide on the band-saw blade isn't finely tuned, the blade will most likely swerve to the right. To tune the guide, loosen its Allen screw (figure J). Place a small piece of an index card between the guide and the blade (figure K ). The blade shouldn't touch the guide, but it should be no farther from the guide than the thickness of the card. Tighten the Allen screw until the index card is held tight between the guide and the blade, then remove the card. It's important to keep the band-saw table well maintained too. Lubricate the table with lubricating oil to make sure wood glides smoothly across the blade.
Band-Saw Adjustments
The band saw has more moving parts than most power tools. To make sure the band saw cuts correctly and runs safely, it's important to keep the parts properly adjusted. - Before you begin, unplug the band saw to prevent injury.
- If the blade has veered off track, adjust its tracking by turning the saw's top wheel by hand until the blade moves back to the center of the wheel (figure L). Keep turning the wheel to make sure the blade remains stationary in the center.
- A blade that's loose won't cut straight, whereas one that's too tight breaks easily. Adjust the tension with the knob that sits atop the top wheel. Align the knob's red mark with the corresponding measurement of your blade--for example, if you have a 1/4" blade, align the red line with the mark labeled 1/4 (figure M).
- Adjust the blade guide. To do so, loosen the guide's Allen screw. Fit a small scrap of an index card between the guide and the blade. Tighten the Allen screw until the index card is held tight. This is the correct guide position: it doesn't touch the blade but is only the thickness of an index card away from the blade.
- Adjust the foot of the band saw so that it leaves just enough room for the piece of wood. If the foot is tight enough, it will guide the blade to make straight cuts through the work piece.
- The table on a band saw tilts in sequence with the blade (figure N). The table needs to begin at a 90-degree angle from the blade. To position the table, adjust the bolt under the table (figure O). To make sure the table is at a perfect 90 degrees, use a framing square to determine its relationship to the blade (figure P).
If your band saw is properly adjusted and you're still having trouble making precision cuts, the problem could be caused by a dull blade. To change the blade, reduce its tension by turning the knob atop the top wheel (figure Q). This will free the blade for removal. Replace the blade, and turn the knob to tighten the tension on the new blade.
RESOURCES :
Craftsman Tools
Website: www.sears.com/craftsman
Delta
Jet Tools
| ALSO IN THIS EPISODE: | | Band-Saw Basics | | VersaSaw |
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