You Can Do Many Things With A Band Saw

Posted on: 13 July 2015

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When you are building your home woodworking shop, you want to make sure that you have as many versatile tools as possible. One tool that is really versatile is a band saw. With a band saw, you can do many different kinds of projects. 

What Can a Band Saw Do?

The better question is what can't a band saw do? With a band saw, you can not only make nice straight cuts, you can also make curved and circular cuts. The nice thing about a band saw is that they are also a very good tool for making complicated joints like mortise and tenon joints as well as dovetail joints. If you are trying to make an intricate replica, a band saw is also a good choice. 

On top of that a band saw also gives you the choice of cutting thicker pieces of wood down so that they are more to the size that you need. That's because you can use the gate that will let you adjust the amount of the saw that shows. The more of the blade is exposed, the thicker the wood you can cut is. 

What Are Some Band Saw Safety Tips?

One way to stay safe once you have gotten your new band saw is to use a pushing stick. With this stick your fingers never get close to the blade, which really cuts down on the risk that your fingers will get damaged. You should also resist the urge to use the wrong size blade on the band saw. The saw blades come in a variety of widths, which is part of what allows you to make the variety of cuts that a band saw produces. You need to make sure that you use the one that is best for the job you are doing. If you are ripping a board into two pieces, a wide blade will work. However, if you are going to be making a lot of tight curves, you want to get a blade that is as narrow as possible. You get better control and better turning radiuses that way. Another big safety feature is to always use a sharp blade. A dull blade is very dangerous because it can seize up in the wood or break. 

A band saw should be a fixture in every home workshop. Having one will allow you to accomplish all kinds of projects.