Is carpentry something you enjoy or just working with wood? Then with this in mind a band saw will certainly come in handy. There are many uses you can put a band saw to and hence good wood shop will not lack one. Band saws are desirable for the ease with which one can cut curves on wood and generally for the freehand cutting ability. Band saws are also handy when it comes to resawing. Band saws come in various shapes and sizes but all in all, entail the same elements. There is a band of teethed steel rotating on two wheels and passing through a table. It also has guides and bearings that hold the blade in position. You will merely put a wooden board on the cutting table and push it through the running blade. As simple as this sounds, let us look into the technicality of using a band saw.
A good starting point is cleaning the machine. The cleanup operation will go on to influence the cut quality you get from your band saw. Once clean, the band saw needs a blade assessment. The prevailing principle here is the right blade for the right job. Once you clearly define your project, your blade needs to match the task one for one. A change might be needed to get a smoother or rougher cut.
Blade guides and guards are now to be examined. The blade guides normally keep the blade level and in place. There exist two sets of blade guides with one above and the other below the blade. For an excellent cut, ensure the guides are relatively close to each other. When it comes to the blade guard, ensure that it is close to the wood being cut. You want to avoid having an exposed blade running at very high speeds for small cuts for safety’s sake. Thus, examine its positioning before you start cutting.
Ensure that your band saw remains in an unplugged state when not in use. This will make it safer to clean and change blades, thus when ready for work, plug it in. Once cutting is done, proceed to unplug the band saw. Now, if you will not be using your band saw for a while, then release the blade tension. This step will keep the metal from getting fatigued and ultimately breaking prematurely. As well, clean your band saw as early as now in preparation for its use next time.