Why are Bandsaws so Important?

[warmtone]

This might seem like a really dumb question but as a relative newbie I am puzzled why a bandsaw is considered by most to be at the TOP of the "must have" tools list?

I will also declare i have never used one - being somewhat intimidated by a fairly lethal blade! I do own a jigsaw which certanly has its place with less perceived safety issues.

Perhaps I have under-estimated a bandsaw regarding (1) General woodworking Versatility and (2) Accuracy.

Are bandsaws being used by forum members for jointing (say dovetails) or tenons - accepting their inherent capacity to cut square and parallel to the workpiece?

Or is it more about versatility for cutting curves and arcs?

[keith53]

This might seem like a really dumb question but as a relative newbie I am puzzled why a bandsaw is considered by most to be at the TOP of the "must have" tools list?

I will also declare i have never used one - being somewhat intimidated by a fairly lethal blade! I do own a jigsaw which certanly has its place with less perceived safety issues.

Perhaps I have under-estimated a bandsaw regarding (1) General woodworking Versatility and (2) Accuracy.

Are bandsaws being used by forum members for jointing (say dovetails) or tenons - accepting their inherent capacity to cut square and parallel to the workpiece?

Or is it more about versatility for cutting curves and arcs?


None of the above really. It's just nice to have one. You never know when they'll come in handy.:D

[Bodgy]

Basically, cause it does nearly everything.

It is also the least lethal of all the machnery, cutting down into the table.

Its also the most frustrating to get set up correctly, but it is the tool I use most.

[NewLou]

Gidday Warmtone:D

For me the Bandsaw is the most Versatile MAchine in the Shop & if I could have only one Machine this would be my top choice.

(I'm currently in the process of paying of a Hammer 440:D)

In A Nutshell the Bandsaw is cApable of a wide variety of Milling tasks both rough & precision including:

RIpping
Crosscutting
Rough Milling
Re Sawing
Joinery
Curve & Circle Making
Metal Fabrication

No other machine offers the versatility of the Bandsaw which is truely a worthwhile machine to invest time in mastering Setup & application to various tasks


REgards lou:)

[craigb]

Actually the BS is probably the least lethal machine I own.

A BS will never kick back. It can seem a bit intimidating having that much exposed metal going around but the operations don't normally put you in the line of fire it.

As has been said, they are a nice tool to have. Of course you can get by perfectly adequetly without one but if you had to choose between a BS and a TS you'd probably go with th BS.

[Groggy]

Quieter than a TS or circular saw
thinner kerf (generally)
can cut straight mitres
can cut mitres on circles (only power saw that can do this AFAIK)
greater cut depth
can scroll cut
safer to cut reactive wood
can template cut
can cut metal
can cut meat
can cut firewood
can cut rubber, plastic etc
what Lou said too.

[Groggy]

(I'm currently in the process of paying of a Hammer 440:D)That reminds me Your Smugness, you were going to let me know how good it is :).

[Cliff Rogers]

None of the above really. It's just nice to have one. You never know when they'll come in handy.:D
A bit like girls Eh? :D

[derekcohen]

A TS will rip long boards more cleanly and accurately.

With the slider, the TS will crosscut more cleanly and accurately.

But ... the BS will cut curves.

The BS will resaw 12" wide boards where the TS is limited to about 4 1/2", and it will remove minimal waste in doing so.

The BS will perform delicate cuts almost as if it were a handsaw, and you can get up close and intimate in a way that would leave stains on your pants if you tried this on a TS.

The BS is much preferred on short boards for ripping and crosscutting.

Horses for courses.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[silentC]

I use mine for all of the above plus I have used it to cut dovetails, tenons and half-lap joints. You can also use it to cut bridle joints, halving joints. You can do cope cuts. It is bloody handy for rough cutting shapes, notching out around things, cutting wedges and glue blocks. You can use it to cut out router templates. Will I stop now? ;)

[Sculptured Box]

And a bandsaw will make Bandsawn Boxes - what else could you ask for?

[Andy Mac]

All of what the others have said, especially the throat size and blade clearance. Try ripping a big block of wood (150mm+) on a TS, you have to flip it over, and sometimes the riving knife gets in the way so the blade is lowered even more, so there is still a skerrick left between the cuts...bandsaw does it in one go!:cool:
As for the humble jigsaw, I know there are times when they are the only tool to use, but I actually find them scarey!! The blade is hidden, and that worries me. Cutting into fingers, benches and power leads are a real risk!:o

Cheers,

[Tex B]

Having recently made the jump from jigsaw to bandsaw, I can tell you it is a great improvement. Yes you can't stick the bandsaw up under the eaves etc etc like a jigsaw, but:

- control over the cut is much greater
- fences, guides, etc are much easier to set up and more accurate
- the blade will not drift near as much (my jigsaw blade could be out 3 or 4 mm from top to bottom on a deep cut, BS drift is minimal with proper tension)
- depth of cut is much greater
- noise is much less
- the control over the work means you can use push sticks and jigs for cutting small pieces (knobs, supports, etc) and doing it on a 45 degree (or any other angle you choose). Very difficult to work with small pieces on a table saw, jig saw, even a hand saw. The band saw really excels at this.

Other power tools can usually do the job of a bandsaw (except for deep cuts and resawing) but I am now a happy bandsaw convert and would never go back to the old ways. Still use the table saw more though.

Tex

[Waldo]

G'day Warmtone,

I agree with everything that has been said prior, just want to add that I find the bandsaw probably the least dangerous of machinery (for my 2¢, my 7" angle grinder is the most dangerous)

One of the things I love about the bandsaw is that you get right in there and keep the stock pressed into your fence even as you are pushing the last 1mm through as you have your finger against the stock as it passes the blade.

I'm not being blarza (sp I know) about the dangers, but by design you get up and close.

[arose62]

Silent,

could you post a picture of a Bridal Joint ?:D

Not a thing to be smoked by nervous grooms. issit?

Cheers,
Andrew

[silentC]

What are you talking about?

:p

[baxter]

Warmtone, I think that you have attracted the attention of the bandsaw advocates.

As another one, all of the above plus blades can be interchanged without any real problem, top guides can be lowered to minimise clearance and the blade guards can be shifted to cover exposed blade.

Before my LITS brought one I had no need, now can't do without.

[warmtone]

Warmtone, I think that you have attracted the attention of the bandsaw advocates.

As another one, all of the above plus blades can be interchanged without any real problem, top guides can be lowered to minimise clearance and the blade guards can be shifted to cover exposed blade.

Before my LITS brought one I had no need, now can't do without.

Baxter and everyone, thanks for the compelling advice re the versatility of the bandsaw.

I'm almost convinced I can't live without one(!):)

Now, where do I start looking for a good quality machine at say $750 and how do you seperate the "real ones" from the rest...... More importantly what are the most important specs to look for size, speed control, fence and motor capacity?????

[craigb]

Now, where do I start looking for a good quality machine at say $750 ???

At that price point there is only one answer imo. JET 14".

[Timmy]

Good thread for a question. Having a small shed,:mad: I use lots of hand tools:D . However, has any one used the bandsaw to thinkness timber. ie I am making a formal dining room table out of New Guinea Rose wood. Planed the planks (2.4m x .3m) flat. Planed one side appoximately 90degrees. used the table saw for the other side...then wondered if I had a bandsaw could I rough thickness and finish of with a hand plane.

Yep could thickness... but crikey (yep-I miss him too:( ) they can make some noise in the neighbourhood!!!

Tim

[ian]

I think they are so indispensible that you should plan on ultimately having TWO
a small one beside your bench for cutting joints and shapes and a large one for resawing, ripping, etc

ian

[baxter]

Warmtone
The answer, with $750 in your pocket, lies at the Melbourne Working With Wood Show next month. If you possibly can wait that long.

I go a long with Craigb, the Jet 14" is hard to beat. But you have so work out what you want to use a bandsaw for and what suits you. Walk around and ask questions.

Ian I agree they are so indispensible, my LITS has a Jet 14" deluxe, with a 1/8" blade, and I have her old one with a 1/2" blade and 6" riser. Handy combination.

[baxter]

Timmy
How wide is the question?

[ian]

Baxter
I give up who or what is your LITS?

I've tried acronym finder, but don't think you're refering to Local Information Transfer System or lights in the sky or Logistics Issues Tracking System or Linear Ion Trap Frequency Standards or Laboratory Information Tracking System

If it's "lost in the shed" post a photo as the mind starts to boggle with the idea of losing a bandsaw in the shed

ian

[baxter]

Baxter
I give up who or what is your LITS?
ian

Ian I have waited for this question. I am very lucky to have a wife who is as much into woodworking as I am. My LITS is my LADY IN THE SHED.:cool:

She probably has as much if not more woodworking equipment than I do, particularly when she does not return mine or overwhelms my work benches. Ask Sculpltured Boxes, he knows her and has seen the shed.

I probably can't complain, it is easy to convince her that she needs such and such to work with. She even tells me when wood shows are on. Then again, as I have mentioned in another thread, the dogs do sleep on her side of the shed and the beer fridge is over there.:)

[ian]

Good thread for a question. Having a small shed,:mad: I use lots of hand tools:D . However, has any one used the bandsaw to thinkness timber. ie I am making a formal dining room table out of New Guinea Rose wood. Planed the planks (2.4m x .3m) flat. Planed one side appoximately 90degrees. used the table saw for the other side...then wondered if I had a bandsaw could I rough thickness and finish of with a hand plane.Tim
I can't see why not, I did something similar the other day to reduce some 30mm stuff to ~10mm for a box I'm making

The process would be:
• get one surface of the board flat
• square an edge
• run the board (on the squared edge) through the bandsaw to cut off the excess thickness. I'd be looking at using a long fence (say 1.2m long) to keep the board straight and infeed/outfeed supports.
• use a plane (smoother?) to take out the blade ripples. these should be less than 0.5mm deep.

If I were planning on working this way, and cutting 300mm or more deep, I'd be looking for a bandsaw bigger than 14", primarily for the extra power in the motor, plus good blades



ian

[Iain]

Silent,

could you post a picture of a Bridal Joint ?:D

Not a thing to be smoked by nervous grooms. issit?

Cheers,
Andrew

Goose, we all know it's that special room in the hotel where they goes after the weddin', or the place the sheilas go to buy them white dresses.

As for a bandsaw, I put one off for a few years and now wonder how I got by without one (or should I say two now).
I use the little Record 3 wheeler for cutting bamboo for fly rods, not that I have done one for a few years but they both still get regular workouts.

[Doughboy]

By the sound of this thread I have got another toy oops essential object d'art on my must buy list.

Is this the order I should procure

1 D/C
2 Bandsaw
3 Lathe
4 Lathe accessories
5 Bench Grinder
6 More accessories


Pete

[IanW]

Cutting into fingers, benches and power leads are a real risk!:o
Cheers,

Haven't done any fingers, yet Andy, but have certainly managed to hack into the edge of my bench a couple of times with my jigsaw. :mad:

I use both table and bandsaw a lot - each has its place. So too does the humble jigsaw. BSs can't cut a piece out of the centre of a board, and even a whopper has a pretty limited reach, so there are some jobs where the jigsaw has to come out from the back of the cupboard. But compared with the BS, of course, it's slow, noisy and prone to making slanty cuts......

Cheers,

[silentC]

Depends on what you're into. If you want to do some woodturning, a bandsaw will be very handy but not much use to you without a lathe. On the other hand, if you're into furniture or box making, you need a bandsaw today!

[fletty]

Hi Warmtone,
The piece of information you're missing is that you can put in a wide blade and cut straight lines or a narrow blade and cut wobbly lines.
As the direction of cut is always into the table, the workpiece is held against the table with no possibility of kickback and, if you set it up correctly, absolutely no exposed blade above the workpiece.
So, you can rip much safer than a table saw and remove less timber because the blade is thinner, you can 'resaw' which is cutting slices off a workpiece much thicker that a table saw can handle and you can cut profiles in a wide blank,
Resawing can be as thin as cutting veneers.
I have both a table saw and bandsaw and find that the bandsaw is slowly moving into the centre of the shed because I am using it for more and more jobs.
Fletty

[warmtone]

Hi Warmtone,
The piece of information you're missing is that you can put in a wide blade and cut straight lines or a narrow blade and cut wobbly lines.
As the direction of cut is always into the table, the workpiece is held against the table with no possibility of kickback and, if you set it up correctly, absolutely no exposed blade above the workpiece.
So, you can rip much safer than a table saw and remove less timber because the blade is thinner, you can 'resaw' which is cutting slices off a workpiece much thicker that a table saw can handle and you can cut profiles in a wide blank,
Resawing can be as thin as cutting veneers.
I have both a table saw and bandsaw and find that the bandsaw is slowly moving into the centre of the shed because I am using it for more and more jobs.
Fletty

I will be collecting my JET Supersaw from WWWHS in Melbourne tomorrow and will do my best to return with only one saw - but it's their "open day" (free plug) with the promise of "specials on all Jet equipment." Do I buy a boring 2 hp JET dust extractor for the above, or go for the 14" deluxe bandsaw???

[Stuart]

Go the 14", with the 6" riser, and use the purchase of both to swing a good price from Wanita! (Although I gather you are getting a good price on the table already - lucky bugger - was admiring your new saw today - that sliding table is so smooth!)

Sometimes, you just have to close your eyes, and accept the collective wisdom of this board, and that people are not steering you astray. If you can afford it, then go with it - you will not be disappointed. There are some good DVDs there as well on the TS and BS - worth getting as well, seeing experts put your new machines through their paces. You will get to see why each are invaluable in their own right.

[warmtone]

Go the 14", with the 6" riser, and use the purchase of both to swing a good price from Wanita! (Although I gather you are getting a good price on the table already - lucky bugger - was admiring your new saw today - that sliding table is so smooth!)

Sometimes, you just have to close your eyes, and accept the collective wisdom of this board, and that people are not steering you astray. If you can afford it, then go with it - you will not be disappointed. There are some good DVDs there as well on the TS and BS - worth getting as well, seeing experts put your new machines through their paces. You will get to see why each are invaluable in their own right.

Stuart, and you mean you came back totally empty handed?

[Stuart]

They have already sold me a planer and a bandsaw, and I've no doubt that they will be selling me that Jet TS and possibly a thicknesser downtrack (when I upgrade from the GMC)

They get enough of my money on a weekly basis!! Got some more Linbide router bits from them on Wednesday..... they are still 50% off btw.

[Timmy]

Tim
I can't see why not, I did something similar the other day to reduce some 30mm stuff to ~10mm for a box I'm making

The process would be:
• get one surface of the board flat
• square an edge
• run the board (on the squared edge) through the bandsaw to cut off the excess thickness. I'd be looking at using a long fence (say 1.2m long) to keep the board straight and infeed/outfeed supports.
• use a plane (smoother?) to take out the blade ripples. these should be less than 0.5mm deep.

If I were planning on working this way, and cutting 300mm or more deep, I'd be looking for a bandsaw bigger than 14", primarily for the extra power in the motor, plus good blades



ian


Thanks Ian,
Sorry not to get back, but been away with work.

Yep I agree with you on this. If you have a good fence, long in-feed and out-feed system, then you could really have yourself a good/quiet thinknesser. Nice smoothing plane or scraper to finish off.

Ta for this Ian:)

Cheers
Tim