Thread: Bandsaw tips and tricks

I've used the "flip flop" method for many years, on the bandsaw, table saw, drum sander, thicknesser, etc, well ever since I can remember actually. I do it ripping stock, with or without sleds, particularly for inlay banding and thin rips. I also do it when cross cutting small components for inlay banding. The errors "tend" to cancel. For breaking down stock for further machining it's not so much an issue.

Probably something my Dad taught me or perhaps it's my training as a surveyor kicking in to reinforce mostly Dad's processes. In surveying we attempt to eliminate "most" errors, however some cannot be eliminated but can be greatly minimized by technique. Same applies to wood working. Ever wondered why the last or waste rip from a wide board is tapered (?), when all the rips have been "parallel"??? Cumulative error! If the board is end for ended after each pass the errors tend to cancel - however the rips may still be tapered. A 0.2mm taper per rip may not be noticeable on one rip but by say 7 or 8 passes that quickly becomes 1.5 - 2.0mm.

The errors in wood working include tapers in width, thickness & along the length of a board. On some machines "the error" is through poor alignment / adjustment or poor technique, material properties (tension etc), whilst on others such as an open-end drum sander an "error" is deliberately introduced to minimize the creation of a "step" between passes. This is done by setting the outboard end of the drum slightly higher than the inboard end - which blurs the overlap rather than potentially create a step.

I believe we are losing many traditional skills and processes and the ability to use "errors" in our favor, such as the making of "weather boards" where a rectangular board was ripped slightly off vertical to produce two rhomboidal boards with parallel narrow sides and tapered wide sides.

Originally Posted by Mobyturns

Ever wondered why the last or waste rip from a wide board is tapered (?), when all the rips have been "parallel"???

@Mobyturns, I can't say I've ever consecutively ripped or resawn a full stick of timber, what's become normal practice ripping thin iroko for me, is to
laminate the piece beforehand when making up thickness, i.e a racing stripe up the middle you could call it,
so I've adjusted my saw to cut away from the line rather than the other way round for general purpose work,
(the lamp is only for the photo)
SAM_3376.JPG


Here's another way to skin the cat, with Grants video underneath
Screenshot-2022-4-17 Resawing revisited - The Luthier Community(1).jpg
https://youtu.be/teV2SdBB0lQ

Originally Posted by Mobyturns

I believe we are losing many traditional skills and processes and the ability to use "errors" in our favor, such as the making of "weather boards" where a rectangular board was ripped slightly off vertical to produce two rhomboidal boards with parallel narrow sides and tapered wide sides.

Thankfully we have forums and youtube for the ones who are hungry for more information.

Here's a fairly recent upload of an oldie, as many folks recommend Mark Duginske's bandsaw book,
It's likely one of the best out there
https://youtu.be/KEsbR0wLUVo

And I suppose in a similar theme, perhaps some might glean some insight here also.
If even just to look at the possibilities of those extra rails on the newer Felder bandsaws.
https://youtu.be/1bUoHHdLex0

I'll try and see if I have some more saved goodies, as it might be of use to someone,
though most of the tricks I've seen, relate to curve cutting, rather than tips whilst using a larger machine for general work,


Cheers
Tom

Consecutive cuts are simply part of the process when making inlay banding and the laminated inlay pen blanks I make. Typically, the mother block is 70 mm wide, 6 to 10 mm thick and up to 1m long with the resulting cut inlay strips ~1mm thick. With a bandsaw kerf around the ~1mm mark that means some 30 to 35 or more strips are cut from one block. Any error by 30 times accumulates very rapidly, hence the flip between cuts.

I glue the mother block to another waste block of the same thickness and length along one edge. That permits much better control of the block through the bandsaw with less potential for errors due to tilting the block or in feed alignment through the saw. Plus, it keeps fingers away from the blade. Sacrificial table zero clearance inserts made from MDF or "Masonite" also help.

It really does not take much effort to improve both safety and the quality of the finished product, only preparation and some time.

Not really a tip as such, but recently seen a handy dandy "Magnetic Mounting Sewing Machine LED Light Flexible Gooseneck Workbench Lamp"
for six quid it seems worth a shot.
Have a look at it on this UK thread
Tips & Tricks | Page 5 | UKworkshop.co.uk

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