Author: Steve

Bandsaws are generally associated with workshops but a bandsaw can be useful at home as well. If you are into woodworking, a bandsaw can save you a lot of time. Here is a short article about bandsaw basics.

Bandsaws are large and powerful. By using the right blade, you can cut a number of materials. The bandsaw is a relatively old invention, already in the first half the 19th century powerful bandsaws were used in workshops. Nowadays, bandsaws are still powerful but they have become smaller and cheaper.

The bandsaw is a simple power tool, a continuous loop of metal, the blade, is used to cut the material. The blade rides on two or more wheels. Most bandsaws have a vertical design but some horizontal models are also available.

Bandsaws are popular in workshops, they waste less material than circular saws. They can be used to cut a number of materials. Bandsaws are versatile, wood can be cut into straight pieces or curved shapes. A skillful operator can create detailed and irregular shapes of wood and other materials.

Unfortunately, most bandsaws are expensive. But if you are into woodworking, a bandsaw can be a good investment. You can use cheaper tools instead of a bandsaw but the bandsaw will get the job done quicker, often much quicker.

Woodturners use bandsaws to prepare blanks, it is very easy and saves a lot of time. A bandsaw is the quickest way of cutting curves and wedges. It is easy to use but requires some practice before you can do precision work. Resawing is done best with a bandsaw.

You need to use the right blade, a wide range of blades are available. The blade tension is very important, the right tension will produce a straight uniform cut. Too much tension will decrease the lifespan of the blade. Using the right feed rate is very important. Unfortunately, the correct rate depends on the material and the blade, experience is the key.

As mentioned earlier, you can cut a lot of different materials with a bandsaw. But you need to use the right blades. Pitch is the number of teeth per inch. As a rule of thumb, cutting thinner sections requires a finer pitch, i.e. more teeth per inch.

Too high band tension can cause blade breakage. Always check the operator’s manual for the recommended tension. Using excessive feed pressure can also break the blade. But often too high speed or feed will dull the teeth rather than breaking the blade. Dull blades produce rough cuts and you need to replace the blade.

The circular saw is often the best tool when working with heavy or unwieldy stock. It is not a precision tool, compared with stationary saws, the cuts will be relatively inaccurate. But for the early stages of a woodworking project it is generally the fastest solution. Here is a short circular saw guide. Note that the term circular saw can be used for a wide range of saws. Here we are only discussing portable electric circular saws.

First of all, circular saws are powerful tools that can create a lot of damage and injuries if not carefully operated. Here are a few basic safety tips. Make sure that the power cord is not in the cutting path. Circular saws produce a lot of wood chips, always wear safety goggles. Always keep both hands on the saw throughout the cutting operation. Make sure that the blade has come to full speed before it makes contact with the workpiece.

There are two types of portable electric circular saws. The powerful worm drive saw has the motor parallel with the blade. This makes it possible to use gears which increase the torque. The inline saw has the motor perpendicular to the blade and has no gears. It is cheaper but not as powerful at the worm drive saw. Many smaller circular saws are cordless, which makes them very portable and you don’t need to worry about cutting the power cord. Larger circular saws generally corded, they need more power.

Circular saws come in a lot of sizes, but the most popular sizes for home workshops are 5.5 and 6 inch saws. They are lighter, cheaper and easier to use than the more powerful 7.25 and 8.25 inch saws, which are popular with professional woodworkers.

Carbide-tipped blades will be more economical than steel blades. Steel blades are cheaper but don’t last as long as carbide-tipped blades. They can be sharpened dozens of times. But you need to make sure that you are using the right blade for the material you are cutting, otherwise your blades will wear out quickly.

The combination blade is good for most ripping and crosscutting tasks. But for crosscuts, a crosscut blade will do a better job. The same goes for the rip blade, it will be a better choice for cutting along the grain than a combination blade. For cuts in plywood or veneered stock, you need a plywood blade. A combination blade will splinter the wood. For smooth crosscuts and rip cuts, a hollow ground planer blade is the best choice.

Always clamp the stock to a work surface. This increases safety and accuracy. An edge guide is often necessary if you want to cut with precision. Since circular saws cut on the upstroke, splintering occurs on the visible side of the workpiece, make sure that the good side is face down.

Drilling holes in wood is fairly straight-forward. But you have to be careful that you don’t damage the wood. Here is a short wood drilling overview, telling you how to drill in wood. We are assuming you are going to use an electric drill. You can use a hand drill but given the cheap prices, a power drill is a sound investment.

Using a power drill is easy but you can damage the wood if you don’t know what you are doing. Nowadays, a cordless drill is recommended, you can use most cordless drills as screwdrivers as well. But it is nothing wrong with a corded drill, you are limited by the cord but you don’t have any batteries to worry about.

Although most drill bits will make holes in wood, it is still best to use drill bits that are made for wood. Brad-point bits are best for small holes while Forstner bits are best for larger holes. Bits meant for other materials can damage the wood. But if you are careful, most twist bits will do a reasonable job.

Wood drilling is easy, if you do the right preparations. Of course you can start drilling without any preparations but that you increase the chances of success by doing some easy preparations.

First you should make sure that you know how deep you are going to drill. Most drills have a control bar that you can use to set the depth. If your drill does not have a control bar, you can use masking tape to mark how deep you are going to drill. Wrap the tape tightly around the drill bit so that the tape stops at the right depth. Once the tape touches the wood, you have drilled deep enough.

Mark the center of the hole and use a hammer and nail to make a small indentation. This makes sure that the hole will be in the right place and minimizes the risk of damaging the wood. Without the indentation, the drill could slip and damage the wood.

Drill slowly and don’t use too much pressure. The wider the hole, the slower you should drill. Make sure to back off from time to time. This removes sawdust and woodchips from the hole.

If you are drilling all the way through a piece of wood, it is very likely that the bit will damage the wood when it exits on the other side. This can be prevented by clamping a piece of sacrificial wood where the drill bit exits.