Band Saw

A band saw is a stationary power tool used for cutting a variety of materials, such as wood, plastic, and some metals, with precision and control. It uses a continuous loop blade that runs over two or more wheels and is guided through the workpiece by manually feeding the material into the blade. The band saw allows for straight cuts, curves, and irregular shapes, making it ideal for detailed and controlled cutting tasks.

• Key Terminology

  • • The Work:  The entirety of the material you’re bringing to the machine before any cuts are made

    • The Workpiece:  The portion of the work that you’re controlling.

    • The Offcut:  The portion of the work that is cut away from the workpiece

    • Rip Cutting:  Refers to cuts substantially parallel to the longest dimension of the work

    • Cross Cutting:  Refers to cuts substantially perpendicular to the longest dimension of the work

    • Curved Cutting:  Refers to cuts that don’t follow a linear path

• General Operation and Safety Considerations

  • • Never cut material that is not in contact with the table where the blade intersects the work.  Doing so is likely to cause the work to rotate abruptly about the nearest contact point leading to unpredictable movement of the work and injury to the users or others around the equipment

    • Never leave the machine with the blade moving unattended.  Before leaving the bandsaw, the motor must be off and the blade must be stationary.

    • Never allow any part of your body to approach the front of the blade any closer than three inches (or roughly the diameter of the throat plate) to the front of the moving blade.

    • Position yourself where you will have the best control of your work while limiting your exposure to the front of the blade.  Pause cutting and reposition yourself as needed if the ideal position changes during any cut.

    • If backing out of any cut might result on pressure on the back of the blade, stop the machine before backing out to avoid pulling the blade off the wheels.

• Rip Cut Operation and Safety

  • • Stand with your body braced against the machine and let the work pass to your left or your right

    • Have a push stick ready so you can complete the cut without your fingers getting too close to the front of the blade.

• Cross Cut Operation and Safety

  • • Use the Miter Gage support and advance your work through the blade

• Curved Cut Operation and Safety

  • • Never exceed the minimum cut radius specific to the blade size mounted on the machine. 

    • Plan ahead when cutting convex and concave curves with relief cuts or incremental exit paths through the offcut material.

    • Always stop the machine before backing out of a partial cut.