BAND SAW

What this tool is primarily used for:

The Band Saw is designed for cutting curves, circles, and irregular shapes on small or relatively large pieces of wood, although it can also be used for straight cutting. The Jig Saw is the hand-held counterpart to the Band Saw. Whereas the Jig Saw is limited by the initial size of wood you work with (i.e., it is very hard to cut on a 4 inch square piece with the Jig Saw), the Band Saw will allow you to start with a larger piece, but the size of the material is limited to 14 inches on the left side of the cutting table

 

ALWAYS USE APPROPRIATE PPE WHEN USING THIS MACHINE

SAFETY FOR THIS MACHINE:

  • DO NOT operate while under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or medication
  • SECURE any loose fitting jewelry or clothing, tie back long hair - they can get caught in moving parts
  • DO NOT modify machine to cut without the safety devices. Guard should be used at all times
  • ADJUST GUARD to just above thickness of material, no more than 1/8 inch
  • DO NOT adjust guard until blade comes to a complete stop
  • DO NOT start saw with wood touching the saw blade
  • ALWAYS BE AWARE of where your fingers are in relation to the cutting blade. Never have then in line with the blade
  • DO NOT start cutting until the blade is moving at full speed
  • DO NOT back the material out from the blade while the machine is still running, as this could pull the blade off the wheels
  • DO NOT REMOVE jammed wood while saw is still on. Turn off power and wait until the blade completely stops
  • DO NOT FORCE the material into the blade to make small cuts so that the motor slows down. You can damage the blade and even be injured
  • TURN OFF machine if you need to step away for a moment
  • TURN OFF the machine if the blade breaks
  • NEVER PULL OUT a broken blade from material while the saw is still on
  • TURN OFF POWER when done cutting and do not leave until the blade has come to a complete stop
  • TURN ON the dust collector when using this tool. Make sure the blast gate is open for the band saw and the blast gates for the floor sweep is closed
  • LOCK GUARD to lowest position (table surface) when you are done cutting
  • REFER to instruction manual for further information (see Studio Technician)

Personal Protection Equipment while working with the Band Saw

Head/Face or Eye

Clothing
Hands
Feet
Ears
Respirator

REQUIRED

long sleeves rolled up

RECOMMENDED

long pants

no PPE needed

REQUIRED

shoes

or

boots

RECOMMENDED

ear plugs

or

ear muffs

RECOMMENDED

N95

do not wear clothing that may get caught in moving parts, such as neck ties or dangling jewelry
do not wear gloves as they can get caught in moving parts

NO open toed shoes

or

slip-on- types in the woodshop

cutting some materials can generate very high decibels such as cardboard

recommended if generating large amounts of dust

 
   
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
J
K
Blade Guard
Thumb screw for support bearing
Thumb screw for blade guide
Blade guides
Support bearing
Adjustment knob for support bearing
Thumb screw for blade guides
Locking knob for blade guard
Blade tension handle
Blade tracking adjustment knob
 
   
 
B
C
D
E
L
Thumb screw for support bearing
Thumb screw for blade guide
Blade guides
Support bearing
Table locking knobs
 

 

 

OTHER THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN USING THIS MACHINE:

  • !!!IMPORTANT!!! Remember to check the placement of the upper/lower support bearing and blades guides before starting cutting
  • Turn on the dust collector when using this tool. Make sure the blast gate is open for the band saw and the blast gates for the floor sweep is closed
  • If the band saw does not start, follow these steps:
    • Press the red stop button on the band saw
    • Press the red reset button on the yellow box which is attached to the band saw power cord
    • If the saw will still not start, the Emergency Stop button may have been pressed
      • Reset the breaker, the third electrical panel on the right in metal shop
      • Circuit breaker is the lower left (it's labeled wood shop)
      • Switch to "OFF", then "ON". Then repeat above steps(press the red stop button on band saw...)
  • PLAN your cutting sequence. Whenever work requires the making of several cuts, always make the shorter ones first. This will often eliminate the necessity of having to back the work out through a long kerf
  • If the blade gets stuck, stop the machine and back the blade out of the cut. You can pull the blade off the wheels, break the blade, injure yourself, or damage the motor if you try to dislodge the blade while the saw is still running
  • If you have to stop in the middle of a cut, hold on to the material while you turn off the saw
  • Remember, you don't have to try to cut off the excess wood in one cut
  • Make relief cuts when there is a tight curve or pre-drill holes at 90º angles
  • Minimum cutting radius using a 3/8" blade is 1"
  • When feeding a work piece into the band saw blade, your fingers should not be in line with the blade in case the work piece cuts faster then you expected
  • The table will tilt to 45º to the right, but only 10º to the left
  • Make sure work area is clean when you are done
 

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Last modified May 23, 2007