Dave's Wood Working Site

Band Saws

Delta Model BS100 9'' Band Saw Delta ShopMaster Model BS100 with a 1/3HP, 120V motor; rack and pinion upper blade guide and table tilt assemblies, felxible lamp, miter gage, 59 1/2'' blade and instruction manual...  Delta Band Saws

Band saws excel at cutting rough sawn lumber that would otherwise be too dangerous on the table saw. Rough sawn lumber has a tendency to want to "close" on the blade and this can cause a dangerous kick back if using the table saw. The continuous blade of the band saw is far less prone to kick back and this makes it much safer to use.

Band Saw Blades

A band saw blade is a continuous blade that is driven by a motor. The blade is tensioned between to guide wheels that rotate at high speed. A typical band saw has 14" diameter guide wheels. This is what determines the throat of the band saw. The throat is the distance from the cutting portion of the blade to the body of the saw. A 14" diameter tension wheel will yield a throat slightly less than 14".

The thickness of wood that can be cut on a band saw is determined by how high the blade guide can lift above the saw table. On a 14" saw the depth of cut is about 6-3/8".

Blades for a band saw vary by width, number and spacing of teeth and by the shape of the tooth. These differences make a band saw versatile enough to handle a wide range of cuts. The wider the blade the straighter the cut, with the widest blades being used for re sawing.

The fewer teeth a band saw blade has the faster it will cut, but the cut will be much rougher then if made by a blade with more teeth. The fewer teeth are able to clean the saw dust from the cut much more effectively.

There are some simple rules of thumb that can be used as a guideline for choosing the right band saw blade. Blade manufacturers recommend that there be between 6 and 12 teeth on contact with the wood at any given time. So a 4 tooth blade would be ideal for wood between 1-12" to 3" and still suitable for wood from 3/4" to 6" thick.

With several blades for different cutting needs a band saw is a safer alterative for many of the cuts that you will need to perform.