Baffled by bandsaw bragging (long)

[L. D. Jeffries]

Having read all the above post I can't help adding my 2cents. Can't for the life of me imagine doing much ripping with a BS!. ReSawing, yes, but not ripping. Won't go back thru all the negatives, but they do count. I use my BT3 to rip everything; warped (curved) boards using a board straightening jig gives you one straight edge as a start. All the other problems are cured either on the jointer or planer or if all else fails, hand work with planes, etc. Anyway thats my bit added.

[Slik Geek]

I can get a thinner than a 1/16" kerf with the right bandsaw blade. Sometimes that is important to me like in this application on the desk front where I wanted a very thin kerf to not interrupt the flow of the grain..

Gary, where/how did you start the cuts???

I think a BS is more dangerous because it doesn't seem to be all that dangerous, giving a false sense of security.

I see Ken's point. People may let their fingers come closer to the blade on a bandsaw because it seems so much less of a threat. At the end of the cut seems to be the most dangerous time on a bandsaw. In the end, one's perception is likely based upon one's familiarity.

I do a lot of re sawing on the band saw plus it is better for small pieces which are easier to handle on the band saw than on the table saw.

John raises a very good point that I missed in the advantages list: a bandsaw really shines for small parts handling (both in ease of handling and safety).

It is quite possible to make decent rips on the BS, but usually not with your basic consumer-grade 14".

I'm not sure how even a 14" BS with a reasonable motor could not keep up with a TS in feed rate, unless you're using the wrong blade, or comparing a 1/2 hp BS to a 5HP cabinet saw. I rip on my Ridgid BS (still getting my "new" TS restored), usually with a 4tpi skip and can feed 4/4 hardwoods as fast as I'm comfortable doing.

My 14" bandsaw has a 2 HP motor (it isn't a "consumer-grade" model), so power isn't the limiting factor on feed rate. I consider bandsaw blade overheating the limiting factor. I managed to do that on the 1/4" blade that came with the saw. (Probably not the finest blade available!)

I suspect what I am missing is the substantially increased feed rate capability of a 1/2" blade, 3 or 4 TPI blade.

I dug into my article archive:
"I also do all my ripping on that 15-in (General) bandsaw. The task is safer and requires less horsepower than the tablesaw, and the narrow kerf consumes less wood. New employees and students are surprised at first by my preference for ripping on the bandsaw, but they are converted quickly". "Five Tips for Better Bandsawing", by Michael Fortune, Fine Woodworking, Nov/Dec 2004.

Michael just leaves a 1/2" wide, 3 TPI skip tooth blade in his bandsaw for just about all operations.

I'm still skeptical about a bandsaw matching the tablesaw's speed at ripping. I need to get a few LOML jobs done so I can try out the 1/2" blade...

[gary]

Gary, where/how did you start the cuts???

I rip the fron into 3 pieces with a bandsaw to keep the kerf small. I get a top rail, drawer front section and bottom rail. I then crosscut the drawer front section to cut out the drawer fronts. Then glue it back together using the cut out drawer fronts as spacers.

It makes you wonder how it was done if you do it right

[messmaker]

bandsaw fear

I think a BS is more dangerous because it doesn't seem to be all that dangerous, giving a false sense of security.

I think you might be on to something. If I ever get cut on a tablesaw it will be because my had was forced toward the blade. A bandsaw will get me by making a small slip as I am much less fearful of the blade.Using a tablesaw is like driving 100 miles per hour. You know that bad things can happen if you don't keep your wits about you.

[drumpriest]

I use my band saw for many things......

1. Resawing veneer
2. bandsaw boxes
3. rouging out turning blanks
4. any small cuts that would create fear in the hearts of giants when doing on the table saw.
5. splitting wide stock for jointing. (rip, joint flat, joint edge, glue back together.)

And I'm sure a bunch of other things that I can't think of at the moment. I agree with Ken completely, I've said it many times before, the band saw is deceptively dangerous. It's capable of taking your fingers, but gives you a feeling of safety, a potentially dangerous combination.

The band saw also has the downside of being the tool that takes the most time to tune and setup in my shop. I think the only things that come close are the cross cut sled and miter saw. Only because I am constantly checking them for square.

[Slik Geek]

I rip the fron into 3 pieces with a bandsaw to keep the kerf small. I get a top rail, drawer front section and bottom rail. I then crosscut the drawer front section to cut out the drawer fronts. Then glue it back together using the cut out drawer fronts as spacers.

It makes you wonder how it was done if you do it right

I think you did it right!!!! Impressive. Thanks for the photographic example (and inspiration).

[Slik Geek]

I rip the fron into 3 pieces with a bandsaw to keep the kerf small. I get a top rail, drawer front section and bottom rail. I then crosscut the drawer front section to cut out the drawer fronts. Then glue it back together using the cut out drawer fronts as spacers.

But wait!!
Did you run the boards over a jointer to smooth the bandsaw cuts? I haven't seen cuts on a bandsaw that would be smooth enough to leave as is. I'm guessing that a good bandsaw blade leaves a smooth enough cut that you don't have to remove much material on the jointer such that the grain pattern is hardly perturbed???

[jspelbring]

My $0.02

Just a couple of notes that I haven't seen in any of the postings.

One of the other reasons that I've heard for using a bandsaw instead of a tablesaw is space. A good bandsaw can do rip, crosscut, and curves - one machine, small footprint. I've also read that many shops in the UK just don't have the space for a TS.

The other point is that if you want to get the same clean cuts (especially ripping), you need to step up - larger/more powerful saw - 16-18" / 2+HP, and a good carbide BS blade.

I'm fresh from the trenches of researching the bigger saws (particularly the Italians). I do want one, and will eventually "go for it" with either a MiniMax MM16 or a Laguna LT16HD - just not yet (SWMBO has dibbs on the current cash store for landscaping the back yard).

[Ken Massingale]

Just a couple of notes that I haven't seen in any of the postings.

One of the other reasons that I've heard for using a bandsaw instead of a tablesaw is space. A good bandsaw can do rip, crosscut, and curves - one machine, small footprint. I've also read that many shops in the UK just don't have the space for a TS.

The other point is that if you want to get the same clean cuts (especially ripping), you need to step up - larger/more powerful saw - 16-18" / 2+HP, and a good carbide BS blade.

I'm fresh from the trenches of researching the bigger saws (particularly the Italians). I do want one, and will eventually "go for it" with either a MiniMax MM16 or a Laguna LT16HD - just not yet (SWMBO has dibbs on the current cash store for landscaping the back yard).

Whoa! Landscaping wins over an Italian bandsaw???? No Way.

Wait, you did mention SWMBO, nevermind, enjoy the new backyard.

[Andrew Benedetto]

I dug into my article archive:
"I also do all my ripping on that 15-in (General) bandsaw. The task is safer and requires less horsepower than the tablesaw, and the narrow kerf consumes less wood. New employees and students are surprised at first by my preference for ripping on the bandsaw, but they are converted quickly". "Five Tips for Better Bandsawing", by Michael Fortune, Fine Woodworking, Nov/Dec 2004.
That is b/c he is leaving the same blade on so he does not have to adj. the rip fence for drift. I , like Keith have the same thoughts. I never would chose my Ridgid BS1400 even w. Timberwolf blades over a good TS. for rip cuts unless it was over 3" depth, or I needed a very small kerf, but when finished smooth it might be the same as a TS cut.

[drumpriest]

A not on glueing together bandsaw rips.... You can do so without truing the surfaces often. The reason is that the cut, if not perfect, is the same on either side. This is how bandsaw box cuts are made, and look seemless when properly glued back together.