Left-handed bandsaw?

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  • LCHIEN
    Internet Fact Checker
    • Dec 2002
    • 20914
    • Katy, TX, USA.
    • BT3000 vintage 1999

    Left-handed bandsaw?

    I was just curious about something.

    Are all bandsaws Right-handed, i.e. have the down cutting blade on the right and the return up-moving side on the left and the wheels turning clockwise?

    Is there such a thing as a left handed bandsaw? Why would anyone ever need one?

    It would be a mirror image bandsaw and either require a left hand blade or someone turning a blade inside out which might be kind of hard to do for wider ones.

    Loring in Katy, TX USA
    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions
  • dbhost
    Slow and steady
    • Apr 2008
    • 9209
    • League City, Texas
    • Ryobi BT3100

    #2
    That there is the sort of question that will rob me of sleep going over it.

    I've never considered a band saw to be handed one way or another. At least in my experience it seems like you can guide with both or either hand on a normal band saw.

    I will be stuck trying ot figure this out now. Thanks a lot.... LOL...
    Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.

    Comment

    • cwsmith
      Veteran Member
      • Dec 2005
      • 2737
      • NY Southern Tier, USA.
      • BT3100-1

      #3
      I found this with a Google search: http://vintagemachinery.org/photoind....aspx?id=19339

      Beyond that,, I've never heard of one. Leave it to Loring to ask the question . Where would you buy blades?

      (Why do some people grow up left-handed? I really don't know, but when our son was born I took notice how we were feeding him with the bottle. As with many of us (I think), we hold the baby cradled in the left arm so we can hold the bottle in our right hand ( if of course we are right-handed.) I noticed when doing so, the baby's right arm is often pressed against the left side of our chest and only the baby's left hand is free to move, grasp for the bottle, or our hands and fingers. It appeared to me that our son in his first weeks was using his left hand a lot more than his right. Probably all BS, but I started swapping which arm I cradled him in as I fed him. (Feeding him was one of the things I loved when I was a young father, I couldn't wait to rush home from work and hold the little guy, give him the bottle and read to him as he was fed. I don't know if that had any effect on his right-handedness, but he certainly learned to read quite early. )

      CWS
      Think it Through Before You Do!

      Comment

      • LCHIEN
        Internet Fact Checker
        • Dec 2002
        • 20914
        • Katy, TX, USA.
        • BT3000 vintage 1999

        #4
        Originally posted by cwsmith
        ...
        Beyond that,, I've never heard of one. Leave it to Loring to ask the question . Where would you buy blades?

        ...

        CWS
        Many blades are custom made to length (cut and welded) from long reels of bandsaw blade stock.
        It would be no big deal to have one made reversed (folded the other direction) and welded that way. They'll probably make you sign a waiver saying yes, I'm crazy and I really want it this way And I know I can't cancel or return it - NCNR - (but probably you can't return any custom made BS blades, anyway).

        Or you can turn the blades inside out by twisting them enough. Not sure how hard it is but it will be some work given how stiff they are and how dangerous to hold a sharp on it is. I'm sure the longer and thinner the easier it will be; short and wide will be a real pain. I have no occasion to try it on my blades, haha.
        Last edited by LCHIEN; 12-29-2021, 12:24 AM.
        Loring in Katy, TX USA
        If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
        BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

        Comment

        • mpc
          Senior Member
          • Feb 2005
          • 979
          • Cypress, CA, USA.
          • BT3000 orig 13amp model

          #5
          Many meat cutting bandsaws are left handed. But almost all industrial metal/woodcutting upright bandsaws are right handed.

          mpc

          Comment

          • capncarl
            Veteran Member
            • Jan 2007
            • 3564
            • Leesburg Georgia USA
            • SawStop CTS

            #6
            They make circular saws for either hand. It shouldn’t be a big deal to reverse your band saw, just make new motor mounts and all kind of other hardware switching over.

            Comment

            • Jim Frye
              Veteran Member
              • Dec 2002
              • 1051
              • Maumee, OH, USA.
              • Ryobi BT3000 & BT3100

              #7
              I recall seeing "left handed" bandsaws from Europe back in the '90s, but I think everything went to the other side since then due to world marketing. The saws were from the high end European makers, but I can't recall the manufacturer names now. As for the blades, can't you just turn the blade inside out to run it on a "left hand saw"?
              Jim Frye
              The Nut in the Cellar.
              ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

              Comment

              • leehljp
                Just me
                • Dec 2002
                • 8429
                • Tunica, MS
                • BT3000/3100

                #8
                David, aka "penicillin" on the pen forum recently started lurking here. He gave me these links to left handed band saws:

                https://www.google.com/search?q=inca...ndsaw&tbm=isch
                https://www.google.com/search?q=inca...ndsaw&tbm=isch


                I am interested in a "shipsaw" bandsaw and have been looking here there and yonder for one somewhere within 300 miles of me for the past 5 years. I found one in Louisville KY 2 or 3 years ago but didn't try to get it at the time. I don't need a large one, just a 12" one. Craftsman made a 12" one for a number of years. A "shipsaw" is a bandsaw in which the table stays level and the wheels/blade tilts. That was necessary for making keels on wooden boats/ships. Actually it took at least 2 people and often more to operate it. One or two or three holding and guiding the keel and one on the angle adjuster wheel who adjusted the angle to different degrees at different points on the keel.

                I had a 12" craftsman my whole time in Japan for 25 years and left it there due to amount of freight space I had upon return. I sure miss that saw. I hate with a passion tilting tables on bandsaws and scroll saws. Even with guides it is hard to maintain perfect rips on a consistent basis and especially free handed, where as I could do it easily on the craftsman.
                Hank Lee

                Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

                Comment

                • LCHIEN
                  Internet Fact Checker
                  • Dec 2002
                  • 20914
                  • Katy, TX, USA.
                  • BT3000 vintage 1999

                  #9
                  This is kind of what got me to thinking.

                  There are left and right handed table saws (right tilt vs left tilt) and left and right handed circular saws.

                  Miter saws, there are some that tilt one way and some that bevel tilt both ways other than that no handedness except the motor is usually driving from the right side even on dual tilt saws Miter goes either way.

                  Drill press, are more or less non-handed except the quill lever is usually on the right for right handed people. I have not looked but is it possible to remove and remount the handle to the left side? Seems like you just reverse the post on the rack and pinion gear. There is usually a cover on the left side of the pinion gear. Other than that the DP and motor and drive mechanism is more or less symmetrical.

                  Jointers feed only from the right...

                  Routers (in a table) generally feed from right to left which is dependent on the standardized direction in which all routers turn.
                  Last edited by LCHIEN; 12-29-2021, 05:48 PM.
                  Loring in Katy, TX USA
                  If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                  BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                  Comment

                  • capncarl
                    Veteran Member
                    • Jan 2007
                    • 3564
                    • Leesburg Georgia USA
                    • SawStop CTS

                    #10
                    Tilting tops on band saws are such a pain to operate I don’t see why the Mfg. even bothers. Getting rid of the trunnions would free up space for decent dust control. Safety isn’t even given a thought when tilting a band saw table. As I am finalizing the dust collection below the table of my Rikon saw I figure that I will zero the table in and lock everything down and never tilt it again.

                    Comment

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