How to Use a Band Saw

A band saw is one of the most common woodworking tools to date and is commonly the safest. As with all machines it can still cause you harm. A band saw has many uses; one of which is woodworking and metal working. It comes in a tall and a small version and a portable version for contractors to use when building houses. In this article I will tell you ten safety tips when using a band saw.

Safety equipment: safety glasses are a must when working with this machine as when it is in motion it can and will throw pieces of wood in many directions. If hit in the eyes it can cause damage. Do not wear loose fitting clothes such as long sleeves that can get caught in the machine. Noise from a band saw should not be to bad. If it is a concern for you, you can wear hearing protection such as ear muffs or ear plugs to protect against the noise.

Checking your band saw before every cut is an excellent way to ensure that everything is working properly and will not malfunction when in use. Failure to check the blades could cause them to break prematurely.

Cutting Safety: Start your band saw and wait until it is at full speed before putting the wood through. Wood must remain flat on the surface of the table at all times during the cut. This ensures your safety.

Next if a specific angle is to be cut, using a band saw rip fence or miter gauge is useful making the cut easier and safer for you. Curves need to be outlined where you can see them clear and accurate making the cut easier. Keep your hands out of the way: Your hands should never be within three inches of the blade at any time. If you need to be closer use a push stick.

Other rules to remember using a band saw are. Never push away wood that needs to be discarded. The safest way is to wait until the blade has stopped then remove the unwanted wood. Have no distractions of any kind. If you are interrupted do not take your eyes off of what you are doing, wait until you have completely finished the cut.

As with any piece of machinery just use some basic common sense and everything should go as planned. Then you will be well on your way to building what ever project you are working on.