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Home , Bandsaw, Miter saw

Vertical About

The vertical are a versatile that can make either straight or curved cuts in various materials. It consists of a pair of large wheels, with a seamless steel wrapped around them. Long straight cuts are possible on a bandsaw; however the cut quality is lesser than that of the miter and table . The vertical band is best used for curved cuts which cannot be done with a or , or for material that exceeds the capacity of other saws. Whitaker lab has two different bandsaws, one setup for and another setup primarily for metal.

Class Goal

The goal of this class is to allow students to become certified safe operators of the shop bandsaws. This handout along with hands on training will provide the information needed to operate the bandsaws in a safe and efficient manner. You must successfully pass both the hands on training and quiz to become fully certified. SAFETY!

Shop Safety:

• Remember to always wear closed two shoes in the shop area at ALL times. • Always make sure to have long hair tied back and loose clothing secured. • Never leave a machine running unattended. • Never interrupt someone while they are using a piece of equipment. • Always report any incident to the shop supervisor immediately. • Check in with the shop supervisor before using any equipment in the tool shop. • Never attempt to repair or modify any equipment. • Always cleanup work area and return tools to their proper locations when finished.

Bandsaw Safety:

• Eye protection and hearing protection are required when using the bandsaw. • Always allow the saw blade to come up to full speed before beginning the cut. • The saw takes a very long time to stop after the power is turned off. Be aware, and keep your hands away from the blade until it has come to a complete stop. • Remove all staples, nails, and screws from material before cutting. • Do not attempt to back up in a deep (+2”) cut, especially a curved one. You will very likely pull the blade off the wheels. • Do not attempt to remove scrap material from the cutting area until the blade has come to a full and complete stop. • Your hands and fingers should be at least 3” from the blade at all times, however, It is never safe to place your fingers anywhere directly in line with the blade. • If the material is too small to safely handle while cutting, make use of a push stick. • If cutting round stock or tubing, you must use the miter head to safely cut the material. • If the bandsaw blade breaks while it is running, immediately shut off the machine and step back while the motor coasts to a stop. • Never over reach or otherwise have an unbalanced stance while operating the bandsaw. • If excessive pressure is needed to make a cut, it could mean the blade is dull. Advise the lab supervisor for assistance.

Terms to Know

Blade Guard – a protective metal guard covering the blade which raises or lowers with the blade guide assembly. Blade Guide Assembly – a series of wheels that reduces the twisting and flexing of the blade. Guide – an adjustable rail that helps with long straight cuts. Miter Head – a sliding attachment that allows accurate cross cuts to be made. – a process of making smaller boards from a larger piece of material. Blade width – the measured width of the blade from the front to the back. Wheel covers – the protective enclosure for the blade wheels.

Operation

Minimum cut radius: One of the most important factors in being able to make the cut you need is determined by the blade width. The minimum cut radius is directly proportional to width of the blade from the front to the back. Whitaker labs grizzly wood bandsaw always has a ¼” blade installed, which in term means that it is capable of cutting a 5/8” radius. Refer to the radius chart for minimum radiuses for other blade widths.

Checking blade alignment: Making sure the blade is properly aligned is critical as even the slightest misalignment can cause the blade to pop off the drive wheels. Follow the steps below to check the alignment each time the bandsaw is used.

1. Open the top wheel cover exposing the blade and fly wheel. 2. By hand, spin the fly wheel and watch the blade for any drifting on the wheel side to side. 3. While the blade is being spun by hand, look for any cracks or bends in the blade. 4. Also listen for any rhythmic clicking noises which can be a sign of a bend in the blade. 5. If there are any concerns found from the above steps, please let the lab supervisor know before proceeding. 6. If no concerns are found, close the wheel covers and continue with the setup. Setting the blade guide: The blade guide must be set as low as possible to allow the most control over the blade while high enough to allow the material to pass underneath with no restrictions. The steps below outline the setup.

1. Loosen the locking knob for the blade guide. 2. Use the adjustment knob to raise the blade guide high enough for the material to be placed up against the blade. 3. Place the material against the blade and lower the guide back down so that it is between 1/8” to ¼” above the materials thickness. 4. Lock the position of the blade guide by tightening the locking knob (just snug, do not over tighten)

Making a cut:

1. If using the fence guide or miter head, adjust those to their needed measurement. 2. Open the dust collection port to the left of the bandsaw (shared with the tablesaw). 3. Turn on the saw and allow it to come up to full speed (just a couple of seconds). 4. With the material flat on the work surface, begin the cut by slowly feeding the material into the blade along your cut line. 5. Once the cut is complete, turn off the saw and allow it to come to a complete stop before proceeding. 6. Remove any scrap material and clean up the saw and surrounding area. 7. Lower the blade guide all the way down.

Operational Notes:

• To stop a cut in the middle of a board, turn off saw, wait for blade to come to a complete stop and wiggle the blade out of the material backwards with the motor stopped. • If the blade cannot cut a radius as small as you like use relief cuts to release the tension on the blade and allow for tighter radius cutting. • To end a cut in the middle of a board, or to clear scrap, you can make relief cuts. These are cuts from the edge of the board to the cut line. Your real cut will intersect them as you go, allowing the scrap to fall away in sections. It’s better to make many relief cuts, rather than trying fight the blade through a tight turn or long curved cut.