BANDSAWS
Bandsaws are practically indispensable in most workshops. They are often the first machine a furniture-maker buys. They can rip-cut, crosscut, fair curves, slice veneers, cut joints and they occupy very little floor space.
The bandsaw consists of a pair of vertically aligned wheels supported in an enclosed frame. The lower wheel is driven by an induction motor, usually through a V-belt and pulleys. The wheels are fitted with hard flat rubber tyres. The steel blade or 'band' runs between them as an endless loop. As the wheels turn, the vertical section of blade is drawn down through a slot in the table. The table is horizontal and can be tilted. It is usually made from cast iron to resist vibration. Fixed below the table are three guides, one behind the blade and one to each side of it, keeping the blade running true. Above the table is a similar set of guides mounted on an adjustable guide post. This allows the upper guides to be raised and lowered to accommodate different thicknesses of wood on the table.
Although simple and reliable, the bandsaw does require periodic maintenance and adjustment to give good service and be useful for precision work. Bandsaw blades need changing when the teeth are dull, the blade has been damaged or you are using the machine for a different type of work The guides, wheels and table will also ...
JARGON BUSTING
gullets - the gaps between saw teeth.
feed rate - speed of wood fed into blades on a machine.
Order the book direct from Fox Chapel Publishing
or Amazon.com
or Borders