How to Cut With a Band Saw
- 1). Remove any loose-fitting clothing or jewelry, and tie back long hair. Always wear closed-toed shoes when working in a wood shop.
- 2). Set the stock to be cut against the band saw blade, and adjust the height of the blade guard so that the blade guard is just above the height of the stock. Too much exposed blade can cause the blade to wiggle.
- 3). Draw the curve to be cut on your wood stock with a pencil. Indicate the waste wood side of the curve with a large "X".
- 4). Make a convex cut by slowly feeding the wood into the blade, keeping the blade just on the waste side of your line. If the blade begins to bind, guide the blade out through the waste wood and re-approach your line from a shallower angle.
- 5). Begin a concave cut by making a series of straight cuts through the waste wood, two inches apart, perpendicular to your cutting line. When you guide the wood into the blade along your cutting line, the waste wood will fall away in sections, preventing the blade from binding.
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