Your Expectations for “Squareness” Coming Off a Bandsaw
Hi,
What are your expectations/experiences with how square of a cut you can get off of a bandsaw? I just got my first bandsaw and am pleasantly surprised.
After 3 or 4 years of saving, I was finally able to upgrade shop electrical, buy dust collection, and purchase a bandsaw. Just finished setting up the bandsaw last week and using it to near rough dimension sides and back for 15 drawers that I am going to dovetail.
I had low expectations of squareness even though I went through all the set up. Part of this is due to my inexperience with machines and just being used to getting everything square by hand. I was shocked in a good way how using the factory supplied blade provided a square cut when I both ripped and cross cut. As in, by my square, I saw no light under the blade. I really didn’t expect this. I certainly did appreciate it. Still, will smooth and touch all surfaces with a hand plane.
So, back to the question, what is your expectations/experience with a band saw?
Thanks,
Joe
Replies
I've benn using bandsaws for decades, my "expectations" as you call them, are for a straight, square cut.
There's nothing unexpected, if you set up you saw properly. If the cut isn't straight and true, then there's something wrong.
With a dull blade it can all go wrong easily, especially if the blade has hit metal on the teeth set one direction only. As soon as you have to push hard to get the blade to cut, all accuracy disappears. Same for resawing.
Otherwise, should be accurate if set up properly.
It should be just as square, but not quite as smooth, as from a tablesaw.
Thanks all for the feedback.
I wouldn't use a bandsaw for crosscuts unless I had no other way to do it.
Same.
My only other way to cross cut is to use my cross cut hand saw. As such, I'm delighted to have the bandsaw. The cross cuts I did came out reasonably well. If I need the cross cut to be dead square, I will use my shooting board such as when making dovetails. If I don't need it dead square, such as a board end when making a tenon, it would be good enough off the saw.
Sure, it's fine in conjunction with a shooting board. But on a bandsaw it's pretty limiting as far as how long a board you can crosscut.
Hi John,
You are correct about that. I can cut 14” max length for a cross cut on the bandsaw. The good news is that cross cutting by hand isn’t that bad. I timed myself a few years ago and I can make a cross cut on a 12” wide board in around 1 minute. As such, not too bad.
If I had a lot of cross cuts, I can enroll in a class at the local adult education place for a quarter for $300 and have access to Saw Stop table saws. They also have other nice tools. It’s a good way for me to balance what I really think I need to have vs. what I may want to use occasionally and pay to access.
Sincerely,
Joe
It's the best way to do pen blanks due to the narrow kerf. I use a jig, but other than that specific uncommon application, I agree.
This being your first bandsaw, here some old info on centering the blade..
Thanks for the info. I was ripping 12" or so long boards on the bandsaw. They were less than a 32nd out of parallel. Since I'm going to handplane to final dimension, I was happy with this and will continue to refine setup so even more parallel. Not sure yet what is a reasonable expectation.
John C2 said it best:
"It should be just as square, but not quite as smooth, as from a tablesaw."