A Band Saw Buying Guide Just For You!

A Band Saw Buying Guide Just For You!

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For cutting wood, metal and a wide variety of other materials including meat and fish, the band saw is the go-to power tool in many industries for a lot of great reasons. Unlike most other sawing power tools that rely on a rotary disk, the band saw’s thin flexible blade allows you to make curving cuts through thick blocks of wood or even whole logs that will be impossible to do with a table or circular saw.

The main advantage of the band saw, however, is the tiny kerf of the blade – the amount of material that it takes off when it saws through the material. A smaller kerf not only allows you to make razor-thin precise cuts on wood, but it also keeps wastage and dust to a minimum, as well. Band saws can cut the stock to size so precisely that the product needs minimal sanding if any. With the right blade, the band saw can even do intricate jobs like polishing contour cutting and filing.

The Band Saw Versus The Table Saw

If you’re just starting out with outfitting a wood workshop with the right power tools, you can generally get by with investing into a table saw first. A table saw is the workhorse of a tool that can do the bulk of the cutting jobs you need to do for your project, and is the tool that every woodworking shop simply won’t be complete without.

For general cutting jobs involving standard wood boards and stock, it’s simply hard to beat the efficiency and ease of using a table saw. Cuts like miters and grooves that involve cutting part way into a material are likewise impossible to do with a band saw, as well.

That said, band saws fill in the gap for jobs that simply can’t be done with a table saw. For cutting curves and large scrolls, the vertical band saw and the scroll saw have the thin blades and the right setup to pull it off. Band saws are also capable of cutting thick pieces of material that a table saw blade simply don’t have enough width to do. With their adjustable height, band saws can cut pieces 4 inches thick or thicker.

In general, the table saw is the more efficient and cost-effective choice for ripping jobs in the workshop. For rips and cutting factory-finished boards to perfect squares, the table saw or the circular saw gets the job done faster. That said, lumber mills generally prefer industrial-sized band saws for processing lumber, as the tiny kerf of the band saw blades cut material with much less wastage. For the typical workshop, though, replacing band saw blades can add up quickly in terms of cost.

For cutting curves, scrolls, and other irregular shapes, the band saw is the best tool for the job. The same goes for cutting jobs involving thick pieces of wood and other material, or for slicing through the plane of a thick board to make thinner ones (a process called re-sawing).

Which Type of Band Saw Should I Get?

When it comes to band saws, there are generally two types meant for different jobs – the horizontal band saw and the vertical band saw. Both work on the same principle, with two large wheels spinning around a continuous loop of metal teeth, in much the same way that a chainsaw works.

There are also other band saw types made with specific materials in mind, with models specifically designed to cut through metal, meat or fish. While you can certainly cut meat on an ordinary woodworking vertical band saw, there are better and safer models specifically designed for cutting food.

Never use the same band saw that you use for cutting wood or metal to process meat and other food material.

The Vertical Band Saw

Vertical Band Saw

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The vertical band saw is the machine you need for making scroll cuts, curved cuts and resawing thick pieces of wood and other material. In this setup, the loop passes into the work platform, with the teeth of the blade oriented towards the front. The saw blade is held steady as it loops downwards, and the material is pushed into the moving blade, in much the same way as you would use a table saw.

Almost all vertical band saws come with two sets of blade guides, one upper set and one lower set built into the table where the blade loops into. These guides are usually made from sealed bearings or ceramic, and their job is to support the flimsy, flexible blade and ensure that it does not twist, bend or turn during the cut.

The upper set of blade guides also double as a guard that limits the length of the exposed blade, making the vertical band saw safer to use. The upper set can be lowered or raised, usually with a turning wheel. When they are lowered, they should be set to allow the material to move under it, without the guide touching the material.

The Horizontal Band Saw

Horizontal Band Saw

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Unlike the vertical band saw where the material is pushed into the blade, the horizontal band saw uses hydraulic pistons to gently lower the blade into the piece being cut. These band saws are usually not meant for making scrolls and curving cuts, although some models come with heads that can be put up vertically, and can work just like a vertical band saw with an auxiliary table attached.

Horizontal band saws are often used for cutting metal and other stock that would be impractical to cut with a circular saw. Most models can be set to lower the band saw blade on its own by turning a knob on the hydraulic piston, and they will automatically turn off once the head gets lowered completely when the cut is complete.

Horizontal band saws are generally preferred for metal work as the long band blade distributes heat more effectively, which leads to less hot spots on the blade that can break off. The small kerf also means polished cuts with little wastage of material.

Band saws meant for metal have additional features that ensure safer operation, such as a coolant system to keep blades lubricated and cool, in addition to built-in brushes that clear any metal shards that may get caught in the blade.

The Handheld Band Saw or Portable Band Saw

Portable Band Saw

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For most sawing jobs done onsite, contractors usually go for the circular saw for portability and ease of use. Portable band saws provide an alternative when you need to cut metal pipes or stock that’s simply too thick for the usual chop saw. When properly mounted and clamped, portable band saws can also be used to cut curved lines and irregular shapes as well.

Features to Look For In Band Saws:

  • Full Cast Iron or solid steel frames are generally more stable and more resistant to vibrations while providing enough weight to keep vertical saws stable even with long stocks being loaded on the table.

  • Multi-speed Controls lets you adjust the speed of the band saw blade to suit soft or hard materials, making your tool just a bit more versatile.

  • Adjustable fences and miter gauges are crucial for making accurate straight and angled cuts. Even better if they can be adjusted without needing extra tools.

  • A durable stand raises the tool to a convenient height without taking up extra bench space.

  • Blade tension indicators and tracker windows help you check if the tension is just right, which can be complicated to do especially when it's your first time dealing with a band saw. Different blade types or even different sizes of the same blade type will have ideal tension levels.

  • Built-in Lights are great to have on the tool itself. While band saws are machines that are big enough that mounting an external light on it will be no issue, a built-in LED light goes a long way in making sure that you’re right on the line when making curve cuts or scroll cuts.

  • Dust Collection features are ideal to have, even though band saws, in general, do not create as much sawdust or debris as other power saws. The bigger the dust port, the better. Most models come with either a 4-inch dust port or a smaller 2 1/4 inch port, both of which can be connected to a vacuum or a dust bag.

  • Auto Shut-off after cuts greatly enhances the safety and efficiency of horizontal band saws. Most models will have a secondary switch that turns the machine off when the head fully lies flat on the infeed table, and together with the right hydraulic piston setting, this will let you leave the machine to do slow cuts on its own while you work on something else.

  • Extra attachments for meat band saws let you have a sausage spout or mincer with your tool. Most vertical band saws also come with built-in storage spaces as well.

  • Coolant Systems help you keep your blade sharper for longer periods of time, by allowing for a reserve of coolant and lubricant to maintain the band saw blade as it loops around.

  • Adjustable Voltage lets you adapt your band saw either for 110 V or 220 V.

How to Compare Band Saws

Most manufacturers have settled on the set of standard features that make up the usual horizontal or vertical band saw.

That means you can expect the same set of standard features such as blade guides, tool-less tension systems, and auto-shut off features, give or take a few extra conveniences like built-in lights. For most band saws, you will be looking for build quality and durability.

Size or Capacity
The cutting capacity of the band saw will determine how big of a project you can take on with it. For vertical band saws, you are mostly constrained by the cutting width, or ‘throat’ of the tool when making scroll cuts or other cuts where the board lays flat on the table. For resawing or dealing with extra-thick stock, you are limited by the cutting capacity height.

Most manufacturers give out the size capacity dimensions in inches. Most band saws will have cutting capacity heights of around 12 inches, and you can expect them to have a throat anywhere between 7 inches to more than a foot.

The size of the band saw also determines the size of blades they can take, as well.

Power
Band saws run from the power outlet, and this means that most manufacturers will cite power in terms of amps and volts. For some models, band saw makers will also specify power in terms of horsepower (hp) as well.

Speed
Some band saw models have two speeds, and these are usually given in terms of Surface Feet Per Minute (SFPM). The higher the SFPM, the faster the machine can loop the band saw blade around. For most 2-speed models, expect SFPMS of 1,500 and 3,000 SFPM.

Tilt Range
Band saws can either have stationary blades paired with tilting tables or the other way around with fixed tables that the saw head can tilt around. Most models with tilting tables can have up to 45 degrees of tilt, while models with tilting heads can have a wider range than that.

Band Saw Safety

The large length of moving blade exposed by a band saw can often lead to workplace accidents. When using a vertical or horizontal band saw, always make sure that the machine is turned off before adjusting the blade guides.

Adjust the blade guide such that the bare minimum of blade section needed for the job is exposed – leave the upper guide with a clearance of just 1/4 inch above the material.

Always watch where your fingers are going relative to the blade, and always keep them out of the path. Slow down as you approach the edge of your cut, and use push sticks whenever possible.

Make sure to disconnect the power first before opening the machine to change blades. Also make sure to wear eye protection, especially when working with metal.

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About the author

Ryan

I have been in construction nearly my entire life and have a fascination with tools and love when they make my life easier. Match that with my "research addiction" and you create something like this website!

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