Popular Woodworking 2008-06 № 169, страница 32

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of your workpiece.

Pre-cut. If you're cutting an inside radius, make the initial cut at the drill press or mortise machine before moving to the band saw.

When the work is so large or heavy that it causes you to pay more attention to supporting it than cutting it, an extra hand or support system would be a good idea. Always let the machine build up to full speed before starting.

Before you cut wood it will be important to think about the path of the cut. Some pieces will swing in such a way that they will not clear the main upper arm support. Without a plan, you might find yourself in a position where backing out of the cut might be necessary.

There are a few simple rules for backing out of cuts: It's OK to back out of straight cuts but not OK to back out of curved cuts. When backing out of short, straight cuts, the blade remains unaffected in the cut path and the stock has little chance of catching the back of the blade. But when trying to back out ofa curved cut, the stock can catch the back of the blade and pull it off the wheels. Ifyou find that you need to back out of a curved cut, simply shut the machine off and use a stick to steady the motionless blade while you remove the stock. If your project requires that cuts be made from two sides, always make the shortest cuts first. This will make backing out easier. Whenever possible, it is better to cut through the waste rather than backing

Cutting inside corners that are either radiused or rounded can best be accomplished by pre-cutting on either

the drill press or the mortise machine. This is an especially handy idea when you have tight radii or need a high degree of accuracy. When cutting outside radii it would be a good idea to make relief cuts to help keep the back of the blade from binding in the kerf. These relief cuts allow waste stock to fall away as you are cutting to provide more room for the blade to turn.

Hand Placement

One interesting fact about the band saw is that cuts are usually made freehand, by good old hand-eye coordination. Making accurate cuts depends on the tension and tracking of the blade along with good feed direction. The basic cutting rule is to keep the blade on the line that you have drawn. Most woodworkers push wood into the blade when making cuts on a band saw. This seems to be the natural and usual way to cut either curved or straight lines. However, I teach students that sometimes it is better to cut by "pulling" the wood into the blade by positioning their hands to the outfeed or back side of the blade as soon as possible. Make sure to allow for the 3" rule. If you watch the hand position of professional scroll saw craftspersons, you will see that they have a tendency to place their hands to the back of the blade. This gives them better control, allows for better sight of the line and, most importantly, keeps their hands away from the front of the blade.

Remember: The back of the blade does not have teeth so if by accident your hands were to somehow slip or contact the blade, nothing would happen. Ifyou keep your hands on the infeed side of the cut, ifyou slip, your hands could fall directly into the blade side with the teeth.

Whenever I re-saw, I place both hands to the pull side as soon as possible and try to avoid using my thumb as a hook on the end of the board. Sometimes when re-sawing if there is a lot of stress in the board, the last few inches of wood could pop open suddenly and if your thumb is hooked on the back it will immediately continue, with force, into the front of the blade resulting in a

There are no real guards on the band saw other than the guard that prevents undue blade exposure. This guard is usually well above the guide system. It's important that you establish a boundary of 3" around this guide/guard system and make it a rule that your hand not encroach this area. If you're cutting very small or short pieces, use double-stick tape to adhere them to a larger board that places your hands beyond the boundary. Never flick away small pieces with your hands; I've had several people over the years tell me they got cut on their band saw by inconsequential hand movement.

Another rule about hand placement is that when you are pushing wood from the front side of the blade, the

12 ■ Popular Woodworking June 2008