making bowl blanks

Re: making bowl blanks

Stuart Johnson

>I have that same problem. The biggest error I think is I will attempt to turn the piece and forget about actually pushing it through the blade at the same time. Hopefully you'll get some better answers.

Re: making bowl blanks

-e-

>when bandsawing green wood, the wood heats up, expands and binds the blade. there are several things to help deal with this fact.

1) use a blade that works will in greenwood. i use timberwolf 3as?? (ask sulfolk what's their green wood blade is) this blade has a gullot design that helps with the expansion and binding.

2) use PAM cooking spray (no flavor). this breaks down some of the sugars in the sap.

3) cut very slowly with a sharp blade with a bandsaw with enough power.

Re: making bowl blanks

Bill MacLachlan

>My blank cutting has improved when I purchased a 3TPI 0.500" wide blade for my band saw. It does not flex as much and cuts much better. But it does seem more agressive, as it surprised me the first time I used it and it tended to grab the wood. But no missing or cut fingers here, YET.

Bill

bandsaw safety and stuff

TDaniel

>Dennis, the bandsaw has a reputation for removing fingers when sawing bowl blanks. The first thing I would suggest is to get some experienced help up front. A Timberwolf blade is well worth the investment, get a 3 tpi x 3/8" for small radii. Call them at 1 800 939 4414 and tell them what you are trying to cut, the hp of your saw, and the length of your blades; they'll fix you up. The bandsaw can be a very safe tool if used properly but be aware that it was not designed to do the things turners like to do with it. Never cut with a round side against the table.

TD

what are the hazards?

Dennis Taylor (Akron, Ohio)

>what are the hazards of cutting round on a bandsaw?...Dennis

Re: what are the hazards? I cut off my finger

JHD in NC

>I cut off my finger in dec. it was put back on but never the sane agian. I was to lazzy and should have made a fig, and slowed down. I ALWAYS look at hand placement and where are my fingers going if the wood its a soft spot or starts to cut fast. I ALWAYS know where they will go and not on the floor ever again. knocking on some wood. John

My take

Dave Peebles Lyons, Ohio!

>Hello Dennis,

I rarely use the bandsaw to perfectly round up the blanks. If I do use the bandsaw, I just knock of the corners using several cuts. I do have a big lathe, but do the same thing on the Jet mini. It doesn't have to be perfectly round to mount on the lathe. After all, thats what the lathe is for :) Just get it close, and let the lathe do the work.

Good luck,

Dave

Re: making bowl blanks

Keith Tompkins

>Hi Dennis. It's not important to have the blank perfectly round, as Dave (Hi Dave!) stated. You can make a series of straight cuts to remove excess wood. Your blank may look like an octagon when finished. Much safer for a newbie.

If you have noticed, lots of bandsaw accidents lately. PLAN each cut. Like TD said, don't try to cut straight though a log....if the blade catches, you are likey to be missing body parts, as the blade will try to roll the log, your reaction is to hold onto it.

Re: making bowl blanks

Phil Murray

>Start your angle of attack closer to 90 degrees if blade isn't biting.

and I just got the stitches out!

Mike Schwing from Md.

>I tried to cut my ring finger off (no not the one with the ring on it) 2 weeks ago. Hand slipped into the blade. There's a thread about it with VERY good advice, most of it I've absorbed into new technique, about 2 weeks down the topic list and again last week as someone else tried to cut his off, too.

Re: making bowl blanks

Brad

>Some really good safety input here. Phil, I'm not clear on what you mean. Can you expound on that a little?

Re: making bowl blanks

Bill Hale / The Wood Spinner

>1. Go back a few weeks and read the postings about cutting on the bandsaw.

2. Good sharp blade.

USE A PUSH STICK.

The correct blade for the radius.

Never let your mind wander or so will your fingers.

3. Rgh. round and use the lathe to finish.

Good turning and be safe

Bill

Re: making bowl blanks

Phil Murray

>When starting the cut, if the angle of wood to blade is too sharp then the blade will not bite but twist and rub. Decreasing the angle (from 30 degrees to 60 or more, let's say) gets the cut started better. Even just a nick helps. As said in someone else's post, better to cut corners off into straight sides than fight that blade.

Clearer?

Bandsawing blanks *LINK*

Don Henthorn

>I'm wondering if part of the problem might be bandsaws that have not been sufficiently tuned and fitted with the right blade. If the saw is cutting properly the saw should do the work by itself and all you should have to do is guide the piece into the blade. If you are not having to force the wood into the blade or use force to keep the line feeding into the blade you should be well aware of where your fingers are. A saw that is not cutting properly will be distracting enough that your mind can lose track of where your fingers sre. JMHO.


http://users2.ev1.net/~henthorn

Re: making bowl blanks *LINK*

Darrell Feltmate

>Band saws plus wet wood are dangerous. As we cut through that blank the blade generates heat which generates steam which closes the wood around the blade. This causes the blade to stall until the motor jerks it to speed and in turn causes jumps and starts. It makes it real easy to push a finger into the blade. "If it can cut maple, it can cut you." The cutting also tends to be going through bark and stuff and dulls a blade very fast. I find that too many people continue to use a dull blade instead of sharpening or replacing it. Dull bades require more force and cause accidents.

For the cost of a few blades you can get an electric chain saw that will enable you to cut blanks a lot easier and safer. There is a section on my web site as to how I do it. This is not original to me :-) Hope this helps and keeps your fingers going.


http://www.aroundthewoods.com