Band Saw Sanity Check

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
I used these:

Screwed onto the upper cover in line with the band, the other to the side of my drill press. Used 3M tape to attach the switches. Lots of options.
 

Rob in NC

Rob
Senior User
Nice... and a two pack. Thank you, sir. Got the saw squared up today, though I'm not thrilled with the Bora mobile base I got for it. Used some 1/2 plywood and still just doesnt seem as sturdy as I'd like. Went ahead and ordered the D2057 Shop Fox that is recommended for this saw and will use the old base for another project. Need to find a good way to swap them without breaking myself or the saw.
First impressions... I have to do some more adjusting tomorrow. Need to adjust the fence on it. The guides were fiddly to adjust and awkward, but got them adjusted according to the directions. It's much quieter than my old saw. With the fence out of whack, I didnt try to cut anything much other than a test. Looks purdy though!
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
Guide adjustment was one of the reasons I picked my Harvey over the Rikon or Laguna. :)
 

Rob in NC

Rob
Senior User
Got everything squared up on the band saw and fought with making a sled for the bandsaw today. My cheapie jointer wasnt doing the job to make the runner. I dont have a planer so tried making on the jointer. Could very well have been operator error. I eventually got it good enough and used a hand planer to level up the top of the runner. That's about as far as I got. Moved on to other projects.
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
I find it easier, more accurate, safer, and quicker to joint small parts with a hand plane. Small parts and power tools are sometimes pretty scary.
 

Rob in NC

Rob
Senior User
yes, I would imagine so... I have to admit, it scared the piss out of me using that jointer for such a small item. Of course I was using push sticks, but then I couldnt get the accuracy I wanted to hold it. A 'decent' hand planer is something that I want to get. The last time I looked at them, there was a multitude of styles and it was a rabbit hole I wasnt prepared to go down. At some point, I'll start in researching and get something decent. The one I have now is a box store small thing that my dad threw out because he never could get it to work right. I told him I'd take it since I didnt have one.
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
I have a corded WEN. It works for carpentry and is quite handy. As far as I can tell, it works as well as any more expensive one. I think WEN is the champ for cheap tools, but some of the newer HF stuff is getting quite good. I've used it to knock down rough sawn, but in reality, my scrub plane does almost as well with little more effort. I think the Makita is considered cream of the top. Most of the time, it is easier to grab the hand tool that drag out the power tool, plug it in, hook up dust collection.... For small parts, you would still need to have them secured somehow. Just as much work as double stick-ing a small part to a bigger block to run across the jointer.

Even if you are a machine woodworker, a good old Stanley Bailey #4 type 14 through 16, any old cheap POS opened up as a scrub plane, an a old #6 or #7 and a router plane should be part of your kit. Oh yea, an apron plane. I love my horribly expensive L-N, but there are many others. Just too handy to knock off an edge or trim a little here and there. Far easier than setting up a router just to ease an edge. In a lot of cases, it is easier and quicker to do it by hand. If you have 100 to do, that's another story. I am not adverse to power, just am old enough to know they are not always the easiest way.

If any operation on a power tool scares you, just don't do it. Back off and think how it could be jig'd . Personally, I am rather "attached" to my fingers.
 

Rob in NC

Rob
Senior User
Corded WEN... I've got the same one, but this piece was too small for me to feel comfortable in trying it and I didnt want to bugger it up.

I suppose 'scared' was a bit strong of a word. I'm overly cautious. My dad never really knew a lot about machinery but he 'tries' and now in his old age, he's very forgetful. Just this year, he nearly lost a finger, but they were able to save it. The VERY next week, he did lose a finger. All on a saw that he tried to give me and I tried to explain that it was unsafe. Was an old sliding framing saw with the bushings on one side damaged and I tried to explain that I didnt want a project and that the saw would be dangerous to use. He wanted to prove me wrong, I suppose. I should have just taken the saw, but the last one I got from him, a different sliding saw, I found a recall on it and it was discontinued and deemed unsafe. So I scrapped it for parts.

So all that said, I'm learning all this as I go and so am cautious. Thanks for the 'numbers' on the planes. That part of it is the rabbit hole I mentioned earlier. As noted earlier, I'm learning all this as I go, so I pick my most immediate 'need' or desire and research it. The hand planes just havent made it to the top of the list yet!
 

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