Cutting logs, branches and bowl blanks.

A bandsaw turns branches and small logs into turning blanks, small boards and bowl blanks. It is also one of the riskiest jobs you can do on it, because round wood doesn’t sit still. As the blade bites, a log can roll towards the blade and pull your hand with it, and it can snatch the blade. The answer is to make sure round wood never rests on its curve.

Hold round wood still.

• Make a flat first. If the log is small enough, cut or plane a flat along one side so it sits on the table without rolling. Then cut with the flat face down.
• Use a sled. Screw or clamp the log to a flat board (a sled) that runs against the fence or in the mitre slot. The sled slides, the log can’t roll, and your hands stay on the sled.
• Use a V-block or cradle for short round pieces such as dowels and branch sections: a block with a V-shaped groove that holds the piece while you push the block.

The blade.

Green, wet wood is soft but fibrous and produces a lot of damp sawdust. A coarse blade with large gullets, such as 3 TPI with hook or skip teeth, clears it best; see choosing TPI. Use the widest blade that suits the cut for straight work, and a narrower one for cutting bowl blanks round. Check logs for nails, wire and stones, which ruin a blade instantly.

Bowl blanks.

1. Split or cut the log through the pith into halves on the sled; the pith tends to crack as the wood dries.
2. Lay each half flat side down on the table; now it can’t roll.
3. Mark a circle with a compass or a template on the flat face.
4. Cut the circle in a series of straight cuts round the corners, then smaller trims, or follow the line slowly. A circle jig works too; see cutting curves and circles.

After cutting.

Wet wood corrodes blades and tables quickly. Clean the sawdust out of the saw, especially from the lower wheel housing and the tyres, wipe the table dry and protect it from rust. Release the tension if your manual recommends it and remove resin from the blade; see looking after a bandsaw.

Sources

• Cornell University Environment, Health and Safety, “Vertical Band Saw Safety Awareness Guide”, revised March 2021.