So. You've decided that your wood shop needs a band saw. Its use in resawing, scroll work and joinery are arguably unparalleled, so congratulations on your decision!
Your duty to yourself as a consumer is education. This guide seeks to give you all the important information you need so that you can make the band saw decision that's right for you.
1) The All Important Application Analysis
First of all you need to have a clear understanding for yourself of how you'll be using your band saw.
Will you be doing lots of resawing? You need higher horsepower and a wider blade width capacity among other things.
How about scroll work? Horsepower doesn't matter quite as much here (unless you're working with thick stock) as allowance for a narrower blade.
Will you be using your band saw five times a week or five times an hour? This will give you an idea of how much you need to spend on the motor and whether you need a bench top or floor model.
Once you've answered the application questions for yourself you can begin to dig a little deeper into other aspects of a band saw.
2) Bench Top vs. Floor Model
As a very general rule, bench top models belong in non-professional wood shops.
Power hobbyists - those woodworkers who spend every waking minute in the wood shop - will point to the floor model band saw in their shop and disagree heartily.
Your bench top band saws are made to literally sit on your bench top or to be bolted onto a stand. They are compact and portable and ideal for light scroll cutting.
Floor models are more stable and more powerful and ideal for heavy rip sawing and decorative work on thick stock wood. Their higher horsepower typically keeps the blade from getting stuck and burning the wood you're cutting.
3) Throat Capacity
Another reason it's important that you know your desired application is throat capacity - that's the distance between the blade and the frame and it determines the maximum width of the saw's ability to cut.
The greater the throat capacity the wider your cuts and larger pieces for scrolling.
4) Blade Width
It's typical that band saws accept the narrower 1/8" blades for creating scroll work. If resawing is important to you then you've got to make sure you're getting a saw that accepts wider blades, as they flex less and enable more accurate, faster cuts through thicker stock.
If you're buying your band saw to make scroll cuts only then the acceptance of a wider blade should not be a consideration... then again in a few months you might be looking for new ways to resaw your lumber. Again, that's why the initial Application Analysis is so important.
A note on blades: TPI stands for "teeth per inch." A higher teeth per inch ratio means that blades will cut more slowly, but more cleanly. That's right - making them ideal for scroll work. A lower TPI means that blades will cut more quickly but leave more of a mark, suiting them for ripping.
5) The Possibility for Expansion through Accessories
There are a number of potential accessories for every band saw. Some more than others though. When you know your applications you'll have a better idea of which accessories you're going to need and which you don't need to allow for in your model of choice.
That said, it's a good idea to err on the side of MORE possible accessories than fewer.
Some accessories include circle cutting attachments for cutting perfect circles, tilting tables for beveled cuts, miter gauges, rip fences and even height extenders for cutting thicker wood.
6) Band Saw vs. a Jig Saw
The main functional difference between the two types of saws are that the band saws have blades that cut in one continuous loop, while jig saws go up and down.
It's generally held that the band saw is the superior saw due to the vibration of the up and down motion of the jig saw. Since the band saw blade only pulls in one direction there's no chance of upward thrust on the piece that could throw the cut out of true.
That said, the ability to change blades and even the extreme narrowness of some jig saw blades makes this question moot for certain types of highly delicate work.
7) Wrapping it up...
As with any woodworking tool purchase you're more likely to make a sound decision if you know exactly how you'll be using it ahead of time. Having a good idea of how your projects for the next several months will help ensure that you're getting the right tool for the job.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
Family & relationships
By: connie | 12-09-2008
My son had a fight with his friend and through him out of the house. His friend was getting married the next week. His friend told him that he didn't want him at his wedding. My husband and I were also invited to this wedding. I wanted to still attend the wedding but my husband said he wouldn't go. My son was furious when he found out that I was thinking about going to the wedding without him, so my husband and I didn't go. I feel that by not going to the wedding we condoned my son's behavior which can be abusive. My husband doesn't see it this way. My husband thinks we would have detrayed my son if we went to the wedding without him. I just can't understand the way my husband sees it. Was I wrong not going to the wedding?
Decendants of nathan staples born 1709
By: Jean | 09-09-2008
nathan staples born mendon,ma 1709 bought a home from woodward arnold in 1737 north smithfield, ri (former smithfield,ri) who were his children if he served in the revolutionary war or anything else anyone can tell me thank you jean
Looking for my brother
By: Rinella 2 | 08-09-2008
Looking for a Laverne Steele , or Steel who lived in Akron ohio in about 1946 , and had a child , a boy, with a Frank N. Rinella
Gargoyle inflatable outdoor decoration
By: Lynne Hall | 04-09-2008
Jiminy inflatables Trying to find where I can purchase an inflatable gargoyle. Thank you,
lhallmed@aol.com
How often should an adult daughter call home? As ...
By: Ann | 01-09-2008
How often should an adult daughter call home?
As a mom, I feel she should give her mom and dad a call once a week. I have left 2 messages on her cell phone in the last couple of weeks and she has never returned the calls. She is on the road with her job. I was concerned because she was flying into the area where Hurricane Gustav is. She has never called to say she has arrived safely, etc.
Do you think I am expecting too much???
I would like to ask her why she never calls but don't know whether I should or not?
Any advice you can give me would be most appreciated.
Where's SCOTT?
By: MommyOfWho? | 01-09-2008
I'd like to find an old friend of mine....
Scott Bakos, went to Fairview High School and Polaris Vocational School... around the age of 36. Has a sister named Amy. His mother passed away while he was at boot camp. Last I heard his father and sister moved to Colorado.
Any help would be GREAT!
Urgent answer needed
By: voterperson | 30-08-2008
MY QUESTION AFTER YOU READ EVERYTHING: DO YOU AGREE WITH WHAT I SAID? AND AFTER TODAY?S CONVERSATION CAN DOREEN ACCEPT THE FACT THAT HER MOM ALWAYS THOUGHT DOREEN WAS THINUPDATE TWO WEEKS LATER:Doreen: ?Can I ask you something?Mom: ?What?Doreen: ?You always thought I was thin?Mom: ?YES I ALWAYS THOUGHT YOU WERE THINPART ONE:: OK yesterday Doreen?s mom (in her 80?s) and Doreen (in her 50?s) went to a movie.. Any way as the movie started all of a sudden Doreen got very hot and extremely dizzy. Mom: ?What is wrong?Doreen: ?I feel dizzy?The dizziness stopped but Doreen was nervous a little bit throughout the movie. When the movie ended:Mom: ?Just wait until we get into the car I want to talk to you?Doreen: ?Well if we are going to have a fight I don?t want to hear it?Mom: ?Then take the bus?But Doreen got into the carMom: ?You have to stop drinking coffee?Doreen: ?I know I am going to stop?(And Doreen thought that would be the end of the conversation - wrong)Mom: ?I know you drink coffee for weight loss. You don?t need to lose any more weight?Doreen: ?But I was always skinny?Mom: ?Yes but now you are even skinnier?This got Doreen mad and they had some fight. When they came home her mom said nasty things to Doreen and Doreen said nasty things back to her mom. Mom: ?You need to gain weight?Doreen: ?No I don?t?Mom: ?It isn?t just the coffee but the way you eat? Doreen: ?I like salads?Mom: ?But when you order a salad they give you mostly lettuce and six strips of chicken you leave over two.?PART TWO; (THE NEXT DAY); Doreen: ?Mom do you want to know why I got mad yesterday it is because you made it sound like I wasn?t always thin?Mom: ?That is how you hear it?Then about five minutes later they had a terrible fight because her mom started to rant and rave.Doreen: ?All I wanted was for you to answer that one question?Mom: ?OK yes you were fat before - how?s that? - her mom said this in a tone to get Doreen mad and upset.UPDATE (TWO DAYS LATER):Doreen: "Mom you always thought I was thin"Mom: "Yes"Doreen: "What about when we had another fight at home after the fight in the car and you said that I get mad if people call me fat"Mom: "Who would ever call you fat. I only said that because I was mad"THEN DOREEN CALLED ME AND I TOLD HER THAT ?HER MOM ALWAYS THOUGHT SHE WAS THIN. HER MOM JUST MEANT YOU WERE ALWAYS THIN BUT NOT YOU ARE EVEN SKINNIER? MY QUESTION: DO YOU AGREE WITH WHAT I SAID?
What does it mean to baby your child?qt=t
By: Barb | 22-08-2008
what does it mean to baby your child?qt=t
Does anyone in Long Beach California know Emmanuel ...
By: alice | 22-08-2008
Does anyone in Long Beach California know Emmanuel Dogbey
Value for set of 4 1964 addams family rings in mint condition
By: sammy j | 22-08-2008
Does anyboy out there know what the approx value is for a complete set of 4 addams family 1964 rings in mint condition?
Q&A Powered by:
Home and Family 
