Prevent an accident- be safe and smart! Band Saw Safety Prevent an accident- be safe and smart!

Band Saw Information Band Saws come in many different sizes and styles They are used to cut metals, woods, plastics, and foods

Band Saw Blade Band saw blades are hooked facing downward towards the material you are cutting. By design, band saw blades will hold the material you are cutting on the cutting table.

Band Saw Safety Your fingers needs to be at least 2” from the blade at all times. Never allow your fingers into the red insert, the “Circle of Danger” while the saw is running.

Always wear your safety glasses Always wear your safety glasses anytime you are using or are near power equipment.

Wow! These safety glasses sure make LL Cool Shades look cool! Remember, its not only cool but safe to wear your safety glasses.

Lock Knob On/Off Switch Blade Guard Table Blade Let’s identify the important parts of the Band Saw. They are the on/off switch, table, blade guard, blade, and foot brake. Table Blade

Band Saw Safety You must make “relief cuts” whenever you are making “tight” or small curved cuts. You must adjust the blade guard ¼” above the wood you are cutting. This is known as ‘The Pinky Rule” Wood

1/4” The Pinky Rule Adjust the blade… …guard’s height to 1/4” The blade guard should be set so that it is 1/4 of an inch above the wood you are cutting. …guard’s height to 1/4”

Do NOT put hands… …in line with the blade Never put your hand in line with the blade. They should always be on either side of the blade four inches away. …in line with the blade

Cut curves by… …making relief cuts Step 1 You should cut curves by first making relief cuts in the wood. As you can see in the picture, I have drawn the curve I want to cut and then drew a series of perpendicular lines to cut first. …making relief cuts

Cut curves by… …making relief cuts Step 2 Next, I cut on those perpendicular lines which will give me room to move around with the blade. This prevents the blade from twisting and possibly breaking. …making relief cuts

Never back out of… …long cuts Never back out of long cuts. This also has the possibility of bending or breaking the blade. …long cuts

Feed the wood… …evenly and slowly Feed the wood evenly and slowly into the band saw. Don’t let the wood twist side to side because this might bend or break the blade. …evenly and slowly

Review The band saw does two types of cutting, what are they? Resawing and Irregular Shapes (curves) How high should the blade guard be? <1/4”, The Pinky Rule Now, for some review question. The band saw does two types of cutting, what are they? The band saw can be used for resawing and irregular shapes 2. How high should the blade guard be? The blade guard should be set 1/4 of an inch above the wood to be cut.

Review Should the band saw be used to cut a small radius? No, the blade may break Should the blade be backed out of a long cut? Why? 3. Should the band saw be used to cut a small radius? No, cutting small curves on the band saw can cause the blade to bend or brake. 4. Should the blade be backed out of a long cut? Why? No. There is a change the blade may bend or break.

Safety Rule #1 Keep all guards in place. Use the yellow lock knob to loosen the Guard and adjust correctly

Safety Rule #2 Adjust the blade guards to within 1/8” to ¼” of the stock. The Pinky Rule Use the yellow lock knob to loosen the Guard

Safety Rule #2 - Continued Blade guards that are over ¼ inch above the work will lead to accidents and reduces the accuracy of your cut. This is UNSAFE!

Safety Rule #3 Maintain the stock flat on the table.

Safety Rule #3 - Continued Never hold the stock ‘above’ the table, the material must remain flat on the table surface at all times. UNSAFE!

Band Saw Safety Never disturb anyone while they are operating the band saw. Always clean up scrap wood when you are done on the band saw. This is a 1 person machine. Observe the Power Tool Safety Area.

Band Saw Safety You must always wear safety glasses. You must never use band saw without instructor permission. If the band saw breaks, shut the machine off in the safest manner. Let the instructor know immediately.

Danger Zone The area directly to the right of the band saw is the danger zone If the blade breaks, it may come out and injure some one Immediately turn the machine off and move away Danger Zone! The area directly to the right of the band saw is the danger zone. If the blade breaks, it may come out and injure someone. If the blade does break, immediately turn the band saw off and move away from the machine. It will take several minutes for the fly wheel inside the band saw to stop.

What could be happening?