Bandsaw Book

by: Lonnie Bird

Topics include: consumer bandsaws, bandsaw tires, ripping thick stock, bandsaw safety, bandsaws have, your bandsaw, template sawing, own bandsaw, resaw blade, crowned tires, less feed resistance, greater beam strength, new bandsaws, used bandsaw, steel guide blocks, resaw fence, ogee contour, benchtop saws, use the widest blade, bandsaw marks, resawing thick, hook tooth, ogee foot, large bandsaws, bandsaw you

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Book Description The bandsaw is one of the most widely used woodworking tools, found in 3 out 4 home and professional workshops. Although deceptively simple - a steel blade rotating around two rubber-clad wheels, the bandsaw does its best work when it's tuned properly. Unfortunately, most owner's manuals provided by tool manufacturers are difficult to understand, and the drawings and photos are unclear. In this book, professional woodworker Lonnie Bird gives all the information bandsaw owners wished came in the owner's manual plus much more - what to look for when buying a bandsaw and how to tune it up for optimal performance. The information is presented in an accessible, easy-to-understand way, making this a quick reference as well as comprehensive handbook. All the information is up-to-date and thoroughly researched. Excellent color photos by the author and a clean, friendly layout gives this book on a classic woodworking subject a fresh modern look. This clearly illustrated and photographed volume will quickly become the standard reference and is a must-have title for any woodworker.

First Sentence: The bandsaw is one of the most useful woodworking machines you can own.

Reviews:

This is an excellent book: If your new to band saws as I was, this is the book for you. I think that those who are skilled at the tool could glean useful information from it as well, but not to the degree as the novice. He covers, of course, everything you could possibly want to know about band saws. Blade choices, how to set up (which is really important to get top accurate performance), which size of unit is best suited to your needs, and charts showing what degree of curve you could expect out of different size blades. Additionally the type of material, and blade teeth differences, and their best suited application for different tasks, which is key to know. This book will be beneficial if you are contemplating buying a saw. Buy this book first, and be a knowledgeable purchaser. It is a well written, brightly and cheerfully illustrated, with full color photographs. The style makes it an easy and informative read. All in all a great book, unless you already have been using a band saw for many years.

Pretty complete....This is a good book for those of us who thought we knew band saws. The tune up section alone is worth the price of the book, especially if you are trying to use a 40 year old saw as I am. I have found myself trying to figure out ways to make cuts on the table saw that I should have been doing on the bandsaw, because I could not get good results with the bandsaw. This book changed all that. After following Mr. Bird's guidelines for tuning up the saw, and replacing a few worn out parts, my old gray ghost is once again singing. I too noticed the absence of a mention of Timber Wolf blades, but you can't get everything into one book. These blades are great on old saws because you don't have to tension them as much as standard blades. I have a new bandsaw in my future, and the chapters on whats good and whats not and how to buy a new saw are invaluable. Photo's are excellent and just enough of them to get the point across. I highly reccommend this book to "experts" and amateurs.

Helped in Finding: Well-written reference book written in a sequence that allows each chapter to build on the previous. Purchased this book as a help in determining what type (size, model) of bandsaw to purchase. The book provided guidance in what is important, what is marginal engineering and what is well engineered. It describes each component of the bandsaw, how it works and the effect it has on the final result. Does a great job of describing the importance of blades, various types and their application. I had not thought much about blades; however, by the time I got to the section I was paying attention. The author is very good at describing a component, how it works, how it applies to the machine and its effect on cutting wood. I purchased an additional book on bandsaws; The Bandsaw Book is the best.

This is the only Bandsaw book you need,: I've purchased several books on the Bandsaw. This book is the only one you will need. It covers, CORRECTLY, how to set up, tune, adjust, look for, and operate new or used bandsaws. The photographs are excellent as is the writing style. The information is up to date...very important in light of the many changes in this tool recently. The only thing Lonnie missed was an inclusion of the style of Blades manufactured by Timberwolf (Although he included everything else)which require LESS tension than carbon or carbide blades while still retaining beam strength. This is HUGE for those of us who cannot afford the bigger machines but still want to resaw on our 14" saws using riser blocks. If you're interested in learning about the bandsaw or are about to purchase one...this is the book to buy.

Everything you need to know about bandsaws: This book has all the information you need to know to buy a saw that suits your needs and tune it for greatest accuracy and efficiency. It is clearer and better formatted than the other texts I've bought and read in the past. The organization of chapters and articles set apart in the chapters on various topics make this a useful reference for specific issues. Selection of blades gets a thorough and very up to date treatment. You'll also gain valuable insight into application of different guide systems, why wheel diameter matters and how much power your machine should have to accomplish various cutting tasks. The photographs in the book are a great compliment to the clear, logical text.