Saturday, March 17, 2007

Band Saw Performance Tips

Intarsia woodworking Style Liquor Cabinet by J. Mifflin
by Dwayne Goerges

As with all shop tools there are procedures that if followed will extend the life of both your band saw and the cutting blade. Proper tension, feed pressure, regular cleaning, and lubrication are all required to get the most from this tool.There are certain precautions to be taken in order to protect the blades from premature wearing. For example, when the blades are new, they are too sharp, and any rigorous action on it will cause damage to its teeth. In order to avoid premature wear, manufacturers suggest a break-in action for new saw blades. This can be done by reducing the speed of sawing in the initial period, often to half of the normal speed. Reducing the feed quantity in the beginning, say for the first 50 square inches of the material, will also help to wear off the extra sharpness of the blade and will make it more durable.Even if you don't know what the normal feed pressure for the material should be, to be safe, start with a light feed, and slowly increase the feed pressure until proper curly chips (in metal) or chip sizes (for wood) are formed. Be aware that there are certain alloys such as ones that are nickel-based which are sawed under lower speeds and so need more break-in pressure.Lubrication is a must for band saw blades cutting metal. Never use water as a lubricant or a cleaning agent as it will cause rusting and block the smooth functioning of the blades. A suitable lubricant will be a mix of one measure of High Adhesion Chain Saw Bar oil with half measure of kerosene or diesel. Apply the mix on both sides of the blade.De-tension of the blade is necessary once the sawing is completed and the blades are put to rest. Due to the heat produced during the cutting process, the blade stretches a little, and upon cooling they shrink. Therefore, if the blade is left on the saw with tension, the shrinking will have a negative effect on the blades, sometimes causing a crack in them. Also, this unnecessary tension will de-shape the head of the saw and put pressure on the shafts and the bearings.The gullet is an important part of the band saw, and while sharpening the saw blade (normally this is done with the help of a stone) you need to take care of the gullet by allowing the stone to move around the bottom of the gullet along with the front and back side of the blades teeth.Always try to maintain a ratio of no more than 65-70% saw dust and 30-35% of air in the space between the saw blade and the material you are sawing. If you do not maintain this level, you will be blocking the air which otherwise will push the dust out, and the result will be the extra heat generated which will make the saw dust warm and ruin the life of the band saw.Last but not the least, regular cleaning should be done in order to maintain your band saw in proper condition. The excessive deposit of the waste materials will reduce the lifespan of the saw.It is also recommended that you choose a high quality blade. Low quality band saw blades are made with inferior tool steel that will dull quickly, as well as have a much higher risk of the blades breaking due a poor weld.

Read more!

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Building Cabinets

Intarsia Woodworking Running horses Hope Chest by J. Mifflin

Written by Bowe Packer
For the beginning woodworker building cabinets is one of the easiest and most satisfying things to do. This of course is After a little time has passed and you've gotten a little experience under your belt! Building cabinets truly is a fairly simple thing to do, but it's not necessarily for the novice woodworker. Now don't get me wrong here, it can be done, just not suggested without a little more know how and experience. With such things as joints and right angled corners required you might want to start with something else. This will not only build your experience but your confidence as well.


Then again if you're adventurous and don't really mean to use the cabinets you build anyplace in a prominent place you should be alright. The first thing to do in this case is to get a plan or a design of the cabinet type you want. This may seem fairly straight forward, however for many it could be the hardest part. For your first approach at building cabinets you might want to think about starting off with something fairly simple. A project that can be accomplished in a relatively short period of time.
Perhaps even look at building cabinets without doors on them, which fundamentally translates to shelving if you think about it. On the other hand, building cabinets with the doors on them can help you increase experience and again increase your confidence. Remember, it is about taking the risk and making the mistakes. Now in the long run this experience will prepare you for further explorations into the world of cabinetry.
Since you've now started off with a appropriate design or plan, the next thing you want to do is to move on to the next phase of collecting your materials. These will include not only your Lumber but also your tools, your nails, joint fixings and any other tool or material you might need to complete the project. Don't worry, you will many times forget something, especially in the beginning.
After that if you don't already have one, you'll need to clear out a desirable space for you to work in. This space needs to come with a good deal of lighting and where you won't mind the sawdust collecting. You'll also want to make sure that it's off the beaten path as you won't want to clearing out your things, always to make room for everything else. Also, this space needs to be one that doesn't mind sawdust, clutter, designs and anything else that goes along with woodworking projects.
At the very least you'll want to keep your workspace cluttered for a few days or until you finish building cabinets and whatever else it you're going to be doing. This is so you will know where everything is that corresponds to that project. After that the next step you'll have to take is in the sawing, measuring and the marking, although not necessarily in that order. This is the fun part, becuase now your project is starting to become real.
After you have everything marked off and sawn to the correct lengths the next thing you'll want to do is to start assembling your cabinets. That involves gluing in some cases, driving in nails and screws and other such things. The assembling process is one of intricacy, so make sure your mind is prepared.
The last thing on your list for building cabinets involves coating the piece off. Now this phase of the project can be some what relaxing. At least in the sense that the cabinets are now assembled and are just waiting to get beautified. This is normally completed by applying a clear coat or a wood varnish or even painting it to the color you want. After that you're good to go and if you've taken your time with this cabinet and done a genuinely good job, it might look like you've been building cabinets for some time!
Bowe is the webmaster, content provide and author of the ebook: Woodworking Essentials. Please visit his site at: www.woodworkingessentials.net

Read more!