Bandsaws are incredibly helpful power tools, but they can also be quite dangerous to use. Failing to follow basic bandsaw safety precautions can quickly send you to the hospital. To help you protect yourself and your equipment, here are five things you should never do with a bandsaw.
Never Adjust a Bandsaw While It’s Running
Most bandsaws come with a variety of controls for factors like speed and blade tension. While working on a project, you will sometimes realize you need to reset one of these controls. It is very important that you don’t make any adjustments while the machine is running, as this could permanently damage your bandsaw. Instead, ensure everything is powered down before making any adjustments.
Don’t Clear the Workspace While the Blade Is On
When working with any kind of saw, it’s important to keep your workspace clean. While cutting wood, metal, and even plastic, debris will build up around the workspace and may get caught between the blade and the workpiece.
Do not try to clear this debris while the blade is on, either with your hands or by blowing. Doing so will put your body dangerously close to a moving blade. Power your machine down before you clean up.
Don’t Back Out of Curved Cuts With the Power On
A bandsaw’s blade is relatively narrow, but it can still get stuck, or bind, in tight curves. If you need to back out of a curve, always do it with the machine off, never with the blade running. Leaving the machine on while backing out could make the blade come out of the machine, jam, or cause other problems.
Never Saw Through Nails
Sawing through a piece of material with nails or other metal parts is extremely dangerous. Nails can warp and break your blade, causing the metal to snap and fly off. Even if you think you know where the nails are in a piece of wood, it’s best not to put the piece through a bandsaw until all metal has been removed.
Don’t Forget To Change the Tire
If there’s one thing you should never do with a bandsaw, it’s forget about changing the tire on your machine. The tire helps the tool do its job; if it breaks, you’ll be stuck without a bandsaw. The best way to prevent a broken bandsaw is to replace your bandsaw tire regularly with high-durability materials.
We hope these tips prove useful as you’re working with your bandsaw. Even though most power tools are fairly simple to use, they’re also easy to use incorrectly.
