How Band Saws Work

Band Saw Basics

• Band saws are relatively simple power tools. The standard band saw consists of a handful of basic parts: the blade, the wheels, the motor and the table. The table serves as the workstation for those using the band saw, and includes an aperture through which the blade passes. The blade of a band saw runs around the wheels at rapid speeds, slicing through wood as pass through the aperture in the table. The engine generates power for spinning the wheels and, thereby, rotates the blade for the saw.

Blade and Wheels

• A band saw blade technically constitutes a circular steel band with sharp teeth, hence the name of the tool. This band runs around two or three wheels in an elliptical or triangular shape, respectively. The wheels of band saws, commonly made from cast iron or cast aluminum, hold a spectrum of band sizes. Average home band saw blades range in width from 1/16 of an inch to 3/4 of an inch. Large industrial band saws hold blades 1 1/4 inches across and wider. Thin blades suit fine detailing and other precision woodwork while wide blades suit heavy work like log and plank cutting and thinning. The wheels sit above and below the table, inside of the body of the saw.

Band Saw Motor

• Band saw motors sit on the side or back of the body of the unit and generate the power used to spin the wheels and rotate the blade. The size of a band saw motor depends on the type of saw. Large industrial saws generate more horsepower than do small saws intended for home use. Standard home use band saw motors produce between 3/4 and 1 1/2 horsepower. The more horsepower an engine produces, the more energy the machine generates. Bear in mind when shopping for a band saw that the tool with the highest power output is not always the best tool to have.

Ensuring Optimal Band Saw Performance

• Several factors affect band saw performance. Not all band saws come off the assembly line with a flat table. Before purchasing a band saw, ensure it has a flat table. Blade alignment and tension prove important in maintaining optimal performance. Check blade alignment by unplugging a band saw, powering it off, opening it up and ensuring that the blade sits in a straight line through the wheels. Band saw blades require high tension to operate at full capacity. According to "Fine Woodworking" magazine author Lonnie Bird, tension meters on band saws prove wildly inaccurate. To get an accurate tension reading, purchase a tension meter.