Tools/bandsaw/induction: Difference between revisions
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| Working with rough and odd shaped wood || |
| Working with rough and odd shaped wood || |
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Irregularly shaped wood, such as old twisted timber, or green wood, or bits of tree can all be cut but considerably greater care is needed. |
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Need to write this! |
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* Try to figure out if there's any way you can make it rest flat against the table, if yes you can cut it as normal, just be careful |
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* If the shape is sufficiently odd that you can't get a flat surface resting on the table then you'll need to MAKE a flat surface so that it can be cut safely |
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** If you're able to make a rip-cut along the work's length safely you might find you can prepare a flat surface that way |
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** If there's a surface that's already close to flat then you may be able to use the planner to make it flat enough |
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** If all else fails you can build a sled to carry your work through the saw that has a flat bottom and then screw the work onto it |
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*** Be very careful not to cut through the screws with the saw blade, serious damage is certain if you do. |
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* Some situations are especially dangerous and should be avoided completely |
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** Cutting across round stock - Cutting along round stock can often be done with care but cutting across it (for example trying to cut rounds off of a tree branch) is exceptionally risky. The saw is very likely to snatch at the timber and rotate it very fast. If you're lucky this will result in friction burns, if you're unlucky... broken bones, crushed or cut-off fingers, cuts and major blood loss. |
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** Cutting anything where the blade is likely to contact the top of the work before the bottom - Unless the work is long enough to be stable then there's a serious risk that the blade catching the top edge will rotate the work and slam it down into the table extremely hard. Damage to the saw, and potentially broken bones are possible here. |
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* Whenever cutting non-standard timber you need to pay special attention to how the cut is going. If you're getting snatching, erratic cutting, blade moving off to one side or excessive heating these are all warning signs that's something going wrong and you need to stop. You won't always get these warning signs before something bad happens, but if you do get any of them, DON'T IGNORE THEM! |
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|| People are doing this, might as well make it safe |
|| People are doing this, might as well make it safe |
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Revision as of 15:15, 17 February 2020
Some of the tools at the Hackspace are potentially hazardous to use, for these tools members are required to have an induction before they can use them. Inductions provide the most basic information on how to safely and effectively use the simpler functions of the tools, we appreciate that some members may have professional experience on some of these tools and in this case please tell your induction provider and the induction may be very reduced and just cover any risks or procedures specific to rLab. Some tools have multiple levels of induction in order to cover more advanced uses of that tool without making the basic induction take too long, higher induction levels will introduce some of the more advanced features of the tools but as with all inductions are only intended to provide basic information on the capabilities of the tools and how to use them safely. Some members of rLab may be willing to offer more detailed tuition beyond basic induction level or offer guided practice sessions in exchange for beer money or assistance on their own projects.
For all tools you are only required to take level-1 induction before use, after that you may perform any task that you feel confident you can do safely, higher levels of induction may be useful to you in performing more advanced operations but are not required before doing tasks covered in them so long as you're confident of your ability to handle those tasks without risk to yourself, others, or the tool.
PLEASE NOTE : All induction providers are volunteers who are providing inductions to the best of their ability but are NOT qualified instructors. Inductions are provided on a best-effort basis but you and you alone are responsible for your safety while using the tools and for satisfying yourself that you can operate the tools safely. There are professional training courses available from various providers in Reading and the surrounding area if you feel they are appropriate for the level of work you intend to undertake. Reading these notes is NOT a substitute for an in-person induction.
Note for wiki editors : Please do not edit induction pages unless you are one of of the people that gives that induction
There are two levels of band saw induction, level 1 covers the basic setup and use of the machine for easier to process materials such as wood and composite materials; level 2 covers changing the band saw blade to facilitate a wider range of cuts, and metal cutting.
Band saw – level 1
This band saw is designed to be a wood and metal cutting band saw, and so can be used to machine a range of materials, including but not limited to softwoods, hardwoods, composite materials (such as plywood, MDF, OSB), some plastics, and a range of metals (not hardened).
Topic | Detailed contents | Rationale |
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Bandsaw's capabilities |
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What's this tool intended to do so people know when to choose this tool and when to pick something else. |
Machine overview |
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Basics of how the bandsaw works, need to know how it does what it does in order to understand what might go wrong. |
Suitable clothing & PPE |
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Basic safety information on PPE and dust control |
Start-up/Shutdown |
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Stopping and starting! Turning off when unattended and making sure the area is clear which is a safety issue |
Machine setup |
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Getting the Bandsaw set up properly. Ideally have the inductee(s) do the bearing setup as they'll need to do this quite often to keep it cutting well. |
Setting up for your cut |
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Getting set up so you can perform the cut safely, what to look for when setting up and cutting to stay safe |
Operation |
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Actually making the cut and getting the feel for what are suitable cut speeds in various materials, demonstrating the safety procedures so people can see how they work |
Making test cuts to get a feel for it |
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Making test cuts with someone around who can advise on work-holding and speeds of cut so the inductees get a good feel for things |
Cleaning up afterwards |
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Leave the saw cleaner than you found it, cleanliness is a safety issue when working around others. |
Miscellaneous extra info |
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Other information |
Bandsaw - Level 2
Level-2 induction in intended to cover some of the more advanced uses of the bandsaw as well as some of the maintenance and adjustment procedures.
Topic | Detailed contents | Rationale |
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Cleaning the Bandsaw |
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Keeping it clean and lubricated makes it operate much easier |
Checking blade tension |
Using the guides on the inside and outside to verify the blade tension
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Wrong blade tension will give misleading results on the rest of the tests |
Checking the blade condition |
Visual examination of the blade, looking for oscillations, twists or missing teeth
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Checking if the blade is still fit for use |
Removing the blade |
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Getting the old blade off so maintenance can be done |
Cleaning Tyres |
There are rubber tyres on the steel wheels of the bandsaw that the blade runs on, they tend to get sawdust embedded in them over time
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Blade will ride poorly over dirty tyres resulting in bad cuts and shortened blade life. |
Checking belt tension |
Tension on the drive belt should be checked now and then, especially after changing gear
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Belts will stretch with time |
Fitting a new blade |
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Different blades are used to get access to the full capacities of the saw |
Checking Blade tracking |
How the adjustments work, positioning the blade properly on the tyres
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Blade will tend to twist if not tracked properly |
Using sliding metal vice |
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We have this so might as well know how to use it, even if it is superseded |
Switching in a very fine blade |
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Using the fine blade for detailed work |
Nulling blade lead |
Blades will tend not to cut accurately against the fence when first fitted so there's a need to adjust the fence to be parallel to the blade. If it's not set correctly then the blade will tend to push/pull the work towards/away from the fence and give wonky cuts. The blade lead also drifts over time as the blade wears because the wear is seldom perfectly symmetric, so if you notice that the saw is pulling to one side while cutting then the lead probably needs adjusting.
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Correcting blade lead will result in neater cuts and longer blade life. |
Working with rough and odd shaped wood |
Irregularly shaped wood, such as old twisted timber, or green wood, or bits of tree can all be cut but considerably greater care is needed.
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People are doing this, might as well make it safe |
Checking and changing oil |
Oil in the bandsaw should be changed every 12 months, or sooner if it's looking contaminated
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Regular maintenance is required to keep the gearbox running nicely |
Using the tilting table |
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Making angled and mitred cuts |