Improper bandsaw use - PSA

[David Falkner]

My plan was to cut a piece of a Cherry log to make some signs on the CNC. I cut two pieces before disaster struck and it was all my fault. I'll tell you before you watch this that it isn't pretty but this video is not gory, no blood. But a Laguna 1" Resaw King blade was destroyed in the process. This is my Public Service Announcement for 2017 - don't do what I did.

David


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48NvcoqSbRQ

[George Werner]

Thanks for sharing this David, really glad you got out unhurt (other than your wallet with that blade being destroyed). Probably saved me from doing something stupid in the future, these types of videos tend to stick out in my mind.

[Brian Holcombe]

Glad that you didn't get injured. I spent a good deal of time on a bandsaw as a young kid and ruined my best blade doing something very similar and also scaring myself half to death.

Thank you for posting this up as a reminder to keep our heads in the game.

[Andrew Hughes]

It takes a lot of humility to show us your mistake.Im glad it was not a video of you getting hurt.
It looks like you had a very nice blade and that's a bummer.

[John K Jordan]

That's a good reminder - some people don't know about the hazard of bandsawing unsupported wood.

There is another way to destroy the wood, bandsaw blade, and possibly be seriously injured even when the wood is well secured. Years ago I was cutting a big rectangular block into turning blanks when the wood suddenly broke at a bark inclusion. The chunk went from well supported to unsupported in a fraction of a second. Fortunately only the blade was destroyed and my finger was pinched but not removed. After that experience, I examine each piece of wood carefully for voids, cracks, and inclusions.

JKJ

[Frederick Skelly]

Thank you David. Very glad you aren't hurt.

Just to maximize my own personal learning here - what would you do now to better secure that log? For example, would you drive a couple screws in from both faces of your sled, would you have sawn a flat down the whole length, would you have not sawn the last 3" of that log, etc?

Thank you,
Fred

[Matt Day]

I'm interested in Fred's questions too.

Glad you can still play the guitar!

[David Falkner]

Thank you David. Very glad you aren't hurt.

Just to maximize my own personal learning here - what would you do now to better secure that log? For example, would you drive a couple screws in from both faces of your sled, would you have sawn a flat down the whole length, would you have not sawn the last 3" of that log, etc?

Thank you,
Fred


I'm interested in Fred's questions too.

Glad you can still play the guitar!

Thanks guys! I hate losing the blade (about $200!) but glad I didn't lose a finger or two. Our daughter told one of our grandsons that this bandsaw will cut his finger off. I pointed out that it will cut his finger off at the shoulder. I'm sending them this video so they'll better understand why I don't let them go into the shop unsupervised.

The blade is applying a constant downward force and there was nothing to support the leading portion of the log. It should have been in a V-shaped cradle to support both the leading and trailing surfaces of the log. Because I was not holding it down, and slightly relaxed my grip, the downward force of the blade exceeded the pressure I was using to hold the log in place and spun the log. Once it started spinning it was no longer cutting in the same kerf it had started but rather trying to cut a new kerf but nothing is holding the log in place at this point. Does that help or make sense in the manner I explained it?

Thanks, Matt - I love playing the guitar!

David

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks David. Yes, I think I followed you. Would screwing it down to that v-shaped cradle have helped, or not, from what you can tell?

(If you build that cradle, I'd be interested in seeing a post about it with pictures.)

Glad you are safe.
Fred

[Bradley Gray]

Glad there was no injury!

I make cuts like this regularly by screwing a piece of 3/4 ply to the work - in this case I would use a piece about 10 x 20 with the 20"on the table.

I also use a smaller, cheaper blade, usually a 1/2" 4 tooth flex back.

[Pat Barry]

I honestly did not like any part of that video.

[David Falkner]

I honestly did not like any part of that video.

My guitar playing is that bad? ;)

[Mike Schnorr]

Thanks for that not-so-subtle reminder David!

[Peter Kuhlman]

That last part shot from the front makes it look like a finger being thrown off!
Well I will certainly keep this in mind for the future.
Sure glad no woodworker was harmed in the making of this movie.
Should send this to the SPCWW! ;)

[Rick Potter]

Another thank you, David.

As I age, I sometimes wonder how I made it this far intact, followed by a period of thankfulness.

[Victor Robinson]

Wow, thanks for posting this. A jarring reminder that a tool that is often considered relatively "safe" can be quite the opposite.

What would be the safe way to crosscut a log? Would a V-shaped cradle be appropriate, and would screwing the work to the carrier/cradle also be considered standard operating procedure?

[Pat Barry]

My guitar playing is that bad? ;)
Ok, yes, the guitar work was good. The bandsaw stuff scared me to watch even though you noted no gore involved.

[Mike Manning]

David,
Just to reiterate what most have already said...glad you weren't injured and thank you for sharing this with us and reminding all how quickly things can go awry when we get overly confident and lax with machine safety. It is much appreciated!

Mike

[Michael Koons]

David,

I feel compelled to add my thanks. Thank you so much for posting this. You did a great service, especially since it was the bandsaw. I know at times I get lulled into thinking I'm safe at the bandsaw. This was a great reminder. I've had first hand reminders at the tablesaw and other tools. Your post will hopefully allow me to avoid that at the BS. If I were you, I would have been shaking for a week after that!

I am very glad you were not injured and applaud you for posting this.

Mike

[David Falkner]

Thanks, Guys! My wife said my pulse increased when I mentioned the cost of the blade - ugh!

I had a replacement blade and have been setting it up since yesterday afternoon. There are a lot of steps to setting one of these up correctly such that everything is square for a 14"+ wide cut. I don't cut woods that wide often but I need my setup to handle that with no issues.

This morning I've been on the saw and have resawn some Honduras Mahogany, Maple, and Alder (cutting slices at 0.100"). The Mahogany was a 10" wide board and I need to know that my setup can cut to within a few thousandths corner to corner. Right now I have it close but I'm getting about 0.006" variance corner to corner and that's more than I want - prefer no more than 0.004". But I have CNC work to do so I'll have to pick this up later to finish the setup; I may have to settle for 0.006" for a while.

David

[David Falkner]

Wow, thanks for posting this. A jarring reminder that a tool that is often considered relatively "safe" can be quite the opposite.

What would be the safe way to crosscut a log? Would a V-shaped cradle be appropriate, and would screwing the work to the carrier/cradle also be considered standard operating procedure?

Yes, Victor, a V-shaped cradle is the way to go. Securing it in the cradle is even better - strap, clamp, or screw on the right side, not the cutoff piece would have been the way to go.

Mental note - no shortcuts next time!!!

David

[Edwin Santos]

Wow, thanks for posting this. A jarring reminder that a tool that is often considered relatively "safe" can be quite the opposite.

What would be the safe way to crosscut a log? Would a V-shaped cradle be appropriate, and would screwing the work to the carrier/cradle also be considered standard operating procedure?


Yes, Victor, a V-shaped cradle is the way to go. Securing it in the cradle is even better - strap, clamp, or screw on the right side, not the cutoff piece would have been the way to go.

Mental note - no shortcuts next time!!!

David

Very good of you to post this vivid example of how things can go wrong. If you save even one person from stepping in the pothole, you've done a good deed for sure.

I like the idea of screwing or securing the work to the cradle. I wonder if a few wedges tapped in like wheel chocks to prevent spinning would be a simple enough additional precaution. Once the work piece becomes taller than it is wide, maybe screwing it to a right angle sled that rides along the fence would work well.
Thanks again, so glad you weren't injured.

[Arthur Fleming]

I would also like to add thanks for posting this. I'm a rookie to woodworking, but been an electrician since Reagan was president. I've seen, and committed, more acts of less than stellar thinking, than I would like to admit. Most of my shocks have been because I got too comfortable, than because of elements beyond my control. You have made me aware of how dangerous a bandsaw can be, I always considered it the safe saw. I enjoyed the guitar playing, but then I can only play the radio.

[John K Jordan]

...I wonder if a few wedges tapped in like wheel chocks to prevent spinning would be a simple enough additional precaution....

I use wedges a lot with the bandsaw when processing log sections. I keep a box of wedge-shaped offcuts handy, some with a concave radius from rounding a bowl blank, and choose those that fit the best. A rip cut to flatten one side is almost always wedged for stability (unless ripping right down the center after cutting a flat down one side by some other means.) I've known people who use hot-melt glue to hold wedges in place but I haven't tried that.

It's not just round wood that can be a problem - wedges are also needed underneath when sectioning a chainsawn block that is not flat on the bottom and could otherwise rock as the cut proceeded. I cram in wedges and cut through them as needed.

I also use v-blocks for round stock such as dowels and rounds - just make sure the v-block is large enough to support well.

I sometimes use wooden handscrew clamps to hold smaller round or oddly shaped pieces - rest and slide the clamp flat on the table. I have also on occasion used two clamps, one on either side.

And screws are great to secure an irregular or round chunk to a wooden support.

JKJ