SHOPSMITH 11” BANDSAW
555943
Page 28
WARNING
If you’re cutting round stock, such as pipe, hold
it securely with a miter gauge or V-block to help
prevent the teeth from catching it and spinning
it out of your hands.
As a “rule of thumb,” there should usually be
3 blade teeth in the stock at all times during
the cut. This ensures proper cutting action of
the blade, giving the best combinations of
aggressiveness and smoothness of the cut-
while still providing a safe cutting action.
Here’s a chart listing material thickness and
the minimum teeth per inch a blade should
have to cut it:
Fig. B-16
a second cut with the Bandsaw, shown in Fig.
B-16, but save the waste. Tape the waste back
to the workpiece in its original position. This
will provide a solid base as you make other
cuts. Turn the stock 90 degrees so that another
side faces up, and trace a pattern on it-it can
either be the same pattern or a different one.
Make a second cut with the Bandsaw, shown
in Fig. B-17. If you want, repeat this process to
make a third cut. When you remove all the
waste, you’ll have a piece that looks as if you
had spent hours handcarving it. Fig. B-18
shows the finished cabriole leg.
Fig. B-18
Fig. B-17
Cutting Particle Board, Plastics and
Metals
As mentioned earlier, your Bandsaw will also
cut materials other than solid wood and ply-
wood. These include particle board, plastic,
plastic laminates and soft, nonferrous metals
such as brass, copper and aluminum.
WARNING
Before cutting metals, clean out the Bandsaw
thoroughly to prevent fires.
When cutting materials other than wood, al-
ways use a “combination” or all-purpose
blade. You can ruin a woodcutting blade
immediately if you attempt to use it on tough
stocks like these. Even a combination blade
will dull rapidly if you use it constantly for
cutting these materials. Also, slow the speed
down as far as it will go.
Feed the stock very slowly-give the blade
plenty of time to cut. When cutting nonfer-
rous metal, put 1-2 drops of oil on the pattern
line every inch or so to help keep the blade
from overheating, as demonstrated in Fig. B-
19.
Fig. B-19
Material
Min. Teeth
Thickness
Per Inch (TPI)
1/8"
24
1/4"
12
3/8"
8
1/2"
6
5/8"
4 to 6
3/4"
4
1-1/2"
3
The optional Shopsmith Speed Reducer (Part
No. 555428) is an excellent accessory to use
with the Bandsaw when the Mark V is the
power source. The Speed Reducer allows the
Mark V to power the Bandsaw at speed as low
as 100 rpm. Slower speeds are best for cutting
many plastics and metals.
