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mikw1961

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Hi
I'm new to using a bandsaw , but i need to rip 4" poles 2.8 m's long in half length ways. Any suggestions on which bandsaw to buy?? Was looking at the Record bs250. Any help would be appreciated.
Many Thanks

Mik
 
With bandsaws, as they're such a versatile tool, you always want to aim for as big as you can afford (in terms of both cost and space), so that you don't have to inevitably upgrade a bench model like the 250 later down the line. So if you think you're going to stick to this hobby, I'd recommend to start with at least a BS300 (12") (1HP).
 
With band saws bigger is better and i would say it needs to have a cast iron table not an ali one.
 
With Blades, it really depends on what you intend to use your bandsaw for. I do have a 1/2" Tuffsaw blade but rarely use it as I need to make plenty of turns and smaller blades are more useful. You should really have a few blades and whilst I appreciate that cost may be important, a 1/4" and 3/16" blades are very useful. A 1/2" would be suitable for heavier cuts.

Tuffsaw are very helpful and if you could manage to get to talk with Ian there (usually very busy) he can guide you on what would be best for your individual needs.
Malcolm
 
If you are going to be ripping round poles then you will need to make some sort of sled to hold the log and prevent it rolling. Google bandsaw sled for some ideas. Trying to cut round stock without proper support usually results in the log twisting round with the force of the blade. This can pull your hands into the blade as worst case but usually results in a kinked or broken blade.
Regards
John
 
Orraloon is spot-on, and you probably need supports either side of the saw too, or at least another pair of hands to help for the job you describe.

You can get cheap roller stands, and they do work (it's what I do), but for stock that long, and round too, cut close to the wanted length first so that the pieces are as short and lightweight as possible.

Two final thoughts:

1. "poles" such as fenceposts, electrical poles etc. are usually purpose grown, and made from the entire trunk of the tree. I can't remember the species, but probably a redwood of some sort, as a trade off between cost and durability. If you're cutting through a diameter, expect the pieces to want to warp and twist a fair bit, and possibly for lumps of the really soft heartwood to simply fall out as the timber settles. You are unlikely to end up with a nice finished surface you can use, even after planing. That may or may not be a problem for you.

2. Even with a thin kerf blade, you will be making the saw work hard. You'll make a lot of sawdust, and from damp softwood it will tend to clog. So you need dust extraction, and ideally a lot of suck just under the table, to keep the lower guides as clean as possible. If getting a blade from Tuffsaws, tell them what you are doing, and take their advice: it's really "resawing" and the blade needs coarse teeth and deep gullets, possibly even a skip-tooth form, so it can clear the dust easily. And get at least two, so you can carry on when one breaks - likely in this context!

If this is a one-off task, I'd consider taking your stock to a local sawmill, if they have a suitable "small" bandsaw. They are likely to be better set up to do it well, albeit probably with thicker kerf blades than you may want to use.

I'm not trying to put you off, but what you are trying to do is challenging for a first job with any hobby-sizzed bandsaw.

E.

PS: obviously, if these are squared posts, the job does get easier, but you still need dust extraction, and probably help!
 
All good advice above.

Another way of preventing the pole from rotating during the cut is to fix it to a board, either with a few screws if the holes don't matter, or with hot glue if they do. Run the board along the fence and the pole stays true.

Your BS needs to be tuned perfectly, this is a challenging operation.
 
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