RippingCrosscutting
Ripping is the process of cutting with the grain of the wood stock. For plywood and other pro- cessed wood, ripping simply means cutting down the length of the workpiece. For ripping, a wider blade is better. In most ripping applications, a standard raker tooth style will be sufficient.
To make a rip cut:
1.Adjust the fence to match the width of the cut on your workpiece and lock the fence in place.
2.Adjust the blade guide assembly to the cor- rect height.
3.After all safety precautions have been met, turn the bandsaw ON. Slowly feed the workpiece into the blade and continue with the cut until the blade is completely through the workpiece. Figure 43 shows a typical rip- ping operation. Note: If you are cutting nar- row pieces, use a push stick to protect your fingers.
Crosscutting is the process of cutting across the grain of wood. For plywood and other processed wood, crosscutting simply means cutting across the width of the material.
To make a 90˚ crosscut:
1.Mark the workpiece on the edge where you want to begin the cut.
2.Adjust the blade guide assembly to the cor- rect height and make sure the miter gauge is set to 0°.
3.Move the fence out of the way. Place the workpiece evenly against the miter gauge.
4.Hold the workpiece against the miter gauge and line up the mark with the blade.
5.After all safety precautions have been met, turn the bandsaw ON. Slowly feed the workpiece into the blade and continue the cut until the blade is all the way through the workpiece. Figure 44 shows a typical cross- cutting operation.
Figure 43. Example of typical ripping operation
with a push stick.
NEVER place fingers or hands in the line of cut. In the event that something unexpected happens, your hands or fingers may slip into the blade. ALWAYS use a push stick when ripping narrow pieces. Failure to fol- low these warnings may result in serious personal injury!
