W1770 21" Bandsaw w/Foot Brake
Workpiece Inspection
Some wood workpieces are not safe to cut or may require modification before they are safe to cut.
Before cutting wood, get in the habit of inspecting all workpieces for the following:
•Foreign Objects (Figure 48): Nails, staples, dirt, rocks and other foreign objects are often embedded in wood. While cutting, these objects can become dislodged and hit the operator or break the blade, which might then fly apart. Always visually inspect your workpiece for these items. If they can't be removed, do NOT cut the workpiece.
•Large/Loose Knots: Loose knots can become dis- lodged during the cutting operation. Large knots can cause blade damage. Choose workpieces that do not have large/loose knots or plan ahead to avoid cut- ting through them.
•Wet or "Green" Stock: Cutting wood with a moisture content over 20% causes unnecessary wear on the blade and yields poor results.
•Excessive Warping: Workpieces with excessive cupping, bowing, or twisting are dangerous to cut because they are unstable and can move unpredict- ably when being cut. DO NOT cut excessively warped wood.
•Minor Warping: Workpieces with slight cupping can be safely supported if the cupped side faces the table or fence, as shown in Figure 49. On the con- trary, a workpiece supported on the bowed side will rock during a cut, leading to loss of control.
Because of its unpredicatable nature, use extreme caution if cutting warped stock. The difference between acceptable and unacceptable warped stock varies from machine to machine. If you are in doubt,
Figure 48. Choosing wood without foreign
objects embedded.
Cut with this side
against fence
Cut with this side down
Figure 49. Cutting wood with minor
warping.
OPERATIONS
