Alternatives

[jtmullet]

Hellow everyon I am just geting in to guitar building and am in the proces of gathering all the tools I need and was wondering what other allternatives could be used to take the place of a bandsaw because those things scare the sh_t out of me because I really don't want to lose any fingers.

[Southpa]

Jigsaw, router, scroll saw, various handsaws. Pretty much any tool or machine has the potential to do some damage ...if you aren't careful. If you have access to a bandsaw then you should get friendly with it with some supervision. Cut out patterns etc. until you lose your fear but still keep your respect for the machine. Whats the scariest tool in my collection? ME! Everyone has the potential for accidents and its worthwhile to read about and practice shop safety. Specific tools have specific functions and its important to use them properly and keep them well maintained. eg. A dull chisel is more dangerous than a sharp one. You're forced to use more pressure and its easy enough for the blade to slip and gouge either your work or YOU.

Edited January 30, 2007 by Southpa

[Mattia]

Bandsaws, when tuned up and used properly, are about as safe as powered saws get; expose only the blade you need, no kick-back, and they pull the work down onto the table. A jigsaw will work fine, though; only ever built guitars with one, since I haven't had the time to put the bandsaw through its paces yet!

[Twangzilla]

Like has already been said the bandsaw is one of the safest tools in the shop. You can use a jigsaw but if you can afford it a bandsaw is one of the most important and predictable tools you can have in your shop.

[fryovanni]

Bandsaws to me personally seem like one of the easiest tools to maintain control of. The motion of the blade is pulling the wood against the table, and it would be very hard for it to through a piece. When I compair it to routers, Tablesaws, scroll saws, jigsaws it seems to be the most predictable of the bunch. Shoot I personally feel much safer with my bandsaw than hand saws. Mind you if you are resawing 12" stock you have a good bit of exposed blade, but you should be using push stick if you are getting near the blade. If you are nervous about any tools you should try to learn how to properly use it. If you are still nervous when you know how to use it just don't use it. A healthy respect for all power tools is good, but you do need to know and trust the tools.

Peace,Rich

[fookgub]

Been said already, but a jigsaw would work. Jigsaws tend to wander a bit more than bandsaws, though, so you need to stay further from the line. I'd use a spindle sander to get within about 1/16th of the line after sawing, then a router for the final passes. You can use a router for the whole thing, but make sure to take light passes or you'll dull your bit and risk tearout.

I agree with everyone else that bandsaws are pretty much the safest power saws around. That doesn't mean you can't cut your finger off, but bandsaws are much less likely to do something unexpected that could result in an injury. A healthy respect for power tools is always a good thing, but as long as you're careful, you should be able to operate a bandsaw for a lifetime and keep all your digits. FWIW, the tool that scares my the most is my router. If I had a table saw, I'd be scared of that, too... but I don't.

Edited January 30, 2007 by fookgub