Photos by Steve Der-Garabedian

1. Collecting Dust

Dust gets in the way of a lot of things, including blade tracking, clean cutting, power transfer and clean air. Do your best to remove dust from your saw as it’s made and clean it on a regular basis.

2. Adjust the Tension

From “nice and low is the best approach” to “when in doubt, crank it up to 11,” band saw blade tension sometimes seems like a black art. Every situation is different. One thing you can do is play around with the tension of the blade you’re using in a specific situation in order to get more familiar with the results.

3. Use a Sharp Blade

Any tool works better when it’s sharp and a band saw is no exception. I bet some woodworkers neglect the “finer points” of band saw blade sharpness, but because of the amount of wood a band saw blade is removing and how fast it’s asked to do it, a sharp blade is not to be underestimated.

4. Clean Your Band Saw

Though I might have mentioned it before, a clean-running band saw will be able to expend its energy solely on cleanly cutting wood. Dust, sap, etc. only impede cutting, so keeping your saw clean is a good habit to get into.

5. Add an Auxiliary Table

Small- to medium-sized work­pieces don’t need a third hand for support, but anything longer than a few feet will extend well off a standard band saw’s outfeed table, and could benefit from some added support. A simple plywood outfeed table that can be easily removed if the table needs to be tilted is a great idea.

6. Adjust Your Throat Depth

We’re all trying to be as productive as possible in the shop, but taking just a few seconds to adjust the height of the upper rollers on your band saw before mak­ing a cut will go a long way to stabilizing your band saw blade and making more accurate cuts.

7. Switch Blades

Depending on the cut you’re making, swapping in a different blade might be the difference between a great cut and an impossible cut. If you’re cutting a fairly tight curve, a 1/4″ blade will likely work best, but that same 1/4″ blade isn’t going to track very well while making straight or slightly curved cuts.

8. Understand TPI

A blade with a low TPI (teeth per inch) will cut quickly but leave a rougher surface. A blade with a high TPI will cut much smoother yet slower. Most blades range from about 2 TPI to about 15 TPI, with a middle ground of about 6 TPI.

9. Keep the Area Clear

If you’re cutting long pieces, make sure the area around your band saw is clear. Getting 3/4 of the way through a cut only to realize a cabinet door is in the way is going to make for a tricky situation.

10. Add a Light

The importance of see­ing what you’re cutting can’t be overstated. If your saw has a light, turn it on. If not, magnetic lights can be purchased and will bring a smile to any woodworker’s face.