Hi Richard, I am extremely grateful that you are willing to pass on your skills with these fantastic videos. It's great to see your skills and experience in action, however it's the way that you articulate what you are thinking while you work, that I find especially useful. Thank you!
I tried sharpening my bandsaw blades after watching you do it and I think the blade cut better than when it was new! A least it cuts straighter! Thanks for that tip
It is always interesting to watch how you process raw timber. Seeing what you think you can get from the various pieces is very interesting. Looking forward to the videos that result from these blanks.
I too re-use plastic bags for my bandsaw trimmings/firewood. Mine are from our water softener pellets, complete with a carry handle. They may be ugly, but they really do the job well. Glad you found enough sound wood to get your needed blank(s). And my “sled” has a bottom track on it to make it slide straight.
I always enjoy watching you go through the process of culling pieces out of a log and talking us through your process. I find it very helpful and have learned a lot. Thank you!
I'm actually taking notes while watching these bandsaw videos. Outstanding speech sound quality even while the bandsaw and I presume dust extraction are running. This is not just a class about making blanks but also about shooting instructional videos.
Well thank you. If you get tired of making notes there are my books which are full of drawings as well as photos. www.richardraffan.com.au/books-and-dvds/
Hi Richard, I've watched & benefitted from your videos fo ryears now & I don't know anyone who gets more out of each log than you. I can't help wondering why you don't first make a push stick though. Thanks again for posting.
I use push sticks or offcuts as push sticks whenever my fingers are close to the front of the blade. You'll have noticed I get my fingers behind the blade as soon as possible so there's no chance of interacting with the teeth on the front.
Hi Richard. Love your videos and the thoughtful way you treat logs. What kind of saw would you advise? I have been given some logs but the only saw I have is a dull chainsaw. I am looking for a bandsaw, but what are the minimum requirements according to you? Hope you have the time to react.
Ideally you sharpen a chainsaw every time you fill the tank. Regards bandsaws, I'd look for a saw like my Laguna with depth of cut of at least 300mm / 12-in, so you can cut 300mm wide boards from logs. A foot brake is a useful safety feature I miss on my current saw - I should have waited for the next model.
I noticed that your bandsaw has ceramic guides. My saw has bearing guides. I have to clear the gumed up sawdust from time to time. Do you think it would be better to switch them out for ceramic guides? I think the ceramic would keep the blades cleaner.
I've never had a bandsaw with roller guides so don't know much about them. Guides gumming up sounds like it's more to do with the wood than the guides.
