Guards and covers
Grizzly's manual is direct: operate only with the blade guard in position and the wheel covers completely closed. The covers keep hands, hair and clothing off the wheels; the guard on the guide post covers the blade above the work. OSHA's rule for workplaces sets the same shape — the whole blade enclosed except the working portion between the guides and the table, the wheels fully encased, and the guard above the guide raising and lowering with it.
Guide height: as low as the work allows
| Saw | Guide height | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Grizzly G0555LX | Just clear the workpiece | Owner's manual, bandsaw safety |
| Powermatic PM1500 | About 1/8 in above the workpiece | Operating manual, safety rule 14 |
| Powermatic PWBS-14CS | About 3/16 in above the material | Operating manual, guide post |
| Rikon 10-305 | About 1/8 to 1/4 in above the material | Operator's manual, safety rule 5 |
Each maker's figure is for its own saw. Grizzly lists an upper guide set too high among the common causes of blade breakage; a low guide also exposes less blade.
Hands, push sticks and small parts
- Never put hands or fingers in line with the blade, and never reach under the table while it runs (Grizzly).
- Hold the work flat and firm on the table and against the fence; support long or large pieces (Grizzly, Rikon).
- Small or narrow pieces go through on a push stick, push block, jig, vise or clamping fixture, not fingers (Grizzly); Rikon adds zero-clearance inserts so small pieces cannot jam in the insert or lower guides.
- Never saw stock with no flat face to rest on unless it is supported (Rikon).
- When resawing, use push blocks: Grizzly warns a wandering blade can break through the side of a thin piece and expose your hands.
A band saw push stick does the job the fingers would otherwise do at the end of a cut. None of the manuals reviewed prescribes one shape; Grizzly's list — push stick, push block, jig, vise or clamping fixture — leaves the choice to the work.
Starting, backing out and stopping
- Let the blade reach full speed before the cut, and never start the saw with the work touching the blade (Grizzly).
- To back out of an unfinished cut, turn the saw off and wait for the blade to stop first. Grizzly and Rikon both say so; backing out under power can pull the blade off the wheels. Relief cuts in curves make backing out rarely necessary.
- Never force or twist the blade around a curve tighter than it can cut (Grizzly).
- Let the blade stop on its own — never slow it with a hand or the workpiece (Grizzly). Grizzly's G0817 and Powermatic's PM1500 have a foot brake or brake pedal for stopping.
Jams, scraps and blade changes
Safety— Power off before your hands go near the blade
Stop the saw and disconnect it before clearing a piece jammed between blade and insert (Grizzly, Rikon). Brush chips away with a brush or push stick, not hands. Unplug to change a blade or make any adjustment; a switch padlock is no substitute for disconnecting power (Grizzly). Check tracking by turning the wheel by hand with the saw disconnected; Powermatic says never to adjust tracking with the machine running, and Olson never to track a blade with the motor running and the cover open.
Blades that break
Grizzly lists the common causes: guides out of adjustment, a wide blade forced around a tight radius, feeding too fast, dull teeth or damaged set, over-tension, the upper guide set too high, a lumpy or badly finished weld, running the saw when not in use, leaving the blade tensioned when idle and the wrong TPI for the work. Olson adds a blade too thick for the wheel diameter. Inspect every blade for cracks and missing teeth before use, and keep teeth facing down toward the table (Grizzly). If a blade breaks, the manuals' general rules apply: switch off, let the wheels stop on their own, and disconnect the saw before opening a cover or touching the blade. More on blades in band saw blades.
Before each band saw cut
- Guard in place, wheel covers closed
- Upper guides lowered to the maker's height above the work
- Blade sharp, uncracked, tensioned and tracking, teeth down
- Push stick or block at hand for small or narrow pieces
- Hands out of line with the blade
- Relief cuts planned for curves
How a band saw is set up and used is in how to use a band saw; the machine is explained in the band saw guide. Holding small work in a jig or clamp is covered in woodworking clamps.
Sources
Rules are the named makers' for their own saws; guard-height figures differ by maker and are shown, not averaged. OSHA's rule applies to employers. Nothing here replaces the saw's own manual. No saw was tested.
- 1.
Model G0555LX 14" Deluxe Bandsaw owner's manual (for models manufactured since 1/14). Grizzly Industrial.
Used for: Operating only with the blade guard in position and the wheel covers closed; teeth facing down toward the table; the upper guides adjusted to just clear the workpiece; turning the saw off and waiting for the blade to stop before backing the workpiece out, never backing out while running; not forcing or twisting the blade on small curves; supporting long work; wood and wood products only; hands never in line with the blade or under the table while it moves; push sticks, push blocks, jigs, vises or clamping fixtures for small or narrow work; full speed before cutting and never starting with the work touching the blade; stopping and disconnecting the saw before clearing scraps between blade and insert; a brush or push stick, not hands, for chips; letting the blade stop on its own; inspecting blades for cracks and missing teeth; push blocks when resawing because a wandering blade can break through a thin piece; a switch padlock that is no substitute for disconnecting power; breakage causes including an upper guide set too high.
- 2.
Model G0817 14" Resaw Bandsaw with Foot Brake owner's manual (for models manufactured since 05/25). Grizzly Industrial, 2025.
Used for: A foot brake on a 14 in resaw saw.
- 3.
Operating Instructions and Parts Manual, 15-inch Woodworking Band Saw, Models PM1500 and PM1500T (M-1791500, edition 10). Powermatic, 2023.
Used for: Upper guides about 1/8 in above the workpiece; relief cuts; the guard and lower guard; a brake pedal; tracking checked by hand with the saw disconnected; a partial-tension idle position.
- 4.
Operating Instructions and Parts Manual, 14" Woodworking Band Saw, Model PWBS-14CS (M-1791216, revision G1). Powermatic, 2018.
Used for: The upper blade guide assembly about 3/16 in above the material; tracking never adjusted with the machine running.
- 5.
10-305 10" Woodworking Bandsaw Operator's Manual (10-305M5), as hosted by a public library. Rikon Power Tools.
Used for: Upper guides about 1/8 to 1/4 in above the material; relief cuts before curves; no stock without a flat face unless supported; push sticks or holding jigs for small pieces and zero-clearance inserts; letting the blade stop before removing scrap; unplugging before removing jammed pieces; turning the saw off before backing out of an uncompleted cut; supports for large work; unplugging to change blades.
- 6.
Used for: Never tracking a blade with the motor running and the cover open; causes of blade breakage.
- 7.
29 CFR 1910.213(i), Bandsaws and band resaws. U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Used for: The blade enclosed except for the working portion between the bottom of the guide rolls and the table; wheels fully encased; a guard between the sliding guide and the upper wheel guard that raises and lowers with the guide; a tension control device.
About this guide
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