66 of 67 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Make Your Bandsaw Purr Like a Kitten, May 9, 2001
This review is from: Band Saw Handbook (Paperback)
I've been a woodworker for 34 years, and was an electrician in the U.S. Navy for 6 years. I graduated from the U.S. Naval Nuclear Power school while in the Navy, and I earned a BA in English after I was discharged. I'm not writing this to brag, but to show my qualifications to review this book in particular. After buying BANDSAW HANDBOOK, I applied the knowledge I learned from reading it to buy a Delta 14" bandsaw at auction. My "new" saw ran OK when I brought it home, but ran much, much better after I super-tuned it using the info in Duginske's book. First, I replaced the 1/2 HP motor with a 1 HP to give the saw more pep, and then worked to reduce vibration in the saw. (According to the author, vibration in the machine will cause a scratchy, low quality cut, and I can verify this from my own experience). First, I used rubber mounts to isolate the motor from the saw frame. Next, I replaced the v-belt with a funny-looking Power Twist brand belt, and installed new lathe-turned pulleys on both the motor and the saw. I used a precison straight-edge to carefully align the pulleys in the same plane, and then I did the same thing to the saw's 14 inch wheels. Next, I very painstakingly balanced the wheels (I was surprised at how much metal I needed to shave off each to get a perfect balance). After following Duginske's extensive instructions to tune-up the other parts of the saw, I replaced the hardened steel guide blocks with "Cool Blocks". The fact that Duginske invented "Cool Blocks" himself, shows that he really knows bandsaws! I can now balance a worn nickel, on-edge, on the saw table with the saw running. I even ran the saw for over 5 minutes and the nickel never fell over. I learned to do all of this from just two chapters in the book. The other chapters are just as packed with reliable information covering all other aspects of owning, understanding and using a bandsaw effectively. Needless to say, I am very happy that I bought and applied the knowledge packed into BANDSAW HANDBOOK, and I highly recommend it to beginners and old pros alike. Duginske will teach you everything you need to know to make your bandsaw purr like a kitten. He is an excellent writer, very well organised, and his writing is very clear -- even when describing highly detailed technical operations. Buy this book, read it, understand it, and apply it to your bandsaw. This book gets two enthusiastic thumbs up, and if you apply Duginske's lessons on safety, you might even keep both of YOUR thumbs! Bob Hoover
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56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Absolute Necessity, March 19, 1999
This review is from: Band Saw Handbook (Paperback)
If you own a bandsaw, and you don't have Duginske's book, you are making a big mistake. His procedures for wheel alignment, blade selection, and other adjustment procedures can make a cruddy Chinese import sing like a Laguna. Delta would be wise to include this with their bandsaws rather than the chintzy blade they send!
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45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Buy this book, November 29, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Band Saw Handbook (Paperback)
If you are a woodworker, you should buy this book whether or not you own a band saw. If you have a band saw, the book's instructions on how to properly set up, maintain, and use the saw will completely change your perspective and make your saw twenty times more useful than it was before. If you do not own a band saw, you will go out and buy one after you read this book.
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