Customer Reviews

Band Saw Handbook

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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!

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.

This book was "OK", but it isn't nearly as good as "The Bandsaw Book" by Lonnie Bird. I've purchased both of them and read both of them. If you want to get just one book to learn how to use, set up, buy, and tune a bandsaw, new or used, get Lonnie Bird's book. It's written in a better format and uses better photographs.

If you have a bandsaw this is the book you need to help you know what you can do with it and how. It will help you maintain and tune your bandsaw, which is just as important as cutting wood.

There is information on selecting a blade for the cut. What minimum radius each blade width is capable of is listed. And really important, a great discription of how to "fold" your blades (really important).

Everything is explained very thoroughly. There are plenty of diagrams and pictures to help clarify the text too.

I am a beginning woodworker and have found that purchasing new tools can be one of the biggest headaches of the hobby. What tool should I buy next? Which brand or model should I buy? Do I even need a band saw? This book was able to answer all these questions for me. It taught me techniques and methods that will serve me very well, now, as well as in the future. Of the other bandsaw books I looked at, this one fit my needs perfectly. Perhaps it's the right book for you?

This book tells you ALL you need to know about Band Saws. The depth of each topic is unbelievable. It's very easy and enjoyable to read and walks you through the various parts of a band saw and explains in great detail what each part does. Buying this book is money well spent.

As a novice woodworker involved in home reconstruction and associated projects such as building bookcases, wall shelves, built-in desks, cabinets, etc., my basic shop until now has consisted of the trusty table saw, compound mitre, router and more recently a 13" Delta planer (great tool). Having found access to a terrific hardwood lumber wholesale outlet, the issues of economically getting boards of out 6"-12" rough cut lumber and getting into jointing/fancy cuts, naturally placed my focus on bandsaws for resawing, tenon cuts, scroll work and such. The Bandsaw Handbook is worth every penny and it takes only a few pennies to place a lot of information at your fingertips here. It would be helpful to get real, detailed, color pictures (and fewer sketches) into future editions, if any. As a serious bandsaw buyer, I'm still left with (as with Bird's book and also very helpful) the fuzzy problem of finding the best all-around buy for my needs. Neither book does a great job in my mind on "how to select a bandsaw". However, this is probably the primary reason why many of us "weekend woodworkers" buy the books to begin with - seasoned bandsaw owners don't need it. Still looking for that simple, practical guide for the bandsaw investment. Regardless .. buy Bandsaw Handbook by Duginske if you are considering getting into the bandsawing world, its loaded.

This book contains more than you ever thought possible to know about bandsaws. Easy to read,it tells everything you need to know to become a bandsaw expert. Buy the book before you buy a bandsaw.

I have a Ryobi 9" bandsaw (Home Depot special, eh?) that ran okay - I had used it for several projects over the past 3 or 4 years. But I noticed on the last one that the blade wasn't tracking well, and the cuts weren't smooth - so I bought this book after reading the reviews on several titles. What I learned and was able to apply made it a great choice. Now the saw is tuned and singing a different song - one that I can whistle along with happily...and there's still more reading to do in the book!