The Bandsaw Book [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

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The bandsaw is one of the most widely used woodworking tools, found in 3 out 4 home and professional workshops. Although deceptively simple - a steel blade rotating around two rubber-clad wheels, the bandsaw does its best work when it's tuned properly. Unfortunately, most owner's manuals provided by tool manufacturers are difficult to understand, and the drawings and photos are unclear. In this book, professional woodworker Lonnie Bird gives all the information bandsaw owners wished came in the owner's manual plus much more - what to look for when buying a bandsaw and how to tune it up for optimal performance. The information is presented in an accessible, easy-to-understand way, making this a quick reference as well as comprehensive handbook. All the information is up-to-date and thoroughly researched. Excellent color photos by the author and a clean, friendly layout gives this book on a classic woodworking subject a fresh modern look. This clearly illustrated and photographed volume will quickly become the standard reference and is a must-have title for any woodworker.

For what most people use bandsaws for, they will never really want or need to read this book. But if you've ever wanted to realize the full potential of one of the most versitle workshop tools, then this is the book. It tells you what to loook for when purchasing, how to set up, what you can cut and how to do it. It gives hints from the author's experience to negotiate tricky situations. Once your done with this book, you will find that a properly equipped bandsaw can do the work of at least 4 other power tools.

This book has all the information you need to know to buy a saw that suits your needs and tune it for greatest accuracy and efficiency. It is clearer and better formatted than the other texts I've bought and read in the past. The organization of chapters and articles set apart in the chapters on various topics make this a useful reference for specific issues. Selection of blades gets a thorough and very up to date treatment. You'll also gain valuable insight into application of different guide systems, why wheel diameter matters and how much power your machine should have to accomplish various cutting tasks. The photographs in the book are a great compliment to the clear, logical text.

I was definetly not impressed by this book, not the caliber of the Table Saw Book or The Router Book. Not a lot of information that most woodworkers familar with a hammer and pliers did not already know. I would suggest the book be re-written with some added useful information. Jrl

Having also bought Duginske's Bandsaw Handbook (and recommended also), Bird's effort here is a real value for the dollar. Kiss and a kick here though ... the information clarity and photo quality are top notch but chapter after chapter are filled with redundant explanations. If you are the type who likes the repetition from various angles, this book may not be a problem for you - others like myself may feel that the 200 page volume could have been done in 125 pages, or more information could have been added. Also, while its a sincere attempt to help the novice bandsaw buyer, it still fell short for me. Not looking for a guide to suggest exactly which namebrand and model to buy ... that's simply unrealistic as most woodworkers have different needs, interests and varying budget constraints to deal with. But these types of books are marketed upfront as "how to choose" bandsaws among other things and leave as much uncertainty as buying knowledge in my view. To be fair, however, novice woodworkers are novices for a reason so can't expect to not learn many things the hard way. Expanded focus on purchasing lessons learned would really up the content. Considering the abundant positives, if you are looking for general reference information to get oriented to the world of bandsaws .. buy this book, it's very informative on the basic fundamentals of the tool, procedures, watch items, safety tips, and bandsaw applications. Definitely worth purchasing.

This is a very well written publication with relevant information and clear illustrations from an experienced woodworker. Helps you determine how to choose the bandsaw for your needs. Also covers multiple other aspects including use, maintenance, blade selection etc. It was definitely worth the money.