Tools & Materials
Choosing Bandsaw Guides
Blocks, bearings or replacement assemblies: The right choice will improve your saw's performance
Most woodworkers don’t give much thought to the stock guides that come with a bandsaw. This article offers an anatomy lesson on guides and explains how to choose replacements. Detailed in the article are steel blocks, Cool Blocks, and hardwood, ceramic, and Iturra blocks. Author Tim Albers explains replacement block assemblies, including Carter’s Micro-Precision and Wright guides, and American- and European-style bearing assemblies. The article describes how to know if you should replace the guide assembly or just the blocks.
From Fine Woodworking #148
Fine Woodworking Recommended Products
JessEm Mite-R Excel II Miter Gauge
The gauge has a quick and easy method for fitting the guide bar precisely to your tablesaw’s miter slot. This means the gauge can be recalibrated if necessary for continued accuracy. The face of the protractor head can be adjusted square to the table and also square to the guide bar. This ensures accurate cuts, and it, too, can be readjusted if the need arises. The protractor head has stainless-steel knobs and fittings and high-contrast, easy-to-read white numbers and increments.
Veritas Wheel Marking Gauge
A wheel-type gauge is the easiest to use, and this wonderful Veritas model is a steal at $38.
Shop Fox W1826
The thick, felted bag on this Shop Fox is a plus and a minus. On one hand, it makes the unit much less expensive than collectors with canister filters, and also lighter and easier to hang on the wall. Without a separate plastic bag to catch chips, however, they stay in the felt bag, and the shortish zipper on the bottom makes it tough to shake them out. Otherwise, the W1826 is an excellent value.
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