Here is a cheap, easy way to straighten a rough-edged or crooked board on the bandsaw. Screw a length of aluminum or steel-bar stock to the bottom of the board. Then push the stock through the saw with the bar riding in the miter-gauge slot to guide the cut. To know exactly where to fasten the bar, mark the cut line, and then space the bar over the distance from the blade to the table slot. Extend the bar several inches from each end.

When ripping on the bandsaw, you don’t have to worry about kickback, which is a problem on the tablesaw. I prefer to use a 3/4-in. resaw blade for this operation because it doesn’t deflect as much from the pressure of a heavy plank.

David B. Bills, Fairport, N.Y.

Fine Woodworking Magazine, October 1995 No. 114

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.

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Estwing Dead-Blow Mallet

A quality dead-blow mallet that packs and punch but isn't too heavy for furniture work.

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Starrett 12-in. combination square

This accurate, robust, well-machined, easy-to-read combo square is as great as ever.

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