A bandsaw can make your shop sing. From curved cuts to square joinery, the tool is capable of opening many doors for your woodworking. But there’s a world of potential beyond the bare tool. From smarter push sticks to auxiliary fences to specialty sleds, these tips will help you get even more from your bandsaw.

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Video: Simple auxiliary low fence for better, safer cuts

Many times when working with small pieces on a bandsaw, the upper guide hits the fence and can’t drop down to where we all know it should be, just above the surface of the wood. This is a problem that affects both safety and cut quality. It doesn’t happen with this auxiliary low fence, though. This one slides onto the back of a regular fence, and a magnet on the front mates up to a screw embedded in the front that is always at the ready. A fast fix for better results.

By Michael Fortune

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This push stick is always easy to reach

By storing a thin stick in the bandsaw’s miter slot, you’ll have a push stick that’s out of the way but close at hand. A hole drilled in it makes it easy to grab.

By Tim Rousseau

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Five essential bandsaw jigs

Rip tapers at any angle. Cut circles of any size. Safely cut small wedges and reproduce curved shapes, all on Michael Fortune’s favorite machine, the bandsaw. Fortune maintains that it’s safer and easier to do all kinds of tasks on the bandsaw, especially if you have these handy jigs. In addition to plans and step-by-step instructions for making and using his jigs, Fortune gives tips that will help you get the most from your bandsaw.

By Michael Fortune

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Part-time outfeed table for the bandsaw

 

Unlike some stow-away tables, this design, which is simple to make and can be installed or removed in seconds, is always perfectly aligned with the bandsaw table.

By Cecil Braeden

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Specialty fence for resawing

The board will still need to be planed before it is of furniture quality, but this setup is much easier, faster, and more accurate than using a rip fence.

By M. G. Rekoff Jr.

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Better push stick for ripping on the bandsaw

I find that this push-stick design gives me better control, helping me push the piece forward and against the fence at the same time, with enough width so that its handle (and my hand) passes easily to the right of the blade guides.

By Andy Westerhaus

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Rikon 10-3061 10-in. Deluxe Bandsaw

The 1⁄2-hp motor has all the power needed to resaw at its maximum capacity of 5 in.

The saw has two speeds: 3,280 sfpm (surface feet per minute) for wood and 1,515 sfpm for soft metals and some plastics.

Buy at Amazon

Stanley Powerlock 16-ft. tape measure

With its smooth lock, tough case, compact size, and excellent accuracy, this Stanley tape is perfect for workshop use.

Buy at Amazon

Rockler Dust Right 1250 CFM

You’ll need help to get this heavy unit onto its bracket, but if you’re looking for a central dust collector that won’t gobble floor space, this may be the unit for you.

Buy at Rockler