Bang

I woke up this morning ..Da da da der da! feeling a bit jaded due to a bottle of 14% Yellowtail last night followed by a large scotch ..Had breakfast then went into the shed...Yesterday I had glued up some Koa bookmatched plates and I removed them from the clamping jig, marked out the shape and then went to the bandsaw to trim off the edges I was still feeling a bit fragile as i started up the motor. Halfway thro' the job as I was trimming the narrow bit at the waist "Boom" I jumped up in air and something hit me hard on the head "what on earth was that" I said the bandsaw was making a whiring sound and the blade had vanished..then I realised the blade had broke..the thing that hit me on the head was the blade tension knob on top of the machine it had catapulted up and off the ceiling onto my bonce..I must have had the tension to tight but the blade didn't break at the weld it broke in two other places...Anyway I'm off now to change my underware.

Ouch!
will we be seeing you sporting a crash helmet in your future bandsaw related videos?

I've had blades go pop but NEVER in two different places. You must have cranked that blade tension so that it sounded like a soprano high string fretted at the 12th! No wonder you were getting sides that were finished from the saw!
Actually I think you should check that the blade didn't crash into the guides or something. I don't see how it can though.

I agree that it's odd that the blade would break in two places. And while cutting such thin material! I didn't have a tension gauge on my old saw (shop fire ate it) and probably won't on its replacement either. Your tension must have been quite high. Glad you weren't hurt beyond that conk on the noggin.

I used to use a 3/8" width to get a tighter radius for contours but I went back to a 1/2" width as it was much easier for tracking and cutoff work. My sympathies with your early morn rude awakening. The 3/8" blade always made me more cautious, it just seemed to demand more attention for accurate tracking on a curve or contour.

I think you said your bum was twitching when you were cutting the koa ....... maybe it knew what was coming and taking cover!

Shoots, I forgot to send you the incantation to Madame Pele that's necessary before cutting that koa. Sorry.

It's good that you weren't injured, of course. But what about the really important question: did the koa make it through the incident unharmed?

.I must have had the tension to tight

Click to expand...

I look forward to the Ken Timms DIY Blade Tensioning Gauge. Drawings and video please.
Miguel

timbuck you said your bum was twitching when your where cutting the koa the other day....... maybe your bum sensed the danger ahead?