Woodworking Myths and Useless Woodworking Hacks

[@2009kevo]

I use a zero clearance insert on my miter saw because I find that when cutting thin strips off the end of a board that thin strip sometimes falls into the crack and is hard to get out and if left there the blade catches it

[@b.r.c9156]

2009kevo makes sense

[@AdeAhmat]

Same reason here.

[@DrFunke]

It also helps to see where your cut will be. And it’s a nice lip for a tape measure on longer pieces.

[@MucaroBoricua]

Yes, that's the reason for having zero-clearance inserts in miter saws.

[@pierrerousseau8770]

@@MucaroBoricua i agree

[@ianknobben7081]

Thank you Colin..... Always great to see your posts.... Please don't stop. And definitely don't pay attention to the "thumbs down". People set in there own ways. Not even open to new ideas.

[@joetrombley2053]

Agree tape on solid wood is useless. However, brittle plywood, such as cutting off the bottom of an old hollow core door....tape is indespensiple.

[@firesurfer]

indispensable

[@scottlytton5328]

agree! luan plywood cut without tape looks like a chain saw cut

[@RambunctiousHamster]

I have a zero clearance insert for my miter saw to keep thin strips of wood from falling into the bottom tray and getting stuck. It's very useful for that. Never actually thought people used it for a better cut(good blades do that), but for keeping off cuts from clogging the under tray, it's great!

[@MatthewMakesAU]

I made a zci for my mitre saw, mostly so I had an accurate point to measure from

[@jack002tuber]

I thought it was only to stop small pieces from falling down in there

[@JukeboxJake]

@@Grauenwolf did you read the whole comment? He uses it to measure off of. It allows him to line his mark up with the edge of the insert

[@4dchessplayer516]

I think tape works when cutting thin plywood, like 5mm

[@7curiogeo]

You would do better to score cut with razor knife then tape.

[@keats182]

I use tape on plywood with my miter saw. It definitely works.

[@DMAG-3200]

Also if you raise the blade higher on a table saw it makes quite a difference

[@clobbyhardy]

A good blade specifically made for plywood is the best way to do it. Ridge Carbide plywood/melamine blade makes even melanine cuts perfectly.

[@rudyramirez3641]

Tape does work. He might be the only person on KZbin saying it doesn’t

[@charlesenfield2192]

Don't underestimate the value of tape when cutting melamine. Tape doesn't really help under perfect conditions (using sharp, clean, melamine blade with a brand new 0-clearance plate), but perfect conditions aren't always convenient. I've found that tape improves the cut a little under imperfect conditions.

[@WasimBarri]

Couldn't agree more! I always use tape cutting melamine.

[@northeastcorals]

Same here.

[@DaveJHarry]

When cutting melamine on a table saw ,set the depth to ~1mm on the first pass. Then cut it again setting the depth to the wood thickness +1mm. Not a tearout to be seen.

[@billstrader4326]

@@DaveJHarry Pre-scoring is the same concept. Use a straight edge and a knife to pre-score your line before cutting. Tough to cut so shallow with a circular saw, but I can usually line it up with a straight edge clamp.

[@henrybotha]

Tape absolutely works on melamine. If you have a scoring blade, even better

[@markkeating2941]

Hi - at 6:53, you show the tear out being worse - but if you watch at 5:43, the blade is cutting the face-up side first (plunging down) - not from underneath as you said earlier. When you turned the wood over, the area of tear out (1/3 of the length of the cut) corresponds to the top-down cut of the blade at 5:43. Could that be the reason for your finding? Awesome video, teaching skill and artistry, and video production - all top notch!

[@darkmatter5310]

Excellent teacher and guide. Very helpful tips.

[@YouPlague]

It's not that the teeth of the band saw blade melt. Even forging temperature is 1000-1300 C. It's that you heat it up to around 200-300 C where you are effectively reversing the hardening process by tempering it again. (more technically you are changing the crystalline structure of the steel by heating it up) Then it becomes soft and dulls very quickly

[@MucaroBoricua]

True, but most of us know what he meant.

[@chrishoesing5455]

Thanks, you saved me from typing this.

[@clanderson0]

You're perpetuating a few myths of your own here Collin! Table saws do not cut on top first. They cut from the side (and eventually from the inside) downward at an arc. The opposite is true for a miter saw, depending on workpiece positioning, and especially if you don't have a sliding saw like you do. As proof of this, you'll notice YOUR tearout occurs at the rear of the workpiece near the fence, because you're sliding the balde. The usefulness of the zero clearance insert also comes when plunge cutting with a slightly dull blade. Obviously a sharp blade with a sliding feature is best, but not everybody possesses these.

[@LegionZero]

The tape trick worked like a charm for veneered particle board that I re-purposed from and old Ikea bookshelf, No tape : tear out like crazy with tape : smooth sharp lines I don't think I have used tape outside of that cutting purpose

[@JeffreyMoon1974]

I always thought people use zero clearance inserts on the mitre saw to keep small cutoffs from dropping below the insert and getting trapped. I do agree, as you point out, that if you are looking to reduce tear out that you want to have the good side facing down.

[@Mysteria9]

Thank you for another interesting video! I'd argue though, a zero clearance insert on a miter saw isn't all useless. Using it for support when cutting very small pieces makes a big difference!

[@David-hm9ic]

@Throw Stone Yes, we are. For example, when cutting the end off of dimensional lumber to square it up the off cut is very thin. The other side might be 6 feet long but there is a very small piece that will fall down under the insert.

[@Rickmakes]

A zero clearance insert on a miter saw can be used to line up cuts accurately.

[@Cenobyte40k]

My zero clearance is cause when I cut small slices off, they kept falling into the gap. But it didn't change my cut any.

[@louislandi938]

Thank you Sir! You are saving me years of frustration.

[@kashel83]

I love all of your videos, but I particularly liked this one, this should be a series on its own, I'm sure there's plenty more myths that can be disproven. I for one always believed the tape one, so I really thank you for the knowledge I gained

[@farrier2708]

I've always questioned the use of adhesive tape in any cutting operation. Why? Because the adhesive from the cut tape contaminates the cutting edge of the tool. My philosophy has always been :- "If the right tool for the job does not give an acceptable cut, it ain't sharp enough." Now for something positive :- 😀 One technique I was taught with the chop and mitre saws, is to take a shallow backward cut, before making the final foreward cut, so that the blade is cutting down into the top surface of the material. This means that in the final push, the blade completes it's upward cut below the top surface of your material and tear out can be noticeably reduced. Thanks for your vid's Colin. Keep 'em coming.

[@chaplainand1]

Thank you. Each myth debunking was helpful to me.

[@ianc.2012]

Great video, Colin. This should be its own series!!

[@SlowandExpensive]

Some of this information is misleading. Tape works well to reduce tear out when crosscutting plywood especially plywood that is pre finished on both sides. Who tapes solid wood? I don't use a zero clearance insert on my miter saw but the fact that using one would keep debris from falling into the well means it's not a useless implementation regardless of whether it reduces tear out or not.

[@stlalways6715]

Slow and Expensive I use tape when cutting doors all the time. You can see an obvious difference between any laminated surface like hollow core doors or cabinetry panels from both table and circular saw.

[@ZeoCyberG]

Yes, supporting the wood fibers is not a myth. Just like anything effectiveness depends on certain variables that all have to align to get the desired result and it pays not to do thing like tear the tape off in the direction most likely to tear out fibers or use tape with too strong an adhesive.

[@monteglover4133]

Exactly. Some veneers that are especially fragile tape is very very useful.

[@SlowandExpensive]

If I though it'd help I'd write it again.

[@charlesenfield2192]

S&E, if I got as much tear out on solid wood as Colin did in this demo I'd try tape too. :^)

[@jasonhorwege7334]

I think that your explanation of zero clearance insert on miter saws is true in many, but not all cases. For the moment, ignore sliding saws, just think about a saw with simple up/down movement. You can try this on a real saw, or just do the test in your head. Put a wide board on the saw. Say 10" wide on a saw with a 12" blade: just a bit less than the max width capacity for the saw. Now saw down only partway - just unit the blade breaks through in the middle of the board. STOP. The front and back of the board are still intact, and uncut on the bottom. Look and think about this. The part of the blade that is behind the spindle is indeed cutting UP, into the wood as Collin says. But the teeth on the part of the blade in FRONT of the spindle are in fact cutting down. So, your explanation is true for narrow boards - spindle in front of 100% of the width of the board. Not true for wider boards. That is one advantage of a sliding saw. You can cut many boards with teeth going into the wood on both sides. - Start with bade at the rear, make a shallow cut, pulling the saw forward. - When the blade is all of the way forward, plunge all of the way down, then push back.

[@chrishoesing5455]

Thanks, you saved me from typing this

[@garysavill6975]

Your quite right Jason, sorry but the video is not great (a video about myths that is actually creating one), I can't believe more people aren't pointing out his failure to understand the difference between the cutting action of a mitre saw where the blade plunges through the wood top to bottom and a sliding mitre saw where the saw can slide through more like a circular saw does, anyone who has ever used a regular mitre saw will know the tear out is almost always on the underside and fence side of the wood (where the blade is exiting), so a zero insert and a zero fence make a massive difference in most cases. I always put the good side up if I'm pulling the saw straight down and good side down if I'm sliding the saw cutting a wide board.

[@roytelling6540]

that you for this video I am 59 but I have had about 20 days working with wood but I am thinking of making my own furnisher and been watching MANY vidoes to get to know more so I can do my best

[@ondrejc55]

Well explained, thanks.

[@GlorifiedApe]

I have a non-sliding mitre saw and I get tear-out on the bottom of wood. I don’t get tear-out on the top. I think the whole “the bottom gets cut first” may be true for SLIDING mitre saws but if the saw doesn’t slide, the top gets cut first no matter what as the only motion is from top to bottom as you pull the blade down onto the wood in a chopping motion. I’ll be making a zero clearance insert for my non-sliding “chop” mitre saw.

[@stevecollins9450]

I agree.

[@LTVoyager]

I was about to write the same thing. I have a non-sliding miter saw and about half the board gets the bottom cut with teeth going down and half with the teeth going upwards. So, this only applies to sliding saws and only if you slide the saw all the way out before cutting.

[@Not_TVs_Frank]

@goggles789 Slowing down makes a difference, 100%. Cranking a fast cut will shred the back of the piece. It's easy to see with a few quick and slow test cuts.

[@Not_TVs_Frank]

This is why you see people with sliding saws make a shallow cut in the top and then a second cut all the way through. The first cut on top has minimal tearout because it's not a through cut and you're cutting down. The second cut - from the front, sliding backwards - has minimal tearout because the blade is now cutting up into the existing kerf.

[@bradmeacham6982]

Collin is correct that a ZC insert on a sliding miter saw doesn't help with bottom face cut quality when the saw is used in sliding mode - pull the slide all the way out, then down, the push it back through the cut. However, a non-sliding miter saw (AKA a chop saw) cuts mostly from the top down in a plunge cutting motion. I say mostly because depending on the width of the piece being cut, the blade can be cutting both into and out of both the top and bottom faces at the same time (mind blown!). Having a ZC insert on my chop saw definitely helps with the underside of the cut. Note that you can also use a sliding miter saw as a chop saw if, and only if, the piece being cut completely fits within cut width capacity of the blade. I'd assume having a ZC insert on your slider will help in this situation as well, although it's probably best practice to use the proper "sliding" mode at all times with a sliding miter saw.

[@johnvodopija]

Good video. I particularly like the mitre saw myth because I had been thinking about making an insert. Thank you for sharing 👍😎🇦🇺

[@HuskyKMA]

Make one still, you won't regret it.

[@nonparticipant4671]

Three cheers for Colin. There's nothing worse than an untrue myth that will not die. As an electrician, the most common one, especially among older electricians, is that if you wire a motor for 240 volts its cheaper to run than at 120 volts. The truth is it makes absolutely no difference in the electric bill. The wattage (what you get billed for) is exactly the same. Doubling the voltage will halve the current. There MAY be a cost savings in material and initial installation, as the larger current draw may require larger pipe and wire, etc. but running the motor will cost the same.

[@charliemason4355]

If I'm concerned about tear out I scribe the cut with a utility or marking knife. That's particularly important on the side the blade exits the cut. I've used this technique on hollow core doors. It works well when I've had to cut below the rail. I make several passes with a utlity knife cutting completely through the plywood skin on both sides.To make sure I've cut through skin where it's glued to the stile, I check the depth of cut in the stiles by making sure the knife kerf is in the stile. Using a circ saw I cut just the stiles proud of the kerf on the waste side and sand to the kerf. I also used this technique on melamine shelving so that both sides have clean cuts.

[@MarkMcCluney]

Good video as always Colin, thanks! Could you include sometime a few pointers about bandsaw blade tension? Thanks again.

[@J_Madison]

So how do you go about cleaning up table saw cuts to get rid of the small amount of tear out If you want to keep sharp edges?

[@kentshrader6616]

Bravo!! Fantastic instructional video! Did you ever teach "shop" in high school?? You're a natural teacher!

[@patchesofgreen3832]

Another reason for zci on mitre saw is for chip and dust extraction. Lots more material remains in cavity under plastic factory inserts. Doesn't eliminate the problem, reduces it.

[@0verboosted]

Thanks for the tips Woz!

[@pieknylolo-s8i]

And what do you think about laying plywood under wood when drilling?

[@JimmiePorterAtStuartArts]

Excellent video. I learned a lot. Thank you.

[@MrMarkpeggy]

Thanks for the great video Colin. Please be s safe and stay well.

[@NickMusselle]

pleased you said about the tape reducing tear up in wood, I'm just starting to teach myself woodworking and was going to try it.

[@phatphat7089]

Tape helps with plywood

[@tharemyhopkins5873]

I think it's important to note the before/after parts of the bandsaw tip; if you cut with a NEW blade, and it cuts straight - AND THEN it doesn't cut straight later, it may be you dulled one side of the teeth. But be careful thinking your blade is dull if you have to push crooked to get a straight cut if you've never had the saw cutting straight in the first place. Could be a lot of factors (mostly tuning/alignment).

[@wilhelmthiem4288]

What throat are u using for your dust extraction? And spliter?

[@tooljunkie555]

Some funny ideas/myths! Although I think the tape idea is MOSTLY used for plywood and also depends on how fast ur pass is too..hope all is well colin!

[@mammothfilms]

Joe Basement Woodworking & DIY I was thinking the same about the tape. The stock being cut could benefit from the tape.

[@petermenningen338]

I live in a very humid climate Maui HI I find that rubbing a chunk of wax on both sides of the blade before storage helps keep them from forming surface rust in storage.

[@jack002tuber]

I use WD40 or light oil

[@ta1ntv1lle39]

love the vids, but i will say this about zero clearance, youre absolutely right when it comes to hard wood, but soft wood like pine it will make a difference, also, zero clearance plates are a great safety feature, they prevent thin slices you cut for squaring the ends from going into the channel only to he hit by the blade and flung back at you-i will ALWAYS have a zc plate, only took me getting hit multiple times to learn

[@missfortune6174]

Hey Colin...to expand on the tape misconception, I have seen people use the tape with jigsaws with less tearout. Would you say it doesn't work for this either in truth? I don't have a circular saw or table saw yet. Just my chop saw and jig, so any input would be much appreciated.

[@billsmith3195]

Thanks Colin. Makes sense..

[@I-Love-Taylor-Swift]

Love how the mitre saw cuts so clean, then stops very quickly with a brake. Makes me want to get one !! (Currently have a hand mitre saw)

[@ianmcfadden4709]

i love mine , i use mine for everything i can

[@danielmcfarland-lawson6477]

_ David _ I believe a hand miter is a hand saw that you move back in fourth, but I’m not sure.

[@I-Love-Taylor-Swift]

@_ David _ Look up Kobex Proman mitre saw. That's the one I have. It's probably the best hand mitre saw in the world!

[@I-Love-Taylor-Swift]

@@danielmcfarland-lawson6477 Correct

[@spacecadet_woodworks]

With regard to the miter saw, it only cuts from the bottom first if you start the cut off the wood. I think it makes more sense to say the blade exists the cut on the top of the board.

[@davidbritton8429]

Another great video. Thanks for the advice

[@joeywatch1145]

I used tape literally yesterday, which was especially handy on a dowel, which isn't backed on any side. I tried to get away with test cuts without tape there was too much tear-out to avoid it. You're using finishing blades and backed materials, which is the whole point. Not to mention, the difference you will see depends on the wood you're using.

[@brianrobertson1211]

Is it dangerous when the ad stops the workpiece mid-cut?

[@custos3249]

Rounding the back of the bandsaw blade might be pointless for maneuvering, but I've seen enough burs on cheap blades that I'll still touch mine up while balancing it/correcting drift

[@Metalbass10000]

I use a stone on the back of my bandsaw blades, not at all for cutting arcs, just to make sure the back of the blade it straight, flat, and deburred, without any bumps. I also only do my resawing of wide, figured, spalted, or burl, hardwoods with a carbide tipped blade. I've spent as many years cutting metals as I have woods, so I'm maybe biased due to my experiences.

[@TheJcdm327]

I learned 3 things today. Thanks for sharing.

[@AustinLawicki]

Great video Colin!

[@mikesmale1853]

Thank you for showing us this sir.

[@nomore9203]

I wish I know about the band saw blade. My saw would not cut right. You showed me that it was the blade. Thank you.

[@user-in1do9qz3c]

I have used a zero clearance approach on my chop saw for years. Not to get a better cut but to prevent sawdust and small pieces from falling into the bed throat and jamming up the swivel table after some time. Previous to the zero clearance i would need to remove the swivel table at least once per year to clear the collected garbage underneath...

[@giorgio84]

You remind me of Pinocchio grandpa. Thanks for nice videos. I had so many videos watched and always saw them in my youtube page I thought I was subscribed, now I am

[@peterdurr1450]

What about circular blade for band saw ? my uncle has one for his dremel. works great for very detailed designs and tight circular cuts. looks like a metal string..

[@garryprendergast6183]

I love your stuff it's so enlightening

[@dogface6040]

No matter what saw you use, you will get at least two distinctly different quality edges, depending on the blade entry direction. Follow the blade direction. TS: blade enters the top, exits bottom, best edge is on top. MS, at least mine, again blade enters top, exits bottom. Most circular (hand) saws are the reverse: blade enters on the bottom, etc. Track saws (Festool, et al) enter the bottom, exit top, but the design of the track edge gives zero clearance, and so the "near side" top edge is usually the best. But I've also found that tape will improve any edge, but you have to be a bit more careful removing high-stick tape (which is what Colin used): pull the tape off in the direction toward the cut edge, which is the direction least likely to lift fibers off the board (esp on soft woods). Note Colin's first test, first cut without tape, left side was cleaner than right side. I find that strange.

[@marinemikeusmc6529]

Me too. Seems like some editingay have taken place

[@joewood2409]

Thanks for making video, I didn't know about the bandsaw blades.

[@quirtdrozario9983]

Thank you for this video. Excellent advice.

[@frameriteairdrie578]

There has been the odd time where I've had to cut on a mitre saw with the good side facing up. Crosscut on thin veneer plywood. The tearout is terrible, but I found a small trick. Start with the blade pushed all the way back, lower it, then once it's cutting, pull it forward doing a partial depth cut (bit more than a scoring). Then plunge it and do the regular push cut. Makes a massive difference in reducing the tear-out. (But still not perfect.)

[@georgequalls5043]

FrameRite Airdrie yes, that makes a lot of sense.

[@MB_84]

I need to change the band saw blade😂 Thanks for an informative video!

[@michaelkolozsvari3575]

I use tape on when cutting framing on my miter saw (normally red oak or mahogany). If I don't use it, I see tear out, especially on the back end. If I use tape, I see very little tear out. Thanks, I'll go with my experience and get cleaner cuts.

[@David-hm9ic]

My miter saw has a vertical board on the fence with zero clearance. It gives a fantastic alignment point for pencil/knife marks and prevents tearout as the blade exists the back of the workpiece. A ZCI is highly beneficial to keep small pieces from falling under the insert and later being picked up by the blade.

[@NormanRamsey]

I always love your channel. This one was fun!

[@4dchessplayer516]

I saw you had the allen wrench in the drill chuck......i just read about using that method to remove said chuck from the drill that uses a pin and not a screw to knock it loose. So that you can replace it. I have yet to replicate that

[@frosiaburlakova7732]

Some comments here are more informative than the video. Not to say that the video is useless. Thank you for initiating a discussion!

[@BigTrainBuff]

A lot of good wisdom here, Colin. You could write a book on bandsaw myths alone. I use two bandsaws; one for straight cuts and he other with a ¼” blade for curves. It takes a lot of time to change blades because of adjustments in the guide bearings on top and bottom. However, the myth of BLADE DRIFT is one that needs more coverage. For years it was recommended that the blade be placed on the top wheel so that the teeth overlap the (left) edge of the tire. This automatically causes blade drift because of the fact that there is a slight hump in the middle of the tire at the highest point, thus slightly twisting the blade at the cutting line. I ended up centering the blade on the wheel and, voila, drift went away. I can now cleanly resaw a slice as small aa 1/32” without adjusting the fence for drift.

[@SamStGeorge]

You are amazing, I love your videos and learn a lot from you, So Simply THANKS

[@billygarfield5520]

Great video! Thanks.

[@realjuanjose]

Thank you

[@geneswood0729]

Zci also to keep fall downs on top to brush away.

[@benjacoel1115]

You are doing a great job !!

[@SMee67]

Good on ya mate. 👍🏽 I got to say, cut 2 and 3 were most surprising.

[@robertnewell5057]

Very useful, Colin. Now I know what I thought was blade drift was actually dull teeth on one side! Incidentally, there is a formula for bandsaw blade width versus minimum arc widely published on the internet.

[@paul1962uk]

How does a table saw blade 'cut first on the top'? , the very nature of the shape of the blade means it cuts first on the bottom of the board then creeps up on the top.

[@retiree1033]

I see your point.

[@trevorallen2274]

It is a downward arc, no?

[@retiree1033]

It's also worth stressing that when using a sliding mitre saw, to extend the saw past the material before you bring it down for the cut and push away from you. In the time before KZbin, it hadn't dawned on me to do it that way. To be self taught is not necessarily a good thing. :/

[@chris_thornborrow]

Very interesting comment. Thinking about that related to tear out explains why the advice for always having your blade just clear of the top of the wood is sound. I always thought it was about safety but infact on the top of the wood having a high blade would result in more tear out and the teeth smash down more vertically on the top of the cut onto unsupported fibres. If the blade is just clear the teeth impact almost horizontally and the fibres are still supported by the wood behind them. Nice Paul you just improved my woodworking !

[@mmichaud08]

The first plane to get broken through, if you follow 1 tooth as it passes through the wood on the table saw, is the top of top of the wood. The tooth then continues through the wood and blasts out the bottom causing tearout if it chooses. The initial 1/8 inches of cut or so, sure, it's cutting the side first, but then it's blasting out the bottom of the wood. ZCI works well for a table saw because it supports the fibers on the bottom as the blade tears down into the table.

[@Metalbass10000]

The back of the band saw blade should have any burrs, or any areas that are uneven, or lumpy, if the weld is not smooth. Any uneven or lumpy areas on the back of the blade will push the blade, or cause it to "jump" or "bounce" in the cut as the blade rides against the thrust bearing or blade guide.

[@MCsCreations]

Great tips, thanks! 😊 Stay safe there! 🖖😊

[@minicooperusaf4624]

Thank you for the tips

[@woodlandburl6648]

Thanks for your fine tips. I did learn something.

[@heli400]

I tried the tape thing for a short bit, but i found that it takes up a lot of time (and uses up tape!). I score a line with an OLFA blade if I'm concern about tear out. On my mitre saw, I run the blade across the top first to get a nice clean line on the top, then I plunge it

[@scottlouis7785]

I made the insert for my miter saw & realized that at 1st cut but left it there because it shows where the cut will be exactly so do mark the back side of the material

[@BigTrainBuff]

That system works great as long as you don’t tilt the blade away from 90 degrees, which results in a wider cut.

[@RPSchonherr]

Colin, at 7:00 you could have pointed out the exit wounds where #3 had a chip taken out.

[@marke.haller4267]

Love your videos. Thanks! I have a question for any smarter than me folks out there. Has anyone wrapped stainless roll flashing around a 2x8 (or 10) for a deck to railing? Converting my Weber gas grill into an enclosed station inside a deck railing bay. Thinking I'd epoxy it down, then bend it over the edges. Thoughts?

[@Al-Hunt-acrylic-painter]

How does a mitre saw cut under the wood first, when the saw is above the wood?

[@garycwilliams573]

Very good I learned a lot I made a zero clearance insert for my miter saw couple years ago I guess I didn’t have to cause if I ever use the bevel cut it would ruin the zero insert make it wider so I haven’t done it I still have my other insert maybe I’ll put it back in just in time to make a bevel cut compound miter anyway great video thank you keep up the good work

[@coder4liberty]

I don't think that's the kind of wood people are talking about. MDF, plywood and other materials do benefit from tape.

[@danielmcfarland-lawson6477]

The tape makes the issue worse because it rips away at the edges when peeled, unless you left it on its not going to stop splinters.

[@jackmcslay]

It still seems a good idea to round the opposite edge of a bandsaw blade before first use. It's a sheet of metal which was at some point cut which could create some degree of deformation on the dull edge, it's just easier to run a sharpening stone for a couple seconds on each side to get rid of potential manufacturing imperfections than inspect it for such.

[@albertqss]

Taping before cutting plywood across the grain helps me all the time.

[@SeanChYT]

What about a zero-clearance vertically on the miter saw on the back fence? That would help a bit, right?

[@SeanChYT]

@Harry M Yes, but that would be true for any sort of zero clearance insert I assume. Once you start chopping it up in multiple directions, angles and bevels, the zero clearance property is lost.

[@Not_TVs_Frank]

I added to my fence in this fashion. I'm honestly not sure if it improved cuts on my simple non-sliding saw or not, but it's *way* easier to measure from the edge of the kerf on the fence. It was worth a scrap of plywood for that alone.

[@djpenton779]

I was rereading Mark Duginske's book on bandsaws. He presents other reasons for honing the back of the blade, all of which make sense I think. Cleaning up slightly inaccurate weld, removing a burr from hitting the thrust bearing, for example. He does suggest that it allows tighter curves too. So I don't think this one is entirely a misleading myth.

[@sacasticus]

I find the blue tape is helpful on plywood.

[@charlesenfield2192]

Sometimes yes. If cutting across the grain of the veneer and you don't have a 0-clearance throat plate then tape helps a little. And, as Colin says, the tape needs to go on the bottom. If you find yourself needing tape often you may be better off making a 0-clearance plate and skipping the tape.

[@nathanbell8356]

If it works for you keep doing it. Just because someone on KZbin says otherwise that doesn't mean your experience isn't valid.

[@captainjohn787]

I concur, Nathan. Do what works. I've used the blue tape technique on occasions when the blade is just starting to get dull or poor piece of plywood has to be employed and the results are usually acceptable for the intended purpose. If I need a finer finish, then a new blade or better materials come into play.

[@nathanbell8356]

@@captainjohn787 Yup, and I believe that the mind of a craftsman is reinforced by his confidence in his techniques. If you see something someone else is doing that doesn't line up with your techniques it may cause you to question things that are integral to your process. The first cabinet makers had to make up a lot of their own processes and improvise tools. They found some things worked, and some didn't.

[@jerryosmonson7621]

You are correct about tear out but there is a different advantage of a zero clearance insert on a miter saw. I use zero clearance inserts on my miter saw to position the wood I am cutting. Just mark the edge of the stock being cut and place that edge nearest your body. It is then easy to sight down the mark so it is precisely lined up with the edge of the groove in the insert. It is faster and more accurate than a laser line. The only thing better is a well positioned stop block but it is not as fast unless cutting a batch.

[@IsaKocoglu]

Thank you Colin! Now I know why my band saw blade will not cut straight!

[@tjgriffin]

Q: What is the downside of using a narrow bandsaw blade for straight cuts? Thanks!

[@OlympusHeavyCavalry]

Cheers for the video Colin :-)

[@chrisgriffith1573]

On the Mitre Saw, the bulk of the tear out is to the back/upright side of the board, having a backer board in behind the board does help prevent LARGER tear out (Not smaller tear out like we saw on your boards). I am making several zero clearance (for both fence and different angles on the plate), just so I can have the ability to cut very small stock on the Mitre Saw, not for tear out at all. That is the value of the zero clearance inserts, no matter where you have them.