Tag: Band Saw

Ryobi 9-Inch Band Saw Review

Band Saw

Two posts ago, I wrote about a series of woodworking projects that allowed me to use my new band saw. Prior to working on those projects, I had never used a band saw, and they gave me the opportunity to gain familiarity with the saw and make all the cuts you can on a band saw. After having the saw for nearly a month now, I want to give a review of the saw.

Band Saw
Ryobi Band Saw

In this review, I will go over the pros and cons of the saw as well as if I recommend buying it. Something I won’t include in my list of pros and cons is anything I knew about the saw before buying it, including the size.

Ryobi Band Saw Specs

The band saw I bought is, to my knowledge, the only woodworking band saw that Ryobi makes. Here’s the link on Ryobi’s site. It’s a 9-inch band saw with a 2.5 amp motor. It’s a benchtop model and uses a 62-inch saw blade, which can be turned at a speed of up to 3,000 RPMs. It has a 6-foot power cord and has a table that is 14.75″ x 11.75″.

Pros

Portability & Weight

When considering tools, size and weight are two important aspects. I tend to buy benchtop versions because I don’t have the floor space in my shop to have floor versions of every tool. Currently, the only tools I have that are floor versions are my table saw, which collapses down and is on wheels, and my jointer, which is huge and takes up too much space. My drill press, planer, and band saw are all bench versions. Benchtop tools are small enough to be stored when not in use, which is a big convenience, especially if you don’t need the larger, floor version. Weight is a big factor in how portable these benchtop tools actually are. For example, my planer weighs 73 pounds. It’s movable, but it isn’t fun to lift on top of my table. Thankfully, the band saw is much lighter at 44 pounds, and it’s not awkward to lift and carry around.

Cost

A tool’s cost is indirectly connected to whether it is a floor or bench version. Because bench versions are smaller and often considered more entry-level, they’re typically more affordable than a floor version. My tactic when buying a tool is to buy the best I can find within my budget. It’s why I often look at our outlet’s tool store or Harbor Freight. Both make it easy to find quality tools at a fraction of the cost of the yellow, blue, or red brands. I’ve had great luck with Ryobi and Ridgid, which I can buy as refurbished or blemished from the outlet store, as well as Harbor Freight.

For example, my band saw at full price is $220 at Home Depot. At the outlet store, it was around $200 before their 40% off sale made it just over $100. Without the sale, the price would have been comparable to Harbor Freight’s bench band saw, which sells for $200. Grizzly makes one that is $325, and the prices go up from there. You can find cheaper versions on Amazon, but it’s wise to be careful of brands. Simply put, a $200 band saw that works very well is a great find. I will easily get $200 worth of use and fun from it.

Ease of Use

Band saws are one of the safest tools in a woodshop. You need to be careful of where your hands and fingers are in relation to the blade, but it’s not uncommon to have your hand within an inch of the blade. Cutting curves on it is a breeze. You simply turn the wood through the blade, and as long as you make relief cuts when trying to make tight turns, you will be successful. The ergonomics contribute to this. I really enjoy the height of everything. When it’s on my table, the saw’s work surface is close to chest level, putting me in a very safe position to make cuts. I also like where the power switch is, which is located to the left of the work surface. It’s easy to turn on and off with one hand, giving you the chance to kill the power if a problem arises.

Finally, it’s easy to make adjustments. Raising and lowering the clearance around the blade only requires the turn of a dial. Tilting the surface is only a two-step process, and replacing the blade looks to be fairly painless. You don’t have to be an experienced woodworker to use this band saw, making it a great tool for beginners and veterans alike.

Setup

From opening the box to making cuts, it only took about 15 minutes. The saw already had the blade installed, which made things very easy. The only parts that had to be installed were the table and the tilt wheel. The instructions were easy to follow and included clear pictures. You do need to make sure that the table is level and square to the blade, but patience and trial and error helped with this.

Power

Woodworking forums and Reddit are awful for “advice” when it comes to tools. The vast majority of the commenters are negative people who try to talk prospective woodworkers out of staying within their budget. To them, buying a band saw for less than $500 would be unthinkable. I bring that up to say that those threads will have you believe that a bench top band saw is going to be too underpowered to do anything productive. And I’m here to say that they’re wrong. Perhaps at one time, bench top saws were underpowered, but the modern versions seem to do very well. Like any saw, you need to be careful not to rush when making cuts, and the sharpness and quality of the blade will impact the cut’s success, but I’ve already worked with red oak, cherry, pine, and more and haven’t had any issues with the saw’s power.

Easy to Clean

This category is one that I didn’t think about when I first began buying woodworking tools. I have a Metabo miter saw that I love; however, the dust collection system is underwhelming. Similarly, I have a Ridgid table saw, and it’s the same story. I connect a vacuum to it when making cuts, but it only collects about 75% of the sawdust. After I finish using it, I go through and vacuum the sawdust from nooks and crannies, but I still have to take it outside once every few months and run compressed air through everything.

To contrast those saws, the Ryobi band saw has been really easy to clean. It has a dust port that can connect to a vacuum, although my shop vac’s hose is too narrow. Still, everything is open and easy to access with the vacuum. There are two doors to open to access the blade, and some saw dust will collect in there, but a quick pass of the vacuum cleans everything. I’ve never owned another band saw, so I don’t know if this is common among all band saws, but the Ryobi one is a breeze to keep clean.

Cons

Lack of a Work Light

I knew that this saw didn’t have a work light when I bought it, but what I didn’t know is how much of a detriment it would be. It may only be an issue because of how my shop’s lighting is, but depending on where I have the saw positioned in my shop and what the exterior lighting is (cloudy versus sunny), it can be difficult to see when making cuts. The shape of the saw’s frame can create a shadow across the work surface, making it tough to see where the blade is in relation to the line. A quick remedy of a portable shop light or a headlamp will address this, but a built-in light would have been really nice. My Ryobi drill press has one, and the same light on the band saw would make cutting easier.

No Fence

Again, I knew that the saw didn’t come with a fence, but because I hadn’t used a band saw before, I didn’t realize how helpful a fence would be. A fence would help with making straight cuts or replicating cuts across multiple pieces. I know that I can make a fence for the saw, but other bench top band saws, including Harbor Freight’s Bauer saw, come with one.

Miter Gauge Flimsiness

I’ve only used the miter gauge once so far, but I wasn’t impressed with it. A widely held opinion is that most miter gauges that come with saws are junk. The one that came with my table saw is okay, but it certainly isn’t perfect. The band saw’s miter gauge is pretty flimsy. There is more plastic than I would prefer, and it’s pretty narrow. I don’t think I’ll use it often, so it’s not a huge deal, but there is room for improvement with it.

Would I Recommend the Ryobi Band Saw?

Absolutely. I know that I don’t have anything to compare it to, but I love this saw. Its affordability, power, and maneuverability make it a no-brainer. It has made all the cuts I’ve needed it to, and I love the freedom it has provided me compared to using a jigsaw. Granted, I know that I won’t be able to resaw boards wider than 3 1/2 inches, but I’m okay with that. I have a table saw for that. If you or someone you know has been interested in expanding their woodworking tools with a band saw but doesn’t want to spend an arm and a leg on one, you should consider the Ryobi. It gets the job done and at a very reasonable price.

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Early Band Saw Projects – Back Scratcher, Thumb Book Page Holder & Guitar Pick holder

Guitar Pick Holder

A few weeks ago, I picked up a Ryobi 9″ band saw that was on an incredible sale. We live close to an outlet, and one of the stores there is Direct Factory Tools, which sells factory-blemished or -refurbished Ryobi and Rigid tools. When the tools aren’t on sale, the prices are usually about $10-20 cheaper than Home Depot for the same, unblemished product; however, several times each year, they run 40% off sales, which makes things very affordable. The band saw was factory-blemished and was only $120, and it works great.

I know some woodworkers and people in general would balk at the idea of buying refurbished or blemished tools, but it’s a great way to build out your woodshop when you’re on a budget or don’t want to overspend on a tool you’re unfamiliar with or won’t use often. So far, I’ve bought a refurbished planer, belt sander, jig saw, and reciprocating saw as well as a blemished drill press from there, and all have worked perfectly. I’ve probably saved thousands of dollars buying tools this way, and in time, I’ll probably upgrade or replace them, but it’s been a wonderful way to develop as a woodworker without overspending.

I put off buying a band saw for a few years but finally succumbed to the realization that they’re incredibly useful. It allows a woodworker to cut curves and intricate designs as well as resaw lumber in a safe and controlled way. A jigsaw can cut curves, but it usually isn’t precise and doesn’t leave a clean finished product because the blade flexes. I also thought about buying a scroll saw but ultimately went for the larger and more powerful saw.

If you’re unfamiliar with scroll saws, they operate similarly to a sewing machine in that they have a small blade that pivots up and down. You’re able to make extremely precise cuts and tight curves with it and can start cutting from inside a hole with the detachable blade. But the biggest downside of a scroll saw is the maximum thickness you’re able to cut with it. While there’s a lot of overlap between a band saw and a scroll saw, there are things that can be done with one but not the other, so there’s a reason to have both. A band saw is more helpful for my needs at this time, so I went with that first.

After I got everything set up, this was the first time I’ve used a band saw, and thankfully, it’s really easy and fun to use. And perhaps the best thing is that it’s a relatively safe type of saw to use compared to a table saw. In the weeks since I bought the saw, I’ve been spending a lot of time familiarizing myself with it and working on some really cool projects that I want to share in this post.

Back Scratcher

With the band saw set up, I wanted to experiment with all the cuts that can be done on it, starting with cutting curves. For some reason, I decided to split a two-inch-thick piece of wood in half, and from there began making curved cuts. I started to see the shape of a handle coming out of the cuts. I remembered that my grandparents always had a back scratcher in their house and began making cuts to create one. It was really easy to get the curve of the “claws” of the scratcher. From there, I shaped the handle and cut out the spacing between the claws. Only taking about 10 minutes to cut out, I was amazed at how easy the band saw made things and was immediately hooked.

back scratcher
back scratcher

I had the second half of the wood I started with, so I quickly cut a second one, sanded everything on the drum sander attachment for my drill press, and was done. They aren’t perfect, but they work really well and can be improved upon. I also can see how handled items like kitchen utensils can be easily made with the band saw. I made wooden spoons in the past using a jigsaw and rotary tool, but it will be much easier now. Looking back, I now wonder if my grandfather made the backscratchers they had.

Thumb Book Page Holder

I love reading, and I recently saw these wooden page holders that go over your thumb so that you can keep the book open with one hand and not hurt your thumb. This was also the time when I was looking at band saw projects, and it turns out that Magz actually told me about these a few years ago, but I had forgotten about them. While these page holders can be made with other saws, the band saw just made it so much easier. I took a two-inch by four-inch block, found the center, and drilled a 7/8-inch hole with a forstner bit. Next, I drew a rough outline of what I wanted the shape to be and began freehand cutting it on the saw. With it cut out, I took it to the drum sander attachment and smoothed everything.

thumb book page holder
thumb book page holder

This was a really cool project that came together really fast. It took only about 10 minutes from start to finish, and I underestimated how helpful it is. Holding a book open with one hand isn’t comfortable and can put strain on the thumb. The page holder eliminates that problem.

Guitar Pick Holder

This project was the most complicated and complex of the ones I cover in this post. When coming up with projects I could use my band saw on, I began thinking about a way to clean up my guitar stand/amp holder, which has become cluttered with picks, capos, and cords. I wanted something to store everything to organize things a bit better. Initially, I thought about building a band saw box that is shaped like the body of my Yamaha Pacifica, but I then stumbled upon an image of a pick holder that looks like the headstock of a guitar coming out of the body. That sparked what I eventually designed and built.

I knew that I wanted this piece to be artistic and take inspiration from my own guitars. I have four guitars: three acoustics and one electric. I love my Ibanez acoustic-electric, which has a beautiful cutout in the body, but the head isn’t overly unique from other acoustics. Because of that, I wanted to use my Pacifica as the inspiration because it follows the Fender Stratocaster styling, which is one of the most iconic guitar shapes of all time.

pick holder base
pick holder base
head stock
head stock of the pick holder

Designing it was a lot of fun because the base can’t be a 1:1 scale of the actual guitar, yet the headstock can be true size. I freehanded the shape of the body into my notebook and traced the head onto printer paper. I cut out the head shape and traced it onto the piece of cherry I wanted to use. For the body, I again freehanded the shape onto two pieces of oak that I joined together.

I quickly cut out the pieces, being careful not to cut through the “fins” of the body. From there, I took the pieces to the drum sander attachment until everything was smooth. I went back to the band saw to cut out the slots for the picks and attached the head to the body with two screws. Finally, I drilled two holes and glued dowels that I wanted to add to hold my slide and leather wrist pick holder. And with that, it was done.

Guitar Pick Holder
Guitar Pick Holder

I think these projects have given me a wonderful start to using my band saw. None of them are necessarily perfect, but I learned and improved with each of them. I love my pick holder more than I can describe and am incredibly proud of how it turned out. I’m looking forward to what else I can build with my band saw moving forward.

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