Originally Posted by rustyrivet

I find what you describe as very enlightening. From your description of how accurate a cut can be with a band saw, and how very adjustable and capable it is, I've concluded that I must know little about it and have never utilized its full potential.
I basically use the band saw with the narrowest blade available to help me scroll through wood and cut out a rough jig-saw profile of the shape I need. If I'm not doing a fine precision cut, this 3/4HP band saw is stronger and faster then trying to use my small 16" scroll saw for that. It's also handy for cutting balsa sticks or sheet balsa into smaller sections real fast. LOL.

I'm sorry that I have never had the opportunity to learn of its full potential as you have. (Not being sarcastic. I really wish I knew how to use it like you do) I envy your knowlege of it. I have never used it for work, or had friends or family own a band saw for me to watch and learn about it's full potential. I'm embarrassed to tell you that I owned that tool for about 15 years before I realized that the miserable POS 5/8" wide blade that came with the saw out of the box was NOT the only size available to me!!! LOL I couldn't scroll any kind of small or fine shape with that thick 5/8" blade, and all it did was make straight cuts in everything. Heck, my table saw did that! LOL. I had wondered why a band saw was such a popular tool, being it was so limited! Only when I went to replace that worn out 5/8" thick blade 15 years later did I see smaller and finer sized 1/4" scroll blades hanging on the rack at Lowe's and finally realize it's potential and appreciate the tool. I put a new 1/4" scrolling sized blade in that band saw and suddenly I opened a whole world of shaping wood pieces that I couldn't do for the first 15 years.

Yes, I am quite aware of all the little knobs and adjustments for the blade..... but obviously I still don't use them to the band saw's full potential, and how to use it properly to the extent that you do. Wish I could witness you using that tool in the precision manner you describe. I'd love to see how you shape an aileron as you describe it. Thanks for the input.