Band saw

The band saw is very useful in the shop. It can be used to precisely cut the angled end of a strip, the compound angles of a SOF deck beam, and can be used to resaw wood.. (like 2x4s into 1x4s)

If one is to use a bandsaw, make sure that it is set up to cut the strips true. Any wavy cuts will cost you down the line when trying to fair the kayak. I know this from experience. On my first kayak, a 17 foot Guillemot, I used bandsawn strips and was unable to it truly fair. I used 3/16 inch thick strips. On the next kayak that I built, a 17 foot Great Auk, I used strips cut on the table saw. A world of difference. I am going to try some more cutting more strips on the bandsaw now that I have a feel of what I need to build a fair kayak.

To work well and avoid blade wander, it is important to keep tension on the blade as designed, and adjust the bearing wheels and the guides. Keep the guides down as close to the work as practical.

A dull blade, or one which has lost its set, will cause wander. A dull blade is, truly, worse than no blade at all. When you can't follow your line and you've tried all other adjustments to no avail, try putting in a new, sharp blade. Problems that you thought were caused by wheel alignment, tension, guides and roller bearings are often just the result of a dull blade.

Look into the Swedish, low tension bandsaw blades, such as Viking, Timberwolf and others. They are pretty good and not too expensive.