Guys, The banding is really cool to see peel off the blade. A couple of mistakes I made to avoid:

1. I bought a 10" thin kerf blade for $35. Bigger and more expensive is better-WRONG in this case. The 7 1/4" blade for $10 actually has a thinner kerf and did just as well a job for this operation.

2. The white-black-maple(w-b-m) block needs to be 6-8" wide if you are going to use this piece to rip in half, thickness and glue together to make the w-b-m-m-b-w block. I didn't have a 8" piece of curly maple. When I was having fun making miles of w-b-m banding my block was getting narrower and narrower. Now maybe 4" wide. I thickness this down and ripped in half and glued the two halves together careful to reverse the maple grain. Being the cheap, lazy SOB that I am I decided to make banding from this 2" block. My fingers were way too close to the blade (if it doesn't feel right stop-I broke that rule) and the block flexed creating variable thickness banding.
If your initial maple is not 6-8" I suggest just simply making 2 w-b-m blocks and gluing these together. I'm sure most of you would have realized this simple solution but I'm a novice.

Once you see how easy it is to create banding (knowing the right tricks of the trade) your going to go wild thinking of using different woods and designs.

we all are dying to see your progress....lets go....post some pictures.....thanks!

Mill a piece of scrap to the length and thickness of your log of banding and a couple of inches wide. Joint one edge of your log and edge glue it to the scrap piece. This gives you a sort of handle, so you can rip those bandings down to the last little bit and still keep your fingers away from the blade.

Brian makes a good point, though. If something seems unsafe, just stop. We try to be safe with all our setups and procedures, so, if something seems off, double check the procedure. If you still don't like it, just ask. We don't want you guys doing anything you aren't comfortable with.

Eli

NBSS Student

Guys, If Tommy and Eli are suggestion a procedure it is safe. What I was doing was off from their suggestion. I have seen these guys in action and they are hyper- vigilant about safety with their own hands and fingers. Woodworking is inherently dangerous these procedures are designed with safety as the first priority.
Brian

Well, I cut my banding tonight. I have to say that is a nifty little set up jig you showed us Tommy. Thanks, I have never cut small strips so easy.

Justin