Bandsaw or tablesaw or wait?

[YJJim]

I have been in the market for a tablesaw for about two years and had basically settled on the Grizzly 1023 cabinet saw. I had planned on buying one at the end of this year but, for various reasons, the funds are not there. I am trying to decide at this point what I should do with the money I have set aside for it. My current options are:

1. Just keep waiting
2. Get a lower priced saw (maybe the Grizzly contractor saw)
3. Get a bandsaw (Griz 0555 probably)

I know a bandsaw does not replace a table saw, but I plan to get one eventually and from what I have heard the 0555 is as good a one as I will need. I'm thinking this might be a better purchase than a cheaper TS since I wouldn't be buying something that I might eventually feel I need to replace.

Most of what I make/want to make, include bookcases, and other simple furniture.

Any opinions or suggestions?

Thanks in advance, YJJim

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I'd go with No. 2. A contractor saw is quite adequate for most bookcase type of work. You'll get a better, more accurate edge that you will with a bandsaw. Ed

[Lawrence A. Ramsey]

Yes, and if you decide woodworking is what you REALLY want to pour your money and time into, then you can sell it and buy a Cabinet saw. I am glad I did not start out with a cabinet saw because i would not have known how much I needed it and would not appreciate it nearly as much.

[Richards]

Another option is to buy a good circular saw with a good guide system. I use the Festool. Most of the time, I rip and crosscut 5x5 baltic birch plywood without ever going to my Unisaw for the simple reason that it's easier to move a saw along the plywood than it is to move plywood along the saw. The Festool leaves a smoother edge than the Unisaw and is just as accurate (with the guide).

A word of caution about bandsaws; if you buy one, buy a good one. I have a 14" Jet, but it is less than ideal. Jet makes fine tools, including fine bandsaws, but the 14" is too small for serious re-sawing. One of their larger models would do a much better job.

[DarylRos]

Get the bandsaw first,and get the best one you can afford. I go thte tablesaw first, a Unisaw, so I did not kid around. It's an am azing saw. I didn't get a banbdsaw until this year, 10 years later.

A bandsaw does almost everything a tablesaw will do, and everythign else besides. If I had to do it again, I would have a bandsaw and radial arm. Ideally all 3 of course.

[Phisherman]

I bought my bandsaw after my tablesaw. You just can't cut curves on a tablesaw very well, but a jigsaw does the job. Without a tablesaw, building a bookcase will be a challenge. But, I've built many quality furniture pieces with just hand tools. It just takes longer.

[David Babcock]

If I were just starting, (and thank goodness I'm not) the first power tool I would buy is a 12" sliding miter saw. Most have a adequate cross cut capacity, you can cut dado's, and of course miter's. And your hand don't generally come very close to the blade. I find a lot of new people are intimidated by a band saw, and foolishly careless around a table saw. And I could have included myself in the previous group. Whatever your choice keep a good sharp blade in it, the last thing you want is a saw that is difficult/dangerous to use.

Dave

[nospam]

if you're on a budget, shop for used machinery. you'll get more for your money, and with a little advance research

you will find that many of the old machines are better built than what is available new.

another approach is to forgo the stationaty machinery for now and get some quality handheld tools. a router will do dado joints for bookcases just fine. a circular saw and straightedge will cut up plywood and a jigsaw will cut curves. use those to build a solid workbench and some shop shelving. make something nice for swmbo. make boxes. make toys. develop your skills and find out what it is that you want to be making. then start thinking about buying some machinery.

and as far as the tablesaw/bandsaw decision, here's a truism for you: the tablesaw is the heart of the cabinet shop. the bandsaw is the heart of the furniture shop. Bridger

[Jim Polaski]

I want to see you rip a piece of Birch or Oak plywood with your bandsaw!

just asking.

[DarylRos]

I don't work with plywood very often. Not anymore anyway. You always have to suit your tools and skills to what you will be building.

But a relly good bandsaw with a carbide blade will do a good job plywood. Not a full sheet, but that's tough on a tablesaw too.

[Swingman]

Pretty tough question to answer until you decide what the preponderance of your woodworking projects will be.

Nonetheless, keep in mind a quality jig saw can take the place of many of the bandsaw cuts you may need to make until you can justify owning one.

[YJJim]

That is what I currently do. I have a long straight edge that I clamp down and use as a guide. I saw a guide system in the tool crib catalog that actually attaches to a circular saw to assure that the saw passes smoothly along the straight edge without leaving the edge. I think it cost about $80 and I'm not sure if it would produce better results than my current straight edge system. Even if I get the bandsaw, I'll still need something for ripping plywood.

Do you use anything more complicated than a clamped straight edge? If so, is it worth the money?

Thanks aga> > I have been in the market for a tablesaw for about two years and had

[Bay Area Dave]

or use a dado or molding head!

I can't imagine anyone suggesting a BS before a TS!

dave

Jim Polaski wrote:

[Bay Area Dave]

not with infeed and outfeed tables...

dave

DarylRos wrote:

[Bay Area Dave]

ever try to get a perfect cut on melamine with a circular saw? You might get a STRAIGHT cut, but you won't get a passable cut.

I occasionally cut 4x8's down before using the TS, but I got tired of the rough cuts and do 98% of panel cutting on the Unisaw. Sure wish I had a panel saw! :)

dave

YJJim wrote:

[PC Gameplayer]

Just my opinion, but I'd have to disagree. You can't do dadoes/rabbets on a bandsaw (yes, I know, you can on a RAS, but we're just talking a single machine here). If you have a TS you can't do freeform or curving cuts, granted, but I do a LOT more of the straight rip/crosscut, to the point that if I had to choose I'd ditch the band saw and pick up a good hand coping saw or a jigsaw.

To the original poster: IMHO, get the tablesaw first...go with your second option (contractor's saw from Griz) first, then dump the money on the cabinet saw later. YMMV.

Jim

[nospam]

I use a homemade setup with a plywood "T" square clamped on to the sheet goods and an indexing jig to space it all the right distance from the blade. quick and easy, plenty accurate enough. Bridger

[nospam]

I get almost as good a cut with a handheld saw as I do with my cabinet saw. the trick is having the right blade and jigging the saw up properly. 7" melamine cutting blades are kind of hard to come by and pricey at that but assuming that your saw has decent bearings and a well aligned shoe you can get a very good cut. you can also do some things that are inconvenient and/or dangerous on a table saw, like pocket cuts, blind cuts and big tapers.

if you look at some panel saws you will note that the power unit in most of them is.... a handheld type circular saw mounted in a jig.

whether a bandsaw or a table saw will be most useful to you is a matter of what kind of work you do. think about somebody building rocking chairs, or wooden toys with a table saw and no bandsaw.... or somebody building boxes and cabinets with a bandsaw and no table saw. Bridger

[Montyhp]

But, I have seen it at least twice in woodworking magazines. Experts were asked "What would you buy first? Bandsaw" I agree that about the only thing a bandsaw really can't do is large panels. (By the way, I got the table saw first, then the BS).

[nospam]

bandsaws can do straight cuts, of the stock is narrow enough to fit on the table. for straight cuts in thick material (resawing) they are definitely superior to the table saw. however, it's a lot harder to get a nice, smooth straight glue-up ready cut with a band saw than it is with a table saw.

there is definitely some overlap of function between the bandsaw and the tablesaw, but there is a lot more divergence of function than overlap. Bridger