Bandsaw purchase

Let's say I'm a "week-end hobbyist woodworker". I began a year ago to build some of our furnitures, really simple so far. I have several power hand & bench tools but one thing is missing : a decent band saw.

For general purpose woodworking, what do you recommand ? 12, 14, 20" throat ? what make ? HP motor ?

tia

Reply to
Junkyard Engineer
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I would recommend the "Ultimate Bandsaw" sold by Grizzly. It is a 14" bandsaw with roller guides, decent fence system and with a riser kit you can resaw wide wood. And the price is right for the "weekend" wood warrier....

Philski

Reply to
Philski

The Powermatic 1791216K - PWBS-14CS, POW 14" WW Bandsaw w. stand ain't bad either....

Reply to
Never Enough Money

I'd have to know your bank account balances and credit card limits first to make a proper recommendation. The 21" Laguna is a nice one though.

Most popular is the 14" as it is a nice size for most of what we need. With a riser kit it can re-saw up to 12". When I bought my 14" Jet a few year ago, it was a good value for the price. Delta, Grizzly have good saws also. I've not kept up with the latest models though. You want 3/4HP on it also.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

Fourteen inch, 1 HP, is very common. I have the Delta 14" and it does the job. A work lamp and mobile base is nice.

Reply to
Phisherman

If you have the budget, I would consider the 17" Griz but a 14" saw does a nice job for about everything provided you spring for a riser kit. I agree with everyone else here as to brand. Jet, Griz & Delta would all be good choices, but I like the Deltas for ease of bottom guide adjustment. Not a requirement, but nice.

Don

Reply to
D. J. Dorn

The traditional 14" with 3/4 or a full HP would be fine. I use the Delta, and like the close lower guides. The other 14's are more or less similar. Can't recommend Grizzly based on my experience, but the better types marketed by JET/PM, General International and so forth should do.

Two suggestions -

1) Enclosed base is overpriced. Build your own cabinet with casters, and you'll have your mobile base with some storage beneath.

2) Rip fences are more trouble than they're worth. Use ad-hoc specialty types or just clamp a board to simulate the one that would mount on those rails and hang out to grab you every time you walked by.

Reply to
George

Thanks to everybody ! Well, my bank account is called : Wife... so as usual, since she don't consider tools useful, the least expensive is the best one for her. But not for me so I will have to negotiate that aspect with your recommendations.

"D. J. Dorn" a écrit dans le message de news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com...

Reply to
Junkyard Engineer

Tools not useful? Wow, I didn't realize anyone would think such a thing; tools are not only useful but necessary!

Hmmm. Least expensive, eh? What does she buy for her own activities, the cheapest cooking set, plastic flatware? After all, coffee cans can be used to bake bread, does she? Does she use a washboard for laundry? It is cheaper than an electric machine, as is a laundromat. There are all sorts of comparisons to use for her own choices to use good, or at least decent, quality. She does, of course, use an old manual typewriter for any typed copy, doesn't she?

If my impatience for people buying cheap because "it works" shows, please overlook my attitude. I've always been willing to wait longer for something that was good, or at least better. My ex did, even though he rarely used them, purchase good quality tools. An inexpensive or poorly made tool can be much more expensive in the long term. Besides, if you decide not to use them or to replace them, good quality brings a better return.

How's her taste in jewelry? A cigar band would work as well as an expensive engagement ring; after all, it's the thought that counts. :-) My granddaughters used little stickers for earrings, they are just as pretty and no hassle storing or losing them.

My ex bought a lot of tools (gadget-type things) I considered a bit frivolous at the time (mostly because I knew he was unlikely to use them!), but I'm appreciating them now and will in the future as well. After all, why buy a tubing cutter when you have a hacksaw? The hacksaw works, and why not call a plumber and save the cost of either tool?

Just my thoughts which are not always popular. I would also have rather my ex spend more time/money on tools and working with wood (or home repairs) than what he was doing the last years of our marriage! Tools in a workshop would have been much, much cheaper, in many, many ways.

Football games constantly? That's another story.

Glenna

Reply to
Glenna Rose

depends on your projects and your budget. start out by looking at specifications on the delta 14" and adjust from there.

Reply to
bridger

Reply to
tomhooper

Why would you add half again as much?

I want a $1000 14" 1.5 HP Powermatic. Are you saying I need to plan on another $500 for something? Are blades that much?

Reply to
Never Enough Money

Glenna ! You are wonderful ! I will forward your text to her ! I'm still laughing !

thanks for your moral support !

I should say that I always manage to get my point when buying new tools and compared to my friends, I'm not so bad, it's just hard to get there...

"Glenna Rose" a écrit dans le message de news: snipped-for-privacy@pmug.org...

Reply to
Junkyard Engineer

I've checked out the 14" Rigid, Powermatic, Delta BS but what do you think of those 2 ?

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Reply to
Junkyard Engineer

Do I like I did; trade Wife Version 1.0, for improved Version 2.0. Problem solved. Current SWMBO not only ENCOURAGES me to buy tools, she wants me to get good ones, PLUS she buys 'em for me for Christmas and birthdays...

David

Junkyard Eng> Thanks to everybody ! Well, my bank account is called : Wife... so as usual,

Reply to
David

men you're killing me... I did switch version 1.0 to version 2.0 but somehow, I got more of the same for some part of it...

"David" a écrit dans le message de news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com...

Reply to
Junkyard Engineer

and may still be available on sale. I was at my dealer today (Barbo Machinery, Portland, OR) and the sale flyers were still out. I was surprised at how well it went together - really good fit and finish (damn near perfect). Rack and pinion upper guide adjustment, tension quick release, 8" resaw capacity. nice fence, wheels arrived perfectly in line, blade tracks right down the center, fan assisted dust collection (I'm not sure this is much of a feature if you already have good dust collection - I'm getting rid of the fan), blade guides are steel - Euro round uppers, 1/2" square lowers.

The only negatives: table trunions sturdy but only one side of table, stand seemed a bit wimpy so I bolted it to 3/4 ply and that to a rolling base, no wheel brush, blade keeps running after shutting off motor (my dust collector spins the saw's little fan which turns the blade), the manual is really bad but assembly was no problem using the exploded views.

At list price the General is around the same price as the Powermatic, which would make the Powermatic a better bet. I don't remember if I paid

550 or 650, but I'm surprised at how much I like the saw.

PDX David

Reply to
Jane & David

style, which the Canwood appears to be, cannot be augmented with a riser block. The resaw capacity is set.

I bought the Jet 14". 14" is a very common size for the home/hobbiest community. My resaw capacity, as is, is about 6". I can buy a 6" "riser block" which will about double that - if/when I feel the need.

Other than that - the Canwood brand is unknown to me, but appears to be very similar to the "Rikon 14" bandsaw" that gets good reviews.

Reply to
patrick conroy

I now consider a band saw way more important than a tablesaw. If you do "generic" work, does that mean resawing, curved cutting, ripping (and if you can, ripping on the bandsaw is far safer than a tablesaw). I now tell people to spend more on the bandsaw than anythig (except get the biggest jointer you can).

Instead of just saying get this, or get that, first get the Iturra Design catalog, and see what Louis has to say about the 14" Deltas and clones. Then start thinking heavier than that.

I have the MiniMax MM16, and think it's great. The Wilke Bridgewood heavy duty all steel 16" saw has some good writeups, I prefer MiniMax to Laguna, but the Lguna is a great saw also.

MiniMax makes a pretty good 14" saw also.

The things to really consider with a bandsaw is first, how much tension can you apply? Because then you have a lot of "maneuverability" regarding blade selection. Timberwolf has a selection of low tension blades (available from Suffolk Machinery), but I have never thought them worth it. The Woodslicer from Highland does a better job.

Go to bimetal, you need more tension, to carbide, Lenox recommends 25,000 psi, which you will get from the MiniMax. And carbide is the way to go. The blade runs around $200, but will last you for years. It can take the tension if you don't keep it tensioned. And it will cut far better.

If you resaw, then you really should look at somethng like the MiniMax. If your resawing needs are lighter, than a really good 14" Delta (the good one) is a better choice.

I've used the Jet 16" bandsaw, with the steel arm, and an old used Delta was next to it, and the Delta cut better. That can be your best choice: get a 20 or

30 year old used Delta, and spiff it up.
Reply to
DarylRos

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To each his own...I'm just glad I was not around to listen to your advice... After 40 "active" years in this hobby and for the projects that come out of my shop I disagree completely... like I said to each his own..and this is not an attack on you ==============>.

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I just "listened" to that you said above and to be honest it makes sense... Guess I will have to listen with at least one ear ...

Bob Griffiths

Reply to
Bob G.

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