Michael Fortune's bandsaw tuneup article - comments?

[Bob]

In the Dec 2004 issue of fine woodworking, Michael Fortune writes a nice article on band saw tuneup. For the most part, its typical advice with good pictures. However, he makes one statement that radically differs from other comments and assessments I have read on bandsaws. To summarize he states:

"For most 14 in bandsaws with a a 1/2-in wide, 3 tpi blade, a 1/3 hp motor is fine. The same saw with riser block in the column could use a

1/2 hp motor for big resawing tasks, but ANYTHING LARGER IS OVERKILL".

Wow, after reading recent posts about 2,3 and 5 hp bandsaws, this comment really contradicts. He says if you need more power, your bandsaw is not set up properly.

What do you think?

Bob

[J]

The key is "for ...14 inch bandsaws with a 1/2" blade". Obviously if you have a saw/blade larger than this then a bigger motor may be warranted. You probably won't want to use a 24" saw with a 1/2HP motor.

5HP in a 14" saw that is cutting wood is probably overkill.

-j

[DarylRos]

I though he was right, given the circumstances. He was uysing what looked like and old 14" General; similar to the current crop of 14" Deltas and clones. Given the construction, there is little point in upping the motor so much anyway. If the saw is tuned right, then I thought there would not be much difference between a 1/2 HP motor and a 3/4 one. If it's tuned right, you can crank a blade to about 12,000 psi, have the guides right, then I do think there is little more a heavier motor could do.

When you get into the large steel and cast iron saws, the Lagunas and MiniMaxes, you are dealing, IMHO, with a totally different type of saw and blade. You can use a carbide blade, cranking the tension up to 25,000 psi. The wheels are much heavier, allowing you to resaw lacewood, rosewood, ipe, you name i, with heights from 12 to 20". So I think Mr. Fortune is right within the confines of that type of tool.

[Charlie Self]

Bob asks:

I dunno. I've used about 16-20 different 14" bandsaws, set up by a variety of people including myself, and fewer than half of them had riser blocks. But every single one of them had 3/4 HP or 1 HP or 1-1/2 HP motors. And I don't recall ever seeing a 14" bandsaw with anything under a 3/4 HP motor, so I have to wonder where he's buying his.

Charlie Self "Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to." Mark Twain

[nospambob]

[nospam_coloradotrout]

Interesting how there have been serveral BS articles lately; or maybe I'm just noticing them now that I have one!

I read this with great relief! I had read Duginski's book/video and Lonnie Bird's book. They made a lot out of various blade alignment schemes, chosing from many blades, adjusting for drift, and so on.

Fortune's advice was simple. One blade, one alignment. Now, does that account for all the issues that might come up? Dunno. But the recommendation for the BC Saw blades did prompt me to order them. FWW had reviewed them earliar and also recommended. They are not as "cheap" as the article states once you factor in shipping from Canada. My 4, 105" were $57 US.

I found the article, in general, pretty profound coming from Taunton. For the reason you mentioned as well as the the blade selection, blade alignment, and fence alignment statements.

I'm happy with the results.

[GregP]

Didn't he also say that saw bands do not have to be adjusted anywhere near as tightly as a lot of people suggest ?

[Andy Dingley]

I thought the whole article looked dubious

[Robert Galloway]

Had a 3/4 hp motor on my 14" Delta. It has the riser block and I do a fair amount of resawing. Bogged the thing down all the time and had it cut out on its overload. Installed a 1 1/2 hp. Chose that size because it was available cheap. Doesn't slow down at all. Is is overkill? Don't know, don't care. Gives me what I want for little money. 1/3 hp would be great for anything I do except resawing.

bob g.

Bob wrote:

[nospam_coloradotrout]

yes, that was another one.

Just earlier FWW had a review of blades and suggested using one notch "tighter" than the typical BS. This article went the other way. Clearly FWW has raised a debate now.

If I go with the loose approach, my blade can actually "flutter" >>

[Scott Lurndal]

I'm pretty sure my Jet WBS-14 Open Stand model (1993 vintage) has

1/2 hp motor. I also have the riser block and typically resaw 6-8" stock in domestic and some import hardwoods. Take it slow and even and it works just fine. Maybe someday I'll get the Delta 18" (or splurge on a Powermatic 20"), but for now, the 1/2hp jet is what I got. I use a 1/2" 3tpi skip tooth tensioned by eye and adjusted for zero lead.

scott

[John Thomas]

[e-mail] (Scott Lurndal) wrote in news:yXoud.40954$6q2.9891 @newssvr14.news.prodigy.com:

Do you mean adjusting the blade for zero lead? (or adjusting the work to match the blade's lead?) ....

My understanding (being a bandsaw newbie ... likely wrong) -- was that there really isn't a way to adjust the blade, per se (for lead). Am I missing something?

Thanks, JT

[Scott Lurndal]

See dec 2004 FWW. Adjusting where the blade rides on the top wheel effectively adjusts (or accomodates) the blade lead.

scott

[tzipple]

[Phisherman]

He has a good point. Well-tuned equipment works best. Bandsaws are a PITA to tune up, but there can be a big performance difference. I have a 14" bandsaw with a 3/4 HP motor and I have not needed more power since I bought the saw ten years ago with the exception of ONE time--I was resawing a 4" piece of oak but really I needed a better blade than a more powerful motor. Probably the larger the wheels, the more power is needed.

[Charlie Self]

tzipple responds:

What people who make flat statements of motor size and capacity fail to understand, or so it often seems to me, is that not everyone who uses a particular tool uses in exactly the way the recommender is using it. Being patient with a feed is a super way to go, especially if patience comes easily to you, and you're not on a tight schedule. Most of us have to get by with the talents we have, which usually include a dose of "let's get this out of the way and get on to the next step so we can take the kid to dance class". A 1 HP or

1-1/2 HP bandsaw motor is a help in reducing our internal stresses in such situations and may well aid in producing better work.

Or not. A mis-adjusted bandsaw run by a slob in a rush isn't always helped by a larger motor.

Charlie Self "Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to." Mark Twain