Well, Woodcraft now has the Rikon 14" bandsaw on special and I am itching to get one.
But, first, I'm not certain what I need one for. Presently I get all my little products done on a small Ridgid Tablesaw, a DeWalt sliding miter saw, track saw, and some other tools. A jointer would be nice too.
I can afford the Rikon, I just don't know what to do with one that I can't do with my other saws.
Is a bandsaw that useful? I suppose it depends on what kinds of projects someone uses it for. What sort of things is a bandsaw best used for?
On Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:35:00 -0700, "Ralph Compton"
They're great for resawing if you have your own source of trees. A 14" isn't all that great in resaw height, but I think most Rikon's can have a riser added to them.
Never fear. If you buy a halfway decent bandsaw, projects and ideas will follow. :)
"Ralph Compton" wrote in news:1tednS0vsbmW-T_TnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com:
It'll cut curves quite easily. Plus, it'll handle resaw of larger boards perhaps easier than the table saw. For boards taller than about 5", you'll need to use the bandsaw to resaw.
Since the kerf on bandsaw blades is usually quite thin, it can also be used to saw veneer out of larger pieces. With the 1/8" kerf on the TS, cutting veneer 1/8" thick would waste half the board. The bandsaw could reduce this to ~25%.
Making or replacing chair parts ("odd" shapes), making replacement inside corner braces conveniently (chair seat frame repair specifically, in my case), many curved pieces, small notched pieces, tennons, wedges (utility use, often times, in my case), etc.
Football shaped & megaphone shaped ornaments (cheerleader activities); holiday lawn ornaments/figurines, etc., i.e., relatives tend to donate projects for you to perfect your bandsaw skills.
I lived without one for a few years. Finally bought a Jet 14". I'd never be without it now. Cutting curves and rounds is a breeze, the occasional resaw.
I'd get a re-saw blade and a finer tooth 1/4" blade for the curves.
As others have said, it really depends on what you do. But with a bandsaw and a planer you have complete control of stock thickness.
The band saw is a different kind of tool from your other saws--they're all about cutting to length and angle, a bansdaw is all about cutting to thickness and curves.
Don't look at them! It will cost you money. I had a nice little bandsaw before I bought my Rikon... Then, after using it a while to resaw boards, I had to get a bigger one for logs. So, I'm out $8500 for a Timberking sawmill, but now I can make my own lumber for a lumberdrying shed, a lumber kiln, and a new shop to hold all the equipment I buy with the money I make selling lumber. When the kiln is built this winter, I expect to sell even more at a higher profit. Most of my equipment is bought used now from ads on Craig's List. I got a Ridgid bandsaw in like new condition last week for $125 and all it needed was new urethane belts for the wheels and one 5mm screw to hold the door latch on. The blade was still sharp! Now I can keep a wide blade on my Rikon and a narrow blade on the Ridgid and switch saws instead of taking the time to switch blades.
What can you do with a bandsaw? Rip, crosscut, and freehand cut anything. You'll get very good cutting, just outside of the line and using your other tools only for final cutting after the bulk of material has been removed from your work project. Tilt the table just right and follow your lines and dovetails are easy and quick. Even if you use a jig, you can remove the bulk of the waste with the bandsaw before you put the boards in your jig. (through dovetails only, I've yet to figgure a way to only cut 1/2 way through a board.)
Go ahead and scratch the itch. But go to
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put in your area code, how far you are willing to drive to buy your new tools and what you are searching for. This is a special search engine that uses google to quickly search Craig's List in the area you specify ony using your key words. You'll see all the current ads and you can view the ones you are interested in. I especially like clicking on the box to have them all show on one page. It's amazing how many people will sell good tools for less than 1/2 retail. Way less! This year I have spent just under $1000 for tools with a retail value of over $4000.
If you have any problems with it, don't hesitate to call their customer support. I bought one as soon as they came out and it had a couple of problems. They replaced parts, including a new table, with no problem whatsoever and gladly explained anything that wasn't clear in the manual.
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