Bandsaw ?
- Thread starter kunin35
- Start date
jet all the way......
Bandsaw
I'm buying a bandsaw also. Is there a size that is preferred amongst cuemakers and why? Also, Do they all come with fences or is that something optional, or a necessity in cuemaking. I"m just getting started as you can tell.
thanks, Bill
I'm buying a bandsaw also. Is there a size that is preferred amongst cuemakers and why? Also, Do they all come with fences or is that something optional, or a necessity in cuemaking. I"m just getting started as you can tell.
thanks, Bill
It all depends on just what you intend doing with it. I've got 4. One is to small and is complete junk, one I use for just quick rough cuts such as phenolics. One 14 inch with a good blade and a good after market fence that I use for cutting hardwoods to close tolerances and cutting veneers and such and tapers and I have another 14 inch with a 3/4 inch blade that has just a piece of aluminum angle for a fence for re-cutting inlay material. Since I cut all the inlay material to the same thickness I don't need an expensive, easily movable fence. If the prices weren't so high I wish I had bought a larger saw years ago. The bigger the saw usually the better. Some of the newer saws are now coming equipped with a cam action lever release which I feel is worth it's weight in gold. Much easier on the tires, bearings, wheels and blades. The blade needs to have it's tension released when not in use so that the blade doesn't stretch nor the tires flatten out. This makes this task easy and then with just a flip, the tension is correct again.
Dick
Mine are the Chinese, Delta knock-offs. They work about as good as a Delta once they are tuned up pretty good. Most of the 14 inch ones are Delta knock-offs and the Delta, I believe, is a knock-off of a Powermatic, which now is owned by Jet. There are better brands out there and larger sizes but they can get expensive. This is one machine where money talks. A 14 inch is about the smallest saw that will fit our needs. An 18 inch is better but there usually is quite a price difference. The Chinese 14 inch can be made to work very well at a low cost but it isn't that way out of the box. Duginske has a couple of books out on band saws and they should be read by any who wants a band saw. Very informative and takes you through setting up a band saw so that it cuts perfectly. Grizzly seems to be a popular brand amongst the cue makers on this forum. They have a number of different models to choose from which is nice.
Dick
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I have a pretty new 12" craftsman, and I like it, but I do wish that I would have waited a little, put more money aside and got the 14" model instead. I paid around $350 for it. The 12" does well, but the largest blade is 1/2" and most of the time I wish it was 3/4" instead. One thing to watch out for with craftsman is the custom size blade lengths
Makes getting a blade a bit harder right off the shelf. The one brand to stay away from according to all the reviews I have read is the Ridgid one. The price was atrractive, but all reviews were very negative.
Dave
Makes getting a blade a bit harder right off the shelf. The one brand to stay away from according to all the reviews I have read is the Ridgid one. The price was atrractive, but all reviews were very negative.Dave
I have the 18in jet and I love it! Cant say as to the other brand. I would definately buy another jet if I ever need another saw.
China knock off
I have a delta anniversary addition.....I have used the the China knock off and in my opinion there is no comparison....My saw is heavier made and requires very little in the way of maintainance or ''TWEEKING" It is a fine machine ....But I still do the lions share of work on my table saw ....Just better all around IMHO.......good luck Ray:thumbup:
I have a delta anniversary addition.....I have used the the China knock off and in my opinion there is no comparison....My saw is heavier made and requires very little in the way of maintainance or ''TWEEKING" It is a fine machine ....But I still do the lions share of work on my table saw ....Just better all around IMHO.......good luck Ray:thumbup:
The biggest drawback on the Chinese saws, which is where the Delta is made also by the way, is the motor. The Asian motors are not up to snuff with American ones and not nearly powerful enough for cutting through thick hardwoods but we seldom cut through anything thicker than about 2 or 3 inch unless you have access to some logs you want to cut up. Unless the Anniversary model is changed from their standard about the only thing heavier duty is the cabinet as when I need parts I go to the Delta repair center here in town and get my replacement parts using Delta part numbers. I'm not saying that Delta is not a more dependable saw or that people should go out and get the Chinese one, but at over twice the price, the Delta should be better setup. I'm willing to bet that the Chinese saw that you used was not set up and tweaked as it should be as mine will cut wood as good and true as any Delta. I cut my inlay material which consists of hardwoods, recon stone and ivory as large as 3 inch wide and 12 inch long and .140 thick and anywhere I check the thickness it is always within .003. The blade runs true without any bow or run out as the wheels have been co-planed so that the blade can run true without a lot of extra tension. If you look in one of Duginski's books you will see a picture of him slicing off a sheet of veneer .030 thick, 10 inch wide and 4 feet long. Pretty impressive really.
My experience is with the Chinese saws so that is what I spoke about. There are much better band saws but they are much higher priced. A Laguna or such saws which are great quality but they cost 2000.00 or so and I feel are just not needed. A good one may be a good investment for building full splice but I don't do that and truthfully, I feel my Chinese saws are up to making making those cuts also.
Dick
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anniversary ed..
My saw is well over 10 years old and says "PROUDLY MADE IN AMERICA" but I guess that could be wrong.....As far as the heavier cabinet you are correct .How ever that is not the only difference it also has a larger motor. As a custom cabinet and furniture maker,and the foreman of a wood shop(27 yrs) I have seen all the "Chinese knockoffs" ....they look the same at half the price ....Mores the pitty...My ser#....98k90642.....My cat # 28-269........Ray Weeks:thumbup:
My saw is well over 10 years old and says "PROUDLY MADE IN AMERICA" but I guess that could be wrong.....As far as the heavier cabinet you are correct .How ever that is not the only difference it also has a larger motor. As a custom cabinet and furniture maker,and the foreman of a wood shop(27 yrs) I have seen all the "Chinese knockoffs" ....they look the same at half the price ....Mores the pitty...My ser#....98k90642.....My cat # 28-269........Ray Weeks:thumbup:
At over 10 years old your's may well have been made in USA or the biggest part of it but that was probably before Black and Decker bought the company and moved production overseas. Much machinery has changed over the years and usually for the worst. You are correct that the motor is larger and I believe should be larger than it is. That is one of the drawbacks on 14 inch saws on the whole. If the motors would be larger the cuts good be made much quicker causing less heat. I'm putting a 2 H/P motor on one of the saws now as it is anemic when trying to cut cocobolo and ebony. I use it most for cutting turning squares on a angle and bias to get the wood for my point stock. That can't be done on a table saw efficiently. I cut the wood from boards on the table saw, joint them square and then send them through a drum sander so that they have perfect 90 degree corners. These are just a little larger than 3/4 when finished. I then cut that piece on a band saw and get all 4 points. Little wastage that way.
By the way, did they use a 14 inch band saw in the cabinet shop you worked at? My oldest son who is a finish/trim carpenter and cabinet maker was a supervisor at a custom cabinet shop for 7 years about 15 years ago and he said that their band saw was very large and had about 5 foot wheels and was set into the floor.
Dick
Equipment
Dick, we move into a brand new facility about 7 years agoe and "resized" alot of our equipment....Believe it or not I sized down the bandsaw because we were ready to move to cnc....Then just as we were settled in the economy hit us pretty hard....At the time of the move we purchased a new table saw (MARTIN)...30,000+$$$ Also a holz-her panel saw $$$$$$ but we down sized alot of our "specialy saws"...I'm hopeing the economy turns around we'r ready for cnc...Big time.....Ray P.S. As far as the motor being undersized I agree...I was trying to aviod that very problem by buying the one I did...I wish I had more room I would buy a larger one ,but I do most of my cutting on the table saw .....I'm just use to it I guess....Ray Weeks:thumbup:
Dick, we move into a brand new facility about 7 years agoe and "resized" alot of our equipment....Believe it or not I sized down the bandsaw because we were ready to move to cnc....Then just as we were settled in the economy hit us pretty hard....At the time of the move we purchased a new table saw (MARTIN)...30,000+$$$ Also a holz-her panel saw $$$$$$ but we down sized alot of our "specialy saws"...I'm hopeing the economy turns around we'r ready for cnc...Big time.....Ray P.S. As far as the motor being undersized I agree...I was trying to aviod that very problem by buying the one I did...I wish I had more room I would buy a larger one ,but I do most of my cutting on the table saw .....I'm just use to it I guess....Ray Weeks:thumbup:
Our shop has a '40s DOALL. Nothing else compares.
That is a typical Chinese copy of a Delta bandsaw. There are many different brand names but mostly come out of the same factory and re-badged by different importers. They can work pretty well but usually need to be accurately tuned.
Dick