Another bandsaw thread - sorry :(

[new2woodwrk]

The local lumber yard I found, is now giving me free scrap wood that I would like to re-saw. Everything from Poplar and Pine to Oak and Black Walnut. Today I got some Oak throw aways. They're not large pieces but large enough for me to use for a few of our new products.

But I need to resaw the scraps

I've talked the "trouble and strife" err "The wonderful wife" into getting a bandsaw for our shop mostly for resawing and the like. 

From what I've read, a 14" is the way to go - of course it's also mostly out of my price range LOL. Is there any way I can get away with a 10" bandsaw for resawing? The scraps are not large. usually less than 18" long x 7" wide x 1 1/4" thick.

The other threads I read regarding recommendations were missing a few details I need.

I don't have a lot of money and would like to keep the price below $500, if I have to go to 600 I will. Basically, as low as possible.

Used is out of the question as there are never any good used woodworking equipment for sale around here reasonably priced. Usually when something is for sale, it's price at or above the price of a new item.

The one's I'm most considering are the following

Harbor Freight: - $399 - I like this price!

Central Machinery - 14 in. 4 Speed Woodworking Band Saw. I tend to not purchase this type of equipment from HF but I read in another thread someone had one and it worked well for them.

Lowes: $570 - a little higher than I want to spend

PORTER-CABLE 13.625-in 10-Amp Stationary - I read in another thread that PC performed very well just not sure if this was the model or it was another

If I can get away with less than a 14" I would more than likely select either a Wen or a Rikon 10".

Thoughts?

Thanks as always in advance

[BadBob]

If you buy cheap, you are likely to spend a lot more time and effort tweaking and tuning the saw to get it to work well.

I would not buy a saw that did not have a fence or at least an aftermarket fence available. Even if it has a fence, it might be junk.

I would not buy a benchtop saw or a saw with three wheels. They are not powerful enough, and the small wheels are hard on the blades. If you do go this route, Makes sure that good quality resaw blades are available for the saw before you buy it.

As with other types of saws, the blades are one of the most critical parts. The blade that comes with your saw is unlikely to be suitable for resawing, and it may not be good enough for anything.

If you have a planer smoothing the cut side of the wood is easy. If you do not have any way to plane the wood and want to sand it smooth, you will need excellent blades and a well set up saw to make this possible.

If it were me, I would look for a used brand name bandsaw 14-inch or larger. It might need some TLC, but your chances of getting a good saw for less money is excellent. They don't wear out. I would check and grease or replace bearings and replace the tires if they need it. Then make sure everything is aligned as per the manufactures instructions. Even if you buy a new saw, you will need to do most of this.

 

[rustynail]

I would buy a larger saw used and get a better grade saw ,than a small cheap new one. As they just don't cut it... HA Ha 

[MrsN]

At one of my schools I had a few 10 inch band saws (deltas) One time I tried resawing a 2x4, the 3.5" height was near the capacity of the saw. With a new blade it was a slow cut and required a lot of clean-up afterward, but did technically work. If you have wider boards that you hope to resaw, you will not be happy with a 10". If you have a planer to do the clean up, and only need 3" wide pieces the 10" saw might work (but buy lots of good blades)

 

[Bill WIlson]

I'm going to pretty much echo what the others have said in this thread.  I doubt very much that you would ever be happy with a 10" bandsaw for re-sawing.  Re-sawing successfully requires a fairly robust saw and a good amount of tuning to get it to cut straight.  You may be able to make curvy cuts in 1" thick material all day with a 10" saw, but when you start re-sawing, you are putting much more strain and stress on the blade.  It has to be adjusted perfectly, both for alignment and tension.  Re-sawing also requires a wider blade than most most other kinds of cuts on a bandsaw.  I don't know what the maximum width is of a blade for a 10" bandsaw, but I doubt very much it's wide enough for effective re-sawing.

I don't know any thing about Harbor Freight's bandsaws.  Personally, I'd be leery and would need to see a lot of really good, objective reviews before I would try one.  I have a Grizzly 14", the popular G0555 model and frankly have never been completely happy with it for re-sawing.  It does OK, but if one little thing is out of tune, the cuts are poor.  It's very fussy to get adjusted correctly, at least in my experience. I know a lot of folks have that saw and love it, so my issues are likely due to operator error and impatience. 

[OCtoolguy]

Not knowing where you are located I will say this. I have bought almost every power tool I own now from Craigslist. I live in So. Cal. so there is a lot of action here. But, I'm very patient and watch the listings everyday. If you must buy a new saw, I'd buy either a Delta or one of the main brand names if for no other reason that being able to buy parts for it down the road. My bandsaw is the Delta 28-280 with the built-in quick tension lever. I have tuned the saw up using the cool blocks on the blade and it does everything I want it to do. I bought a good quality 1/2" resaw blade and so far so good. I paid $300 for it. 

 

' 

[Woodmaster1]

I have the porter cable bandsaw and it works great for me. The motor rates at 1.5hp and built similar to grizzly or older Delta. Put a 1/2" resaw blade on it and go to town. I had the harbor freight 14" not a great saw unles they changed from what I bought 30yrs ago.

[new2woodwrk]

24 minutes ago, Woodmaster1 said:

I have the porter cable bandsaw and it works great for me. The motor rates at 1.5hp and built similar to grizzly or older Delta. Put a 1/2" resaw blade on it and go to town. I had the harbor freight 14" not a great saw unles they changed from what I bought 30yrs ago.

Is that the 13.625-in ? As I posted or is it a different one?

 

 

[Woodmaster1]

37 minutes ago, new2woodwrk said:

Is that the 13.625-in ? As I posted or is it a different one?

 

 

That is the one you posted I have had it 3yrs. I added the plywood piece between the saw and cabinet so it was more stable. I didn't like just the sheet metal top of the cabinet.

Edited February 9, 2021 by Woodmaster1

[BadBob]

For resawing bigger is better.

[WayneMahler]

A lot of the 14 inch saws have a resaw capacity of 6 inches. If your trying to resaw 7 it won't fit, unless you rip it down to 6 or less. So if your getting a lot of wider boards and need the width for projects, I would keep this in mind. Get a saw you will be happy with and will do what you want and expect. If you have be patient and save up then I would bite the bullet and go that route. Saving money and going cheaper will cause you more aggravation and disappointment then the money you saved. Not trying to sound too negative but as they say. Experience is the best teacher. Good luck on your search.

[OCtoolguy]

5 hours ago, WayneMahler said:

A lot of the 14 inch saws have a resaw capacity of 6 inches. If your trying to resaw 7 it won't fit, unless you rip it down to 6 or less. So if your getting a lot of wider boards and need the width for projects, I would keep this in mind. Get a saw you will be happy with and will do what you want and expect. If you have be patient and save up then I would bite the bullet and go that route. Saving money and going cheaper will cause you more aggravation and disappointment then the money you saved. Not trying to sound too negative but as they say. Experience is the best teacher. Good luck on your search.

That's very true Wayne. Back in the days when I was selling Snap-On Tools, I was always getting the comment that the tools were too expensive. My comeback was always this: "Buy the best and cry only once"!. It makes so much sense. But, now at my age, it makes no sense to spend the big bucks just so someone else can have the benefit of the "BEST" once I'm gone and they get my stuff. That's why I watch Craigslist.

 

[Modern Art Studios]

I think you'll need a bandsaw with ample horsepower, at least a 6" jointer, and a decent planner for a good job. You'll still need some really good blades for the resawing.  Good luck, Phil.

[tgiro]

23 hours ago, Woodmaster1 said:

I have the porter cable bandsaw and it works great for me. The motor rates at 1.5hp and built similar to grizzly or older Delta. Put a 1/2" resaw blade on it and go to town. I had the harbor freight 14" not a great saw unles they changed from what I bought 30yrs ago.

 

This is a good saw. I've sold a few of them. For resawing - not so good. They only have a 5-7/8" height and there is no riser capability to change that. The  10" saws will have much less capability. For resawing the smallest I would go is a 14" Grizzly, or Jet with a 6" riser in place. That will let you resaw up to 11-12 inches.

 

[ben2008]

I resaw with my 10" tablesaw. I can resaw a little over 3". Flip it over and get 6" total. Works for most of my projects. If I need more width I just glue them together. I just did it with sapele. I needed 1/2 thick for a project. I used my tablesaw to make 1/2" pieces 3" wide, Glued them up to create a 12" wide panel. Be sure to use a really good glue line saw blade. Can barely see the rip lines.

Edited February 10, 2021 by ben2008

[Wizard of Oz]

I have the HF 14" saw.  Yah, is not a high quality saw, but it works.  I did add a riser to it, and cool blocks.  I've been using the greeny for several years, and no problems.  As others have said, put on a good blade, it makes all the difference.

[new2woodwrk]

On 2/9/2021 at 8:47 PM, ben2008 said:

I resaw with my 10" tablesaw. I can resaw a little over 3". Flip it over and get 6" total. Works for most of my projects. If I need more width I just glue them together. I just did it with sapele. I needed 1/2 thick for a project. I used my tablesaw to make 1/2" pieces 3" wide, Glued them up to create a 12" wide panel. Be sure to use a really good glue line saw blade. Can barely see the rip lines.

That's how I currently resaw.

I seldom glue boards to make larger however

[OCtoolguy]

On 2/9/2021 at 8:14 PM, Wizard of Oz said:

I have the HF 14" saw.  Yah, is not a high quality saw, but it works.  I did add a riser to it, and cool blocks.  I've been using the greeny for several years, and no problems.  As others have said, put on a good blade, it makes all the difference.

Where'd you find the riser for it and how much was it? I've been thinking of adding one to my saw but the exorbitant cost has stopped me. If H/F has one, I might do it. Thanks for your info.

 

[ben2008]

11 hours ago, new2woodwrk said:

That's how I currently resaw.

I seldom glue boards to make larger however

I don't like using plywood for some projects so I glue up hardwood for wider projects. Personally, I think it looks better.  And, unless you make a frame you cannot cover the plywood edges. I don't like that. Just my opinion.

[OCtoolguy]

Well, rather than start YET ANOTHER bandsaw thread, I thought I'd just add to this one. I have been watching a lot of videos about marquetry since the topic has been brought to life. My point here is that in the process of viewing these videos, a video popped up on AccuSlice add-on for a band saw to produce whatever thickness veneer you might want. So, I just had to watch a video about it and it is really a neat system. Seems that it will fit just about any bandsaw that has a 3/4" miter slot. It's not cheap by any means but if a person is really into doing inlay or marquetry I can see where it would pay for itself. Of course, the quality of the bandsaw would matter greatly but if you have a decent 14" bandsaw and have it tuned with a good quality blade, I don't see why it wouldn't work very well. Here is a link to a couple of videos. I did go to their website to see pricing and as much other info as they offered. Enjoy. I did.

Website:   http://www.accu-slice.com/accu-slice-system1.html

Video:   

And another video:   

 

[Rolf]

Ray, interesting videos. Thanks.

[OCtoolguy]

5 hours ago, Rolf said:

Ray, interesting videos. Thanks.

If I keep on living, I can see that I might have to have one of these and a better bandsaw. But, I'm afraid that life will run out first.

 

[Wizard of Oz]

They say "only the good die young",  so I guess I've got more time yet.  I like the accu-slice system, but a little out of reach on my tool allowance. 

Oz

[OCtoolguy]

15 hours ago, Wizard of Oz said:

They say "only the good die young",  so I guess I've got more time yet.  I like the accu-slice system, but a little out of reach on my tool allowance. 

Oz

You ain't alone Oz!

 

[Scrappile]

Boy,  could I order a lot of veneer for the cost of that baby.....