Bandsaw choice for resaw/cutting curves
Hi, Can’t see a search button, so here’s a new thread. I have a Hegner scrollsaw and would like a bandsaw for higher capacity curve cutting as well as resawing for other projects (furniture/cabinets etc.). On the web I’ve seen a lot of people using 14″ bandsaws with rizer for resawing, while others say that these saws can’t compare with larger models. Also I’ve seen talk about dedicated resaw bandsaws with very wide blades. So, I know my choice will be a compromise as I have a small shop and usual budget restrictions 😉 but I wanted to ask: (a)is there a problem of using very narrow blades on “large” bandsaws eg I saw in the instructions for Socomec min blade width 6mm for wheel < 560mm min blade width 10mm for wheel > 560mm does one need to stick to this/am I missing out on going with the bigger bandsaw as far as curve cutting ? (b)With limited experience, not sure what resaw capacity I would need (infinite would be nice 😉 ) but what would be a reasonable depth of cut so I’m not unhappy with the purchase down the road as far as furniture/cabinetmaking are concerned?
Replies
Hi VJ:
I've been waiting
Hi VJ:
I've been waiting for over 2 months now for a Laguna I ordered. They have terrible customer service but I'm hopefull that the saw itself won't be the same disaster.
For Resawing... the typical 14" can increase from about 5 3/4 by adding a 6" riser, bringing it close to 12" which should be suffiecient for almost anyone. That being said I opted for the bigger 16" saw because it had the POWER (full 3hp) that was required for the additional cutting capacity. My 14" jet only had a 1hp motor....could barely do 5 3/4" resawing... the riser would have given it capacity that it just wasn't truly designed for. I suppose if you had the patience to just wait forever?? It in theory would work...
I'm scared to death though that I'm going to find Laguna quality as lacking as their customer service is. I'll keep you posted.
I have had no problems with my 6-month-old 16" Laguna saw. The one issue I raised: the knob on the blade tension handle was mussing, was handled immediately. It arrived soon after my request. I hope you will be as happy as I am.
But - I bought the Driftmaster fence. I liked the concept of a lead screw to advance the fence into the cut a consistent amount on each cut of a lam. The mounting is a B****! The sawn results are good but, as I said -.
If you purchased that fence and the mounting appears to be improved, please let me know.
As one with a 14" with riser, I would urge you to consider a larger saw. The 14" is a very capable machine and if you are working with small stock no problems.
My only issue with my saw is the table height and size. You are always lifting and balancing long heavy planks at chest height on a small table.
There are many reasonably priced 17-19" saws on the market that are competitively priced with the average 14".
These larger saws generally offer 12" resaw capacity.
I don't use narrow blades, but don't think you would have a problem/ The only thing I have read on the subject is to keep you curve cutting blades separate - don't use them for straight cutting.
Don
IMO.. with bandsaws you have to make compromises. Yes.. a large BS is better suited for re-saw.. a smaller BS is more suited for curves. The problem with large BS's for curves is they have larger bearing to accomodate wider blades. If you do the majority of curve cutting and especially with 1/4".. 3/16".. 1/8" blades you need to ensure that if you go larger.. the bearing will adjust back far enough so the teeth of the narrow blade doesn't ride on them.
A good for instance is the Mini-max requires you take off the stock bearing and add an optional set of cool blocks to accomodate smaller blades. On my 18" BS I use for re-saw I can get the bearing back far enough to accomodate 1/4" but that is about it. If you do very intricate and sharp curve cutting as on your scroll saw.. you will need 3/16" and 1/8" for that job.
So.. this is why I state that it is a compromise and may depend on just how narrow a blade you need to mount. I solved this situatiaon personally by keeping my smaller BS in lieu of selling when I got a larger for re-saw. I keep a dedicated 1/4" on the small and a 3/4" bi-metal on the larger for re-saw.
So again IMO.. if you go large but expect to do more curves than re-saw.. I would be sure whatever brand you decide on has bearing that will adjust back far enough so the blade gullet rides them and the teeth just clear in the front.
Good luck...
In addition to the other suggestions, you may want to think about what kind of "curve cutting" you are doing, and how you are defining "capacity". That is, are you defining "capacity" in terms of stock thickness, or in terms of stock length? By "curve cutting" do you mean large-radius arcs where the center point is on the outside of the bandsaw blade, or a series of reversing curves, where the center point alternates between being on the outside and inside of the blade?
If you are frequently cutting reversing curves or larger-scale "scroll" work, where the stock needs to rotate a full 360° around the blade, and "capacity" is first a matter of stock length, you may want to look at something larger than a 14" bandsaw. For reversing curves in thin stock, for example, my little Hegener has the same "capacity" (in terms of stock length) as a 14" bandsaw.
Similarly, for resawing, think in terms of what you might need to do. For many, a resaw capacity of 6-8 inches might suffice, since most of the boards they get are seldom wider than that. On the other hand, if you plan to mill your own trees, something larger would be needed.
I have a 14" open stand Jet, with the riser block. I have had it for just over 12 years and it is used nearly everyday. At one point, I thought I'd like to upgrade to a larger saw, but if the saw broke today, I'd buy it again. Actually I'd get the 1 HP closed stand model. This is because of its increased power and the reduced footprint.
Rob Millard
http://www.americanfederalperiod.com
All your input is much appreciated! I can see that I will
have to come up with a compromise especially regarding scrolling if I go for an 18" or bigger bandsaw as I have seen 6mm as minimum blade width specified for most of the saws I can find around here (except for Jet where 3mm is specified).
Maybe two more questions
(a)does anyone have their 18" or bigger saw on wheels - my garage is starting to get cramped and will most probably need to have the saw on wheels in case I need to move it - how heavy is your saw/ease of moving ?
(b)I'm looking at saws from Italy and Austria + Jet. The European saws in the 18" class weigh around 195kg
Jet 18" around 30kg lighter
Anyone have experience with the Jet, to give some feedback on stability/vibration ?
As to anyone that has their 18" on wheels.. I do. I don't move it around often but it is no harder to move around than my 8" jointer at 450 lbs.. my 5 HP TS at 590.. my 20" planer at 500 or my industrial mortiser at 650 lbs. That should pose no problem but you have to remember that the BS's weight sits on a smaller foot-print in a vertical position with mass weight distributions in the cast iron wheels.. table and the motor is pretty heavy so the weight is not really evenly distributed. But... it is easier to move it than most of my other machines with exception of the 8" jointer.
As far as to my thoughts.. since you appear to be going to do the vast majority of curve cutting.. I would opt for whatever saws you are looking at that has the roller bearings. A number of the larger (most for that matter) Euro's have Euro bearings which are basically round, cylindrical all solid metal bearing where the metal blade (not teeth) touch the BS blade. This is great for re-saw but the Euro bearings are not ideal for curves IMO.
The best thing for curves is graphite or teflon cool (solid wood as lignum vitae or black locust work well also) blocks but they would wear very quickly with larger blades designed for re-saw. The significance in the 429 pounds on Euro and the Jet 363 gives the Euro an edge in mass to help tone down vibration but you won't see a significant difference that would hinder my decision one way or other in that category.
Again.. compromise.. the story of life. ha.. ha...
Sarge,
You are right on the mark about the stability, or lack thereof, of a bandsaw on wheels. I have a 16" Laguna on an HTC heavy duty base. It moves easily - but I am very careful.
As I went to move it up onto, and into, the HTC, it fell over as I removed the last blocking. I am very lucky to be posting this today. (I hired a rigger - two husky men - to get it upright and on the mobile base. $200)
IMHO it is much more difficult to install a bandsaw on a mobile base than a lathe or table saw. Those items have more places to place a lifting device. (I use a 1 ton hydraulic jack and a length of 2 x 4, and always work by myself.)
I've come across a couple new
I’ve come across a couple new saws which have caught
my eye – would appreciate any feedback on my thoughts:
(1)Minimax S400P (I think this is a Centauro saw)
wheel 400mm/15,7”
depth of cut 400mm/15.7”
width of cut 380mm/14.9”
blade 10mm-30mmX0,5mm / 0.39”- 1,18”X0,02”
table 450X600/17.7X23.6”
weight 190kg/418lbs
(2)Minimax S500P
wheel 500mm/19.7”
depth of cut 500mm/19.7”
width of cut 480mm/18.89”
table 500mmX700mm/19.7”X27.6”
weight 260kg/573lbs
Now, (1) caught my eye as it has a much higher resaw capability
than other saws of this size (and width of cut would be good enough for
furniture/cabinet work) and it’s weight and size would
fit better in my small shop but the sales guy said he would go
for the larger one due to less saw blade breaking. According to
my logic, the longer blade (compared to others with this size wheel)
is travelling over the wheels less , with less stress on the blade,
and I guess blade breakage
depends on how good the blade/weld is/ saw setup and how careful you are.
The only thing still bothering me about it is not being able to put a blade narrower
than 10mm/0,39” on it for “scrolling” thick wood- but maybe
I’m expecting too much/will cover all fine work with the scroll saw.
Any smaller and I need to go to the Jet 14”
Any thoughts ?
You might look at the Laguna 16". I have one, my 2nd Laguna, and have been very happy with both. No problems, good service - rarely needed.
You might explain to Vjeko how narraw blades have worked on your 16" Laguna JF.. he probably is not aware that the Laguna runs ceramic guides or may never have heard of them for that matter. BTW.. it might not matter as Vjeko lives in Croatia and the Laguna might not be available to him there.
But with that said.. some of their saws used to be from an Italian line but I think (and emphasize think) they moved to a Chezk manufacturer which might have a version of the saw. And yes... a larger wheel means less stress on a blade but.. it also means the saw will likely have larger bearings which do come into play with narrower blades as I mentioned before. It still all boils down to compromise just as in marriage IMO. ha.. ha...
You just gotta figure out (and you are the one who knows best) if you or going to be curve heavy or re-saw heavy and lean more in that direction.
Again.. good luck!
Sarge and Vjeko,
The Laguna was, and so far as I know, still is made in Bulgaria. There should be no trouble purchasing one in Croatia - but you never can be sure how politics works in that area.
Incidentally, Dubrovnik, Croatia is a beautiful town. It is so old that the main street, all marble, is polished to a sheen we would all be proud to have on our furniture. Millions of 'walking feet' over the years created the polish - not a practical procedure for table tops.
The ceramic guides are very practical. I see on the MiniMax users' site that several are recommending the Laguna guides for their MM units. The top guides are easy to adjust; I gave up on trying to adjust the bottom guides on 16" unit. Anyway, Michael Fortune says we don't even need need bottom guides.
As to 'narrow blades' - I've never had occasion to cut small radii. I did buy Languna's 1", carbide tooth, "Woodslicer" (?) blade. It is outstanding for cutting lams or veneer.
Good luck in your search, Vjeko.
Hello vjeko,
I have an Agazzani B-18 18" on wheels and it moves around the shop just fine on it's general international stand (~$50). Great saw and the service was great from Eagle tools. Outstanding for resawing (up to 13") and i have run 1/4" blades on it just fine. I also have a hegner and go to it for nearly all fine curves on stock < 1". if you can swing an 18", i'd recommend it, but it depends mostly on how much resawing you plan to do.
Good luck!
Chris C.
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