Greetings
I have the Laguna 14bx and want to learn good habits/technique from the start rather than learning bad habits/technique that I have to unlearn later. I suspect I’ll use my bandsaw more for resawing and bigger pieces than for curve cutting and smaller pieces.
But my first question is the equipment.
The fence that came with the saw seems to move slightly when I lock it down, and it isn’t perfectly perpendicular to the table either (on its “tall” setting), so I have to shim it, which doesn’t seem right.
Are stock band saw fences like stock table saw miter gauges, they just stink and you should plan on an aftermarket upgrade? That’s what I’m getting from this
https://www.finewoodworking.com/2012/10/25/tool-test-bandsaw-fences
So I’m considering the Grizzly they recommend. I’m just always leery of buying a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.
So any advice on bandsaw fences is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Neal
P.s. Bandsaw advice out there on the interwebs is difficult to sift through for a newbie. I’ve heard drift is a myth, and that it’s natural. Where to align the blade on the tire and how much to tension the blade are other areas where you get contradictory advice, and “single point” fences. I’ve seen the “conventional” sources on bandsawing (the Snodgrass video, the Fortune articles/video, …) and I’m left feeling a bit confused and not all that confident.
Replies
I understand your confusion , especially about drifting and have experienced it. I have a laguna 14SUV and although the guide is not very tall, I resaw up to the maximum capacity without adding a taller fence. The guide locking mechanism seems different than the bx and incorporates a pair of machine screws that allow for adjustments with the table. It is perfectly rigid and yes, it does need to be perfectly parallel to the miter slots in the table if you ever need to use them.
Once you have adjusted the guide parallel to the table, you need adjusting the table parallel to the blade. Using your widest blade centered on the upper tire I place the guide a couple inches to the left and with a jointed piece of stock I start a cut using the guide and stop the saw in the cut after a couple inches. Holding the stock along the guide, I measure the gap between the trailing edge of the blade and the sides of the kerf with a feeler gauge, the rear of the blade needs to be centered In the kerf, it does not need to be perfectly centered but should not touch either side. You can push the blade right and left to observe that it is not touching either side, like I do to adjust the blade guides. Adjustment is made by loosening 4 bolts under the table, not something you want to repeat often but once done properly, things will fall in place. A good blade also makes a difference, I am sold to the resaw king blade.
Hey I also just got a 14bx. I can fix one of your problems. If you look at the cast iron price the aluminum fence attaches to has 2 small grub screws. Those let you adjust the fence perpendicular to the table.
Thanks Gulfstar, that all makes great sense. I got the resaw king also, glad to hear that’s not likely going to be a problem (unless it’s dull).
I think I found the answer to the problem of fence not being perpendicular to table. There are two set screws that I didn’t even see before (bottom one is removed). There’s no mention of these in the manual.
Neal
Thanks LordUlrich, guess I was so focused on manual that I totally missed those. I found this answer just before you posted (google sent me to reddit, where the was a post).
Neal
I have the Laguna 14/12. I would guess it has the same fence, but I don't know.
It's a fantastic saw. I have a crappy 14" clone saw that has a 3/16 blade for scrolling (and cutting scraps to length for the burn pile).
The Laguna has a 1/2" Woodslicer blade for resawing, and the occasional rip or taper not done on the table saw. I resaw a lot of stuff, but cherry most often, up to about 11 inches, and as thin as 1/16 slices. It does a wonderful job. I use the stock fence, which you've seen is adjustable. I see no need for a different fence.
I do use a Guidepro jig as a featherboard, which I like a lot. There's a review on Fine woodworking for it. Besides that, I don't use the miter slot for anything. I have a big box of miter gauges for a bunch of tools that just gathers dust.
I recently broke down and bought a Resaw King blade, but haven't put it on the saw yet. Too many home improvements to finish before winter hits.
Besides the Guidepro, the only thing I've done is add an LED light with a magnetic base.
It's a great saw.
I have the SUV and use the 1/2" woodslicer to resaw almost to 15".
I bought the 8" resaw fence and an extra rail mounting block so I can just swap it out. It just feels safer being able to apply pressure up higher. Gulfstar is dead-on with the adjustment process. I am firmly in the "drift means your saw is out" camp. If the saw was not meant to cut straight with the fence it would not come with one.
If you guys would post your thoughts on the resaw king blade I'd love to hear it.
"P.s. Bandsaw advice out there on the interwebs is difficult to sift through for a newbie."
Not just for newbies. There seems to be more misinformation and implied voodoo about bandsaws than many other machines; jointers rate pretty high too ;-)
The fence will need to be aligned to the saw just as with any machine not commissioned on site. Aligning the miter slot to the blade path involves adjusting the table. The mounting holes should be a bit oversized to allow for this unless Laguna has an incredible ego ;-)
To align the table (miter slot) I use a rare earth magnet and a steel rule with a couple of 1-2-3 blocks for this. I want it aligned well but, I do not shoot for accuracy like I would on a tablesaw.
Once the table (miter slot) is aligned the fence is pretty straight forward. I use the same magnet and rule setup for the fence since I already know this to be set. Most decent fences have the ability to be aligned to the feed path. I don't know your saw but, this is often done at the fence headpiece via a set of screws or bolts. Again, some degree of play is built in to allow alignment.
Getting the fence perpendicular to the table often involves shimming so this is not a defect. I tend to use foil tape since it sticks and I can tighten things without three hands. Brass shim stock, aluminum can strips and even tape can work as well.
A lot of this relies on your saw tracking well but, all of that should be covered in your manual. If you align your saw well you will be able to change blades with impunity and gaze in wonder at those who believe in "drift". ;-))
Just wanted to say thanks for the great advice. Stock fence it is, and if I pay attention to details on setup I can deal with drift.
I had a good day today with the band saw. I dissembled everything (blade, fence, guides...), gave it a good cleaning and then reassembled everything very slowly and carefully.
I tested on a piece of 1 x 10 pine, and it turned out well. It’s off by about 1/64” in width (according to my calipers) over about a 7” length, and the width is the same on both sides (top and bottom in relation to pic). Maybe that could be better, but I’ll take it for now.
Can I assume that oak, cherry and other hard woods might not be so easy, or is that not necessarily the case? Are there any species that are famously difficult to resaw?
Thanks again for great advice. Once again you’ve saved me time, money and aggravation.
Neal
That looks good, I have resawn Ipe and lately a couple dozen ebony logs and other than wear on the blades, it has been just like other common woods, just slower.
The number one difficulty I've ever encountered is if the wood you are resawing is at all wet. Makes it much more difficult, as the teeth have a harder time clearing the sawdust from the kerf.
Harder woods generally cut cleaner with sharp cutters. Softer fibers try to lay over as opposed to standing firm and being cut cleanly so I would expect better results with hardwoods as compared to your pine.
Different materials vary in their reaction to being resawn based on too many things to make a categorical answer as to what is easy and what is hard to cut IMHO. Certainly wild or reversing grain patterns have an effect but, with good stock control (tall fence, feather boards, consistent feed rate) any material should cut with reasonable consistency.
You will develop your own preferences but, try resawing with the "keeper" against the fence and away from the fence. Different folks have differing results with these methods. One gentleman spent a lot of time and video 'proving' that you cannot resaw with the "keeper" against the fence. That's fine but, I think I will just keep doing it wrong ;-)
Pics of doing it both ways . . .
I always have the keeper against the fence. I do a ton of slices, and I can't imagine trying to reset the fence each time for successive cuts.
ditto.
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