Bandsaw Upgrade or Swap out for resaw height
Dr_Data
| Posted in General Discussion on
Hi,
I currently have a Jet 14″ bandsaw in good condition with 6″ of resaw capacity and on occasion I would like to resaw 8-10″ boards (I can’t afford wider boards). I am a home hobbyist and currently working to up my skill level. This saw has a 1 hp motor.
A couple of options.
1. Get extension bracket that would take it 12″ capacity. Cost ~$250.
2. Sell saw and buy new one. New one with 1 1/4 hp ~$1200 with 1 3/4 hp ~$1500. Looking on Craigslist I am guessing I could get ~$500 for the saw. Which puts the net cost in the $700 to $1000 range depending on additional hp.
Guidance on the choice please. Is the bracket extension a fools choice and I should bite the bullet?
Replies
You already know the answer. Just get the bigger one. I have acouple of 2hp 17" saws at work and one 14" USA delta machine. Almost never use the little one anymore. If you have the space and power for a bigger machine go for it, I dont think you will regret it.
I just went through the same situation. I have the same saw and put an extension on it for resawing. It does not have enough power to do resawing and will bog down and even stop. It is not worth putting on the riser block. If you have the space keep your current bandsaw and use it for cutting curved work with a 1/4 or 3/8 inch blade. It has plenty of power for that and that is what the 14 inch Jet was designed to do. Buy another bandsaw, perhaps 17 inch with a 2Hp motor and cast wheels. Use it with a dedicated resaw blade. I did it this way and have each saw set up for its particular purpose. I am not changing blades and settings a lot and more time goes into the work. There are lots of sales going on now for the holiday season.
What I actually did was: I bought a correct speed 2 Hp motor from Grizzly and modified the mount and cabinet to fit and replaced the the blade guides. I have a 3/4 inch carbide resaw blade. The set up works great with no issues. I saved quite a bit of money but there is the hassle of making things work. The saw frame is plenty stiff as it is cast iron. It is the motor and blade that makes the difference. I did buy another saw for curved work. I think you should consider keeping your current saw for curved work and purchasing a bigger 2 Hp saw for resawing. More money but less hassle. Good luck and have fun with it.....
Cars, Music Systems, and Bandsaws . . . technology is great but there is no substitute for raw horsepower. ;-))
That being said, if I was only going to resaw tall material a couple times a year the riser would be your smart money choice. A 1HP machine cutting 10" material is going to be really slow. Even a 3HP machine is slow but for the money it would cost I could cut at an inch every 2-3 seconds a couple times a year.
I went from a 12" 90s Delta to a Laguna SUV (3HP, monster resaw capacity, no longer made) and gave the Delta away... I wish I hadn't. I don't have the space for a second Bsaw, but once I have it REALLY dialed in for resawing it breaks my spirit to take it apart to cut curves. Thinking of buying one of those $400 closout 10" Rikons.
The Jet bandsaw not only lacks horsepower, it lacks frame stiffness and that is why it bogs down resawing thick material. I moved from a similar light 14 inches bandsaw to a Laguna 14SUV now sold by Harvey and it’s as MJ said a resaw monster. I can switch it to a 1/4’’ blade easily to do tight curves .
Gulfstar, did you get the taĺl resaw fence before they discontinued it? Huge upgrade. I picked up an extra fence-to-rail block setup to make the swap easier. Best 14" bandsaw ever built.
No, I have the stock fence and never felt the need for a taller fence, the saw is so powerful and stable that it works for me. I sometime use the saw to slice through logs and use a sled that runs in the groves. Paired with a one inch wide Carbide blade, this saw becomes a precision tool that often replaces the table saw. I’ve thrown everything at it and it still runs true and vibration free.
I had a 14 inch cast iron saw identical to the Jet. I dec8ded to opt for the riser kit for resawing. It was wasted money. It resawed like crap. I finally bought the Laguna 14/12, and it was like night and day. With a 1/2" Woodslicer it could resaw all day long, right out of the box. I wish I hadn't wasted the money on the riser kit for the old saw.
Definitely what ever you do for a saw I would highly recommend a Woodslicer blade from Highland Woodworking for resawing. It has lower power consumption, requires less tension, operates quieter, thinner kerf and leaves a nice cut surface.
I did try the woodslicer without success. It drifted horribly as compared to Timberwolf. Tried all means of set up but could never get it to track. The Timberwolf blade works acceptably. Went back and forth with Highland but to no avail.
I bought a riser extension for a 14" Rigid bandsaw using an extension kit from Grizzly (which was much cheaper than the Rigid kit). I believe that the Grizzly kit works on many Jet-type 14" saws. Along with the saw, I bought a Wood Slicer blade from Highland Woodworking. I have been able to resaw up to 9" (haven't tried 12 yet) with good results. I recommend carefully aligning the saw after installing the extension set. I used the alignment procedure recommended by Mark Duginske. Michael Fortune also has good advice on this site regarding how to make the bandsaw cut straight. The stock needs to be fed slowly. There is no hurry with a bandsaw, because it will not burn the stock.