Replies

1. 
   Peter36 | Jan 06, 2005 10:46pm | #1

   Hello. Good to see that you are wondering which one to buy first. It is all a matter of what you are planning on building. If you are thinking of plywood carcass cabinets then definately a tablesaw, but if you are thinking more sculpted pieces like chairs or coffee tables with curved legs then a bandsaw. You can cut a fairly straight line on a bandsaw and then joint it straight, but you can not cut a curve on a tablesaw. Keep in mind that places like home depot can cut a sheet of plywood for you if need be. Tablesaws though, can also cut dadoes, rabbets and  crosscuts, while you could do the same with a router handplane and shooting board, if you go the bandsaw route. Either way buy the best that your budget allows if you are planning on sticking with woodworking. Good luck    Peter

1. 
   afrank | Jan 10, 2005 04:00pm | #5

   Peter,

   Thanks for your reply.  I 've done very little work with plywood thus far, but I know that there will be at least a few plywood projects over the next couple of years.  For the past 6 months I've been buyung time at the local Woodcraft's Woodworkers Club, and it's worked pretty well.  They have every tool I could ever want. The problem arises when I get home from work and want to try something and I have to drive 20 minutes to get to the shop and then get set up all for just testing out an idea. 

   I have a router and just made a pretty large T-square, so I feel pretty confident about being able to cut dados and even using it to clean up an edge to get it straight.  My inclination is to go with the band saw - probably Grizzly's Ultimate Bandsaw with the riser block for extra re-saw capacity.

   Aaron

2. 
   Dustmight | Jan 07, 2005 12:22am | #2

   Most people consider the TS to be the heart of the shop...I'm one of them, but there are those who rely more heavily on the BS.  It really boils down to what you'll do most. 

1. 
   afrank | Jan 10, 2005 04:03pm | #6

   I do find that I spend a good bit of time at the TS, and I intend to get one.  But as a first machine, I'm definitely leaning toward the BS.

   Thanks

1. 
   Dustmight | Jan 11, 2005 12:41am | #11

   Ultimately you'll have to make the decision and go with your gut.  The BS excels at cutting curves and resawing.  Trying to substitute a BS for ripping and crosscutting usually results in more saw marks and more, followed by addtional sanding or planing to remove those marks.  I can resaw on my TS up to ~ 6", although there is a bit more waste from the blade thickness.  There's pros and cons to both...I think the vast majority go with a TS first.  Fortunately, going with a BS first isn't against the rules or considered a social faux pas! ;-)  

3. 
   wilkesland | Jan 07, 2005 01:08am | #3

   As the other posters said, depends on what you want to do. There was an article in the first Tools & Shops Issue of FHB entitled "My 5 essential power tools" by Gary Rogowski, which has colored a lot of my thinking on the direction I want to go for my shop. He makes a case for a bandsaw ahead of a table saw. It is issue number 153. If you can find it, it may help you clarify your thoughts.

   Good luck.

1. 
   afrank | Jan 10, 2005 04:16pm | #7

   So are you considering this same question - TS vs. BS?  I'm reading Krenov's "A Cabinetmaker's Notebook," and he speaks highly of having a good bandsaw and working with planes as much as possible.  I don't necessarily like his style, but I appreciate his ethic, and since this is my hobby and not a profession right now I hope to follow try and follow the ethic. 

   I'll look for the issue of FHB and see what it says.

   Thanks

1. 
   wilkesland | Jan 11, 2005 03:20am | #12

   Yes, I would ultimately like to have my shop revolve around a bandsaw. Having said that, I have a tablesaw. Having read for a couple of years about the pros and cons of various equipment, I don't think I would be happy in doing what I ultimately want to do with anything less than a large, high quality bandsaw - at least a 16" Minimax or Laguna - preferably an 18" machine. My brother in law gave me a Ryobi B2000 table saw which beat no saw at all, but not by much. Till I can get a bandsaw, I opted to upgrade to a pretty good used contractor table saw- a Jet 12" .   Due to the popularity of table saws, finding a pretty good used one isn't hard. I've had some trials and tribulations moving the Jet to my shop - but I've used it enough to confirm that I don't want to move up to a cabinet saw and build my shop around that.

   Table saws also have the advantage in that there are 10 gazillion articles on building stuff with a table saw and is a good way to learn basic skills, and get a feel that what I think I want to do is correct. However, I still don't like using a table saw much, scares me.

   The Grizzly bandsaw you are considering has had lots of favorible posts. People seem to be really happy with them. However, most of the posts I've read were by people who had tablesaws. For myself, I've decided to wait till I can get the bigger bandsaw.

   Really, only you can decide what is going to be best for you.

   Good luck.

4. 
   mvac | Jan 07, 2005 10:44pm | #4

   Hi there. I don't pretend to be an expert, and so I'd advise you to take this with a grain of salt.  That said, I've been woodworking for a few years and can't imagine not having a table saw. My sense is that it's actually more versatile than the bandsaw, despite the inability to resaw and do curved work. Just the stability of the large surface makes it feel much safer to me, but I guess if you work exclusively on small projects you could do without it, and rip the occasional large board with a circular saw and a fence clamp.

   For financial reasons, I don't have a BS, but get by on the curved work by using my Bosch jigsaw with a table attachment. It allows me to invert the jigsaw, clamp the table and attached saw to a bench (the blade's now pointing up, protruding from the table's insert), and cut curves of most lengths and thicknesses. But it doesn't address the resaw issue.

   One thing to keep in mind if you choose to go the bandsaw route: Don't skimp on resaw capacity. 6" resaw tools will be much cheaper, but they'll really limit you. And, since one of your main benefits of the BS is that feature, make sure sure you get something you won't regret later. Also, my sense is that the 12" or larger resaw capacity saws are more durable and of a higher quality.

   Hope this helps,

   Mitch

1. 
   afrank | Jan 10, 2005 04:32pm | #8

   Mitch,

   You hit on something that I keep thinking about regarding this question.  What about stability?  In my first post I asked a PS question about building an outfeed table or extension table for the BS to cover this very issue.

   You also mention the finances.  I don't have a lot of money, so buying one good machine to start out with is important.  A BS, like the Grizzly I mentioned in an earlier post, with the riser block runs about $100 less than a decent Contractors saw like the Griz G0444Z.  Which adds to my inclination toward the BS.  (My Dad gave me an old B&D jigsaw that belonged to my grandfather, but I'm not aware of a table mount for it.  More than anything, I'm afraid of breaking it-it's gotta be 40 years old.)

   Thanks for the advise.

   Aaron

1. 
   mvac | Jan 10, 2005 09:19pm | #10

   Aaron,

   While it's possible to build an outfeed table for the BS, and a sturdy one at that, I don't think there's a question that the cast iron table and wings of a TS - all essentially one piece - will be more stable than the original BS table or its extension. In this case, I think "stable" probably meant two things to me:

   First, no matter what size your work piece, when you lay it flat on that TS (assuming the piece itself has a flat suface), it's not going anywhere you don't want it to. No chance of wobbling or rocking due to an add-on that may/may not be strong and solid enough to support without movement. Of course, when ripping a long piece, you'd need some sort of outfeed support (I use a roller in my small shop), but the same would be true for the BS.

   Second, assuming the TS is properly tuned (and no matter what power tool you buy, you'll need to go through a tune-up "checklist" to make sure that it is), the TS table will be perfectly flat - so, depending on the model, you'd have anywhere from 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 feet of flat surface L-R, excluding any extension table or outfeed support, upon which to rest your piece. If you can get that kind of width of consistently and reliably flat surface from a BS, I'm not aware of it.

   So, those were my thoughts when I mentioned stability, and I would love to hear others chime in on the subject and see if they agree. Also, why not call Grizzly, since you're considering both of their machines, and ask them if this hypothesis is true. It's possible they'll go with the answer that produces more revenue - I've never dealt with them - but it's also another data point.

   Hope that all makes sense,

   Mitch

5. 
   ings | Jan 10, 2005 05:16pm | #9

   Having been working as a full time carpenter for almost twenty years, I have owned over half a dozen table saws- yet I just took delivery of my first bandsaw last month.

   It entirely depends on your intent- will you build small things; boxes, instruments, etc- or will you build large things, like cabinetry, chests, bookcases?

   A table saw will rip and crosscut many things, large and small, and if you look at most shops, it is the central fixture.  A bandsaw is a wonderfull tool, and I admit I am in the rookie stages for having one, but I would definetaly consider it secondary.

   Get one with a large cast iron table, at least 1-1/2 hp and a good fence. 220v is a plus.

   Chris

6. 
   Ribeye | Jan 12, 2005 10:21am | #13

   RE: the BandSaw...

   I've known a fellow for better than 40 years who has had "his BandSaw" and is going to get around to getting a table saw "when the time comes".

   This chap is now in his 90s.

   He's built two homes and all of the interior trim along with a myriad other things along the way with a couple of 14" bandsaws as his main shop tools.  He still doesn't have a table saw.  Right or wrong isn't our call. 

   His General bandsaw can't out-cut my harbor freight bandsaw but then his non-existant table saw can't undercut my wonderful cabinet saw. It's all in the user.  What else can be said?  (Although I still prefer my big humpin' cabinety-type table saw as my first choice.)

   -- Steve

   Enjoy life & do well by it;

   it might well be the only chance you get.

   http://www.ApacheTrail.com/ww/