Replies

1. 
   jimmyk | Dec 04, 2003 04:08pm | #1

   You're welcome and congratulations.

2. 
   forestgirl | Dec 04, 2003 08:01pm | #2

   Bill, glad to hear that G0555 is a winner!  I can't give you any more info on the riser installation quirks.  I sent an email to Tom over at Just Woodworking and asked for more info, but he didn't reply.  The available info is that the tension set-up is configured for no-riser-kit, and there is an adjustment that must be done to get it "right" for the riser kit.  Evidently it's not difficult, with guidance from a tech, but does not seem to be an intuitive thing that's easy to figure out.

   forestgirl Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

3. 
   CharlieP | Dec 05, 2003 07:03am | #3

   The riser block on my previous Jet bandsaw was the same as the riser block on my new Grizzly G0555 bandsaw (Grizzly gave far more saw for less money), but on the Grizzly I had to mess around with the tension after I put the riser block in. 

   Someone on the web said that the Grizzly was set up for 92 inch blades.  Add 6 inches of riser block, and the new blade should be 12 inches longer, at 105 inches (oops).  And with a 105 inch blade, I couldn't get tension on the blade (even on the free blade that came with the riser block).  Although I haven't measured the original blade, if it was 92 inches, that would explain the slack.  Once I got tension on the 105 inch blades everything works great. 

   Keep in mind that you will not be taking the riser block in and out - setup is a big deal - so once you have a riser block, buy all 105 inch blades.  And the Timberwolf blades that cost 3 times as much are 10 times as good - worth the price

   The base of the fence is below the edge of the table.  Absolutely.  Something is wrong.  On mine there are two sets of mounting holes - the fence goes in the lower holes. 

1. 
   brnaclbil | Dec 05, 2003 07:26am | #4

   So what did you have to do to get tension on the 105" blade?

   I'm hoping to install the riser kit tomorrow night.

   I have both the blade that came with the riser kit (3/8" 6 tpi) and a Olsen blade that I bought yesterday 105" 1/2" 3tpi, with which I intend to try slicing up some green trees. I plan to get a timberwolf blade for resawing dried hardwood soon, but i figured I'd start with a cheapie blade for my first attempts at making lumber.

   Thanks,

   Bill

1. 
   CharlieP | Dec 05, 2003 10:12am | #5

   First I cussed and wondered what I did wrong.  Even read the manual. 

   Then I fritzed around quite a bit - the tension knob has to go farther, and there are gizmos that can change it's range by loosening them with an allen wrench and moving them along.  I don't know if I did it right, but after playing a while, things started working.  I was worried if I had the right tension... there is a procedure to properly adjust the tension on a Timberwolf blade, so I followed that to get the right tension, and found the spring indicator was just where I expected it to be, based on how it worked on the previous Jet bandsaw. 

   I would have been much happier if the instructions had explained how to do this, which they did not.  I have heard that Grizzly support is great, but being a normal male, I am loathe to ask for help.  (Being a computer professional, even looking at a manual is a struggle).  So at this point, the G0555 is doing everything my Jet did, plus a lot more, and for a lot less money.  And I am very happy. 

   Hope you enjoy your G0555 as much as I do. 

1. 
   BG | Dec 05, 2003 03:20pm | #7

   Charlie,

   I don't own a bandsaw so I curious why a 6" riser would only require 13" longer blade?  Don't we add 6" to the diameter with a riser block...and wouldn't that require about 19" more blade to fit ?  What don't I know here?

1. 
   brnaclbil | Dec 05, 2003 03:55pm | #8

   BG,

   You are not adding anything to the diameter of the wheels. THe same wheels are used with the riser kit. the only thing you are doing with the riser block is sticking the top wheel 6" higher in the air, so the blade has to go up 6" more and come back down 6" more, thus the 12" increase in the blade length.

   Jamie, I haven't called Grizzly yet because I haven't had a problem yet. Hopefully, my son will be around tonight and we will install the riser then. I wanted to know what troubles to anticipate when we do it.

   I'll let y'all know how we make out - "Lord willin and the creek don't rise" oops I mean "Lord willin and that nasty storm coming up the East coast don't knock out our power."

   Thanks for the info from the person who had problems earlier with his riser kit.

   Bill

2. 
   brnaclbil | Dec 05, 2003 06:19pm | #9

   Now I think I understand the problem.

   After reading Charlie's reply and going downstairs to look at my saw, I see that there are a couple of black cylinders that surround the tension screw that are locked with allen screws that can be moved to change the range over which the upper wheel can be adjusted. The instruction manual calls these "fixed spacers".

    I note that the placard on my saw says it takes 92.5" blades and I will be going to a 105" blade. That's a 12.5 inch difference, not 12", so the upper wheel may need to adjust a bit higher after adding the riser block.

   I also moved my fence rail down to the lower screw holes. Initially, the lower holes didn't look inviting, as the threaded portion was recessed inside a larger diameter hole.Once I moved the rail to the lower set of holes, there is no longer a fence base that is higher than the table.

   I'm getting there! I think it is time to find that quartersawn cedar 2x4 and start work on a Greenland style kayak paddle for myself.

   Thanks again for helping me get oriented to my new toy.

   Bill

3. 
   forestgirl | Dec 05, 2003 08:38pm | #10

   Bill, new posts arrived yesterday in this discussion of the G0555, in case you didn't see:http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=14871.29

   Have fun today!!!forestgirl Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

4. 
   brnaclbil | Dec 05, 2003 10:06pm | #11

   Thanks, Jamie. I just replied to that thread. My G0555 appears to have a new/ redesigned "knob bolt" that has a rounded end to mate against the guide rod.

   Bill

5. 
   forestgirl | Dec 06, 2003 04:28am | #13

   Cool!  Glad they redesigned it.  Where the heck did that grouch come from (#13)?  Too funny. forestgirl Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

6. 
   brnaclbil | Dec 06, 2003 05:47am | #14

   I think he popped out of a garbage can from Sesame Strreet.

   b

7. 
   ChasStanford | Dec 06, 2003 07:56pm | #15

   Stuff is pure Junque.

8. 
   CharlieD | Dec 06, 2003 09:31pm | #16

   I don't understand. Why would you want to try to take away the joy and happiness somebody feels when they buy a new tool? And I can tell you already, I don't buy the "I want to help others avoid the same mistake" argument. There are a dozen ways you could have accomplished that goal without being mean. All you've done by this approach is lose any audience you might have had; I, for example, would have been interested in your opinion if you had bother to express why you feel the way you do about Grizzly and if you'd been a bit nicer and less attacking. As it stands, I'm forced to conclude that you're just a crank. What IS your goal anyway?

   CharlieI tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut

9. 
   brnaclbil | Dec 06, 2003 11:11pm | #17

   Thanks, Charlie.

   I'm not going to sit here and debate with what sounds to be a curmudgeon.

   This purchase had come down to decision for a band saw with as much functionality and quality as possible within a certain (limited) price range. After looking in the used market in NH on several fronts and not finding anything of interest, I had narrowed it down to either a Ridgid bandsaw from Home Depot, which I could see and touch and drive home in the back of my truck or to buy a Grizzly, pay shipping charges and wait a few days. I had never see a Grizzly tool firsthand but had been following discussions here and elsewhere. 

   The things that made up my mind were comments made in this thread as well as recognizing that the 1 Hp motor and extra accessories that came with the Grizzly were a better deal. My baseline expectation was that all bandsaws made in Taiwan or China were about the same. Not the greatest, but more than adequate.

   When I received the saw on Tuesday, the painted finish and the quality of the table were better than I had expected. So far I have only sawn softwoods - spruce and red cedar with it, but it performed without any of the flaws that bandsaws often exhibit. And that was with the Grizzly stock 3/8" 10 TPI blade and a Olsen 1/2" 3 tpi blade that I picked up at WW fopr less than $12. I'm sure I will be buying wither some Timberwolf or Woodmizer blades when I am ready to do some quality resawing.

   WIth both of these "low end" blades, the cut tracked perfectly with the fence. Freehand sawing the red cedar for a Greenland style kayak paddle, the saw was very well behaved and did exactly what I asked of it.

   So against my expectatations, this saw has clearly outperformed. Is it the best bandsaw in town? Probably not, but I am impressd with the quality and the accurate set up from the factory that this saw exhibited. We did have to tweak the large spacer to get it tension the 105" blade, but I had been fully forwarned about that via this forum. I have an e-mail pending to Grizzly Tech Support asking how we should have changed the smaller spacer. We'll see what they come back with (and when) for a reply.

   I have heard both good and bad about Grizzly products. My experience with the G0555 has been very positive, so far. Hopefully Tech Suport will come through with good info. I worked in tech support for a very large computer compamy in the late 1980's so I understand that side of the business - the good, the bad and the ugly.

   My message is that this is a decent product and probably the best value for a product in its class. Those who chose to badmouth it with 2 or 3 words of trashtalk are simply showing their personality and possibly ignorance.

   Bill

   (a semi-retired engineer, who is a bit of a perfectionist with fairly high expectations)

10. 
    CharlieD | Dec 07, 2003 12:01am | #18

    I bought the Delta BS 'cause I was chicken to buy something I couldn't see (the Griz). I'm real happy with it, but it cost 2 x as much. I still wonder if I did the right thing; anyway, we're both set now.

    Now, when ToolDoc recommended a Harbor Frieight lathe--HF has far poorer rep than Grizzly, and rightly so--I was able to go check one first hand. Then I went down to Rockler to compare notes. The HF was identical to the Jet for $300 more, excepting the switch the finish and the adjustment handles, from every observation I could make. I bought the HF and I've been thrilled. (I had a problem with the toolrest; they addressed it TWICE and ultimately fixed the issue. I came out ahead, cause the old toolrest had developed some nicks from the sides of my skew. I rounded those edges so it won't happen to my new rest. My point is that sometimes you're right--the same manufacturer is making both tools.) Now when the guy at Rockler found out I'd bought a tool from HF, you should have seen his face. Pure disgust. Had he seen the tool? No. He pointed out that he'd be interested in seeing just how long my new lathe would last, questioning the quality of the bearings. I'm confident that they're the same as the Jet. He didn't have the time of day for me after that. Always somebody like that around.

    Now, I've bought some crappy tools and regretted it sorely, who hasn't. But I like to think that I've learned to research and examine a tool before purchase (one reason I've been scared of Grizzly) and can prevent doing any such thing in the future--unless I conciously decide to buy a cheap tool, something I refuse to rule out.

    Mostly, if it does what you need for less, then you did right by yourself. Why waste money on prestige?

    CharlieI tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut

11. 
    smijal | Dec 07, 2003 06:15pm | #21

    Charlie,

    Sorry to barge i here, but I've been interesting in the HF lathe and have a question for you. I saw one locally at a newly opened HF store nearby. The  display model did not lock the headstock into place without significan side to side (turning) play. Tightening of the lock down lever did not seem to get rid of it.  Is this normal, or was this display model needing more adjustment (o defective)? It would seem to me that having that ind of variance would be problematic--but who knows, I;ve only worked on my little :cheepie: lathe with a fixed headstock, so I am new to this.  Other than the awfull color, it seems nice.

    thanks for any input you can offer.

    Stan

12. 
    CharlieD | Dec 07, 2003 10:12pm | #22

    Interesting question. I have noticed that the headstock will tilt back slightly if I overtighten the tailstock live center into the workpiece. I don't know if that's normal, I assumed that it is; part of the ability to rotate, it seems to me. It hasn't affected the lathe's ability to do it's job as far as I can tell, but I'm still a beginner.

    My suggestion to you, though, is that you check it out on the Delta or Jet models of similar design. If it's not the same, that's something to consider. And look closely under the headstock at the mechanism. There's a round rotating attachment, and you may figure out what the play is about based on the designof that device.

    I've been real happy with the lathe, and with HF when I had a problem with the toolrest, but again, I'm a beginner.I tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut

13. 
    brnaclbil | Dec 07, 2003 12:04am | #19

    Last night  at 10:13 p.m. I sent Grizzly Tech Support an email stating that to get the 105" blade to tension on my G0555 bandsaw after installing the 6" riser kit, we had to readjust the large spacer on the tension rod and asked what we should have done to the small spacer.

    I had a 3 paragraph reply from Tech support at 9:29 this a.m. apologizing for the problem, telling exactly how to adjust both spacers and stating that they are working towards including these instructions as part of the riser block kit.

    Case closed. I give Grizzly Tech support an "A". I wish that the tech support for the computer company that I used to work for was half as efficient and correct the first time with their advice.

    If anyone has need for this information, send me an email and I would be happy to forward it.

    Bill 

    ([email protected])

14. 
    USANigel | Dec 07, 2003 03:44am | #20

    Would it kill them to make a 6 1/2 " riser block and then no problem with other adjustments.

15. 
    ChasStanford | Jan 01, 2004 05:30pm | #27

    I wonder how many guys who work wood with Spiers or Disston ever find themselves in need of help from the customer service department?

    Step back, get some perspective.

16. 
    Mackwood | Dec 10, 2003 05:54am | #26

    Bill,

    Sounds like you did plenty of research before buying and it's paid off.  The "all junk" guy must have a shop full of mega buck stuff or he builds all of his own equipment in his very own machine shop to tolerances us humble folk can only dream of!!

    Enjoy your machine, but you don't need anyone to tell you that; you already are (enjoying it that is).  Be safe!

    Mack

17. 
    DougF | Dec 08, 2003 08:31pm | #23

    Bill,

    This is the setting instructions I received from Grizzly:

    "Thank you for your email dated December 8, 2003.

    The top spacer should be between 3-4 threads from the top thread on the tension bolt.

    Have approximately 1/4" between the two spacers.

    The #39 Square Nut M10 should be in the housing it location is relative to the width of the blade you have on. The scale on the housing is to match the blade width. Different width blades have more or less tension, and the location of the last thread on the bolt in relation to the nut, then, will change.

    If we may be of further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us.

    Sincerely,

    Mike

    Technical Service

    Grizzly Industrial, Inc."

    Hope this helps. 

    Doug

18. 
    brnaclbil | Dec 08, 2003 09:21pm | #24

    Thanks, Doug.

    I got an email reply from Mike at Grizzly on Saturday that said to have the upper spacer 1/4" from the top of the threads (which should be about the same as what he told you: 3-4 threads) and 1/4" space between the upper and lower spacer.

    He didn't send me the paragraph about the nut in the tension housing but that doesn't really tell anything that wasn't already obvous to me. You may have asked him a question about how to tension.

    I'm pleased that Grizzly Tech Support was so quick with an answer. My son and I had already tweaked the spacers the night before the reply arrived, based on some general info I gathered from this forum, but I still wanted to see where they said it should go. We had backed the top (large) spacer all the way to the top end of the threads on the bolt, which seemed to work. After I got the mail from Tech Support, I moved the spacer down to 1/4" from the end of the threads.

    I was concerned about the stiffness in turning the knob, so I lubed the threads. Now I see that the lubed threads are gathering a lot of sawdust around the spring inside the housing.

    Bill

19. 
    DougF | Dec 08, 2003 10:26pm | #25

    Bill,

    If you must lube, use a dry lube. 

    Doug

2. 
   forestgirl | Dec 05, 2003 10:33am | #6

   Bill, have you considered........calling Grizzly....?  Novel idea, I know, but getting the ear of a techie might get you the most direct explanation.  OK, I'll go back to sleep now. forestgirl Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

4. 
   ChasStanford | Dec 06, 2003 03:27am | #12

   You're easily impressed.