Hi. I am a newbie and am building my shop. I have a Griz 1023 TS, a G0555 14″ bandsaw, a Bosch 1617 router, a Rockler router table and Penn State cannister dust collector. The Jointability interested me because of its smaller size and use of my router. I have heard some people really like the Jointability but I wanted to get a wider perspective.
And a jointer – 6″ or 8″, spiral cutting heads or knives, whose model? Appreciate your time and opinions
Marty
Replies
A jointer is the way to go. The primary purpose of a jointer is to flatten the face of a board prior to planing. You cannot do this with the router jig mentioned. If all you are looking for is a way to prep edges for glue up I would recommend a #7 jointer plane. You will get better joints from a properly uned handplane that either the jointer or router jig.
Tom
Douglasville, GA
Thanks Tom. I think I am going to take your advice. I know the Griz has a good rep; any experience with Yorkcraft, Delta, others? Probably not as cost effective as the Griz, huh.
Marty
Tom's spot-on with this observation about face-jointing. While edge jointing is an important task for the jointer, face jointing is where it pays for itself.
You've allowed yourself a lot of room with "6" or 8", spiral cutting heads or knives..." Sounds like the budget is pretty flexible? If so, 8" for sure -- saves you from upgrading later on. I'd go with the spiral if I could afford it, and just to save some money for other tools, I'd go with Grizzly. Their 8" jointers are well-proven and considerable less $$ than other makers.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Forestgirl, thanks for the reply. I also wanted to thank you for your opinion regarding the tablesaw. I took your advice about the Grizzly 1023 left-tilting saw, and after doing my research, I drove about 3 hours to pick it up --along with the G0555 bandsaw. Speaking of the bandsaw, I do not like the blade that the Griz came with. Any opinions on Timberwolf? I know Fine WW did a review and liked the Highland blade last year. Do you have any ideas on either?
Are you a full-time woodworker? You know your equipment and I was just wondering.
Thanks again,
Marty
FYI- Nobody likes the blade the imported bandsaws come with.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Hi Marty, that's great that you were able to pick up the Grizzly tools. Ain't their showroom fun?
Nope, I'm not a full-time WWer, just a full-time tool junkie, LOL. I have a small non-WW retail business and am learning WWing, hoping to make money at it "some day" (like after my hubby retires, end of year).
I have used Timber Wolf blades exclusively, and really, really like them. Especially for a 14" saw, because they are designed to work with less tension than standard blades. Mine run absolutely true on a Grizzly 1019Z 14" saw, with no blade drift at all.
Many WWers prefer the Woodslicer or other blades (e.g., Lennox) for big resawing. Seems like the Woodslicer doesn't last very long though. For my money, the TW is the way to go on a small saw. Most important, though, is to be sure you get the right blades for the tasks you're doing. A different tooth configuration/blade design for resawing kiln-dried vs. general shape cutting vs. cutting green wood vs. cutting thin veneers. I call them when I'm not certain what I want and their tech helps me pick the right blade(s). Phone is on their web site:http://www.suffolkmachinery.com
Their catalog is small but has a wealth of info in it. Another must-know bandsaw resource is Iturra Design. Don't have his phone# here at work, but I can post it later. Fantastic resource for all things band saw.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
I am looking for a 14 in. band saw. What do you think about the General 90-100 (sheet metal) or the 90-125 (traditional cast iron) machines? I have not seen any reviews on the 90-100.
Blade, I have no familiarity with General bandsaws. Your description of "sheet metal" vs. cast iron is a bit confusing. What you have with those 2 saws is one that is a welded steel frame with aluminum wheels, and one that is a cast iron frame, again with aluminum wheels. They both have sheet metal, in the stand and wheel covers.
Keep in mind that the cutting height of the 90-100 is fixed, you cannot add a riser to it to increase your resaw capacity, as you can with the 90-125. There may be some advantage to the frame design of the 90-100, depending on how well the executed it, but for me it would be outweighed by the 7" resaw capacity.
You question makes me realize that very little is mentioned here about General bandsaws! Tablesaws get discussed quite a bit, but not their bandsaws.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Marty,
I've used Timberworlf blades for a long time, and have been very happy with them. I recently tried the Woodslicer blades, and they do leave a smoother finish than the Timberwolf.
With my Timberwolf blades, I get absolutely straight cuts, with no blade drift. With the Woodslicer blades, I noticed that I get a smoother finish, but they don't cut as straight as Timberwolf.
I'm not an expert on bandsaw blades, so I don't know exactly how to account for this.
Almost forgot to post the info for Iturra Design. Their phone number is 1-888-722-7078. If you don't have their catalog, given 'em a call. It's great -- not only the items they carry, but also the historical and mechanical info it provides. Founded by Louis A. Iturra.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
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