New guy with a probably not so new question
I’m excited to be joining this forum. I’ve been working on wood for several years but really still consider myself quite a beginner since I just teach myself as I go.
But enough about me. I have lots of rough sawn 2×4 (actual size) pieces of very old mahogany. When planed it is a beautiful redish brown color. I’ll be making a crib for my new baby. Anyway, I wouldn’t normally purchase a band saw, but right now there are about 5 bandsaws for sale in my area in the $150 – $250 range and some of them are 14″. I thought that maybe with those prices, and this wood, I should get one. So what would I be looking for in a band saw to make sure I can resaw this wood well. I can just imagine the smoke coming from a Ryobi bandsaw, but the ones currently for sale are:
Delta 14″ $150
Cenetral Machine 14″ $225
Ridgid 14″ $200
Craftsman 10″ $65
Craftsman 12″ $225
Rockwell 10″ $125
Just not sure how to kick the tires on a band saw. Any advice appreciated. Many thanks.
Justin
Replies
Justin,
Welcome!
I'm not sure wich if any of those bandsaws is the right one, though I would limit the search to the 14" variety. My hunch is that the Delta is the best of the bunch. I'm not a fan of Rigid and Central is (I think) the Harbor Freight cheap import version.
A little perspective. If you have a lot of old 8/4 mahogany - and if it's Honduras mahogany, you might want to consider that each linear foot of what you have is worth around 8 or 9 bucks (I'm conservatively estimating its worth at $12-$14/bd ft.) If you rank yourself a beginner, you should at least consider keeping this stuff on the racks for a while until you are ready to turn it into something special. Spring for some moderately priced domestic to do the crib (maple, cherry, etc.) and hold that mahogany for an heriloom table down the road.
Frank
Frank stated.... you should at least consider keeping this stuff on the racks for a while until you are ready to turn it into something special.
Frank... No hate here, I only found your statement very funny when I first read the words.
... Is not a new baby VERY special? I do realize you did not mean it as I read those words.
I make most of my stuff for family and friends these days. I am not above going to a local shop to 'resaw' if my wood is REALLY expensive. All wood is expensive these days. Some just REALLY expensive.
I would suggest that you call 'around town' for someone with a real resaw bandsaw to slice it for you. They may even do it for just 'time worked on the machine' if they know it is for a new baby! And maybe ask if they will drum sand to thickness you want.
Lost of folks out there needing work to do for some income!
I have a 18 inch bandsaw I use all the time. I DO have some stock, I buy rough cut, resawn at a local shop if I have none to waste.
Not sure which bandsaw to suggest. For sure don't look at anything smaller than a 14 inch. Ridgid may be a good deal. My bandsaw is an old, 36 inch cast iron brute.
But hey, do you have a good tablesaw? perhaps a cabinet style saw? Well if you do, put a thin kerf blade on your tablesaw, and resaw it that way. Set your blade height at about 1-1/2 inches high and run your piece through. Then raise it as high as you can ( probably tops out at around 3inch high) and run the stock through the saw again. Now lower your blade down to around 1-1/4 inches, flip the board over and run one final pass to seperate the stock into halves. Run the stock through your planer ( You do have one..right?) and viola...you're done resawing without a bandsaw.
Of course, any excuse to buy another tool is well worth it.
Davo
Of the saws listed, I'd look at the Delta first, Ridgid second. If you end up with a 14" saw (rather than a bigger one with a bigger motor), your blade choice will be critical. Personally, I like the Timberwolf blades from Suffolk Machinery for the 14" saws. Call them and they'll tell you the best blade for you saw and the type of cutting you're doing. Buy several! (3-4 anyway)
None of the choices would top my list but if your are going to resaw the old mahogony get the one with the most horse power. Then get a couple of 1/4" skip tooth blades for it, wider blades and more teeth just creates more drag going through the wood and on the motor.
Bret
Just to add more fuel to the fire, there's "old" Delta and "new" Delta, "old" being prior to the 1981 Pentair acquisition, and "new" being after the 2005 acquisition by Black and Decker, with the Rockwell brand falling in the middle. Through all of this, there have been some dips in quality control, but usually Delta was better than the other competitors listed.
Without actually seeing the machines, it's impossible to determine actual condition. Still, I'd lean toward the 14" Delta as the first choice. Check overall condition, and look for worn bearings on the wheels (are they "solid" without a blade mounted, or is there play?).
Based on the suggestions within one of the highly-touted bandsaw articles here, I use a 1/2" blade for resawing. With a proper blade that is sharp and having the correct set, there should be no burning/smoking. Feed rate should be adjusted for different types of wood, so as to avoid blade deflection during the cut. A 4" deep cut shouldn't be overly taxing, even with fairly hard wood, as long as you don't feed too rapidly.
My personal feeling is that trying to resaw on a table saw is just too dangerous because of difficulty in controlling the cut.
Hi Justin.... STAY AWAY from the Central Machine and the 1two" Craftsman. Neither are worth spending any time on.. Aimfor the 14" units. Now, in order of importance...
Horse-power. The higher the HP, the better. It should be marked on the motor plate.
Guides... are the blade guides roller bearing or 'steel' blocks. Roler bearing are better, but steel blocks have been used for years and work quite well. This is not a reason to turn down the unit.
The tires... Are they a black rubber or an orange / yellow Poly? If they are the standard black rubber, are they loose or cracked? Poly tires are better, but not needed if the rubber tires are good.
Many of the newer 14 inch units have a lever to take the tension off the blade when not in use. Some people like it, some have no use for it. It's a good sign that the machine has been made in the past 6 or so years. With no blade on the machine, spin the upper and lower wheel. Do they seem to run smoothly. Put your hands on the 9 PM and 3 AM position of the wheels and wiggle slightly left/right. It should not have any slop. And finally, take a piece of 2x4 pine. fir or similar construction wood and take a cut through the 4" dimension. even with a dull blade, you should be able to cut the wood woithout too much trouble. Warning, the guides may be out of adjustment and you won't get a real straight cut, but you should be able to see if the machine is basically working.
SawdustSteve Long island, NY (E of NYC)
Justin
I agree with Forestgirl. 14" is the standard size. You'll regret smaller one almost immediately. The Delta is the "chevy" - the basic model for which aftermarket add ons are most available.
Justin,
A 14" saw is the
Justin,
A 14" saw is the smallest you should consider. Smaller than 14" band saws are generally vastly inferior in many mechanical ways to that "standard general woodworking" dimension. You may never need anything larger as that size is an extremely versatile one.
Before you do anything else, go to this page:
https://www.finewoodworking.com/ToolGuide/ToolGuidePDF.aspx?id=24093
and get Michael Fortune's advice to setting up a band saw and using it to succesfully re-saw lumber. It will be the best few dollars you'll spend in this pursuit. His advice about the proper blade is priceless.
While you are attracted by the "low" prices of the used machines you have seen, I would recommend staying away from such used machinery, unless you have the opportunity to examine it and the knowledge to thoroughly test it. I very strongly recommend considering a new machine at this point in your learning curve. The used machines are probably in good condition, but you really have no way to know until you've used one for a while.
The lowest priced 14" saw from Grizzly is $400. That's $150 above the highest-priced machine you mentioned, but that difference is nothing compared to the fact that you will have a new machine that will work exactly as it should and is actually a superb piece of equipment at that price. Such a "bargain" machine can well serve all your band saw needs, no matter how much you grow with your wood working skills. In fact, Fortune, a master of the tool, uses that size for almost everything he does.
I had a 14" saw for MANY years before I got a 17" model. I got the bigger saw because I could afford it. I love the fit and finish of my bigger machine and it's very satisfying to use every time I turn it on. Smaller saws just aren't made with the attention to many details that go into larger machines. But to tell the truth, for well over 90% of what I do, the bigger machine does not do a thing that I couldn't do (very well) on that 14" guy.
Rich
I have a Delta 14" which I
I have a Delta 14" which I like very much. It has an advantage that may or may not accrue to the others. Delta sells and extension that will let you increase the height of the saw and handle wider boards when resawing. I don't recall the cost, it is not cheap, but it is worth it to me so I can resaw 10-11" wide planks.
I use a Woodslicer 3/4" 3-tooth blade. I do not recommend it. Longevity seems to be nil, though initial performance was great.
Brent
Thank you so much for all the replies. My girls got me sick so I've been out for a couple days.
I must confess to not having a planer yet so I'm pretty confident that you all would recommend I get one before a bandsaw.
I've tried resawing wood on my table saw before and though I can do it, I don't like the risk factor. As a general carpenter in my day job I've come to value the "right tool for the job".
I'm not sure if the Mahogany is Honduran. A buddy got a ton of it for a steal from an elderly woman who said it was her fathers and she'd just been hanging onto it. They said it was Brazilian, but can't know for sure. Either way, it's beautiful, and very very hard and dense.
I think I'll take the advice to pay/rent to resaw and get a planer. But when I'm ready to get the bandsaw (which will be sooner rather than later because who doesn't love buying tools) the advice given here will be invaluable. Again, thanks!
Justin
Justin,
I'd get a hunk of that wood over to someone who can help you identify it - like a local hardwood supplier - before you start cutting it up.
Hard, dense, Brazilian wood that's been around for a lot of years (elderly woman's father... could be 50+years) could be quite interesting and valuable.
I'm not sure someone not real familiar with exotics would call honduras mahogany "very very hard and dense." Think of it as the stuff of which fans and shells were carved. The way you are describing this stuff. "Beautiful; very very hard and dense; red/brown color; very old; elderly woman didn't know what it was and thinks it's from Brazil."
You could have your hands on some valuable rosewood, Justin. Just a hunch. But if it is, and if it's Brazilian.... well, let's just say your bandsaw is bought and paid for a few times over.
Any chance this elderly woman't father made musical instruments?
Frank
Interesting deduction Frank, I wonder if you are right. Sounds reasonable to me.
I concur, find out what the wood is first. Having raised a couple of kids the crib is here and then it is storage..... With a special wood like this, use it for something you will see and use every day. Dressers, bed, dining table would be my first choices.
Buying a band saw is smart, buying one that works is smarter yet and not all tools are created equal. None of the ones listed would be my first choice.
AZMO
I have a delta, about 4 years old. If you go delta be aware that you are getting a "kit" not a machine that is ready to go. I had a lot of work to do to get mine assembled. The fit and finish out of the box was very disappointing. I had to call delta to replace the table because a standard miter gauge would not fit the slot. Even the new table required filing and fitting before the guage would fit.
The saw vibrated like crazy and the trunions broke after only a few months of light work. They looked to be made from pot metal.
The wheel adjuster stripped. I had to enlarge the hole in the upper blade guard to make enough clearance for it to work properly.
I worked on the saw alot and it runs and cuts good now. But I was disappointed that I had to do delta's work for them. This saw was made in China, not Tiawan. Perhaps they have addressed their quality issues in the last four years. But if I had it to do over again I would save up the money for a Laguana.
Just my experience, other's may have had better luck.
Best regards,
Fred
Hi Justin
Just wanted to add my 2 cents. I'd get the Delta 14" , most if not all cast iron bandsaws sold today are clones of the Delta. Be prepared to rebuild or replace some parts, It's easy to get parts for this saw and it's a good design to start with. As far as blades go any good brand name carbon steel blade is okay, Olson, Starrett, Timberwolf, Lenox etc. After your experienced step up to Bi-Metal or Carbide-tipped if you want. Remember cutting with a bandsaw never leaves you with a finished edge. I'd get only 2 sizes of blades, one narrow 3/16s or 1/4 inch with the fewest teeth in a skip or hook tooth design and a 1/2 inch also fewest teeth same tooth design. Above a 1/2 width the blade as far as I know, is usually thicker and requires more tension from your spring. It also put's more stress on the frame and you don't need that, you can resaw and staight line and curve cut with 1/2 inch blade. Harper curves use your smaller size. Call Iturra Design for their free catalog at 904-642-2802. Louis Iturra is very knowledgeable about bandsaws, I've spoken to him a couple of times, he's a nice guy to deal with, and lot of info and parts in his catalog including blades, springs, tires, riser kits and more. He may have a toll free number, I don't know. I'd save that wood until your more experienced . I hope I havn't confused you more, I'm not an expert on bandsaws, just a retired carpenter, cabinetmaker. Good luck to you and your lady on your new baby.
okahun
Thanks again all. I've decided that there are just too many things to consider for a bandsaw at this point and I need the planer more than the bandsaw. I really appreciate the help in making the decision. I did just get a used (1 hour) Ridgid TP1300 for $230.
I'll report back when I can get someone to identify the wood. Thanks also for that tip.
cheers,
Justin
Grab the Delta before someone else does! If it's close to useable, $150 is a really good price. I bought one (I'm in Canada) advertised in our morning paper (at 8 AM) for $100. 3 more guys showed up while I was paying & loading up. 2 new tires, a set of cool blocks & haven't had to do another thing to it. Parts are available everywhere.
the delta sounds like a good buy. you may have to buy a few small parts for it, but that is minor as it is more than likely be just a mainyenace thing any way. you have to be able to cut before you plane, besides there are always hand planes. it is a good thing for a beginner to learn how to use it properly. I'll make you a bet that most on this board really don't know how to use a plane properly.
I have used a 14" rockwell(delta) in my shop for the last 35 years (commercial) and it does most of what needs to be done. do have the height attachment and did put a larger motor in it
ron
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