Please Help With Saw Choice

James, I don't know your turning ability, but if this is a first lathe, you might consider small green logs and limbs? You already have the best tool to make them round; your new lathe. Instead of laminated dry expensive planks, green wood blanks are easy to prepare and hold and making those long shavings is fun. There's much less dust, a wide variety of timber and no gluing. You can choose cross grain or long grain, also natural edges. The wood is cost free and you learn much about trees & wood. Beg, borrow or steal O'Donnell's book or video about green wood.

I favor neither a bad bandsaw nor a good scroll saw for your purposes, but if I have missed the mark re your experience, my apology. If not, for now, for limbing and preparation I suggest using a handsaw or buying an inexpensive small electric chainsaw that you won't quickly outgrow. Whatever your decision, have fun and 'turn to safety'. Regards, Arch

Fortiter,

As stated by Arch: a small electric chain saw is a good start.

From what I have learned, medium size (14 inch) band saw are only good to round up blanks under 8 inches outside diameter. Above 7-8 inches most people are using a chain saw to cut the blank into an octagonal shape. What it's needed most is low rpm on your lathe. If your lathe can run at 200 rpm or lower you will not require well balance and rounded blanks. Thus eliminating an expensive band saw to cut blanks. As for chain saw I have an electric and a gas operated one. When working in your garage/shop a good quality electric chain saw makes sense. You can use it on evening and Sunday morning without annoying your neighbor and inhaling gas fume in a close environment. When felling, bucking trees and ripping blanks outside a gas operated chain saw is independent of electricity and works faster. Remember that you will have to learn how to sharpen your chainsaw in the field and in you shop. Conclusion: Start with an electric chainsaw and work your way up as you learn. Selecting band saw and chain saw would better be served by having separates discussions.

I'd agree with Arch as to neither of those you've selected, though I'm not altogether sure that the chainsaw is your best bet, depending what you are working on.

On the whole, I'd say your best bet is to find a lathe with a drive system that has a lower slowest speed (both the 1014 and the 1014VS are

500 rpm slowest), at which point the need to saw is greatly reduced - you just chuck stuff up and turn it round, increasing the speed as you get it closer to being in balance.

Natually, the only commonly offered motorless mini-lathe (that I can quickly find online, anyway) is the Vicmarc that costs more without a motor than a Jet with a motor, but that would allow you to hang a nice variable speed motor on it and have a quality setup. Permanent magnet DC motors and speed controls from treadmills that have bitten the dust are often available quite inexpensively (even free if you talk nicely to the folks at the transfer station/landfill), and offer speed right down to nothing, usually.

A decent quality frame saw (hand saw with high-tension blade) can do a very decent and quick job of sawing stuff out, is cheaper than both of the saws you mentioned unless you go hog-wild, and takes up a lot less space in the shop. The 9" bandsaw is a waste of money, shop space, time, and will provide many opportunities to exercise profanity before you finally heave it in the dumpster or offer it up for $5 at a yard sale. If you think you want one, go looking for them at yard sales - they show up frequently, for good reason. The scrollsaw does not excel at cutting

2" material quickly, even though it's generally better unit, and it will be frustrating for that purpose. A frame saw will cut rings around either one.

The electric chainsaw is good if you work from logs, and most people do find a great deal of satisfaction working from logs.

I share the concerns of the other responders. The little Delta 9" bandsaw will be nothing but headaches, and is underpowered for cutting turning stock anyhow; and the scroll saw won't have enough clearance for a bowl blank. Instead, I would shop the local classifieds or used tool dealers looking for an older bandsaw. In my local papers, old Delta 16" saws go for around $300, and Sears 12" go for around $150. More than you're planning to spend, but if you can stretch a little you'll be much, much happier.

Peace, Bruce

Well, I think I will go with the hand saw idea for roughing out the blanks and look into getting something better later on.

Thanks again for the replies.

James

You can get either one of these at Amazon.com with free shipping and no tax for $99.00 each.

========================= James, For the purpose you're looking at, a "bow saw" would be a good choice. If you're not familiar with them, they're like an oversize hack saw, but with a wood cutting blade (think of the blades on cross cut saws). It will cut blanks much faster than a conventional hand saw will, and is far superior in wet wood. It's mainly used for small tree cutting and big limb trimming, so you can also use it for harvesting some of your smaller log pieces. They're available at HD, Lowes, etc. for under $10.00; get a couple of spare blades while you're at it.

Ken Moon Webberville, TX

Note, however, that the bowsaws Ken refers to are crosscut patterns. Might want to look into an actual bowsaw with rip and crosscut blades, or get a good ripsaw. Your arm will thank you.

From what I have learned, medium size (14 inch) band saw are only good to round up blanks under 8 inches outside diameter.

Wherever did you "learn" this? My 14" can cut rounds at least twice that just using the table and of any size if I provide support beyond the table. Are you thinking of thickness? If so, then the limit is about 6" thick without riser blocks and 12" with them.

Thanks for your comments: "Wherever did you "learn" this?"'

I have learned this by doing it. My Rockwell/Beaver bandsaw has a 6" cutting height and 10"X11" table. I would appreciate to know how you provide support beyond the table. Other woodturners have the regular 14" throat bandsaw with riser kit. After 8" dia. Most of the time they use the chainsaw and rough the blanks at low rpm (200). The problem I have is to maintain the blank square and perpendicular to the bandsaw blade while cutting the circle. In an attempt to minimize this I rest the flat surface of the rough blank on the table and screw a circle template on top (round) of the blank to be cut. At time, to avoid cutting problem I use a jointer to level the surface of the rough blank so I can have the band saw blade square with the bottom. Any advise to improve my approach is more than welcome. My senior mentor advised me either to kept the band saw, use the chainsaw when needed or move to an 18" throat and 12" cutting height without riser block. That may be over killed but I am musing about it.

What would a good hand saw be for the task. Pruning Saw? Japanese Pull Saw? or ???

Also, if I want to cut small squares and rectangles (with straight sides), would a Back Saw with a Mitre Box work well?

Thanks,

James

Try the standard circle-cutting jig.

from most standard woodworking texts.You need give away only 1/4" of capacity. And you can cut blanks greaterthan 6" thick if you care to. Slab whatever thickness you are able, thennip the ends with the chainsaw at a slant to leave six or less at the pointof circumference. This is only required across the ends, the sides normallyhave clearance naturally. Cut as normal for a circle jig. More examplesof the same available by a web search, including commercial models. Realjoy of this method is that you can set the stop on the front so you'reapplying no torque at all to the blade. It doesn't bind. You can also nibble the end on your bandsaw if you have a flat on the opposite face. Just tilt and nibble what fits, then check for clearance. I too learn by doing, and have a 14" Delta, but like to think I make fewer mistakes by studying others' work.

Is that "Bow Saw" like a Pruning Saw? Japanese Pull Saw? or ??? Don't see them listed here in Canada.

Also, if I want to cut small squares and rectangles (with straight sides), would a Back Saw with a Mitre Box work well?

Thanks,

James

An auxiliary table surface is pretty simple, especially if it does not need to tilt with the factory table (ie, flat, for 90 degree cuts). You can even provide it with pivot points (well, one point, and as many holes as you like to put the point in), if you so desire. You can make one that clamps to the table and tilts with it, but for flat, you get better support just putting legs on it and standing it on the floor.

Trace the top of your current cast iron table. Transfer to plywood or MDF and cut an opening so that the auxiliary top slips around the right edge of the table, wrapping in front and behind (this helps to hold it in place without too much clamping). Note where your saw is, put legs on the table that miss the saw on their way to the floor. Brace them with more plywood or diagonals. Enjoy. Or use and old tip from a WWII-era Popular Mechanics collection and hang a cable from the ceiling to the right of your bandsaw, and put an eye-bolt in your circle template. Adjust the cable length to support your blank at table height.

Mind you, I'm more in the turn the blank round crowd (partly due to no working bandsaw at this time), but there's no mileage in claiming that the table size of your bandsaw is its limiting factor for blank-cutting. The main defect of the 9" Delta is not that it's 9" (though the wheel size does mean the blade is flexing rather sharply, which can limit blade life), but rather that it's basically a piece of junk - badly made, underpowered, etc. The main advantage of an 18 inch bandsaw for cutting woodturning blanks is that they generally have larger motors, so they will cut faster than a stock 14"; a good one might also be more rigid, and allow higher blade tension. The extra throat depth is not an issue, if you are cutting with the blank to the right of the saw blade, as most people do.

A frame saw or bow saw, though "bow saw" is also applied to a crummy type of steel-frame pruning saw that is not suitable, IMHO. The proper sort looks like an H, has a blade on the bottom of the H and a tensioner on the top of the H.

Pruning saws cannot manage the tension that a decent frame saw can, and tend to flex excessively in use, IME. The frameless sort are frustrating on dry wood, at best. The closest (and not close enough, IMHO) I can find at Lee Valley (default Canadian source) is their buck saws, but that form is mostly useful for crosscut.

Here's a link to one at Highland Hardware.

They are also easy to make yourself, with a length of bandsaw blade, or a replacement blade from a vendor of the commercial sort.

There are bow saws and there are bow saws.

One type of saw that is sold as a bow saw is really a glorified hacksaw:

There are also some sold specifically for woodworking:

And the design is simple--they aren't all that hard to make:

Thanks!

Found them at Canadian Tire.

James

I've cut 20" blanks on my old 14" bandsaw. I simply built a 24" extension table to support the work (with a fold down leg to support the table). The size of blank is only limited to the size of your extension table which will be supporting it. If the flat side of the blank isn't very flat, I plane it reasonable flat with an el-cheapo Craftman power planer.

Peter Teubel Milford, MA