Re: band saws

Would the addition of a riser block to obtain a height of 10" provide adequate service?

My Delta 14" w/riser has performed just fine. It's the closed-stand model from a couple years ago ($850-ish). With a 3/8", 3tpi Timberwolf it has rough cut, at full height, Hazelnut, Red Oak and Western Maple with no problem.

Number one is to get a proper blade for the type of work you'll be cutting - roughing out green blanks is a lot different than resawing sheets of veneer. Number two is having an adequate hp motor - 3/4 is probably minimum when talking about these heights.

Moggy, look for a solid machine where the table doesn't flex if you were to have a 20 lb hunk of wood on it. Don't spend any extra money at this time for roller guides if you're looking to make a majority of your cuts in green wood (the rollers load up with the wet sawdust and go rump-rump-rump and have to be frequently scraped clean). Look for at least 3/4 hp, and the more the better.

_____ American Association of Woodturners Cascade Woodturners Assoc., Portland, Oregon Northwest Woodturners, Tigard, Oregon _____

One more thing, most folks recommend *against* three wheeled models - the fatigue on the blade is greater so it won't last as long. As far as I know, they don't accept risers either.

_____ American Association of Woodturners Cascade Woodturners Assoc., Portland, Oregon Northwest Woodturners, Tigard, Oregon _____

The one that I have my eyes on (made in China) has a 13 1/3 inch cutting capacity from frame to blade. The other thing that I am not comfortable with is the 7.5 Amp, 110v, 1 phase, 60 Hz motor. The more expensive one have a motor 10 amp @ 110v / 5 amp @ 220v. It seems that rating vary from one re-seller to another. I only wish I knew I to identify the true motor rating. Does the location of the dust collecting outlet plays an important role in removing the dust from the bottom wheel.

I'm looking at the Jet 14" with 6" Riser ($570) myself. Any good/bad experiences with it. Should I wait until I have saved up an extra $230 to get the Jet 16"?

I'm trying to decide on the best time to buy a bandsaw. There is a sale - save $50 - if you buy a Jet before April 30th. The local Woodcraft store will send me a 10% certificate in May (Birthday month). Does anyone know if power tools are included in this discount?

You have all the information right in front of you. Forget the HP ratings. Look at the amps. Multiply it by the voltage. The result is WATTS. 1hp = 730 WATTS.

Peter Teubel Milford, MA

Woodcraft has a 10% sale on Jet tools on April 17th.

I think the small print on the birthday card excludes power equipment.

Randy

Here in the UK Sceppach is quite well regarded (Good quality German engineering and build) I have no connection with them or their distributors but I have bought over the years one of their Table Saws, Planer/Thicknesser, Mitre Saw and Bandsaw (The Bas 3 Too small for woodturners I can only resaw 150mm /6 inch providing the wood is not too wet or too hard like a piece of well seasoned oak (the Barn was

437 years old) , but when I bought it I was'nt turning {I hadnt seen the light}) and I have just ordered one of their pillar Drills (Radial type).

I have had no problems with anything and the 2 bits I managed to break with no fault of the machines were obtained within 48 hrs the only thing I did with each item was to replace the blades that were supplied with ones that have sharp teeth.

Tim

So many Trees, So little time.

Close.

1 horsepower = 746 watts.

But that is input watts. Put your hand on an operating motor. Notice that it gets warm or hot? That is part of those input watts being lost in heat. Off the top of my head, I'm not sure of the efficiency of an electric motor but it is not 100%. But Watts are probably a fair method of comparison.

There is the loss due to the resistance of the windings and bearings which causes the motor to heat. The current ratings of the motor indicate its current at full load but not all of this current gets turned into work or heat and this is represented by the power factor. The current that is not turned into work or heat is actually returned to the power line. For a typical motor you can assume a power factor of about 0.65 and consider it to have the other losses lumped in as well. This means that at 120V 1 hp required 746/120 = 6.2A if ideal. Incorporating the power factor the total current is about 9.6A. So if your motor plate says it draws 10A @ 120V then it is around a 1 hp motor. I agree the best way to do a comparison of motors is to look at the current ratings. Billh

I have hears bad things about the jet 16... lack of stiffness of the frame. Also it has no fence.

I would look at the Griz G0513 17 or the Wilke/Bridgewood 17 rather than the Jet. No slam to Jet, I have a JET FTAS cabinet saw and it is great.

Personally I went for the Woodtek 18 at $999 for the extra heft, but that's a bit out of your price range.

Steve

You need to know what the maximum size and weight of the lumber you will be cutting to determine how small or large a saw you will want. For a small shop a smaller saw is always better if it is always adequate. Too small can be dangerous or useless.

Take a good look at spec sheets and always pay attention to the table weight capacity. Several manufacturers are quite good at hiding this specification from potential buyers. I recently looked a 14 inch bandsaw with a table capacity of 100 pounds. This is not a problem if all you cut is small lumber. However if you are cutting large lumber down to a desired size a 100 pound table capacity is often inadequate.

Unless you are purchasing a small band saw make sure that a blade welder is included in the price. The cost and the availability of the pre-welded longer blades is something to think about. It is far cheaper and more convenient weld your own blades.

Power requirements are usually an issue however the cost of rotary phase converters is pretty minimal: $100 should get one rated at 3.5 HP, and $200 will buy one rated at 7 HP. If you keep this in mind and you are willing to purchase a previously owned tool, there are great deals to be found on saws equiped with 3 phase motors.

An issue that many of us must contend with is a ceiling height that really needs to remain unaltered. Limited ceiling height combined with a need for greater throat depth is where the 3 wheelers become attractive. The ability to increase the saws throat depth by adding a third wheel without having to increase the saws height is sometimes the only feasible option.

Also pay attention to the weight os the saw when shopping. Remember after it is delivered to your doorstep YOU STILL have to get it in to your shop. The ease with which a pallet jack moves your new saw down your sidewalk and up your driveway is very different than going up steps or accross grass covered soggy soil.

TTFN

-E

Yup. Good point. And the $50 rebate on accessories expires April 30. So it's $570-$50-$57 - or $463 for the 14" with 6" riser.

Ah. Alas. Thanks, Randy.

Randy wrote: "Woodcraft has a 10% sale on Jet tools on April 17th. I think the small print on the birthday card excludes power equipment."

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Hi Everyone, I also believe the small print on the birthday discount card excludes using it with any other discount or sale offered.

Ruth

In article , snipped-for-privacy@FJ45.com says... ...snip...

...snip...

Even if my bandsaw were able to handle a 100 lb blank, I could not. That is why God invented chainsaws and I think that a good chainsaw needs to be in a turner's toolkit well before a bandsaw.

My bandsaw is a poj from days well before I turned and only has a 7 1/2" cutting height. But, I've recently upgraded my consumer level chainsaw to a commercial level saw and will live with the bandsaw situation.

Bill

Hi Ruth,

Glad to see you are out on parole.

Just kidding. It's so good to see your post again. I wore your CLTL Tee shirt all over London, but sadly it was hidden under a sweater & jacket. The cap wasn't, though.

We've sure missed your wit and wisdom.

All best, Arch

Fortiter,

Just to bring the non-bandsaw-savy up to speed:

A bit over 13 inches is pretty common for a 14" saw (the 14" measurement is the diameter of the wheel). Most standard 14" saws have a maximum cutting depth capacity of around 6" - with the addition of a riser block one can increase the capacity to 12" or so.

For my woodturning uses of my bandsaw, I wasn't able to do that much with the standard configuration - and that's when cutting blanks for use on a mini/midi-lathe. Roughing out blanks requires a fair amount of maximum cutting depth capacity to maneuver and orient the wood for the best results. Soooo, I'd recommend budgeting in the $75-110 for the riser kit upgrade to any 14" saw that accepts it. The alternative is to use a chainsaw and become pretty skilled in roughing out by that method

- I prefer the bandsaw since it's much quieter, safer and maintenance is not as strict.

_____ American Association of Woodturners Cascade Woodturners Assoc., Portland, Oregon Northwest Woodturners, Tigard, Oregon _____