Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: toomanyknots on March 18, 2013, 01:01:21 pm

Title: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: toomanyknots on March 18, 2013, 01:01:21 pm
My bandsaw is not doing it for me lately, and I am in the market for a good dependable bandsaw. I have searched the nethers of craigslist in my area, to no avail. Although I would rather buy it new and get a manual/warranty anyway. What I need it to do most importantly is resaw laminates and backings, etc. So at the most I only need it to be able to resaw about 2", and be able to rip a 80" piece of hickory/osage/ ipe into backings and laminates without taking a year. I am considering a grizzly from amazon, as they seem to be priced good. I was wondering what the most horsepower I should shoot for? Anybody got any recommedations?   
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: Joec123able on March 18, 2013, 01:04:58 pm
You can them a lot cheaper then 700 !
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: osage outlaw on March 18, 2013, 01:08:03 pm
(http://cdn0.grizzly.com/pics/jpeg500/g/g0555lanv.jpg)
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: Pat B on March 18, 2013, 01:12:21 pm
I don't think you can go wrong with Grizzly! I bought mine many years ago and it is still going strong after many many bow staves.
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: kinslayer1965 on March 18, 2013, 01:47:18 pm
Wow! I went to the grizzly.com website and was drooling all over myself. They had some very reasonable prices on some nice tools.
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: blackhawk on March 18, 2013, 01:57:55 pm
A 14" craftsman....basically same saw as a grizzly for half the price. I've had zero issues with mine zipping thru meaty osage staves and cutting lams....the boys at twin oaks use em too.
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: Prarie Bowyer on March 18, 2013, 02:13:14 pm
I have the big JET withe riser block and like it.
105" blade.  I use a 4tp skip tooth resawing blade. 1/2" wide.  Tends to lase a year or so cutting Ipe and Hickory and bamboo.
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: rps3 on March 18, 2013, 03:31:10 pm
They have a shop fox 1706 at a tool shop by me ,14", 1 hp, cast iron wheels, enclosed cabinet, for 499, brand new. Good reviews. I think I will get one if I can get it past my wife.
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: Pat B on March 18, 2013, 03:51:22 pm
I would recommend at least a 14" and 1hp.
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on March 18, 2013, 04:17:21 pm
I would recommend at least a 14" and 1hp.

Couldnt agree more, and you will still make her "work" with certain staves.
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: toomanyknots on March 18, 2013, 04:28:22 pm
They have a shop fox 1706 at a tool shop by me ,14", 1 hp, cast iron wheels, enclosed cabinet, for 499, brand new. Good reviews. I think I will get one if I can get it past my wife.

Haha. Outlaw, I have not seen that 30th anniversary grizzly, looks nice. Good price too! Might just go that route! Blackhawk, I will check the local sears out to see if they have any close to me, thanks for the heads up. So, would 1 hp do the job? Would it do the job quickly, or will it still take a minute to resaw a 7 foot long 1 1/2" tall piece of hickory?
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: toomanyknots on March 18, 2013, 04:32:20 pm
I would recommend at least a 14" and 1hp.

Couldnt agree more, and you will still make her "work" with certain staves.

With a 14" with bandsaw with a 1 hp motor, will resawing a 7 foot long 1 1/2" to 2" high piece of hickory/ipe/osage go slow? With a brand new wood slicer blade on my 10", it is decent when the blade is brand new, but soon starts to become snail slow to eventually impossible once the blade starts to get dull,... which seems to be very soon with these blades. I am looking for something that will resaw it pretty quick.
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on March 18, 2013, 04:37:14 pm
Re-sawing boards is easy. Its those 4 x 4 osage staves that bog it down here and there. I have a 14" Grizzly and beat the heck out of it, it loves nasty treatment.
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: toomanyknots on March 18, 2013, 04:57:52 pm
Re-sawing boards is easy. Its those 4 x 4 osage staves that bog it down here and there. I have a 14" Grizzly and beat the heck out of it, it loves nasty treatment.

Music to my ears.  ;D What horse power ya got?
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: Pat B on March 18, 2013, 05:01:10 pm
I think the 14" Grizzly takes up to a 3/4" blade. If you plan to do a bunch of resawing you might go a bit bigger so you can use a resaw blade.
  My 14" x 1hp does all I need it to do. 
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: toomanyknots on March 18, 2013, 05:18:09 pm
I think the 14" Grizzly takes up to a 3/4" blade. If you plan to do a bunch of resawing you might go a bit bigger so you can use a resaw blade.
  My 14" x 1hp does all I need it to do.

I just don't wanna buy a bandsaw and then end up struggling to get threw a 6 foot 1 1/2" tall maple resaw cut when my blade gets a tiny bit dull. And shoot, while we are talking about blades, what resaw blade would you recommend? I have used the wood slicer from highland wood working, which is great while new, but man it goes dull fast. I would rather have a blade that leaves a rougher finish, but lasts threw more than 10 or so cuts!
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: seabass on March 18, 2013, 05:32:08 pm
Daniel,i have a 3/4 inch resaw blade on my grizz 550.i think it is made by olsen.the guy at woodcraft  said if you do alot of resaws you should get a timberwolf carbide blade.they are pricey though.
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: blackhawk on March 18, 2013, 06:04:11 pm
Like pat said..any 14" saw with a 1 HP motor will suit you just fine...I've used most of the major brands that make 14" 1 HP saws......jet,delta,grizzly,rigid,n craftsman's....n all work just fine for what we do if tuned n running correctly...I've also heard timberwolf s being some of the best blades out there
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: toomanyknots on March 18, 2013, 06:18:47 pm
Daniel,i have a 3/4 inch resaw blade on my grizz 550.i think it is made by olsen.the guy at woodcraft  said if you do alot of resaws you should get a timberwolf carbide blade.they are pricey though.

Steve, I am sending you a pm to see what you think about that grizz you got, as I might order me one of the same...
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: BowEd on March 18, 2013, 08:59:27 pm
A second,third,and fourth for the timberwolf blades on my grizzly.But they don't last forever either.27$ for a 93and1/2" blade I think.
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: Elktracker on March 18, 2013, 09:24:50 pm
Ordered the 14" 1 hp grizzly deluxe model a couple days ago cant wait for it to get here! Aniversery addition was like 3 months out but 100 dollars cheaper.
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: bcbull on March 18, 2013, 11:13:48 pm
I wont touch the grizzly tool plastic sprokets n parts dont do it for me id go with jet any day BROCK
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: toomanyknots on March 18, 2013, 11:15:39 pm
A second,third,and fourth for the timberwolf blades on my grizzly.But they don't last forever either.27$ for a 93and1/2" blade I think.

Oh, I thought yall were talking about those 200 dollar bandsaw blades I saw recently on the internet. I was thinking like "Man, they better last forever for 200 dollars! Prices like that and I will just go pay the bandsaw man at the local mill to rip me some laminates and screw doing it myself!  ;D". 27 ain't bad, that is what wood slicers go for. I'll give a wood slicer another try, and if it dulls so fast again I will try me a timberwolf. How is the saw marks when resawing with a timberwolf resaw blade? With the wood slicer, the marks are barely visible. I just had to sand the tiniest bit to get it ready for glue up.

Ordered the 14" 1 hp grizzly deluxe model a couple days ago cant wait for it to get here! Aniversery addition was like 3 months out but 100 dollars cheaper.

By 3 months out, you mean 3 months out of stock?
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: Elktracker on March 18, 2013, 11:55:46 pm
Yea 3 months till they start shipping again, they are on back order the aniversary addition that is.

Josh
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: randman on March 19, 2013, 12:34:31 am
Bought a 14" Jet (Basically delta with different guides) 1 HP with a riser block (so I could resaw 12" wide planks for guitar tops). Been beatin the hell outa it for 25 years. Saw blade does as much as the HP of the motor. finer teeth for finer work. Coarser teeth for hoggin through logs. Got a 3/8" wide - 4 teeth per inch blade on it most of the time and it hogs through any of the bow wood I feed it (although I can completely jam it if I feed too fast). Haven't had to but one for a while but I just get blades from the local saw sharpening shop. They got rolls of blade on a big spool (just like wire) and just roll it out to the length I need and solder it up on the spot. Any width or tooth config I want.
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: hedgeapple on March 19, 2013, 12:57:53 am
DON"T get the Porter/Cable  14" bandsaw, unless you plan to have your local tool and die guy rebuild the blade tightening lever.  Mine has the power but that lever system is made of the worse pot metal aluminum alloy ever made.  I had to have it rebuilt.  Since then no problems, knock on wood.
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: iowabow on March 19, 2013, 08:50:28 am
My delta works great but never ever lift with the table top...you will break the trunnions. It will take a few months to get them replaced
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: autologus on March 19, 2013, 10:03:25 am
I wont touch the grizzly tool plastic sprokets n parts dont do it for me id go with jet any day BROCK

I don't know about yours, but my Grizzly is cast iron and steel.  The only plastic parts on mine is the handle knobs and the switch box.  My 14" Grizzly weighs 247# and goes through wood like an angry beaver.

Grady
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: toomanyknots on March 19, 2013, 11:23:03 am
Yea 3 months till they start shipping again, they are on back order the aniversary addition that is.

Josh

DARNIT!  :)
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: Prarie Bowyer on March 19, 2013, 02:26:30 pm
What I'd say is tha for the most part a band saw is a band saw.  Delta is good but they want too much for features that aren't that important. 
When I was shopping foro mine is was doig alot of wood carving and resawing of logs that I self harvested. 

I wanted Belt driven to extend the morot life.  1hp motor because I cut alot of thick stuff.  Blade guide blocks BTW I cut from wood and they last 20X longer than the plastic ones they come with.

the rest is up to the blade.  I like the Olson blades from Woodcraft but there are better brands.  Those have been fine for me.  I don't go for a clean smooth finish cut so I use a 4-5 tpi hook or skip tooth resaw blade in the 1/2" width range (maybee 5/8").  That will let you cut some gentle raidus but straight cuts go quite nicely. 

Make your own fence and save $40.00+

An actual resawing fence works way differently from a table saw fence.  It's just a point that backs the wood at the blade bo nowhere else so you can pivot it to keep it on track.

I also made a resaw sled that clamps the small logs or log sections and slides through the track. 

Most of my resawing of big stuff is done with a chain saw and milling guide kit.  Ebay $20.00.  clamps onto the blade and follows a 2X4 that is clamped or screwed to the log.
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: Carson (CMB) on March 19, 2013, 02:41:23 pm
I just got my band saw set-up for ripping yew logs, and I love it.   I know you are looking for new, but I have to say that if you can find an old 14" Delta with the cast iron wheels they are worth it.  I got one for $250 that had just been re furbished, but had no motor.  I picked up a new 2hp motor for $250, and a riser block kit for $100.  So for $600 I have a 2hp saw with 12" resaw capacity and good solid steel all around.  So I guess I am saying, if you are not in a big hurry, don't give up on used.    Sounds like 1 hp will be enough for what you need.  Make sure you set the saw up correctly and use good blades. 
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: ScottN on March 24, 2013, 04:16:44 pm
I bought a Craftsman 10in bandsaw from Sears for about $200. Sits on my workbench and it easily moveable if needed. I also purchased some 1/2" timberwolf blades- this things cuts everything I throw at it! Still in great shape after almost a year of use.
Title: Re: Looking to buy a bandsaw, any recommendations? I'm willing to go up to 700...
Post by: Tom Leemans on March 25, 2013, 11:56:34 am
I have the white version of that Grizzly saw! It was 605.00 with shipping and I think I bought an extra timberwolf blade. Good saw! GREAT company! Splurge and get the cast iron wheels if you can.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/14-Deluxe-Bandsaw/G0555LX (http://www.grizzly.com/products/14-Deluxe-Bandsaw/G0555LX)

P.S. You may have to do some adjusting to tune it after assembly. The do get jounced in shipping, even though they're packaged well. Just take your time and follow instructions in the manual.