Band saws...what do I need

RossR · Post by **RossR** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 10:18 pm

Ok it has come to my attention that I proably need to get a bandsaw. Here is where my problem lies. I make knives as a hobby and for that I like to use natural woods. Of course burls, crotch wood etc look great and make for interesting grains. I happen to have a friend who has been so kind as to drop small burls off at my hosue crotch wood, tiger maple etc. But while this is great they are in log form not block or board form. So i figure i need a bandsaw that can handle sawing them down some. The biggest band saw I am used to is a 14 inch delta. Now these logs(really fire wood size stuff) arent like saw milling lumber or anything. but it seems to me a older heavy cast iron bandsaw if I could dig one up reasonable would be great. Any thoughts here guys I really dont know what I need. I would rather and older type one that I can fix up v going to grizzly and droping a bundle. Any thought welcomed

Thanks

Ross

mystry_tour · Post by **mystry_tour** » Mon Jun 05, 2006 12:28 pm

Hey Ross
there are a lot of nice older BS around at prices wayyyyyyyyy better than grizwal. I bought a 36" yates for what i gave for a 17" griz. granted i had to buy and put on new tires but the saw is in the neighborhodd of a few grand with the new tires. guides and guide bearings. And its a peach......hope you have a TALL cealing though about 9ft tall 3200 lbs

guzziguy · Post by **guzziguy** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 6:54 am

Try and find yourself a 20" powermatic. It is much bigger than a 14" and not a monster like the 36". I taught a class at arrowmnot school of crafts one summer and that was the woodturner's saw. They were cutting up green logs to place on there lathes.

nektai · Post by **nektai** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 7:20 am

I agree with the advice of Guzziguy. I would only add that the Rockwell/Delta 20" saw is a very similar saw to the Powermatic 20" so look for either one. If I am picturing the Powermatic correctly it is an all sheet-metal saw (please correct me if I am wrong Guzziguy) that is simple reliable and reasonably priced on the used market.

crzypete · Post by **crzypete** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:55 am

Lots of different directions to go here. A lot depends on how much shop space you would like to dedicate to this machine.

If you want to go small the 16" walker turner is a lot of saw with a small footprint. The old style W-T will resaw 12". Also the 18" oliver (my small saw) is quite compact.

Moving up to the twenty inch size there is much older cast iron, and some sheet metal. As Guzziguy and nektai have mentioned the deltas and powermatics are pretty common- just check any school auction.... There are a number of other choices in this size though, I am surprised Nektai did not mention the heavy 20 crescent- his smaller saw. Also I have seen a nice fay and eagan 20.

There are a number of nice 24" saws, Tannewitz, Yates, but once you are at 24" you might as well go to 30". By going to 30" you gain a lot of resawing capacity (height under guides). My thirty inch Tanny will saw 17"- and it actually will do it.

36" saws are much more common than 30" saws and a they can weigh 50% more. To me thee are not many feature advantages of having the 36" over the 30". the one caviat is that the 36" saws usually sell for less money than the 30" ones.

The one thing to remember throughout the process is Horsepower. If you are planning on resawing you need more power. It has been my experience that the small older saws were underpowered. This becomes a big deal when we are talking about a direct drive saw. The motors on the saws were low speed motors which are very expensive to upgrade. If you intend to find an older smaller saw, it might be best to find one that is not direct drive so you can easily up the HP.

The larger saws- 30" -36" had enough HP in their direct drive motors and are major powerhouses when it comes to resawing. I would note the one feature that I find very desirable on these saws are disc wheels- far better than spokes. The maintain momentum and run true to smoothly power you through tough cuts.

pete

RossR · Post by **RossR** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 10:28 am

Thanks guys you are a wealth of information!!!

Ross

nektai · Post by **nektai** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 12:54 pm

RossR

Now that you have a some information on the different bandsaws out there I think the next step would be to check Ebay, the local swap sheet and do a google search for local machine dealers. Then the fun will begin and the advice can get specific.

RossR · Post by **RossR** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 4:38 pm

The search has already begun. I can afford to be patient and wait for what I want at a price I want too since its not something I need to have ....lots of choices out there and lots of options I will be investigating!!

Ross

RossR · Post by **RossR** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 2:04 pm

Got a friend of mine checking out an older delta. 20 inch bandsaw model 28-350. Saw a pic the pic looks ok. Supposed to be a 4hp 3 phase motor direct drive. 16 inch resaw capacity on it. Price $250....doesnt that sound way too cheap...oh my...will let you know once i hear from my friend.

Ross

nektai · Post by **nektai** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 2:29 pm

Needless to say we want to hear that this deal has been completed as it should be a perfect saw for you at a perfect price. I am a bit skeptical that it will resaw 16" (my faulty memory of the saw has it re-sawing about 12").

RossR · Post by **RossR** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 3:06 pm

The guy claimed 16 inches saw ability down from the top...so we shall see. I will let ya know.

Ross

RossR · Post by **RossR** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 8:46 am

Well my buddy checked it out and its in great shape. BUT we thought we had the first shot at it turns out there was a guy who looked at it ahead of us and he has commited to buy it. But if it falls though its mine. Oh well back to the papers!!

Ross

crzypete · Post by **crzypete** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 8:59 am

Those specs sounded a bit weird to me as well, I'm curious what the saw actually was when you saw it in person. Not only does the 16" of resaw sound weird, so does a 4 hp motor.

Curious if it turned out to be the classic delta sheetmetal 20- which I never knew to be direct drive, or some other cast iron variation......

too bad it fell through, but you seem to have a good concept of the hunt, and with your recent machine-shop windfall, too much good luck makes the rest rest of us really jealous.

Pete

RossR · Post by **RossR** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 10:09 am

Pete,

I didnt see it in person a friend of mine who lived 15 minutes away from where the saw was did. He said the motor appeard to have been updated....I thought the 4hp was odd too...i found most with 2hp motors. It was sheet metal. But he said it was driect drive for sure he didnt think it had been modified. The resaw on it was closer to 12 inch rather then the 16 inch the guy stated. All in all my friend said it would have been a good deal and it was in complete working order.

The hunt continues!!
Ross

RossR · Post by **RossR** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 10:11 am

I have also noticed that good luck runs in bunchs but then again so does bad luck. I think I am just in a good luck swing.

Ross

DenaliPilot · Post by **DenaliPilot** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 5:12 pm

I found this old thread with some good information relating to my current quest. I am needing to resaw around 400-500 bf of American Chestnut from 8/4 down to 6/4, in board widths of up to 8". I am looking at bandsaws capable of doing this job, but the catch is that up here in Alaska there is not a huge used market, and the logistics of shipping make it easier to go with a retailer of new equipment. Fine Wordworking had a very favorable review of the Laguna LT14SE 14" bandsaw: http://www.lagunatools.com/lt14se.htm , actually causing them to sell out of it. I have also heard our dear moderator bash on this saw a little bit, and I see that none of you have recommended it in this thread. Has anyone had experience with it? Does anyone have a recommendation for a new bandsaw that they really like? (I am in awe of Pete's 40y/o, refurbished 30" Tanny, but the odds of finding or shipping one of those up here will be tougher than getting the chestnut here)

So far, Grizzly, Jet and Laguna seem to be more-or-less readily available brands.

Thanks,

-DP

guzziguy · Post by **guzziguy** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 7:03 pm

Have you thought of planing these boards down to thickness? what you are going to be left with after bandsawing won't really be very useable anyway. Not only that but if you remove one side (face of a board) by bandsawing you are welcoming some warping by exposing one fresh side to air letting the moisture escape from just one face of the board. If you were to joint and plane and then keep planing alternating the sides you will minimize the warp factor (somewhat) The tree has a memory too. Wood can be a real paint the arse.
j

crzypete · Post by **crzypete** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 9:38 pm

I agree with guzziguy that you really don't want to be sawing 1/2" off- you would be much better planing. Ideally in the quantities you are buying you would be better off have someone else planing.

I wouldn't touch a grizzly or jet with a 10' pole. Here are my previously emailed thoughts on the Guna that I used:

I do not like the una oo (we had one at penland that was missing some stickers) In my opinion it is a subpar machine. chinsy guides with a terrible guide support. The guide support was out of line with the wheels, so if you set the guides perfect at one height, then moved them they would be either too far forward or too far back.

My thought is since shipping is a problem even if you are buying anew one, why not buy a used machine from a reputable source and have it crated and shipped. Then you get a real machine at probably similar money.

Actually there has been a Walker Turner 16" in my local Craigslist for a while......

Pete

DenaliPilot · Post by **DenaliPilot** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 9:58 pm

We could keep a lot of hampsters supplied for life with wood shavings...

guzziguy · Post by **guzziguy** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 7:54 am

I know where you get some blades for thaT WALKER TURNER.

j