Band saw
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Tagged: Band saw
- This topic has 26 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 9 months ago by Mick Mercer.
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29 June 2014 at 6:20 am #58930
Like Nicolae I made one from woodgears.ca. You can see it here on my blog, http://mikeofallthings.com/2014/06/23/wood-bandsaw-from-woodgears-ca/ It was not only fun to build but it works great.
I had a 125 dollar benchtop ryobi which was great for cutting aluminum but horrible for wood. Then I found out what a good bandsaw blade could do! Blades are critical and they can transform the machine.
Good luck in your decision!
29 June 2014 at 6:48 am #58932Wow, that saw looks awesome. It is amazing what can be done when one puts their mind to it. Well done. I am a little tempted but will probably still make a purchase of a new manufactured bandsaw. Going to visit the store tomorrow and will update.
Thanks for the information and the link, Mike.Mick
29 June 2014 at 6:57 am #58933Thanks Mick! It was not that hard to make but it did take some time and I am sure I messed up here and there :). I also had different needs, I could not fit a new one in my shop area do to ceiling height :(.
Get some nice blades and you’ll be set. You can always make one later, I’d like another just so I could have a small blade on one and a wider on the other.
Post a picture of what you decide on!
Mike
30 June 2014 at 4:01 pm #58951Well, I took the plunge today and went and bought a new Record Power BS300E bandsaw. I got it from Bivens machinery who are only 30 minutes drive away so I went and had a chat with them. They were very helpful and had a few machines to see and were happy to spend as much time as I wanted discussing which band saw was the most suitable for my needs. I went for the slightly more expensive option as the advice was although it was more expensive it was better value for money.
I take delivery later this week and will let you know what it is like once I get it set up.
Thanks to everyone for offering advice, it has really helped me to make this decision.
By the way they were also the cheapest I could find anywhere on the internet which was pretty cool!Mick
30 June 2014 at 7:10 pm #58988That sounds like a nice saw Mick ,have you bought an extraction unit as well, I will be interested to see how you find it once you start cutting timber with it. Does it come with a blade What width?
I have thought about getting a bandsaw but lack of space and the amount of dust it may produce have always put me off1 July 2014 at 9:45 am #58999Congratulations, Mick! It’s a decent saw and you’ll be amazed at how useful bandsaws are. Try to not be surprised when you see how much dust they produce, though! If the weather is good and you can move the saw easily, it’s worth using it outside so you don’t end up with loads of small dust particles floating around your shop.
I love the idea of building a band saw. It’s great to see a couple of people here have done it!
George.
1 July 2014 at 5:13 pm #59000I come to this thread late so forgive me if this has been said. I’d be very wary of utilising a bandsaw for dimensioning stock. I’ve a little experience of several makes of bandsaw and one thing I know for sure: they don’t cut well in a straight line. The OP should immerse himself in the internet to learn about DRIFT and how to correct it. Just saying.
2 July 2014 at 9:48 am #59034[quote quote=59000]I come to this thread late so forgive me if this has been said. I’d be very wary of utilising a bandsaw for dimensioning stock. I’ve a little experience of several makes of bandsaw and one thing I know for sure: they don’t cut well in a straight line. The OP should immerse himself in the internet to learn about DRIFT and how to correct it. Just saying.[/quote]
I’ve been using my saw for dimensioning components without any drift – I’ve even checked for drift by gauging a line parallel to the face against the fence and there is no detectable drift in my cuts over a 2 or 3ft cut.
The first video I watched about how to set up a bandsaw was by Alex Snodgrass from Carter Products. The one tip from that video that will completely change the performance of a saw (for the better!) is to have the deepest part of the gullet in the center of the wheel.
I watched the video, set up my saw that way (for resaw) and I’ve not had any problem at all with drift. Either he’s right in saying “There should never be drift on a bandsaw” and his instructions work, or I’m just lucky!
Full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGbZqWac0jU
George.
George, you’re not just lucky. I set-up my band saw in a very similar way(there’s a video by Michael Fortune on the FWW site that I used) and have not had problems with drift either. Got to say, I’m going to give the deepest part of the gullet in the centre of the wheel idea a go though. Thanks for sharing the video.
2 July 2014 at 4:09 pm #59057Thanks for the information. I have absolutely NO experience with a band saw so can offer no opinion of my own. I have, however, immersed myself in the you tube world of bandsaws! The most credible (just gut feeling, and comments from other forums) set up guru I found was The same Snodgrass referred to by George; he seemed to make sense. I get my new machine tomorrow and I shall endeavour to set it up as per his video and let you know how it goes.
Still not sure what drift actually is but maybe I am about to find out – or not?????Mick
7 July 2014 at 12:56 pm #59167I finally took delivery of my record power 300e bandsaw. It has a couple of little niggles, like the tracking knob did not turn the shaft, but I fixed that by removing the plastic knob and turning the bolt. The table fixing system does not go tight when at an angle, but the lovely man who sold it to me is coming round tomorrow to look at it and help out (great service from Bivens machinery). But, overall I am very pleased with it, I have cut veneers that are very thin, resawing some pieces, shown in the photo and made a quick bandsaw box to help me get used to it. I need much more practice and a lot more knowledge but I am sure it will be a great addition to the work shop.
Thanks to everyone who helped me in making this decision.
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