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  #16  
Old 12-30-2016, 10:44 AM
SnowManSnow SnowManSnow is offline
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Thank you all for your advise... I realize it's like anything else.... you get what you pay for.
Right now a smaller saw of good quality is what I'm thinking...
I don't see myself resealing tops and so forth ... I really just need something to get the basic shape of top sides and back


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  #17  
Old 12-30-2016, 12:08 PM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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I have miniscule experience but I've made do with a 9" Ryobi. It's not the best and it can get a little tricky with pilot cuts and all but I managed to cut the outline of a 16" jumbo top. Resawing is out of the question though.
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  #18  
Old 12-30-2016, 12:11 PM
redir redir is offline
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Originally Posted by SnowManSnow View Post
Thank you all for your advise... I realize it's like anything else.... you get what you pay for.
Right now a smaller saw of good quality is what I'm thinking...
I don't see myself resealing tops and so forth ... I really just need something to get the basic shape of top sides and back


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John makes a good point in suggesting that one should get the biggest saw they can afford. Of course space is a factor too. But if you think this is something you are going to be doing as a hobby for the rest of your life then believe me a good band saw makes a big difference and when properly cared for will last a life time.

I'll be resawing some back and side sets tomorrow, if I remember I'll take a pic
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  #19  
Old 12-30-2016, 12:23 PM
phavriluk phavriluk is offline
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Before OP spends a fortune taking some of the advice posted here, I suggest he purchase an inexpensive saw and learn to use it. Experience will guide the acquisition, if it ever becomes wanted, of a larger and more expensive saw and the education will be inexpensive and meanwhile he has a saw that can do a whole lot more than no saw. In addition to the realization of some domestic harmony by not spending a lot on a tool that might be overkill. And should a more capable saw be needed, OP will have some information and experience to inform the purchase. The price of the starter saw will be little compared to the price of a more capable tool which may not be, in the end, necessary.
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  #20  
Old 12-30-2016, 01:06 PM
Halcyon/Tinker Halcyon/Tinker is offline
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Analyze your needs carefully.

I have three bandsaws. Two are rinky dink 9-10" thingies that do about 95% of the work you describe.

Otoh, I do have a laguna 14SUV for resawing which has basically replaced the tablesaw for almost all straight cuts, but it needed a proper dust collector to function right, which required a hefty renovation to fit, overall a bit more than a 10k investment.

Look around on Craigslist, I'm sure you can find something serviceable for 4-500$...
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  #21  
Old 12-30-2016, 08:48 PM
tadol tadol is offline
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The Delta / Rockwell 14" bandsaw has been in production for over 50 years, and while there have been alot of changes over the years, they are good, solid, and easily repairable or upgradeable machines, and worth keeping an eye out for. Walker-Turner made a great 16" saw, and among older bandsaws, I love my DavisWells 20".

There are a couple of good books on tuning up a bandsaw - good reading if you are not overly familiar with bandsaws and are considering a used machine - and a few companies that offer upgrade parts for older machines. Worth looking at to understand the differences -
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  #22  
Old 12-31-2016, 01:42 AM
tahoeguitar tahoeguitar is offline
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I started out with a 9" Ryobi ($100 13 years ago) I built six or seven guitars with it, and I still use it for a lot of the lighter work. With a 1/4" blade it doesn't track very well but is fine for rough work. Resawing out of the question.

About 2-3 years in I bought a 17" Grizzly. I run a Lennox carbide 1" 3TPI blade that I use for resaw, ripping stock, trimming sides, roughing out necks, and many other tasks. The blade on the big saw cost more than the entire small saw, but then I've been running it for ten years and never replaced it.
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  #23  
Old 01-02-2017, 11:16 AM
redir redir is offline
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This weekend I got the resaw set up and cut about 20 sets. Here's a billet of perfectly quarter sawn Bubinga I got for $40 bucks and got three sets out of. The board was 9.5in wide. The blade on this saw is 3in wide with a 3HP motor. The Bubinga is some pretty tough stuff but I could slice a 1/8th inch veneer off of that 42in long board in about 3 minutes. There's nothing lie a well set up saw that just rips through this stuff

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  #24  
Old 01-02-2017, 01:51 PM
SnowManSnow SnowManSnow is offline
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That... is pretty rad


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  #25  
Old 01-02-2017, 02:29 PM
Truckjohn Truckjohn is offline
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Check into local woodworking clubs. Many have communal shops where for a modest annual fee - members can do all sorts of power tool work. Before I moved - I was a member of the local club and I had almost no need of expensive power tools except for my laminate trimmer.

With small band saws - stay away from the cheap ones made of plastic. They are far too flexible and won't cut straight or true for love nor money. Also - with the cheap ones, the bands are generally pretty low quality.... And don't cut well.

Band saws also take a lot of work to get them set up right so they cut properly. There are a million adjustments and you will need to monkey with all of them. Completely different from a table saw - where you square up the blade and off you go.

Literally - not having one is a better option than a cheap band saw because of the trouble they cause.

if you are in that situation - consider a hand held reciprocating jig saw for curvy cuts. They are easy to store and very portable.

Then - use a good quality pull saw such as the "Shark" saw for doing straight cuts. I have cut more headbblocks, tail blocks, neck head plate veneers, butt wedges, neck heels and neck scarf heads with a hand saw than with a power saw. Have even tapered a few neck shafts They don't really take that long.

Thanks
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  #26  
Old 01-02-2017, 03:34 PM
BradHall BradHall is offline
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Tadol, I recently acquired a 14" Delta bandsaw. I did find a reproduction of the instruction manual and, while helpful, it is pretty minimal. You mentioned a book on proper set up. Can you specify which book please? It doesn't have the riser block which I'll put on my lengthy list of wants and needs, so I won't be doing resawing of plates for a while. I do have an old Homecraft (Delta) small bandsaw that works fine for thin stock. It has a 1/4" blade. I need a new blade on the 14" saw and am wondering what a good "all around " blade would be best. I'm looking at the Grizzly catalog that shows two 1/2" blades, 4 and 6 hook, carbide "lmbedded", whatever that is. At about $17 ea. and considering I'm probably going to average 3-4 builds a year, do you or anyone have a recommendation for me?
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  #27  
Old 01-02-2017, 05:06 PM
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Bruce Sexauer Bruce Sexauer is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BradHall View Post
Tadol, I recently acquired a 14" Delta bandsaw. I did find a reproduction of the instruction manual and, while helpful, it is pretty minimal. You mentioned a book on proper set up. Can you specify which book please? It doesn't have the riser block which I'll put on my lengthy list of wants and needs, so I won't be doing resawing of plates for a while. I do have an old Homecraft (Delta) small bandsaw that works fine for thin stock. It has a 1/4" blade. I need a new blade on the 14" saw and am wondering what a good "all around " blade would be best. I'm looking at the Grizzly catalog that shows two 1/2" blades, 4 and 6 hook, carbide "lmbedded", whatever that is. At about $17 ea. and considering I'm probably going to average 3-4 builds a year, do you or anyone have a recommendation for me?
Since I know you will be there, Brad, perhaps I'll add a band-saw set up tutorial to my presentation at the Northern California Assn. of Luthiers (NCAL) meeting I am hosting Sunday, 1/8/17 from 1 pm til 5pm in my shop. Remind me if I forget. All are welcome to attend. Address is on my website.
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  #28  
Old 01-02-2017, 05:21 PM
Truckjohn Truckjohn is offline
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There are a number of good books available on bandsaw setup.

Most of the woodworking forums also have a wealth of info on that subject because it's such a common concern.

Generally, the manufacturers manual doesn't have much of any use except for safety warnings and spare parts diagrams.
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  #29  
Old 01-02-2017, 06:10 PM
BradHall BradHall is offline
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Thanks Bruce. Nothing like a lIve lesson to assure the learning process. See you Sunday.
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  #30  
Old 01-02-2017, 07:39 PM
tadol tadol is offline
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I tried to find the place that had all the bandsaw parts - the catalog even had a history of changes that occured to the Delta 14" bandsaw over the years. But now it seems they've disappeared under the clutter of the internet -

If you do a search for "setting up and fine tuning a bandsaw" you'll find quite a few websites with instructions, and there seem to be a pretty fair number of YouTube videos on is as well. Haven't had time to watch most of them myself, but it seems like a pretty fair waste of an evening. Also, many of the woodworking shops carry upgrade parts, from tires to guides to pulleys and tension springs - you can spend more "upgrading" a saw than they cost new - and thats without blades!

Bruce can easily demonstrate most of it Sunday - See you then!
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