What kind of wood cutting bandsaw

Bruce Bump

Bruce Bump

Joined
Dec 2, 1999
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Ive been cutting allot if wood pistol grips lately and want to buy a band saw. Ive been using my 4 x 6 jet metal cutting band saw with a wood cutting blade on it but it isnt really made for wood. What kind should I buy? Im thinking Home Depot or Sears variety maybe Grizzly? Not too big but I may want to resaw.
 
I'm about to spring for the Grizzly 14" Ultimate bandsaw. If you do a search for it on amazon.com you can find many reviews, most of them favorable. The main complaints seem to be: quality control, especially with the 6" extension block kit, and the ball bearing blade guides which are cheap and evidently don't work well with thin blades.

I don't see why I'd want the extension kit for knife making and can always replace the blade guides if necessary.
 
I've been looking for one too. All the reviews I read point to the Grizzly 14" Ultimate. I like Delta tools,a nd would prefer to stick with them, but the Grizzly comes with a fence and a mitre gauge, while they have to be purchased seperatly for the Delta.

The cost is a bit steep for me as a part-time user though. $415 + $70 S&H is the best I've seen. Does that jive with your inquiries?
 
I got the Sears Craftsman 15" model in April and am thoroughly impressed by it....good model. They had a 14" on sale, but unfortunately did not have any in stock. The manager knocked off a hundred bucks if I would take the 15" model, which I did. Oddball blade length, 99 1/2", but they got 'em in stock.

Get ya one.

Hank H.
 
I use the four speed Harbor Freight 13.5-14". It's a bit less expensive than the above. It takes 93.5X1/2" blades

If you get one, rewire the motor for 220V(they're dual wind/voltage motors). 1HP is too much to run under load on 120V. I understand it's something to do with the current jumping back to the starter windings under load that 120V will not sustain, and it will either burn up the motor or...............??
I should have known better as everything else I have of 1HP and over is already 220V.
Mine just stopped one day after simple cutting chores after acting like the load was too great and dragging the motor down, the casing was almost red hot. It was two hours before I could touch that motor without burning myself. It never worked again for months and I just ignored the bandsaw. One day several months later I plugged it in and flipped the switch and it started, but I never trusted it and got another motor and rewired for it 220. No drag down now.
 
My friend, Kelly Carlson, bought the Grizzly 14" to saw up a huge mastodon tusk he bought. I must say that I'm really impressed with that saw, Bruce. Its definitely on my list of new purchases.
 
Hi Bruce. I might be new to knife making but I am very familiar with band saws and I highly recomend General or General International. The are all quality machines and most of them have a 2 speed pull drive system so when you cutting something like Mammoth Ivory you can put it on slow speed and not worry about discolouring the material. I think the speeds are usually around 3100 SFPM and then step down is around 1200 SFPM. Just another note. General is Canadian made and General Internation is imported and made for General. Either one is excellent. Good luck with your decission making.
 
As you may have noticed from the recommendations,A MULTI-SPEED UNIT is highly recommended.Woodcraft sells several good types.
The other really important thing is to get a GOOD QUALITY carbide tipped blade like the Lennox "Pro master III".They are worth every penny.If you don't do something dumb with them you may never wear one out.
Stacy
 
Thanks guys I'll run down some of these suggestions and make some kind of decision. Any more?
 
Bruce


I finally put my 14" Jet out to pasture last winter. I bought the RIKON 18". Nice machine, cast iron wheels, ball bearing guides, hand crank for guide adjustment, 220VAC. I really like the machine. Just one draw back it takes a 142 inch blade. Not the most common size but if Wala Wala is like my area you have to mail order most of your knife making supplies anyway. I agree with Stacy, figure out what size blade you use most and put out the cash for carbide. I ran a 1" carbide on my Jet for 22 years and it still cut fairly well.

Jim A.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=5220:thumbup:
 
Here's the saga of how I ended up with my wood band saw...When my 10" Craftsman burned out, after I did a ton of research and evaluated what tools I already had, I felt that I really had no need for an expensive large wood band saw, as I would only be using it for knife making to cut and profile handle material into slabs or scales. I already have a metal cutting band saw, so if I need to cut anything harder than Ironwood, I can do it with that. Similarly, I have a table top 10" saw and if I need to make a big piece of wood into smaller more appropriate for knife-making size, I can use that. And my scroll saw can do whatever fine curve work that needs to be done. So, I first bought a 9" Delta, but it broke the first time I tried to increase the tension on it. Then I did more research and after seeing lots of excellent reviews for it, I ended up buying a Ryobi 902 from Home Depot for $99. It's been great! It cuts quickly, straight, and it's easy to set up initially. The new model comes with a light, tracking window, and a fence. Also, it comes with a 30 day no questions asked return policy, and a 2 year overall guarantee. So, to sum up, I think that if you have no real need to have something bigger or have more than handle making tasks you want it to do, I totally recommend the Ryobi band saw. Then you can use the money saved for other tools or great material to use for your knives.
Thanks,
Bob
 
Hi Bruce.

I bought the 14" band saw from harbour frieght about four years ago because it was the only one that I could afford at the time. It is the three speed wood cutting saw and I was mildly surprised when I opened the covers and spun the wheels. The bearings are quite and the wheels didn't wobble at all. I put it all together and have since cut up some wood and a whole lot of sheep horn and it still works great. There are a couple of things that I improved upon but overall it is a very good saw for the money. replace the guide blocks with the little roller blocks from woodcrafters. make a new filler for the hole in the table, the one that comes with it has about a half inch gap and bends very easy. Last reinforce the stand and drill a little dimple for the tensioner bolt to set in other wise it can slip sidways and bind things up and cause the blade to run off the wheel.

see ya at blade

Bill
 
Best quality IMHO Laguna, best bang for the buck if you want to do some resaw work, Grizz 16" or Jet 18" I have used both and both are good, heavy, accurate machines. My Father has a Laguna, and the quality/precision of that saw is more like you would expect from a metal working machine, but they cost you more than twice as much as other brands. It all depends on what you want.
 
14" Delta. They're on sale now and then. I've been using the same one in my Mesquite business for 25 years. 3/4 HP is all I need, and I cut 8/4 Mesquite for my rockers. The blade I use is one I get from Woodworkers in New Mexico, a 3/16th" 4 TPI it does real well. Next band saw I buy will be a 14" Delta, If this one ever wears out. I have the riser block. I need it because several of the boards for my rockers are 7" thick. The little guy handles it all. Not a suggestion, or even a recomendation, it's just my little story.
 
I've owned a Delta/Rockwell 14" Wood cutting band saw for over 20 years and its always been one of my most used tools in the shop and never let me down. Still running the same motor and wheels too. I couldn't get by without it.

STR
 
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