14″ bandsaw-how important is multi-speed
Hi All,
I’m new to the forum but have already got some great information here. I recently retired form the Navy and now want to get serious with my woodworking hobby. My wife has given me the green light to get a new machine for my wood shop. I’ve decided my next purchase will be a 14 inch band saw, can’t go larger because of space limitations and the need to be easily mobile. My question; I notice that a couple of models offer more that one speed, how important is this? I will be using it mostly for North American hardwoods, oak, wallnut, cherry,etc and whatever resawing I can manage with the 14 inch size. This will be my first bandsaw. On another note, Ive been looking at the Grizzly 14″ Industrial bandsaw G0570. Can’t find much feedback or reviews on this one, anyone have one?..Like it? Your thoughts on either question would be greatly appreciated. Barry
Replies
In the 30 plus years that I have been butchering wood for a living, I haven't found it to make any difference at all, unless you are intending to cut metal.
If I remember correctly, most wood-cutting bandsaws have a blade speed in the neighborhood of 3000 fpm. You can occasionally cut thin non-ferrous metals like alminum with this blade speed, but if you want to do much metal cutting, you want blade speeds in the 300 to 400 foot per minute range.
Michael R
"You have to look for possibilities where there are none" Krenov
Much as Michael says-for wood cutting only a single speed is fine-although I maintain that this speed is way too fast, despite what ole Duginske says....
However, the band saw is such a versatile machine that to me it is a pity not to be able to take full advantage of it's cutting potential so I advocate a multi-speed choice, but to cut the likes of steel reasonably well the saw must be robust enought to withstand the required extra tension force, so I would lean towards an "industrial" type.
One never knows-the management may require you to cut an ox shin bone so she can make a soup....
Barry, I am not an expert with the band saw but I have Grizzly 14" 1hp with 2-speeds and I have found it helpful to step the speed down when resawing some 10 - 11" hard maple. It works either way but with some woods I have found that a slower speed helps but I wouldn't say it is a requirement. After 35 years working without a band saw, I now think it is probably one of my most used power tools for furniture making. Were I to do it again, and I probably will soon, I would buy a more robust saw, probably in the 18" area that can better handle resawing.
Edited 11/4/2005 9:47 am by DougF
Congrats on your retirement. It's funny, I too bought my first 14" Bandsaw just after I retired from the Navy a couple years ago - I posted some opinions on "knots" here about bandsaws back then that I look back on and just cringe - I was wrong. I had never owned a bandsaw before but had used them in my Dad's shop and in Rec Services Hobby shops arond the world.
Good luck with your purchase. I think a bandsaw is one machine in the shop that has a lot of upgrade paths. In many ways, the smaller 14" ones are more or less "kits" that you personalize to meet your own expectations. Things you can upgrade: Fences, bearings, cool blocks, blades. tension crank, quick-release tension crank, switch, dust collection, tires, pulleys, riser block, mobile bases, larger tables, jigs, blades,...there are many more but I am just scratching the surface. I guess if you started out with two or more speeds, that would be something else in your bag of tricks. I have the Ridgid 14" and it has worked fine for me, though I believe that the motor is slightly underpowered. Just bought the first "Timberwolf" low-tension blade for it, and I LIKE THAT! Good luck. Ed
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