modifying a bandsaw for resawing
popawheelie
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
I have some big pieces of wood I’d like to slice up but the saw I can afford doesn’t have the height I need.
Occasionally a Delta 12″ band saw is in Craigslist so I was going to buy one. With the riser block on it how much distance will I get between the table and the guide?
Why couldn’t you go further with a longer riser block? As long as I compensate for blade set or drift it shouldn’t really matter.
I would need the bigger motor to power it. The smaller motor is 1 hp. Is the bigger motor 1 1/2 hp or 2?
I’ve had these hunks of wood through 4 moves across the country over 14 years. Either I slice them up or burn them.
Replies
Are you sure there is a riser block available for the 12" Delta?
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Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.
~ Denis Diderot
I've got a Delta 12" bandsaw, the 28-190. There is a current model, the BS220LS that looks the same. Nice little saw, but it cannot take a riser block - it's a one-piece frame. Look for a 14" model of just about any make.
Don't throw that wood out! It sounds like it's nicely seasoned at this point.
Carlos
So I'd have to get the 14" in order to get a riser block in it? Thanks, I didn't know that.
I have seen a 14" in craigslist. I'll go look at the next one.
A riser block will give you the ability to make wider slices, but the real "trick" to successful resawing is a well set up saw using a "for real" resaw blade.
I have the Jet 14" band saw and used to go out of my way to avoid trying to resaw anything. My blades wandered all over the place, and I wasn't sawing as much as I was burning my way thru a board.
Last spring, I finally bit the bullet and got a for-real resaw blade (1" wide with 3 tpi) and resawing has become a breeze. The blades holds the line and I quickly saw thru everything.
I see a bandsaw as a near-necessity for a shop, but I probably wouldn't spend a lot of money buying and/or adapting one just to cut a few chunks of wood. If there's a cabinet shop near you, they may be willing to saw your chunks into something manageable for a small charge.
I will get the best blade available for resawing.
I would never have someone else resaw my wood if I can do it myself.
That's most of the fun. It would cost to much and they wouldn't get it the way I like it.
I have had a band saw for about 20 years. A little Inca that is quiet and small. It's the saw I reach for first. But it just doesn't have the capacity I'd like to have.
pop,You don't need a special blade to re-saw. A 1/2", 3 tpi SHARP (new) blade is all that's required and simple attention to some detail in adjusting your saw.Here's the best set of instructions you'll ever find, Michael Fortune's article on how to set up your saw, especially for re-sawing.http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/ToolGuide/ToolGuidePDF.aspx?id=24093 Rich
12" and 14" band saws typically have a 6" re-saw capacity. A riser block kit can expand it to 12." They are fairly universal since most of the Delta, Jet, Powermatic, etc are all knock-offs of each other. It isn't practical to get more capacity than that because it would require a wider blade than these saws can use. The greater the re-saw capacity, greater tension is required to keep the blade from wandering while cutting. The widest blade these saws can use cannot handle the tension required. If the blade is too narrow, it will drift inside the cut, following the softer, summer growth grain of the wood.
It also depends on what type of re-sawing you want to do. If you want to turn your chunks of wood into 1/2" or thicker lumber, these saws may be fine. If you want to cut paper thin veneers, I think you will be disappointed with these saws. They will provide a lifetime of cutting curves quite well, but trying to get these saws to cut a straight line is an exercise in futility.
I owned a Jet 14" and wound up selling it because I hated it. By the time you put on a riser kit and upgrade the guides and fence, you may as well buy a quality saw like a Laguna LT14 SEL. It comes with a 12" re-saw capacity, ceramic guides, 2HP motor. It costs $1595, but it's the Lexus of bandsaws.
Grizzly's G0513 17" has 2HP, 12" re-saw, European guides, and gets pretty good reviews. It is $750.00
A 14" Jet is $922 at Amazon.com It has 1.25HP, riser block kit, and rip fence with re-saw pin. The re-saw pin is a dead give away that this saw cannot cut a straight line. This saw still needs the guides replaced.
If you try to upgrade your Inca band saw (or any other generic band saw)to re-saw 12", it will cost you almost as much as buying the Grizzly mentioned above. Why not sell your Inca for a few hundred dollars and buy the Grizzly? I'm planning to buy the Laguna.
The Grizzly definately has my interest. At 750 new it's a good price. I didn't want to spend that much though.
I like buying used these days if I can. I helps me out and the seller on a personal basis.
I widened my search and found this one about an hour away.
Nice saw but more than I need.
http://denver.craigslist.org/tls/913625926.html
Edited 11/22/2008 7:40 pm ET by popawheelie
I think $750 is pretty short money for that saw. The worst money I ever spent was on a used radial arm saw and a new jointer from Harbor Freight. Both wound up in the dumpster after many frustrating hours of messing around with them. I lost money on the Jet band saw I mentioned. Everybody wants a good deal, but you wind up getting what you pay for. I am very skeptical about buying anything used because it usually needs to be reconditioned. The best deal is when you buy something you are completely satisfied with the first time.I am also into photography. The main way I find out if people are satisfied with lenses I am interested in is to check on Ebay for used ones. If there aren't any used ones available, or only one, I know people like it. If there are several available, that tells me all I need to know. The reason knock-off 14" band saws are readily available used is because people aren't satisfied with them.
I have to disagree but maybe that is because I love to tinker with old machines. I have a ‘80’s vintage Delta 14” with a riser block, 3HP motor, Carter guides and some items from Ittura design. It resaws very well and is a great addition to the shop, all for under $500.00 total investment. My entire shop is stocked with used equipment. Woodworking machines are pretty simple and rebuilding a Unisaw or bandsaw is far simpler than a brake job on my Jeep. I love old iron.
Good on you! There's a 14" delta on Craigslist that I might go look at. It's been in there for a while so maybe they would come down. $ 450 is a bit high.
http://fortcollins.craigslist.org/tls/890020257.html
popawheelie,I have that exact same bandsaw. I bought it about 3-4 years ago on sale for $400 out the door, works fine. One thing about Deltas, the riser blocks are about double the cost of other saws..and I've never felt comfortable that riser blocks are interchangeable.
Never burn them. As soon as you do you will remember a project for them!
I would either buy a saw that satisfies my needs or pay someone to resaw these boards.The grizzly mentioned in other posts sounds like your best bet.
mike
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