After some of the post on Craftsman tools I am almost leery of asking this question. I have a 14″ Craftsman Professional Band Saw around 4 years old. I thought I had researched the 14″ saws at the time and didn’t see any big advantage one over the other and was getting a good deal.
The saw perfoms excellent for most tasks but I have started doing some resawing and 5 3/4″ is about the max I can resaw. I have looked for Riser block kits for this saw and came up empty.
Does anyone know who the “real” manufacturer is for this model saw and if there is a company that has the riser block kits?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Can you post a photo of it? It may the same as a Delta/clone, it'll be obvious. If it is, then Grizzly's riser block is the best deal out there. Jet wants at least $89, Delta wants $119 and it's probably the same part. Grizzly is around $59 + shipping, so about $67 total. Comes with the riser, rear blade guard(black part at the back with the slot, that covers the blade as it goes from the upper arm to the base), long connecting bolt, height adjustment rod and the guard that covers the blade above the guide on the adjustable rod.
Thanks for the reply. I have attached some pictures of the saw from different viewpoints which hopefully will help..
I asked around once before--since these band saws are pretty much clones, shouldn't the griz riser kit work on a delta saw?
Anyone out there with experience?
It may work. Depends on whether Delta uses the same guide pins at the same spacing. Rookie- is yours 3/4 HP or 1 HP? I haven't seen riser block kits for the 3/4 HP models, just the 1HP. I don't know what the difference is from the standpoint of the part's dimensions. If you can measure the length and width at the mating point for the upper/lower halves on your saw, along with the center-to-center distance between the screw holes for the piece that surrounds the blade at the rear and diameter of the adjustment post(and whether it has a V groove in it), it'll be easier to tell. I can measure the same on my saw, too.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
1 1/2 "peak" HP :)
I will have to wait till later today to take the saw down and take the measurements. I will do that and post it later today...
Thanks
If you can measure the length and width at the mating point for the upper/lower halves on your saw.
First to get front/back and side to side. Standing at the band saw looking at the upper wheel, I am going to call the Front of the band saw. Where the frame bolts together would be the back. So:
Front to Back measurement 4 - 5/8"
Side to side measurement 3-1/4"
Adjustment Post has a V groove cut in it.
Rear blade guard screw holes are 14-3/4" c-c
I am attaching a picture of the mating surface
The pins are roughly 4.784" c-c and 1/4" in diameter although I am not sure why they bothered to put pins in the base. The upper structure has 3/8" holes that mate with the 1/4" pins in the base. I guess that is to allow "minor" adjustment.
It looks like an ordinary Taiwanese/Chinese made saw, and for the most part they were all the same except for the paint, the knobs, and the fence. Chances are that a riser block from any similar machine would work. The frames were the same no matter what horsepower motor was supplied.
The only block that won't work is a Delta, since they were, until recently, made in the U.S.
I'd try either a Grizzly, or if they have one at a local Home Depot, the riser block for a Ridgid band saw. Be sure that wherever you buy the block that it can be returned in case the parts don't fit.
The only critical fit is the alignment of a pair of pins and their mating holes in the block and the saw's frame. So far as I know, the pin locations are standardized, but sloppy manufacturing will occasionally cause alignment problems, even when the block and the machine are both made by the same company. There isn't much room for pin misalignment before assembly becomes impossible.
If you had a problem with the pins lining up, you could eliminate one or both of them and drill and insert roll pins through the flanges of the castings after the machine was reassembled with the block in place. In fact, you could probably just skip the pins and the frame would stay in alignment without them once the saw was bolted back together.
When you install the block, be sure to scrape any paint off the contact faces of the block and the frame before you reassemble the saw, the fit and stiffness of the frame will be much better with metal to metal contact.
Being this could be a fussy job to assemble, try to have a helper to give you a hand when you reassemble the frame. It is almost impossible to fuss with the fit while you are trying to also hold 80 plus pounds of cast iron at head height.
Actually, it pays to have a helper when you disassemble the saw, the pins will stick and you will have to work the frame apart, when the frame finally separates you may find yourself badly off balance with a big awkward chunk of cast iron in your hands.
The longer bolt that is supplied with the riser block may not have the same head size as the old shorter bolt now on your saw. To do the job, you may end up needing four different wrench sizes, two for the old and new bolt heads, and two different size wrenches for the old and new nuts, it pays to check this in advance before you start the job.
Good luck, John W.
Edited 2/2/2005 1:37 pm ET by JohnW
Thanks for the info... Does Home Depot carry the riser blocks for the Ridgid saw? If they do I am heading to the nearest home depot... :)
Thanks again..
Your local Home Depot may, or may not, have the riser block kit, each store seems to independently (and erratically) decide what to stock. Some HD's seem to think that Ridgid disposable planer blades shouldn't be a stock item despite having sold thousands of the planers.
I'd call ahead before heading to the store. Don't be surprised if they don't even know what you are talking about. In any case, if they don't stock the kit, the store should be able to order it for you. By the way, the part number for the Ridgid riser block kit used to be AC5005. The number may have changed, since another company is now building the Ridgid stationary power tools under license from Ridgid.
John W.
Edited 2/2/2005 3:39 pm ET by JohnW
Thanks John, I will check again with the number you provided. I checked earlier on the website and didn't get any hits for Riser blocks.
You mentioned in your earlier post about possibly having to wiggle the upper post to get it to come off the pins.. It is to laugh... when I took it apart the base was drilled and had two 1/4" pins sitting diagonally from each other but the upper post looks like someone reamed the holes out, maybe needed to make an adjustment at the factory. :)
I appreciate the help
Unless they changed the 3/4HP saw, the ones I have seen next to the 1 and 1-1/2 HP saws weren't built as sturdily as the bigger ones. And when I asked, I was told there was no riser block for them. Going by the original photos, it does look like the same thing as the Taiwanese units. You may have a hard time finding a HD with a riser in stock. Rockler or Woodcraft may, but definitely get one with the understanding that it's returnable. You'll pay twice as much for the Powermatic and Jet compared with the Grizzly.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
On the Ridgid and Delta saws the pins were a tight fit and actually served a function, it appears that at least some of the other brands are cheating to avoid scrapping misdrilled parts.
John W.
HELLO, I TO AM TRYING TO FIND A RISER BLOCK FOR Craftsmna bandsaw. Were you ever suscessful in locating any information. Thanks Chuck in Knoxville.
Hi Chuck,
Actually I haven't found one at this point.. Looking at what I wanted to do and the fact that I came into some very large american cherry trees I bought a LT15 wood mizer saw mill. Sorry I couldn't be of help..
Eddie
I made one for a really old saw out of Hickory.. Did my own thing with the blade guard.. Depends how handy you are.. Just me...
Oh.. I think I made it to a standard blade size.. Worked OK but no longer have the saw..
Edited 4/25/2005 3:30 pm ET by Will George
Thanks George. I'll probably try that. Chuck
I put the Jet riser kit on my !4" Craftsman. Perfect fit.
What lenght blade do you use after a riser block conversion? I just purchased the Ridgid Riser block which should be in mid week. Need to get a couple of blades.
The Jet riser kit came with a 105" blade that fits. However, I ordered 4 new Timberwolf 105" blades and of course they fit and cut great.
Thanks,
A lot of the older Craftsman woodworking tools were made by Emerson Electric. When Sears went to cheaper tools, Emerson started selling their tools through Home Depot with the Ridgid label. Therefore a lot of the parts (and options) for the earlier Craftsman tools are the same as the Ridgid. Look for a 113 as the first part of the Craftsman part number. If so, I suggest you check out the Ridgid riser block.________________________Charlie Plesums Austin, Texashttp://www.plesums.com/wood
Hey Chuck,
Don't know if you ever found one but, I ordered the one mentioned in this thread from Ridgid. Took three (I will call Minor) modifications to make it work but I now have a Craftsman/Ridgid 14" X 12" Resaw capability. I took pictures of the mods I had to make but don't have the time to post today. I will post them in the morning with the steps I took to make it work. Took approximately 2 hrs total time to mod and put together.
Cheers
Eddie
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