Replies

1. 
   flairwoodworks | Mar 24, 2009 05:27am | #1

   Dan,

   It depends on what you plan to use the saw for. If you plan on doing resawing, horsepower is more a deciding factor. While bigger saws generally have bigger motors, you can get a 14" bandsaw with up to 1-1/2HP (or more?). For most resawing, this is ample. Bigger bandsaws have more rigid frames, which allows them to effectively tension wider blades. Wider blades make for straighter cuts.

   Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
   (soon to be www.flairwoodworks.com)

    - Success is not the key to happiness.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

2. 
   James R. | Mar 24, 2009 07:40am | #2

   Dan:

   I have a 14" Powermatic and I am very happy with it. I got it at a trade show and it included a 6" riser which gives me plenty of clearance to resaw larger pieces. Using the fence that it came with the saw has very little drift when resawing or making long rip cuts. It has a chip blower, a light, good dust control if you use a vacuum system and it's rock solid. It has a 1 1/2 hp motor, which is what my Rigid ts has, so any thick pieces I rip with the bandsaw because my ts tends to stall if I try to rip thick stock. Check one out when you can. It just may be what you're looking for. It's been very reliable.

   Good luck, Jim

3. 
   nboucher | Mar 24, 2009 08:16pm | #3

   I bought this one about six months ago, and I can't say enough good things about it. It's done everything I've asked of it easily, including resawing hardwoods. And it has a pretty small footprint, which is a big deal in my tiny shop. At $595 it's a steal, but make sure you buy the riser block at the same time and install it when you assemble the saw. And get some Timberwolf blades for it:

   http://grizzly.com/products/14-Extreme-Series-Bandsaw/G0555X

   Norman

4. 
   roc | Mar 24, 2009 08:23pm | #4

   >What should I be looking for in a good saw?<

   Well I guess they are waiting for me to do my thing. So here it is:

   I would say great guides and an accurately made blade are important. For resawing/ making veneer any way. To get these in a relatively inexpensive bandsaw I say get a Laguna.

   High blade tension is not important though I agree with getting the beefiest frame you can find.

   Here is another example of why I say tension no big deal. At least with these Laguna guides and their precision blade. Less than a week ago I had to reduce the thickness of a plank that was ~ eight inches wide, over two inches thick and six feet long. I had to take off about a quarter inch including the saw kerf. I scribed it, had to hand plane down to this later, tensioned the saw from slack and made the cut. I only was half considering the falling slab for veneer. I just wanted to get it cut before my partner went to sleep.

   I ended up with a very neat cut, smooth, flat, to the same thickness using a resaw fence, no compensation for any drift problems. No test cut. Nice consistent piece of veneer left over.

   Then I went to detention the band saw blade. I had not turned it all the way to my pencil mark. It was half way from totally slack to the mark. The blade in the saw is a tad over 1-1/8 " ( 30mm). ! ! ! ! This is on a small saw. The light on that side of the saw was dim and I had not gone as tight as normal. I don't tend to go all the way to the pencil mark these days but was surprised by how far away from it I had set the tension.

   My pencil mark is a bit past half way but by no means max. I got a bit of squealing that I was not used to hearing. That may have been why. This was a particularly hard piece of bubinga. I say that because I hand planed the first side and it ate blades.

   The following is copied from earlier posts; too lazy to edit it. At least you are getting your money's worth:

   My bandsaw. One of my favorite subjects. You pushed my button.

   Past articles on this site has reviews of bandsaws and are worth the search.

   >Can the rip fence be removed without removing the blade?
   yes. I rotate the fence clamp block around the round guide rail (fence in situ) until the slots in the block align with the bolts that hold the rail to the saw table then slide the assembly to which ever side of the blade that I need or take it off. Some one wrote a review for a magazine and said you had to remove a fence bolt to get the fence off the saw. Not true on my Laguna.

   A side note: I drilled and tapped my Laguna fence and bolt my very tall resaw fence right to the Laguna fence.
   I think the Laguna ceramic guides and blade are the way to go ! ! ! see further comments and web addresses to follow.
   I would have a bigger saw but am renting and have to be practical about what I can move to who knows were next. I plan on having more than one bandsaw in the future so I don't have to change blades as much. Sam Malloof has four or six bandsaws of all ilks for this reason ( so start now thinking up what to tell the wife ) : )

   I would recommend looking back into the previous posts a month or so back, this subject has been addressed quite a little bit.

   My Laguna is one of the smaller ones but can handle "ripping, re-sawing, cut veneers, and still do all the curves that a band saw normally does".
   For blades narrower than 1/4" get cool block accessory.

   Nature of my work is home shop, usually so far very hard woods, bubinga, purple heart, cocobolo, oak, maple, but also camphor wood for secondary wood in my tool boxes resawed from a nasty old plank and prima vera nice but soft. Also walnut for chests.

   Lots of resawing for drawer parts for smaller chest of drawers. But lots of resawing max width that saw can handle in the bubinga and purple heart to thickness and I turned the falling boards into nice veneer as I went. No problem at all ! I use mostly hand tools otherwise though have a fair number of home shop power tools.
   It may keep me firmly placed in the group of people who post overly long and wordy blowhard posts but here is one of my posts from the past to save you the trouble of looking back if you don't have the time.
   To the regulars: sorry for the repeat.
   >Is Laguna worth the price?

   Yes !

   Every time i use my Laguna it makes me smile. Since mine is lower price range there are some paint blemishes. The saw and its performance are sound as can be and after years of owner ship and use I am totally please.

   The thing that sets it above the others for me:

   The Resaw King Blade (it comes with the saw)

   http://www.lagunatools.com/bandsaw.resawking1.aspx

   The Ceramic Laguna Guide System ( the guides on the least expensive saw do not look exactly like the blue aluminum ones but they work exactly the same and have the same blade support)

   http://www.lagunatools.com/bandsaw.guides.aspx

   You can watch the video on line now you do not need to get a DVD in the mail

   http://www.lagunatools.com/bandsaw.lt14se.aspx#

   There is nothing I would rather have at any price except a big old giant Laguna which I don't really need and do not have the space for it.

   Happy sawing.

   roc

   Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )

   Edited 3/24/2009 1:23 pm by roc

   Edited 3/24/2009 1:26 pm by roc

   
   

   ---

   Edited 3/26/2009 8:09 pm by roc

5. 
   Fredg | Mar 26, 2009 12:07am | #5

   Dan,

   Laguna MARCH MADNESS is on brother! Free shipping and resaw king. I just bought the 14SEL, well worth a few 100 extra dollars. It will resaw just about anything you put through it. I have little to no drift with the stock fence and i believe having the 2hp motor is safer as you are using less in feed pressure. Its like the sharper knife in the kitchen saying. They have great customer service too. What ever you decide though good luck.  

1. 
   JohnWW | Mar 26, 2009 01:14am | #6

   The horsepower of the saw's motor will have no effect on the feed pressure.John White
   Shop Manager for FWW 1999-2007

1. 
   Fredg | Mar 26, 2009 01:50am | #7

   Yhea i guess i should review what i write before i post it. (Added with the resaw king or any good blade...)

6. 
   Don01 | Mar 26, 2009 05:31am | #8

   Dan,
   I would think that 14" or 16" is less of a concern then what you need or think you will need in terms of resaw capacity.
   Some of the saws bigger than 14" don't give you more cutting depth so be careful.
   If you want to resaw anything over 6 inches, you need the height and some HP to go with it. I have a nice little 1HP 14" that has served me well, but last year I decided to start buying wider boards for my projects. I have put in the riser, bought the new blades. I see Princess Auto have a 3HP motor on for $200.00 so I may have the power issue resolved. Also I ended up with a bunch of brand new bladses that I gave to my sister in law.
   Even if you don't think you will want to re saw wider than 6" today, you will get there in a year or two.
   I was eyeing the Craftex 18" last year but did not want to end up with 2 saws. The Laguna 16" is very nice as well.
   I really like the lower table on some of the 16" and 18" units.
   With any power tool you want to buy the best you can afford. It does not take long to grow into a tool. As this happens you are a genius. If you go small or cheap, at some point in time you will kick your self for going short.
   If you are ever near Fort Saskatchewan you are welcome to stop by and get some hands on pros and cons to a 14" with riser.

   Don