This is a short (I hope) summary of my recent experience with the Ridgid BS1400 Bandsaw.
I was delighted to read the latest tool tests that highly rated the Ridgid BS1400 14 inch bandsaw. Delighted, since it lists for only $349 and gets high marks from the reviewer. So, I bought one a couple of days ago and set it up, carefully following all the instructions.
I was impressed by all that I saw until I plugged it in. It vibrated excessively – sort of a building vibration that would increase in magnitude until it peaked with a sort of “dog shake”, i.e., it would shake itself like a wet dog for a moment, then start the vibration cycle all over again on about a 2 second interval. Darn!
Attempting to saw with it doing that was an experience – the cut line changed direction with each “dog shake”.
I emailed Ridgid’s Tech Support asking how to sort this out. Basically, the tech’s response was “…if you don’t like the saw, take it back. ….some vibration is natural, and you can’t expect precision sawing from a woodworking tool..”. Really?
Deciding that this particular tech was both no woodworker, and having a bad day to boot, I decided to sort the saw out myself.
The saw blade wheels were aligned perfectly, but both showed significant unbalance, so I staticlly balanced them by lightening the heavy side of the rim until the wheel stopped displaying a heavy side. That helped, but did not completely eliminate the “dog shake”.
The die-cast motor and saw sheaves (pulleys) look concentric, but the belt bobbled during running significantly, regardless of tension, and the entire base frame distorted between the motor and saw with each “dog shake”. So, as a first step at resolving this problem, I replaced the solid v-belt with a segmented one. Zap! “Dog shake” gone! I had read that segmented belts helped vibration significantly, but this was dramatic! The saw went immediately from unusable to “not bad”.
There is still some objectionable vibration present, but with a better blade installed the saw now tracks the cut line exactly. Not bad for an afternoon’s work.
I expect that replacing the die-cast pulleys with machined ones will further reduce the saw’s vibration. Anyone know of a source for machined pulleys/sheaves with a 6 inch OD, 3/5 inch bore (shaft size) for 1/2 inch v-belts?
Mike D
Replies
I've read a few other reports of excessive vibration on the BS1400. Glad you were able to rectify most of it so easily.
You're a better man than I, Gunga Din. I would have taken the saw back. Congratulations on your patience. I've never had anything but a positive experience with the Ridgid tech suport folks, although I've experience some frustration with the tools. Tom
Thanks! It's not that I'm so patient - I just didn't want to haul that 198 lbs back up my basement stairs!
One thing that is frustrating about working with woodworking tools power or hand, is that SO many tools are made with glaring faults/weaknesses, and the manufacuters won't correct them because it will mean cutting into their profit, even if it means they will make a safer, better tool. I remember a few years ago in FWW, there was an article by Brian Boggs on 'tuning up your spokeshave'. The article consisted of Boggs taking the tool apart, buying a Hock blade, making a new cap iron out of brass, filing the blade bed flat and epoxing a cardboard piece on the bed and filing the mouth opening wider to accomodate the new blade and cap iron. If that's what it takes to get the tool working correctly, why doesn't Record or Stanley or whoever make the tool correctly to start. Boggs completely rebuilt the tool from the ground up. It's like buying a new truck and having to do a ground up resto to make it run. Ridiculous. It makes sense to pay bigger bucks for a LN or Veritas that you have to do minimal tuning to get performance. Ok, I feel better now! :) Tom"Notice that at no time do my fingers leave my hand"
So true. By the time I finish overhauling this thing, plus building a rip fence, adding a miter gauge, light, proper dust port (by this, I mean add a lower dust port to the lower wheel case), I might as well have bought a Jet or a Delta or a Rikon with all that already installed.
However, I have read threads on other forums where folks have struggled with getting their Delta (and other models) working right, as well. I think that the reality is that since those of us that are serious about using these tools can "fix" them, it's a darn good thing that we can!
Mike
Edited 8/24/2006 10:52 pm ET by Mike
Amen! Tom"Notice that at no time do my fingers leave my hand"
Hi. Anyone interested in how this finally turned out, go look at my final post titled "replacement pulleys" in Power Tools and Machinery.If my hands were only as smart as my head.
Hi Mike
I have used the Ridgid 1400 (rebadged as Carba-tec) over the past two years. Out of the box it set up perfectly, with minimal vibration, and perfectly coplanar wheels. My selection was influenced by a review in FWW around this time of bandsaws in its price range, where it had come out as a recommended choice. It was also the best scorer among cast iron frames for blade tension. In all these matters I have not been let down, and in the time I have had it it has been ultra reliable.
I added a 6" riser kit and this has not affected accuracy. It tracks straight. The only weak area (for my needs) is the power - I think it is 3/4hp - since I work with very hard woods. A good blade really helps. The blade that came standard was crappy. A decent blade can have the effect of doubling the cutting power.
In your place I would have sent it back. Too much modifiying to get it to just work satisfactorally. What you have done I would consider to be tuning modifications that one could do.
Regards from Perth
Derek
Derek,
Thanks for the information about your experience with the RIGID 1400. I have the opportunity to buy a used one, and am seriously considering it. Two upcoming projects will require me to resaw some 6" Bubinga and 7 1/2" African Mahogany. Have you had much success resawing similar woods with your 1400?
Sounds like you replaced the blade. What blade would you recommend? Any other tips?
Any advice you can offer would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Danny
If you're doing mostly straight cuts and gentle curves, get a Wood Slicer from Highland Woodworking (http://www.highlandwoodworking.com). I use a 1/2" 3/4T blade with excellent results.
-Steve
Hi Danny
Important changes have taken place since the post you are responding to.
At the time I was running a 6" riser kit with the original 3/4 hp motor. With a new 1/2" blade I was able to cut 6" hardwood with much effort. I didn't dare attempt anything larger (keep in mind that our hardwoods, like Jarrah, are very hard indeed).
In January this year I changed the motor for a 1.5 hp. WOW! What a difference. Now I slice up 8-10" boards with little effort.
The standard motor is fine for basic work, but if you plan to cut really hard wood, then more power is important.
Regards from Perth
Derek
Derek, what with upgrading to a 1.5HP motor, that makes the Ridgid a pretty expensive saw, no?? I don't know what kinds of choices you have down there machinery-wise (I know even in Canada choices are many fewer than in the USA), but around here there are much cheaper ways of getting there, LOL!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Actually the total cost was not high - not as high as buying a 1.5 hp BS new. But keep in mind that I did the upgrade after 2 years of owning and using this BS. My intent in the story was to recommend that new purchases buy a higher powered BS from the outset.
Regards from Perth
Derek
As always, thanks for the input. I think I'll see if a local shop can fulfill my resawing needs until I save up for a larger motor.
I've resawn 9" wide curly bubinga without problems, with the stock 3/4 HP motor.
The following is a bit embarrassing, but instructive: I've had a Ridgid BS1400 for about five years, and have been generally quite happy with it. I've used Timber Wolf blades from the beginning. Based on some good reviews in FWW and elsewhere, I recently tried the Wood Slicer blades from Highland Woodworking (I posted a link in a previous message in this thread). They do seem to cut more easily and smoothly, so consider me a convert.
Anyway, I needed to resaw the aforementioned bubinga from a short plank; I wanted a 1/4" panel, about 2 ft long. I had been putting off the job, mostly out of fear--previous attempts at resawing maple and oak (up to 6") using the Timber Wolf blades hadn't been all that successful. But with some new confidence in the Wood Slicer blades, I decided to go for it. So I set up the saw and made the cut. I was relieved to find that the motor didn't bog down the way it had when I had cut maple (even though the bubinga was both wider and harder), but I was a bit disappointed that the cut was visibly bowed. Not a huge amount, but noticeable.
As I was putting the saw away, I discovered to my horror that I had never set the blade tension! In fact, the adjustment knob was only about a turn away from being completely slack. So, I'm now even more of a Wood Slicer convert.
To paraphrase an old Nike commercial: "Gotta be the blade."
-Steve
Steve,
Dang! Little or no tension? To quote Wil Smith, "I gotta get me one of these."
RoyH
I would guess that the tension adjustment was correct for maybe a 1/16" blade....
-Steve
I also bought a BS1400 a couple years ago, largely based on some positive reviews. I've never been able to get it stabilized, and decided to measure the runout in the wheels. Turns out the wheels were really true, but the rubber tires were an entirely different matter (0.014" runout). Bought a replacement rubber tire for the top wheel, and I hope that will resolve the problem.
BTW, the resaw fence is garbage. Regret buying that.
Danny,
I echo Derek's remarks. 1.5 yrs ago, the price, shipping (5 minutes in my truck), and the reviews outweighed other new and available 14" bandsaws in my area. With some tweaking (Timberwolf blades, Kreg fence, twistlink belt) the resaw is fine and there is no drift; I get nice even veneer thicknesses. Put on the optional riser block and can resaw wider oak, maple, walnut, cherry. Woodworking is a passionate hobby, not a profession for me, so I'm not worried about the speed in a heavy resaw. In addition, I have resawn moderately wide (up to 10") green and dry logs (not longer than 3 ft) in a carriage. The dust collection is not great, but with the shop vac hooked up to the below table nozzle, it's better than nothing. I might wish for a larger than 3/4 hp motor, but that wasn't an option with all else considered and available at the time.
I would test drive the used one first and see if it fits your needs.
Good luck,
RoyH
A bandsaw is sort of like a women..PERFECT if ya know how to use it and keep it happy! I'm still trying to figure out how to do that~ I have a 18" Ricon but gets very funny acting every month or two!
You might want to try and add some mass to the saws stand. I bolted angle iron to the underside of mine and it helped a lot as well as the link belts and a new blade ( Olson 1/2" for the resawing and Mvp for everything else ). I saw in a n article recently where a fairly well known woodworker had the same saw and had cut a couple pieces of plywood to fit the top of the stand to cut down on vibration. For a fence I went with a Kreg fence and am happy with that. If I take extra care in setting it up I can almost escape blade drift.
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