About 2 weeks ago I came in here and cried like a baby over the fact that I coulcl not resaw 5″ cherry , or anything else for that matter worth a da.mn. Id take a 4/4 board and with luck I might get 2 slices 1/4″ thick after it was put through the thickness planer. Someone suggetsed a tune up of the saw and I did. Still no luck. Then someone suggested I get a new blade called a Wood Slicer. Well there ya go! I just installed it and I have butter on the counter in Aug. that cuts harder then that blade cuts through 4″ thick cherry. And thin?? I cut it down to 1/8″ on the first try!! If you need to resaw………get one of these blades
Wicked Decent Woodworks
Rochester NH
” If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy……..yessa!”
Replies
I bought a WoodSlicer at one point, and I agree, it was fantastic right out of the package. But mine dulled REALLY quickly (granted, I was cutting locust, a very hard nasty wood.) I mentioned this to the rep at the MiniMax booth at a recent WW show, and he said that the WS is a converted meat blade. (?) I can't comment of the truth or falsehood of that, but I did have trouble with longevity. Could you post results on that issue down the line? Let us know how long yours lasts? I'd like to know if I just got a bad blade or screwed up somehow (like running the teeth into the guides.)
Thanks,
Charlie
I will keep an eye on this. I had planned to go back to my narrow blade for every day cutting and save this one only for resawing. It sure worked sweet today.Wicked Decent Woodworks
Rochester NH
" If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"
"and he said that the WS is a converted meat blade." I've heard that line before, and always thought it was one of those twisted things meant to deride a competitor's product.
Anyone know what the configuration of a "meat blade" is, LOL?
You're not the first to report a somewhat short life on the Woodslicer, but if you were cutting Locust, the deck was really, really stacked against you.
If you want some detailed info on the Wood Slicer, take a look here. If you tackle Locust again, you might want to use some kind of blade lube (PAM works well).forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
>> If you tackle Locust again, you might want to use some kind of blade lube ...And if you're going to be cutting locust regularly, you probably want to think about getting a carbide tipped blade.
"...if you're going to be cutting locust regularly, you probably want to think about getting a carbide tipped blade."Yeah, huh? Maybe so. That locust sure came out pretty, especially the QS sections. Boulder's full of locust and they're constantly breaking off limbs and often they have to be taken down. It's hard to work, for sure, but it scrapes (and turns) beautifully and ends up looking unique and stunning, at least to my eye. Might be worth it to invest in carbide...CharlieI tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut
Some of the articles I have read by David Charlsworth mention using Meat & fish blades so there could be some truth in it, he knows a thing or two about sharp edges!
Bit more detail about blade specs here http://www.starrett.co.uk/forms/downloads.cfm
Jason
Edited 1/9/2005 7:22 am ET by jasonb
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a meatcutting band saw typically a mirror image of a typical woodworking bandsaw, with the riser to the RIGHT as you feed material instead of on the left...
...meaning that the blade rotates conter-clockwise on the meatcutter...
...which of course requires that the teeth on the meatcutting blade to be cut/ground OPPOSITE of a woodworking blade....
...hence the competitor's backhanded observation about the quality of the WoodSlicer blade!
tony b.
...who is basing this entire rationalization on his recollections of the meatcutting bandsaw at Satriale's in an episode of HBO's The Sopranos.
If you give the blade a half twist, the teeth run in the opposite direction.
"I've heard that line before, and always thought it was one of those twisted things meant to deride a competitor's product."Yeah, maybe. But MiniMax wasn't selling their own blades, just the Olson ones; and the rep didn't push them as special in any way."Anyone know what the configuration of a "meat blade" is, LOL?"I think he was referring to the steel, not the teeth."but if you were cutting Locust, the deck was really, really stacked against you."Absolutely; but it's not that much worse than White Oak, at least when I'm hand planing. I want a blade that will cut whatever I'm working with (assuming of course, that things are remotely fair; I don't expect miracles in things like Teak that are full of silica.) For $30, as you've so often pointed out, I can get a TimberWolf. That's what I'll be trying next.CharlieI tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut
last time I checked all of my blades are able to cut meat.
I like the converted meat blade.I was hanging out in artist Robert Therrien's studio years and years ago. He had a ButcherBoy bandsaw which is made specifically for cutting meat. I don't know if he changed the blade since he picked it up and I didn't know too much about about bandsaws them--but it worked great. I've got a little piece of wood I cut on it. I first cut it out to look like one of his sculptures, "Hey Bob lookee this..." He didn't say anything but, I quickly cut it to look like something else, dyed it red and its been sitting on my desk for twenty years.I hankered after a band saw for years. Mostly wanted it for resawing. Then I learned that you don't really save wood with the thinner bandsaw blade because you still have to plane uneveness out of the boards. The 3/32 table saw rip blade in a tablesaw cut straighter and was as efficient in the end. The 7" red pirahna? blade I use to rip red cedar and soft wood is even more efficient-I love it
(when I cut 5" stock I make two passes-or more)Will
Agreed, a table saw can do well for that job. I also like using a ryoba; I've done as well that way as with a bandsaw on many occaisions.CharlieI tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut
A bandsaw may not save wood but how fast can a 7"-12" piece of wood be resawn with a tablesaw and Ryoba saw? Especially if there's a lot of stock to resaw or it's hardwood.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
a 'meat blade' designed just for cutting meat (maybe frozen?) might not be much on wood, but one built for plowing through bone too, could be a pretty decent performer. i don't know, just speculating on the possibilities.
m
That's a valid point; I wish FWW had added longevity testing to their recent blade review; the WS may hold it's own for all I know. I may have screwed up the blade somehow..CharlieI tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut
Edited 1/10/2005 1:28 pm ET by CharlieD
I have used TW blades, wear out too quickly. Have used Olsen blades, better than TW initially but also wear out quickly.
Haven't used the WS but do use a 1" Lennox cabide blade that hasn't worn out, cuts my favorite wood, Lyptus, like hard butter, and leaves little to be planed smooth.
Lennox also makes a 1/2" thin carbide blade that should run circles around the the WS. Costs about 3 times the cost of the WS but lasts about 10 time longers. Do the math._________________________________
Michael in San Jose
"In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted." Bertrand Russell
Yeah, I'm thinking in that direction. Where do you get yours?CharlieI tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut
I got my 1" as a referral for a FS41 (gloat) but when I go for the 1/2" I believe Iturra sells them._________________________________
Michael in San Jose
"In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted." Bertrand Russell
The ryoba is slow but satisfying. A table saw hauls butt. Cut, flip, cut again. Take out the middle with a band or hand saw, clean it up. For a guy with a 14" BS, it's a valid approach, mostly due to the lack of drift.CharlieI tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut
John,
What width of Woodslicer did you get? What saw did you use it on?
Thanks,
Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting
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1/2" blade on a Reliant 14" saw running at a medium speedWicked Decent Woodworks
Rochester NH
" If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"
The Timberwolf blade sold by Suffolk is also a great blade for 14" saws or anything powered by less than 2 HP. It's also sold by Lee Valley Tools.
I've been using it in sizes from 1/4" to 1/2", and it works as advertised. I've tweaked a cheap import 14" unit (ball-bearing guides, link belts, etc.) and not much improvement was noted until I installed the Timberwolf blades. I can now slice 6" red oak or maple (my two staple woods) to 1/16" without any problem. I've also used it for cherry down to 1/8" without any problem, and it would probably have sliced the cherry thinner if I had had a project where I needed to do that.
FFW reviews haven't been that friendly to Suffolk, but I judge by results rather than column inches.
Regards,
Ron
You all are gradually wearing me down. I think that I might try a Wood Slicer, when my TimberWolf needs to be replaced. Grumble, grumble, you're all costing me more money!
Alan & Lynette Mikkelsen, Mountain View Farm, est. 1934, Gardens & Fine Woodworking, St. Ignatius, MT
No doubt about it. They work great. Whether they last long enough to be worth $30 is my question...CharlieI tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut
how many tpi?
4 tpi
Yesterday, as an experiment, I took a 6" wide X 4/4 X 24" long piece of mahogany and ran it through the saw. I came out with 3 pieces at 1/4" after going through the thickness planer. I plan on making another pipe box with the slices.Wicked Decent Woodworks
Rochester NH
" If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"
The Woodslicer doesn't have evenly spaced teeth, and that's apparently why it cuts so smoothly. It has 3 tpi in some places, and 4 tpi in others.
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