Thinking of adding a larger Bandsaw

[Michael Drew]

Here's a good video about what this guy noticed on his Laguna 18|BX (which is the same Chinese manufactured series as your 14|12):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eMofAMyaSI

Are you sure that Laguna is made in China? I do not see this on my 18BX, or JX8II jointer I just got. I have not used either much, yet, but both machines are put together nicely. I am happy with both. Time will tell if I screwed up buying Laguna, but I would put them on the same tier as my Austrian built Hammer machine. At least from a build quality perspective.

I put a 1" blade on the bandsaw and experimented a bit ripping some 8" wide cherry. It cuts that without so much as a whimper.

[Dave Roock]

Are you sure that Laguna is made in China? I do not see this on my 18BX, or JX8II jointer I just got. I have not used either much, yet, but both machines are put together nicely. I am happy with both. Time will tell if I screwed up buying Laguna, but I would put them on the same tier as my Austrian built Hammer machine. At least from a build quality perspective.

I put a 1" blade on the bandsaw and experimented a bit ripping some 8" wide cherry. It cuts that without so much as a whimper.

Hello, When you search the Laguna website, they will have questions listed below each item. Example would be your 18bx which says : " The 18|BX Bandsaw is manufactured at an ISO-9001 certified facility in Taiwan."

[Aaron Inami]

Hello, When you search the Laguna website, they will have questions listed below each item. Example would be your 18bx which says : " The 18|BX Bandsaw is manufactured at an ISO-9001 certified facility in Taiwan."

Sorry,that was my assumption. The point I was trying to get across was the overall design/quality of the elements in the Laguna "Classic" line. They are the same between Chris's 14|12 and the 18|BX referenced in the video. They are Asian made, as opposed to the Laguna LT line which are Italian made and are significantly more expensive per equivalent machine.

[ChrisA Edwards]

The Grizzly G0636X 17", 5HP saw arrived... It would have been about 5 days from date of order, but the original delivery attempt could not get it off the truck because the Grizzly pallet was too narrow for the pallet jack. So the delivery company put it on another pallet and delivered it.

[John C Bush]

I've had the Griz 531B for over ten years and and it is a great value. I had been looking for one of those sexy Italians with big wheels for quite a while and didn't have the
good luck that others had so I drove to Bellingham and got the Griz. Very solid and powerful saw. I keep a 1" Lenox WM CT on it and only use it for resaw. Just sold my classic Inca 10"
BS and got the Griz 17" for bowl blanks and narrow blade curve cuts. I haven't used any of the big name saws for comparison but can;t imagine what they can do better than the 531B.
Max resaw heighth is 14 1/4" and there have been a few times I could have use more heighth but has been a good performer for me. No mechanical issues other than replacing the guide bearings . I'm confident you would be happy with it. Good luck.

[John TenEyck]

Well done, Chris. Look forward to your review of the saw after you've had a chance to cut some wood with it.

Is that a OneFinity? Sure looks like the Journeyman, same as I have.

John

[ChrisA Edwards]

Yes, it's a Journeyman. I think we got them a couple of weeks apart.

I did have a bit of an issue squaring the table to the blade. It seemed there was less than about 3/32" of movement in the table with all the table trunnion cap screws loose. I also had to loosen two screws, under the table, that form part of the linkage for the table tilt mechanism. It's very close now, but I think I may have to fine tune the blade on the wheels as I'm out of adjustment at the table. I did call Grizzly, got through to their tech, but the person I spoke to didn't really seem to understand.

It did not come with cable to plug it in, so that's this mornings project and my dust fittings arrive tomorrow.

[John TenEyck]

Thought so. I'm enjoying my 1F and hope you are, too.

I had no trouble getting the table square with the blade. There was plenty of movement available with all the cap screws loose. Grizzly has been making this BS for well over a decade, there can't be any unresolved issues with it. I would not compromise on the blade being centered on the upper wheel. Doing so is an unacceptable solution to the underlying problem. I'd take another look at the table, Chris. How are you judging proper alignment, with a straight edge on the side of the blade? If so, make sure it's not being deflected by the teeth. A large magnet or a shim of wood and a small clamp to hold the straight edge to the blade eliminates the teeth causing a problem and holds the straight edge to the blade so your hands are free to measure and observe alignment. If the tilt screws are causing any limitation, I'd remove them temporarily and see if that allows you to square the table. If it's still not perfect, then try removing one of the trunnion screws at a time and see if that identifies where the problem is.

Good luck.

John

[ChrisA Edwards]

I'm using the Imaging Bandsaw Companion and the Carter (thingy). Both have recess forth kerf and magnets to hold them on the blade.

Think I'm just about there.

[Richard Verwoest]

Shouldn't you be squaring the mitre slot/table to the blade first? Then adjusting the fence to the blade and/or mitre slot?

Richard

[ChrisA Edwards]

If I square the mitre fence to the blade, I cannot adjust the miter slot as that's fixed in the table.

So I did the miter slot to the fence and then tried to compensate the blade angle to the fence by adjusting the table.

[Tom Trees]

If in doubt...mark it out!
SAM_7150.jpgVisible pencil effective .jpg

Sorry, cgetting eager to test.
Still haven't found what I seen quite recently on youtube (searched yesterday)
It's the use of "123" blocks placed against the fence to aid sight, as a fence will obscure vision when sighting down with your nice blue milled chunk of ali.
Perhaps someone can recall, because seeing is believing, having done a similar test with plumblines.
This pictures the best I can do for ya.
SAM_4960.jpg

Good luck with the new machine
Tom

[John TenEyck]

Chris, the first photo suggests your fence is not parallel with the miter slot, assuming the blade slot is. It looks like the fence is further away at the front of the table. If so, you may be a lot closer to perfect than you think.

Measure from your blue bar to the miter slot. How do those numbers compare? Or attach a piece of wood to your miter gage and adjust it to just touch the blue bar at one end, then check it at the other end.

John

[ChrisA Edwards]

I measured from each end of the Igaging companion, while it was on the blade, to the miter slot. As well as my old eye can see, it appeared spot on in mm.

Did a couple of test cuts on some 4" x 4" x 2', no drift and the end thickness was within 0.1mm.

Very happy so far, I think I have it dialed in.

[John TenEyck]

Glad to see you got it squared, Chris. Hopefully, everything else was good to go. Throw away the factory blade. Put a good blade on it and have fun. My experience with the on-board blade tension indicator shows it applies about 25 ksi (measured) at the 1" indicator mark for my 1" Woodmaster CT blade.

John