What bandsaw is best for a wood turner?

[Joshua Dinerstein]

Ok. I know I know. There are tons of band saw threads here on the creek in other forums. But they are all so focused on things that just don't matter to me. Things like how clean is the resawn surface after cutting? I get why that would be important. Being able to cut larger things down into smaller thinner boards I suppose for furniture making, cabinents etc... is a great capability to have.

But I don't do that kind of thing. I am just a wood turner. So what I want to do now and for the foreseeable future is to prep wood for turning. Lately I have been using logs I got from neighbors this spring to make my blanks. Where I used to buy pre-rounded blanks from that big auction site. I tried turning one that was literally just half a log. It worked but man it took some serious time to get it even remotely rounded/true. An hour to get close enough to get up to speed and then 30 minutes to rough turn the bowl. Would have been seriously faster and more fun to saw it to a rough round shape first.

However my band saw is a 50+ year old Craftsman band saw. It is a workhorse and a great saw. But it has a cutting depth of about 4". If I get the guard smashed up into the top of the stop I can get about 5". But that is it.

So these logs I was working on that were 12" or so in diameter were a waste. I just couldn't get a good enough cut just thanks to the nature of the log itself. Oh it helped a bit but I broke the blade trying to get that one little bit closer. That was at once both frustrating and unhelpful.

I have for some time been thinking about getting a new band saw. I have I fear fallen into the trap of reading too darn much on the internet. Every saw out there gets both good and bad reviews. Those that love it are often short and those that hate the product are long, bitter and detailed.

For instance the $1800 Jet 18" band saw is a joke for some. You read the reviews and it is beyond useless to them with every problem in the book. For them only a "$5k or greater saw..." actually has any use. Others love the $230 Ridgid band saw, which of course has just about as many haters.

So if nothing works well, is a good purchase, is always a decent product then what? Follow suit for Mark Normal and build my own out of Concrete? I suppose I could though lacking his skills I expect I would make something even worse that the above mentioned bad reviews.

So I thought I would ask here. Since most of you are, like me, a turner at heart I thought I would see if any of you actually had a reasonable recommendation for me?

Now having said that I am just a turner you never know when a repair or simple project will come up. I would like to have at least a fighting chance to get decently straight cuts at some point in the future if needed. But 99% of my time using the saw will be to prep blanks for the lathe.

So I was leaning towards the Ridgid BS with a riser block just to get to 12" so I could but anything I was likely to turn. Seeing Alan Lacer cut a log in half to make a pair of blanks on his bandsaw in one of his DVDs looked great to me. No need for a chainsaw each time etc... But I have read so many people saying that they can bog down a 14" bandsaw with a riser block constantly trying to do things like that. To get that I thought perhaps a grizzly, the larger HF saw, or even a Rikon 14" deluxe.

But at some point the saws become more costly that it is worth for my planned use. However buying junk has gotten me into trouble in the past. So I want to spend the right amount for a good tool. How is that for a rambling summary. :o

So if anyone has any experience/words of wisdom from a turners perspective I would really like to have it.

Thanks,
Joshua

[Matt Haus]

Joshua,

I can say from my own experience that it depends on what you are trying to turn. I prefer to turn large items. I use as much wood as I can find and when I am trimming blanks, I need as much clearance as I can get.

I have the grizzley 513 and I wish I had one more inch because there have been a few times that one more inch would allowed me to cut a few pieces that would not fit on the 17 inch. I think 18 inch clearance would be fine for larger pieces. Also, think about horsepower. I would get at least a 2 HP motor.

I have not had any issues on my bandsaw that I didn't cause by not getting in a hurry and pushing too hard. The drawback to the Grizzly is that my blades are something like 131.5 inches which I can't buy locally. And I live in Dallas. I just have to order them from timberwolf. No biggie. I wish woodcraft carried that size, though.

Here's what I have. http://www.grizzly.com/products/17-Bandsaw-2-HP/G0513

You should take a look at what they have. If I had it to do over, I would buy the 19 inch clearance. Just me. It will depend on what sort of blanks you want to cut and your lathe swing size

[Jim Stoppleworth]

This saw has been a workhorse for me for both larger and smaller blanks. I got it when it first came out and paid $895 for it which is now what the G0513 lists. don't know what your budget is but this one has worked out great for me.

Jim

[Mike Minto]

Josh, I use the Rikon 14" deluxe; while it is advertised as having great resaw capacity, I find the height available to be invaluable for cutting/rounding good sized bowl blanks - that is my main use for it. I have stalled it in green wood a few times, but with a good, sharp blade and the 1.5 hp motor, I've rounded and cut blanks a good 12" in height with little problem; just make sure you have that dust collector hooked to it, and running. Mike

[Gary Herrmann]

Joshua, what is your budget? How much resaw height do you think you'll want? I've got an MM16. 16" of resaw height, 4.8 hp motor. It's about as bullet proof a tool as I've ever seen. I don't know what the current price is, but I imagine it may be between 2k and 2.5k, so it ain't cheap, but it is a great saw. I bought mine before I started turning. If I had the money and were to buy one now, I'd probably get an MM20 for larger log sections.

[Phil St.Germain]

I have a Grizzly 14" with riser and 1hp motor. With a sharp blade and common sense, I can cut just about anything I need to. I run into trouble when I do not take the time to get the log ripped smoothly. If the blank to be cut sits nice and flat on the bandsaw table, I can easily round 10" blanks. If the base is uneven and I have to shim the bottom, it is a whole lot more work and safety becomes an issue.


Phil

[David Hostetler]

I have the Harbor Freight 14" fitted with a riser block, and a selection of Timberwolf blades... It has a 1HP motor that has never failed to do what I have asked of it. I know I will get some guff from folks that don't like Harbor Freight, but on the big stuff I have from them, I have yet to be disappointed...

Having said that, I do have a friend with the Ridgid BS1400, which was the saw I originally considered. After using his saw, I bought my HF. My HF runs smoother, and is MUCH easier to keep in tune than that Ridgid is... But my HF isn't stock either.

My modification list to the HF is...

Riser block.
Timber Wolf Blades.
Cobra Coil.
Grizzly tension lever assembly.
Cool Blocks
Sears fence & resaw guide.

I have been very happy with this saw cutting blanks, and resawing. It does what I want.

After dumping what I have into it, I probably should have just gotten a Grizzly GO555X though... Better saw, not much more money when you consider the $$ I have wrapped up in the HF saw...

[Nathan Hawkes]

For instance the $1800 Jet 18" band saw is a joke for some. You read the reviews and it is beyond useless to them with every problem in the book. For them only a "$5k or greater saw..." actually has any use. Others love the $230 Ridgid band saw, which of course has just about as many haters.

So if nothing works well, is a good purchase, is always a decent product then what? Follow suit for Mark Normal and build my own out of Concrete? I suppose I could though lacking his skills I expect I would make something even worse that the above mentioned bad reviews.

So I was leaning towards the Ridgid BS with a riser block just to get to 12" so I could but anything I was likely to turn. Seeing Alan Lacer cut a log in half to make a pair of blanks on his bandsaw in one of his DVDs looked great to me. No need for a chainsaw each time etc... But I have read so many people saying that they can bog down a 14" bandsaw with a riser block constantly trying to do things like that. To get that I thought perhaps a grizzly, the larger HF saw, or even a Rikon 14" deluxe.




Well, I only have experience with the Ridgid, and I'll tell you that. I like the saw, but like any tool, you have to be ready to "tweak" it. If you're primarily going to be cutting green turning blanks, the factory motor might work if you're patient. I'm not always patient, and replaced the motor, and put a riser block in. The 3/4HP motor was nowhere near competent to saw thick blanks--over 8" thick. I initially put on a 1.5HP motor, then switched it out to a 2HP baldor when I found a really good deal on a damaged one that needed a new capacitor. I got the saw for $150 used, then spent about that on the motor, so all in all it wasn't a bad dealIf you're an Ebayer, you should have no trouble finding a motor that is 1725rpm and 5/8" output shaft. That way you can use the same pulley from the factory model without issue.

The grizzly riser block works fine with a little bit of modification--I think I had to use a little grinding stone to enlarge one of the bolt holes or something like that. It was a couple years ago. The most important thing is that it was about 1/3 the cost of the ridgid part. The blade guard fit without modification.

The factory guide blocks were a joke--just aluminum blocks. Coolblock graphite impregnated guides are less than $20, and most people replace guide blocks on import taiwan saws anyway. I also replaced the spring--it did NOT tension the blade properly, which is a common complaint among owners of various bandsaw models. The Iturra brand spring was I think about $35-40.

I also replaced the belt with a link-belt Fenner drive one. This was about the most important vibration dampening upgrade, and was about $25.

If you're a Fine Woodworking reader, there was an article in their projects section about a "resaw stand" for a 14" bandsaw. With a riser block, the Ridgid is extremely topheavy on the factory stand. When I had it on a mobile base--another 1.5" added height, I knocked it over once because of the formerly wobbly floor in one spot in the shed. (Since fixed & strengthened). The stand makes it much more stable, and serves as a place to store your blades as well.

Another thing that you may try before replacing the motor if you buy the Ridgid, is to rewire the motor for 220V operation. There is a diagram on the inside of the motor cover for this. It helps the "bogging down" issue dramatically, IMHO, but I was working on a long 100' 12ga. run from the utility box. The 220v power is 8ga. cable from the box.


I know it seems like a huge PITA to buy a saw and end up having to spend a bunch of time upgrading things on it, but I think you'll be happy in the end with a lot less $$$ input with the Ridgid, but for me it was completely unacceptable in stock form. That said, I like the saw a lot now.

[Joshua Dinerstein]

My budget isn't what it used to be. New house was way more expensive than the good faith indicated. Almost $500 a month more. So not a simple mistake. But we put $10k down in earnest money so I was not in the mood to walk away.

So the lower the price for a good machine the better. But spending $500 for a junky one version $800 for a good-great one is false economy. However I can tell you right now that the $1200+ ones from Jet and the others from European companies are beyond my price range.

There is a used Jet 18", older blue model, for sale here for $800. Carter guides and lots of addons/blades. But it still seems a little high for a saw of that age. That is what got me to thinking about this. I had seen the G0513 on amazon for $770 with free shipping. I was going to go that route but sometime in the last 36 hours they took it off their website. The page I had up no longer goes to a valid page. Now that it is either the bay or griz directly it is more than $100 more than that. At that price the G0513x2 is tempting. Seems like a pretty substantial upgrade.

But then it is a $1000 and getting something like the Ridgid with a griz riser kit could do what I am looking for. But I wonder if it "will" do it. Spending another $300 tricking out a cheaper bandsaw to find that it isn't going to cut it, hehehe bad pun intended, isn't what I want to do either.

So that led me to looking at the g0555 model. It is in the middle on price. But needs a riser again and while fairly well respected on here doesn't have the kind of stats of the higher end band-saws. Which is why it would be cheaper. :(


Which is what led me to asking here. If the stock ridgid with a riser block will cut down the logs I have and the corners off of my blanks then that would be great. But as written here just a a few posts before my reply, if I have to trick it out and it costs me > $500 then I should have just gone for the better saw in the first place.

Hehehe, it would be nice not to have to worry about any of this. :)

Joshua

[David Christopher]

Joshua, I have the Rikon 14 deluxe, it has 13 inches of height and a 1 1/2 horse motor...it has done everything I have ask of it....it is $799 at woodcraft an Im sure less at other places

[Richard Madison]

Joshua,
The 14" Jet (enclosed cabinet, 1 hp.) is probably about as good as any in that category, better than most, acceptable value at the time (about $625 a few years ago). It does 95% of what I need very well, only limited by 6" resaw height. I replaced the blade tension knob with a home made bell crank (set the tension initially and then it's 9 turns on or off), and replaced the cheap plastic blade guides with ceramics.

Would like to have 9" of resaw height, but rather not use a riser block. So I get to make a few chainsaw cuts rather than bandsaw cuts. If you anticipate cutting very much big stuff, suggest a larger saw.

Where did you see the bad review of the larger Jet?

Edit: The Rikon 10-325 (the one David has I think) looks good on paper.

[Joshua Dinerstein]

Joshua, I have the Rikon 14 deluxe, it has 13 inches of height and a 1 1/2 horse motor...it has done everything I have ask of it....it is $799 at woodcraft an Im sure less at other places
The one here in SLC has it for $849. But wants $75 in excess weight shipping charges and then tax makes it almost $1000. Is there a sale going on in your neck of the woods? If so perhaps I can get the local store to match it.

Joshua

[Joshua Dinerstein]

Where did you see the bad review of the larger Jet?
It was on Amazon. I would post a link to the review but apparently that is frowned upon so I won't. Let me see if I can find the text.

Well assuming reviews are OK here is the link to the base reviews page:

http://www.amazon.com/710750-JWBS-18X-4-Horsepower-Woodworking-230-Volt/product-reviews/B0006U67I8/ref=sr_1_10_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Joshua

[Gary Max]

Personally---------why use a bandsaw to trim blanks.
Blades cost to much----tables don't like the weight and rust from the wet wood-----bark, dirt , and rocks really screw up a blade.
You can buy a real nice chainsaw for $800.00 and be way ahead.

[David Christopher]

Joshua, here it is for 879 shipped

http://www.builderssquare.com/xp_1540246-Rikon_Bandsaws_10_325_14_quot_Deluxe_Bandsaw_18538 7.aspx

[Darryl Hansen]

If $$ is a concern why a band saw. You can get an excellent chainsaw electric if you wish for less than $150. Make a saw horse and semi round your blanks and cut hem in half length wise and the size is immaterial. I have a band saw that will accept 6" height but I rarely use it for blank prep. The saw horse (many plans for them around) and Makita do all I need for the lathe.

[Reed Gray]

Which saw you get depends on a lot of things. I am a production turner, and have 2 bandsaws. One an industrial Powermatic 14 by 6 saw that is cast iron and cast wheels and a 1 hp motor. No possibility of putting on a riser block. I use it to cut circles. The other is a Laguna 16HD, 4.5 hp, 16 cutting height, dedicated 30 amp 220 amp circuit. I could almost totally redesign it, but motor and height are fine. It is comparable to the MiniMax. You can do a lot with a chainsaw, but the bandsaw does a much better job of getting the faces of the block parallel, is a bit faster, a lot quieter, and I feel much safer with the bandsaw. This results in a dramatic time savings when roughing out bowl blanks and turning them. This is especially true if you use a chainsaw for roughing and cutting the circle/octagon. Electric chainsaws are fine as well, but rather slow to me. The 14 by 6 inch saws with 1hp motors and a riser block are saws that are designed for cutting 6 inches high, and will do okay on cutting higher, but are not designed to cut 12 inches high in any thing close to production mode. Some one really needs to design and produce a resawing bandsaw, with little throat depth, but lots of height.

robo hippy

[Bill Bolen]

Joshua I've had the Grizz go555 for 2 years and been very happy cutting blanks ahead of the lathe. Got the riser block and use a timberwolf blade. I know a few others here use the same saw and it is well received. I think it runs about $600 with riser...Bill..
http://grizzly.com/products/The-Ultimate-14-Bandsaw/G0555

[Richard Madison]

Thanks Joshua. Very strange set of reviews, either love it or hate it and not much in between. Some on both sides can probably be ignored, but still not very helpful in forming an opinion. If I had it to do again, would find a copy of that Rikon 10-325 to look at in person.

[David Hostetler]

If you are going to spend the $$ on a Grizzly 14", I would recommend the GOI555X with that 1.5HP motor... Given the choice between my HF, and a GO555, I think I would stick with the HF just because it is already there and works so well. But that extra half HP of the X model and a few other minor tweaks really push this to the top of my wish list if I were to upgrade...

[Christopher Fletcher]

Personally---------why use a bandsaw to trim blanks.
Blades cost to much----tables don't like the weight and rust from the wet wood-----bark, dirt , and rocks really screw up a blade.
You can buy a real nice chainsaw for $800.00 and be way ahead.


If $$ is a concern why a band saw. You can get an excellent chainsaw electric if you wish for less than $150. Make a saw horse and semi round your blanks and cut hem in half length wise and the size is immaterial. I have a band saw that will accept 6" height but I rarely use it for blank prep. The saw horse (many plans for them around) and Makita do all I need for the lathe.

+1 I have two chainsaws.....One gas Stihl and one electric Craftsman. Combined, they cost less than any bandsaw I could buy and are much more portable. $0.02

[ROY DICK]

What Darryl said.

Roy.

[Wilbur Pan]

So the lower the price for a good machine the better. But spending $500 for a junky one version $800 for a good-great one is false economy. However I can tell you right now that the $1200+ ones from Jet and the others from European companies are beyond my price range.

There is a used Jet 18", older blue model, for sale here for $800. Carter guides and lots of addons/blades. But it still seems a little high for a saw of that age. That is what got me to thinking about this. I had seen the G0513 on amazon for $770 with free shipping. I was going to go that route but sometime in the last 36 hours they took it off their website. The page I had up no longer goes to a valid page. Now that it is either the bay or griz directly it is more than $100 more than that. At that price the G0513x2 is tempting. Seems like a pretty substantial upgrade.

Here's my 2 cents, based on what you've written:

What you say about false economy is true. Personally, I think that the idea of adding a riser to a bandsaw also falls into the realm of false economy. There's more than the issue of attaining your desired resaw height. When resawing a thicker cut of wood, more stress is being added to the frame of the bandsaw. A bandsaw frame that was designed from the start to do this, such as the typical 17" bandsaw, or a one piece design like the Rikon 14", will deal with this better than a 14" with a riser.

There are also advantages to having a 17" bandsaw vs. a 14" bandsaw besides the resaw capacity. Since the blade goes around a wider radius on the bigger bandsaw, you'll place less stress on the blade, leading to longer blade life.

The price quoted for the blue Jet seems like a fair one to me. The reason for that is the Carter guides and the extra blades. But those extras would be more important if you were looking to resaw veneers, which isn't on your priority list. For a flatwork woodworker, it actually sounds like a pretty good deal.

Right now, the G0513 is $889 shipped, while the G0513x2 is $995 shipped (actually, with a free shipping offer). If I had to choose between the two, I'd go for the G0513x2 in a heartbeat. The difference between the two is that the G0513x2 has cast iron wheels and cast iron trunnions, vs. the aluminum wheels and steel trunnions on the G0513. The extra mass on the wheels is really useful for making your cuts easier, and beefier trunnions are always good.

OT: $500 a month more for your house? What the heck happened?

[David Hostetler]

Joshua,

If you have a club near you, with members that are amiable to showing off their shops, you might just be able to lay your hands on a couple of different saws.

Sure, I CAN bog down my HF 14" saw, but then again I could probably bog down a big 3 HP Grizzly 21" saw too...

For me, the issue has been setup and feed rate. Make sure the tension on the blade is right, make sure you are using good blades not the junk that ships with nearly every band saw etc...

While I think the Grizzly would have been a better choice for fit and finish than my HF, my HF is definately a work horse. Cutting up bowl blanks in stock up to 12" is no problem at all. I have made blanks so far in Pecan, Mesquite, Pin Oak, and Cedar FWIW...

[Jim Becker]

I stopped using the band saw to "prepare" stock for turning most of the time, preferring to just knock off the corner with the chain saw and put the wood between centers to find the best orientation. Sawing round blanks on the band saw more or less commits you to an orientation that may not be the best for highlighting what's in the wood. That said, it's certainly easier when it comes to mounting the workpiece, especially early on in one's turning experience.

In my mind, a band saw idealized for a turner will have larger cutting height and enough power to easily cut larger chunks of material without bogging down or requiring one to force the wood through the blade. (Both of these are safety issues). A larger table is helpful, especially since one needs to use a jig sometimes to hold the workpiece safely for certain types of cuts, such as cross cutting a log...it must be held securely so it cannot rotate and bind the blade. One's hands are not appropriate for that purpose. Many folks do get away with a typical 14" band saw with a riser kit installed, but power is often marginal. Finding a larger, more powerful machine, perhaps used, might be the better choice if you can.

BTW, the right blade also makes a difference. Since turning stock is most often "Green" and "wet", one should use a blade designed for that purpose. I use Suffolk's Timberwolf AS blades for this work. They are made for wet wood cutting.

[David Christopher]

Joshua, I just looked at the august 2009 woodcraft catalog and they have the rikon deluxe for 799

[Joshua Dinerstein]

Personally---------why use a bandsaw to trim blanks.
Blades cost to much----tables don't like the weight and rust from the wet wood-----bark, dirt , and rocks really screw up a blade.
You can buy a real nice chainsaw for $800.00 and be way ahead.

I suppose accidents can happen with anything. But I have been quite safe with my small band saw over the last 2 years and I keep reading horror stories on here about chainsaws. Just makes me wonder which is safer. I can try out a chainsaw I suppose. Getting one setup would be nice anyway. But if a chainsaw is better in every way why do so many use bandsaws? There has to be a reason. Is it just that it has always been done that way?

Joshua

[Joshua Dinerstein]

+1 I have two chainsaws.....One gas Stihl and one electric Craftsman. Combined, they cost less than any bandsaw I could buy and are much more portable. $0.02

I purchased an electric 18" Craftsman Chainsaw. It is still in the box. I will see how well it works. So far I am still a fan of the bandsaw for many things. But I am always game for new ideas when it seems like they might work.

Joshua

[Joshua Dinerstein]

While I think the Grizzly would have been a better choice for fit and finish than my HF, my HF is definately a work horse. Cutting up bowl blanks in stock up to 12" is no problem at all. I have made blanks so far in Pecan, Mesquite, Pin Oak, and Cedar FWIW...
Well rats. Just double checked the HF websites. Getting one locally and just using it with the option to return was an appealing thought.

They no longer have/sell the riser kits. They have gotten rid of lots of stuff lately for whatever the reason. The tool rest replacements are gone. Their 8" wet grinder like the tormek/Jet jssg-10, very loosely comparing them, no longer has the extra jigs for it. So for whatever the reason they are really cutting back.


I expect the same Grizzly riser kit would work for most things. I found a comment online that said that the blade guide has a notched flat on 1 side for the HF where the others to do not.

Joshua

[David Hostetler]

Well rats. Just double checked the HF websites. Getting one locally and just using it with the option to return was an appealing thought.

They no longer have/sell the riser kits. They have gotten rid of lots of stuff lately for whatever the reason. The tool rest replacements are gone. Their 8" wet grinder like the tormek/Jet jssg-10, very loosely comparing them, no longer has the extra jigs for it. So for whatever the reason they are really cutting back.


I expect the same Grizzly riser kit would work for most things. I found a comment online that said that the blade guide has a notched flat on 1 side for the HF where the others to do not.

Joshua

The Harbor Freight riser block kit is not available through their web site. You have to call the 1-800 number as they consider it "service parts"...

The item # you want is 24536-0ZZA.

[Joshua Dinerstein]

OT: $500 a month more for your house? What the heck happened?
Thanks for the comments on the saw. I hate going cheap but am really feeling forced into it right now. So perhaps I will just wait for the hopefully not so distant future to check out getting a better one.

As for the $500. That is an excellent question and one we are still trying to unravel. We got a good faith after they took all of our information and it was just under $2200 a month and $2400 a month with PMI added on. We were set to pay off the PMI in very short order so I wasn't concerned as it was to be in place for only about 3 months. We got there for the closing and had signed a half a dozen documents as you do. When we got to the new payment page and it showed $2800. We asked what the difference once and were told by the title company employee I have no idea. I had nothing to do with your other paperwork.

The real problem was that our realtor and the mortgage person. Got married about 2 weeks before our close. To each other. So both were gone on a honeymoon. So those we had known and worked with were out and gone. And the person from the mortgage company who was there to "help". Had never seen our paperwork either. They left to make some phone calls came back and basically said "We don't know that is just what it is..."

We were told with oily smiles that we could of course back out and not close but that our earnest monies would be forfit. ACK! So now we are here working with the actually mortgage holder to try and find out what is going on and if we can get it straightened out. If not then we will probably just have to turn around and sell it.

Oh and someone we got two different insurance policies on the same house arranged by the same mortgage agent. Yeah! This is the 3rd house I have ever had and the only one that has been a mistake from the word go....

Joshua

[James Hendrix]

Have you thought about used? Craig's List?

I have both gas and electric chainsaws - both have their place.

I also have the HF bandsaw with riser block. Put a good Timerwolf blade and have no issues with cutting blanks from logs. I was not too concerned
about accuracy with the HF bandsaw as I am cutting rough blanks anyways.

I did purchase a new Jet a month ago that has a capacity of 12 inches (riser block now all one piece) but it's still at the store waiting for me to make more room in my shop. However, I have no desire to cut green wood on it as I want to keep it as clean as I can

[Wilbur Pan]

As for the $500. That is an excellent question and one we are still trying to unravel.

Dang. That sounds like a really bad situation. Hopefully you can get it straightened out. That way, you can take the $500 a month you get back and after two months get the Grizzly G0513x2. ;)

I don't know what the used machinery situation is like in Salt Lake City, but as has been mentioned, you could also go the used route. I have a 16" Walker-Turner bandsaw that dates back to the 1940's, and it's much more heavy-duty than the typical bandsaw found on the market today. It's so overbuilt that the wheel covers are made of cast iron. I got it for $350. That's the one good thing about living in a high property tax state like New Jersey. There are a lot of older guys selling off their workshop equipment and moving out of state.

It took some fixing up, but I was able to replace bearings and get it tuned up. And just in case you think that this was because I'm some sort of mechanical wizard, my day job is being a pediatric oncologist, and I had never done anything like this before.

As for why chainsaws aren't more popular for preparing blanks, part of the reason is that most turners that I know prepare their blanks in their shop, by the lathe, which is not where you want a gasoline engine running. Most shops are cramped for space, which is not great if you are using a chainsaw, either. But since you mentioned that you have a Craftsman electric chainsaw, I happen to have one too. Mine does a great job on trees, assuming that I can get an electric cord out to it, and since yours is electric, you could use it indoors.

[Richard Madison]

Definitely agree with Wilbur about NOT using a riser block (although I realize that many folks have good results that way). If you need more resaw height, just get a bigger saw that is built to do the job.

[Tim Cleveland]

I have heard alot of really good things about the Rikon 14", but you might also want to consider the Steel City 14" BS. It is a very well built machine with tons of power, you will need to get a riser block though. Regardless of what saw you get, make sure that you get it from a company that specializes in heavy equipment since they will have special shipping rates. In all of my searches for heavier equipment toolking.com and Redmond machinery have always had the best prices and shipping rates, they are also great to work with.

Tim

[Steve Schlumpf]

Josh - like Jim, I quit using my bandsaw for truing up turning stock a long time ago. I use the chainsaw to rough out the shape and remove the corners. After that - I turn it.

I had a number of problems using my bandsaw (Jet cabinet style 14" with 1 hp motor) that I found it easier and faster to just turn the blank on the lathe. I did bandsawing a section of log to be very hazardous if you do not support the log throughout the entire cut. Cost me 2 Timberwolf blades in one hour because the blank was ripped out of my hands! Everyone has a different experience - hope yours is better than mine.

[Christopher Fletcher]

Josh - like Jim, I quit using my bandsaw for truing up turning stock a long time ago. I use the chainsaw to rough out the shape and remove the corners. After that - I turn it.

I had a number of problems using my bandsaw (Jet cabinet style 14" with 1 hp motor) that I found it easier and faster to just turn the blank on the lathe. I did bandsawing a section of log to be very hazardous if you do not support the log throughout the entire cut. Cost me 2 Timberwolf blades in one hour because the blank was ripped out of my hands! Everyone has a different experience - hope yours is better than mine.

To Steve's point. I was using a well tuned rikon, with a suffolk timberwolf blade 3tpi for green wood, all the trimmings and cut the heal of my hand from a blank that got away from me. Again, I now use the chainsaw for just about every lathe prep.
C.

[Joshua Dinerstein]

Joshua, I have the Rikon 14 deluxe, it has 13 inches of height and a 1 1/2 horse motor...it has done everything I have ask of it....it is $799 at woodcraft an Im sure less at other places
You were right. I had called and the guy on the phone told me $849. I went in today and there was a sticker on the saw "$799.99". So I started talking to the sales man about it. He told me that they are running a sale here on the 24th and 25th. Would be even cheaper. Rikon 14" deluxe here I come! Cool! Makes it cheaper the the Grizzly G0513, not the x2 model, and it is local. I like doing that when I can.

Joshua

[Chris Stolicky]

If you go with the Rikon, let us know how you like it.

It really does seem like a good machine.....

[Phil Labowski]

wow Chris that sucks. I'm guessing your okay now though?

[Scott Hubl]

You really can SAVE ALOT of your hard earned CASH by buying Used.

I found this one a Grizzly G0513 17" 2 HP BS near me the seller wanted $550.00 and I got it for $450.00 and it was Barely used, in fact it looked brand spankin New.
See my original post here> http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=84018

That was before the economy tanked out too.

Guys are now selling off some tools that they may not have been a year ago, just to have it around, but as jobs are lost tools get sold and sold Cheap compared to buying it new.

OH BTW, it came with several brand new blades and a very nice mobile base too.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p59/AmericanAndProud/2-3.jpg

[Christopher Fletcher]

wow Chris that sucks. I'm guessing your okay now though?
Phil-
Yeah, I'm all good now and thanks for the concern. In fact I got off pretty easy considering what could have happened. I do plan to use a BS for dry and otherwise stable wood.

Scott-
That is a smoking deal on that BS! Very jealous!!:)

[Joshua Dinerstein]

You really can SAVE ALOT of your hard earned CASH by buying Used.

I found this one a Grizzly G0513 17" 2 HP BS near me the seller wanted $550.00 and I got it for $450.00 and it was Barely used, in fact it looked brand spankin New.
See my original post here> http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=84018

That was before the economy tanked out too.

Guys are now selling off some tools that they may not have been a year ago, just to have it around, but as jobs are lost tools get sold and sold Cheap compared to buying it new.

OH BTW, it came with several brand new blades and a very nice mobile base too.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p59/AmericanAndProud/2-3.jpg

You are one lucky lucky punk!

Joshua

[David Walser]

Things have been very hectic at work and I've stopped reading the forum until yesterday.

Anyway, another vote for the Rikon. It's recevied excellent reviews over the last 3 or 4 years. It's not quite as good as, but very darn close to, machines costing a thousand or two dollars more.

However, are you sure you need a new bandsaw for bowl blanks? In his video, Bowl Basics the Easy Way, Lyle Jamieson recommends against using a bandsaw for bowl blanks. He makes three arguments against using the bandsaw:


Safety. As a poster up thread testified, bandsaws cut more than wood. A rough log section might rock, pulling your hand into the blade.
Artistic control. Jamieson recommends mounting the log section between centers. As you turn it round, it's easy to adjust the blank to put the wood on its best display (to balance the amount of sap wood on each side of the bowl, for example). You have less flexibility if you've already cut the blank round on the bandsaw (leaving the wood you'd like to display in the scrap bin).
Speed. Lyle thinks it's faster to turn the blank round than it is to cut it on the bandsaw, mount it on a screw chuck (or face plate), and then re-true it up on the lathe.

I could come up with several counters to Lyle's arguments, such as:


Oh yeah! Says who?!

Seriously, the two serious counters (I can come up with) to Lyle's arguments are the following:


Swing. If your lathe has a 16" swing, not rounding your blank before mounting it on the lathe might limit your ability to turn anything larger than a 12" bowl.
Speed. I suspect a production turner, with a powerful/large bandsaw, might be able to knock out several blanks on the bandsaw and then might be able to rough those blanks out very quickly on the lathe. Yes, the production turner might give up some artistic control by rounding the blanks on the bandsaw. In return, the turner gains efficiency by being able to work in batches.

Here's a link to the video: http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store/Videos___Techniques___Bowl_Basics_the_Easy_Way___j amieson_bowl_basics?Args=

YMMV.

[Jeff Nicol]

Joshua, Like any other good wood addicted person, tools are some thing that we have to have. I have a 14" Jet with a riser block and it works like a champ for me. The big thing with any tool is using it to the best of its abilities without pushing it past it's limits. A BS is one of the most used tools in my shop and not just for cutting blanks. But when cutting blanks the blade is the last line of defense and should be the best you can buy. the green wood cutting blades that are out there are what you should use when cutting green wood. But changing the blade for other types of cutting each time sometimes gets forgotten and this causes the blades to get dull or catch or whatever to make them less efficient.

A good chainsaw is a must be it electric or gas. The speed at which you can get a log roughed out to useable shapes is fast and if done right can go right to the lathe. But if I am cutting a bunch of blanks for pepper mills, honey dippers, pens, stoppers, handles, vase or hollow forms of many sizes, the BS is the thing to have in the shop! It is like having a 4x4 truck, once you have one you can't be with out it! So buy the one that you like the best and there are always things about whichever you buy that you would like different, but that goes for everything, just like your house mess!

Take care and enjoy the tools you have and you will buy more as time goes on, it will not be your last big purchase!

Jeff

[Michael Mills]

First of all please think safety with either the band or chain saw.
I use my workbench with an electric chain saw. I do place a 2X4 over the steel slides to make sure I don’t hit them with the chain when I cut lengthwise. The two halves just fall apart.
The second pic shows how I trim the corners. A sacrificial scrap of plywood is used to protect the workbench and a hold down is used at one end of the log. Both hands can now be on the saw without worrying about the log rolling. Of course, the log is turned around to cut the other end.
Since you already have a chain saw I would suggest building a saw buck like others mentioned. If you use 4X4,s at the top, you can drill a hole to accept a hold down.
Manual hold-downs are about 10 bucks and the Marples (screw) type are about 25. I believe you can get a more clamp pressure with the screw type.
Since you state your chainsaw is new please don’t do like I normally do and just jump in, read the manual. I believe many accidents are caused by trying to use the end (tip) of the chain saw.
You can see I do have a band saw in the background, 14" with riser blocks. To me it was too much trouble since I already had the chain saw out already. I have seen a video somewhere on slicing the log length-wise on a band saw. NOT ME. If the log rolls at all the blade will be put in a bind. This is not like re-sawing timber with a flat side down.
If you have the money then I would go with a BIG band saw. For me, if I ever master any tool other than the parting tool, I will spend my bucks on some super nice burls or some other nice wood.
Enough of my rambling….
Mike

[Hilel Salomon]

Sorry to be late on all of this, but I haven't been able to do much "surfing" or turning lately. This has CHANGED in the last week, and I'm going to be doing more of both.
I have a Jet 18" bandsaw and I'm not happy with it. It only has 10" resaw height (they later added an inch or two) and more often than not it won't acommodate a large piece. My old, old Delta w/rise block does much better. More often than not blades get stuck, bent and unuseable, but that may be just my impatience at work.
As for safety, I learned-was lucky-the hard way not to try anything until one surface was flat or unless using a sled. There are lots of plans for these and they do make it possible to use a bandsaw on rounded objects.
I do use a C1I easy rougher, but with drier wood a large out of round blank often bounces even my powermatic around. It is true that a bandsaw rounded blank has pretty much determined what shape you will turn, so you have a choice to make. There are internet plans for using a chainsaw on rough blanks safely. I cut "v" shapes on plywood, put them together (spaced adequately) with long bolts and sit them on some sawhorses. I can cut the blanks in half and tie them down in order to cut off the edges. I probably do 50/50 bandsawing/chainsawing.
As for your mortgage turning out to be several hundreds more than the good faith estimate, I would consult a lawyer and, I think, a good one might not only get you a new deal, but might also get you some money for the double dealing perpetrated on you. Then, you can afford a Laguna, Meber or Minimax bandsaw w/goodies.
Good luck, Hilel.