Sorry you got a bigger bandsaw?

[Dave Lehnert]

I have been reading a lot of threads about larger bandsaws like the Grizzly 17" and larger saws in other brands.
The same thing will keep creeping up. Something like " Wish I had not sold my 14" saw for smaller blades"

So whats the big issue with smaller blades on larger saws? Are they not made to use smaller blades?
Is this just a wish kinda like Norm with a router for each bit?

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Dave, I use a 1/8" blade in my 36" saw when I need the extra clearance. For instance, large bracket feet. There is no good reason to not use the smaller blades in big saws, its just that you get a great saw set up with a superb resaw type blade, and you actually use it quite a bit. It's a bit inconvient to dismount and coil a 232" Trimaster to install a 1/8" blade so you can make a jig. Now if you just run a skinny blade, no problem, but I personally use my big saw predominatly for resaw work though.

BTW, that 1/8" blade in my saw is absolutly superb. Cuts smooth as silk, quiet, and so much room to work with. Really fun to cut curves with a big saw.

[Don Stanley]

I agree with Steve Rozmiarek with regard to changing blades. I have a Jet 16" band saw, and use it primarily for re-sawing. I plan to get another band saw just for convenience of having a saw setup with 1/4'' or 3/8'' fine tooth blade for general purpose work.

-Don

[Steve Kohn]

I have a 19 inch Grizzly bandsaw. I set it up with a 1/2" Woodslicer for resawing. Discovering it was a major pain to change blades I got a little Delta Shop Master benchtop bandsaw at Lowes for $100. I still have the stock 1/4 blade on the saw and use it on a regular basis to cut any of the curvy things I need.

If I need to cut bigger curvy things, or big circles I can switch over to the bigger saw with a different blade.

In my opinion this is an ideal situation.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dave,

I think the big issue is just changing, tracking and aligning everything when you have to change a blade.

[Stephen Edwards]

Dave, I use a 1/8" blade in my 36" saw when I need the extra clearance. For instance, large bracket feet. There is no good reason to not use the smaller blades in big saws, its just that you get a great saw set up with a superb resaw type blade, and you actually use it quite a bit. It's a bit inconvient to dismount and coil a 232" Trimaster to install a 1/8" blade so you can make a jig. Now if you just run a skinny blade, no problem, but I personally use my big saw predominatly for resaw work though.

BTW, that 1/8" blade in my saw is absolutly superb. Cuts smooth as silk, quiet, and so much room to work with. Really fun to cut curves with a big saw.

Steve, I saw a photo of your big bandsaw in some thread. That's a beautiful piece of machinery. I've never seen a saw like that. What's the brand and and date?

Thanks.

[glenn bradley]

For me it is definitely a case of being spoiled. I have been doing quite a bit of 1/4" blade work on my 17" saw as I need the power. Some of my regret at selling my smaller saw (and the reason I bought another one to replace it) is that being a one man shop I will often resaw, do this, do that, curve-cut, run out of material and go resaw some more. Having multiple saws (like multiple routers) prevents me from having to swap setups back and forth. I could definitly do without the small saw but I couldn't do without the big one.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Steve, I saw a photo of your big bandsaw in some thread. That's a beautiful piece of machinery. I've never seen a saw like that. What's the brand and and date?

Thanks.


Stephen, there are a few photos of my shop on my member page, so a few photos of it are there. It's an Oliver model 16, 36" bandsaw. I think it was made between 1915 and 1920, but thats just a somewhat educated guess. It came off the line as a line belt machine, and someone a long time ago converted it to electric.

I bought it off of ebay about 8 years ago (geeze time flies), for $400. I had to drive from western Nebraska to Three Bridges, Montana to fetch it. Dad and I did it non stop, which is another story in itself. The guy I bought it from got it from a school. Some time in the past, somebody goofed up the table tilt mechanism, and it does not work. I put a new motor on it, put together a magnetic starter, a Laguna Driftmaster fence, rebuilt the guides, and bought a Trimaster for it. It still runs babitt bearings, which I doubt I will ever wear out, but I have the rollers in the shop just in case. It weighs a shade over 2000#.

I also know several ways to not move big machines thanks to my saw. For instance, don't ever tip a big bandsaw to get it into a garage door. That was scary, and I almost lost it. Another, 2000# on wheels really doesn't take much of a hill to get moving on, and it packs a lot more mass than I do. Finally, when using a forklift to place it in its latest spot, don't smash the gutters with the forklift mast. Best way I have found to move it around the shop is a mini skid steer, or if you have more time, a small bar to lever with, repeating the process many times, works well.

It's been a great saw, and I'd put it's cutting ability up against anything. Plus it's got a bit of character!

[Paul Atkins]

I have a Powermatic #87 20" and it takes me less than 5 minutes to change from a 1/4" blade to a 5/8" or larger. I can go from 32 tooth metal cutting blade at 250 (speed) to 3 tooth resaw wood blade ( at 3500) in about the same time. Tracking and setting guides is almost a non issue. I'm getting a 3/32" blade next and will have to make some guides, but I don't miss my 12" Craftsman or my 14" Asian one. I just put it on casters which made all the difference in my overly crowded shop.

[Dave Bureau]

Stephen, there are a few photos of my shop on my member page, so a few photos of it are there. It's an Oliver model 16, 36" bandsaw. I think it was made between 1915 and 1920, but thats just a somewhat educated guess. It came off the line as a line belt machine, and someone a long time ago converted it to electric.

I bought it off of ebay about 8 years ago (geeze time flies), for $400. I had to drive from western Nebraska to Three Bridges, Montana to fetch it. Dad and I did it non stop, which is another story in itself. The guy I bought it from got it from a school. Some time in the past, somebody goofed up the table tilt mechanism, and it does not work. I put a new motor on it, put together a magnetic starter, a Laguna Driftmaster fence, rebuilt the guides, and bought a Trimaster for it. It still runs babitt bearings, which I doubt I will ever wear out, but I have the rollers in the shop just in case. It weighs a shade over 2000#.

I also know several ways to not move big machines thanks to my saw. For instance, don't ever tip a big bandsaw to get it into a garage door. That was scary, and I almost lost it. Another, 2000# on wheels really doesn't take much of a hill to get moving on, and it packs a lot more mass than I do. Finally, when using a forklift to place it in its latest spot, don't smash the gutters with the forklift mast. Best way I have found to move it around the shop is a mini skid steer, or if you have more time, a small bar to lever with, repeating the process many times, works well.

It's been a great saw, and I'd put it's cutting ability up against anything. Plus it's got a bit of character!

I too just bought a 100 year old bandsaw. Im cleaning and painting now. The saw runs like a dream. I have a 18" Rikon that I was going to sell but I might keep it for a while to see if i actually need 2.

[Mike Heidrick]

Spoiled is right.

My small used 12" Jet bandsaw cost less than my Woodmaster CT blade for the MM20. Heck, I think I paid more for my Milwaukee jigsaw as well.

I had sold my 14" Jet for about double that to a friend. Should have kept it but he needed it so it is in the right shop.

If you have the space for the 2nd saw, can use it, and find a deal on it - why not?

[Larry Fox]

Completely agree with other posters here - for me it is all about blade changes. I have my MM-16 absolutely dialed in for resaw and I cringe at the thought of changing the blade just to do a few cuts with a narrow blade. I only have one BS at this point so I have to do it but I would jump on the right deal for a little 14" model if it came along in order to avoid it.

Along those same lines, I have two cabinet saws and one is setup specifically to do cuts with the blade tilted at 45-degrees. That's all it does in the shop, blade never changes and it has a dead-accurate crosscut sled on it. Spoiled - yep, definitely.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I too just bought a 100 year old bandsaw. Im cleaning and painting now. The saw runs like a dream. I have a 18" Rikon that I was going to sell but I might keep it for a while to see if i actually need 2.

Sweet saw Dave! Looks like its in really good shape. It's really quite an experience ti use one of these isn't it. Great old saws.

[Frank Drew]

If you've got the room and want (or need) two band saws, no reason not to have them, but I'm with Paul Atkins in thinking that blade changes are neither particularly time-consuming nor problematic.

[Curt Harms]

If you've got the room and want (or need) two band saws, no reason not to have them, but I'm with Paul Atkins in thinking that blade changes are neither particularly time-consuming nor problematic.

It's less problematic if you can stick with all the same thickness blades. I've looked at Bimetal blades-lots of people like them-but the ones I've found are .032" thick. All my current blades are .025 thick. I don't mess with the side guides when I switch blades, just the back thrust bearings. That makes blade changes fairly painless. Also, the Rikon saw's blade slot in the table is lined up with the miter slot so there's no having to maneuver the blade around the lower guides to remove it, just straight on and straight off. That helps as well.

[John Thompson]

I kept my small BS when upgrading to 18" for three reasons. I could not get out of it what I paid. I have the room. I leave a Lennox bi-metal on the larger and a 1/4" 6 tpi on the smaller to avoid any blade changes as I am in the shop daily and often alternate between re-saw and cutting out templates.

I have no regrets keeping it and as it turns out.. was one of the more brilliant things I have done concerning up-grades.

[Rick Moyer]

To not hijack this thread I started another about resawing, but I also wonder about the merits of one saw over another. For those of you with two or more BS's, what gets done on your larger saw and what do you do on your smaller saw? In other words, is one strictly dedicated and the other gets everything else?

[Steve Rozmiarek]

To not hijack this thread I started another about resawing, but I also wonder about the merits of one saw over another. For those of you with two or more BS's, what gets done on your larger saw and what do you do on your smaller saw? In other words, is one strictly dedicated and the other gets everything else?

Rick, my big saw is not dedicated to resaw, but that and rough sizing are is it's major jobs. It also cuts curves when more capacity is needed. The little saw is never used to resaw, and mostly gets used for trimming, curves, and odd jobs.