Pre-gloat...

[Harold Burrell]

OK...a "pre-gloat" might be a bit of a stretch, but I am a tad excited.

I have finally saved up enough for my band saw! :D

I am planning on going with the G0514X2.

I do have a couple of question, though...

1. I plan on getting some blades with it. I probably can afford 4 Timberwolf blades total. What size(s) should I get? I plan on doing a little bit of everything.

2. Since I am planning on picking up the band saw from the Grizzly store...How in the WORLD am I supposed to get it off the pickup and onto the mobile base??? :confused:

[Lance Norris]

Blades... I like a 3/4" 3tooth per inch for resawing. I also like a 1/4" 6tooth for curves, and an 1/8" 14 tooth for tight stuff/bandsawn boxes.

Buy some beer, call yer buddies. These saws are managable without the motor and table.

Oh, and congrats, you are going to love having a very capable bandsaw in your shop. I have a Griz G0457, and its been excellent. Dont forget the rules... You have to post pics when its home...:)

[george wilson]

4 blades won't last long,especially the resawing one!! I have been able to get extra life out of blades by BARELY SPARKING the tops of the dull teeth on the bench grinder. BUT,you have to get good at it! I've gotten 3 resharpenings sometimes. You are grinding the set off,no matter what you are doing,though. The blades actually cut better than new if you do it right,because the teeth were formed before the blades were tempered. That starts them out a bit dull.

You can get more serious by getting a 1/4" wide wheel,and dressing it to fit the tooth's gullet. Then,barely spark it. Some make a plywood jig to hold the blade and do an even job of grinding. That is best if you don't have the skill to do it freehand.

I tend to do smaller work,and guitars. I've gotten by with 1/4" 6 tooth blades(Lennox or Starrett) for decades. Even sawn 12" thick Cuban mahogany and rosewood with them. You do have to learn technique to do that,though. Blades with fewer teeth do get dull faster,because the fewer teeth do more work. By feeding slowly,and FEELING what the bandsaw wants to do,you can do very accurate work with a 1/4" blade.

I use a single line contact vertical knee clamped to the table for big resawing. It lets you move the wood some if the saw cuts a bit to one side.

I know I'm nuts,but that's what I do,and it works for me.

[Matt Logana]

Id get a 1/8, 1/4, 3/4, 1in.

3/16: Scroll work
1/4: Scroll work featuring straight cuts
3/4: Ripping
1in: Resawing


Griz says that the saw can properly tension all of them,including 1/8s, but that might be a tad tricky, and woodcraft fails to stock them for 133".

PS: Griz gives an odd number on the blade length... just go with the 133" I am sure it will fit... close enough for government work...

[Will Overton]

1. I plan on getting some blades with it. I probably can afford 4 Timberwolf blades total. What size(s) should I get? I plan on doing a little bit of everything.



A pre congrats on the new saw.;)

Why don't you call Suffolk Machinery [(800) 234-7297], the manufacturer of Timberwolf blades. Tell them the saw model and your intended use, and they will set you up with a good selection. They are very nice folks to deal with.

[Harold Burrell]

A pre congrats on the new saw.;)

Why don't you call Suffolk Machinery [(800) 234-7297], the manufacturer of Timberwolf blades. Tell them the saw model and your intended use, and they will set you up with a good selection. They are very nice folks to deal with.

Oh, wow! Thanks for that info.

[Jim Kirkpatrick]

Peter, Congrats on the future saw purchase! I'm on the same boat as you RE the blades, I just got a G0636. I don't have experience on the blades as I haven't even wired it for power but I did manage to get it into my shop. Hopefully you too have a neighbor with a fork lift to get it off your truck. ;) Once you get it inside I got the base on my saw with only the help of my wife and a pinchbar. The shopfox base that Grizzly sells is designed to be built around the base of the saw so you don't need to lift the saw onto a finished base. It went pretty smoothly. However, I'm not too pleased with the quality of the swivel casters. In order for them to swivel, I need someone to manually swivel the castor while I lift up on the saw. Perhaps because my saw weighs in the 650# range.
If I had to do it again, I would go with an aftermarket castor like the from Greatlakes (LV-1710-NYP-S-M12, 1.75" stabalizing casters.
Greatlakescaster.com) that a lot of folks here recommend. They attach through the shipping holes that are drilled in the base of the saw, so again, you could merely jack the saw up with a pinch bar and blocks of wood to install.

[Kurt Rosenzweig]

I just took delivery of the 513x2 and I am lucky enough to own a bobcat with forks. UPS showed up with a lift gate truck and it was a piece of cake to shimmy it off the pallet onto the Mobile base. Also keep in mind that you'll need a piece of 3/4 plywood to boost the saw up in the Mobile base so the lower door on the saw will clear the base. If you order over the phone Grizzly has a special on Timber wolf blades with your purchase.

[Paul McGaha]

Harold,

As for getting the saw from a truck to the ground you might consider buying or making some type of portable ramps. I bought some aluminum ramp fittings that you bolt to a couple pieces of 2 x 10's about 8 ft long and rest on the tailgate. They put the 2 x 10's coming off the truck at about a 30 degree angle. They work ok. Cost about $50 as I recall. I've used them a few times. Bought them on line.

As for putting the saw on the mobile base I have a bunch of 3/4" plywood strips about 2" x 12". Raise the tool by tilting it to one side and putting the strips in on one side. Tilt it the opposite way and build up the other side. Build it up on both sides high enough to get the mobile base under the tool.

Great to see you getting the new band saw. Congratulations.

PHM

[Tim Lawson]

Congratulations. I'd recommend sneaking up on your blade width choices. I've found that 1/4" and 1/2" do just about everything I need. The caveat is that for the 1/2" blade I use the Woodslicer (http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/woodslicer-resaw-bandsaw-blades.aspx) from Highland Hardware. Thin kerf and very clean cutting. Not cheap but well worth the cost.

1/4" blades I use a 6tpi from a local vendor. That vendor also taught me a great trick for confirming the length of blade needed. Lower the top bandsaw wheel to it's lowest point and then back it up 1/4". Loop a piece of string around the wheels in the path of the blade. Where the ends of the string overlap - mark with a sharpie. Layout the string and measure. Round up to nearest 1/2".

If you use this length (which may differ from the manufacturers suggestion) you'll have greater control over the tension on the blade.

Don't have too much fun!

Tim

[John Coloccia]

correction from someone else's post: It's a 143" blade, not 133".

my $.02
Skip the 1" blade if you're not resawing freehand. I wouldn't go above 3/4" on this machine, and honestly I think 1/2" is probably sufficient for good resawing. The problem with the 1" blades is you will struggle and struggle and struggle to put them in and get them out. I don't know how Grizz thinks a 1-1/4" blade will work in that thing. Maybe if you heat it up cherry red first so that it bends and twists a bit easier :D Anyhow, my opinion is I don't see any difference between a 3/4" blade or a 1" blade for quality, and the only reason I use a 1" blade is that I tend to resaw freehand and it's easier to follow a line with a big blade. If you're using any sort of guide, I'd at least try the smaller blades first. It'll save you a heck of a lot of hassle.

On the low end, I have run 1/8" blades but it's a touchy setup. It does work with careful setup, though.

It's a nice saw. You're going to enjoy it.

[Dave MacArthur]

I just lifted my band saw up with a HF shop crane, put the mobile base underneath, and lowered it down on. 2 ton crane $99 on sale at HF.

[Joseph Tarantino]

when you want to get the most out of your saw, contact iturra design. no website but they can be reached here:

http://www.manta.com/c/mmc3znn/iturra-design

i had a problem with my 18" jet and it turned out to be defective welds on t-wolf blades...4 brand new ones! the folks at sufffolk were very neice and tired to be helpful, but the welds just didn't measure up. finally contacted iturra who set me up with a 1/2" 3tpi .025" lennox and it's like a new saw. lou iturra knows how to weld a band saw blades.

contact him..you won't be disappointed.

[Paul Johnstone]

1. I plan on getting some blades with it. I probably can afford 4 Timberwolf blades total. What size(s) should I get? I plan on doing a little bit of everything.


Do you turn? If so get a bowl cutting blade, it's 1/2"
Otherwise:

Get a resaw blade.
Get two 1/4" inch blades for general purpose/scrolling cuts
Get a 1/2" blade for general purpose when you want more rigidity and less curves than a 1/4"