Belsaw up and running

[Rusty Eads]

Well I finally got to run my first few pieces through my "new" belsaw planer. All I can say is wow! 6" wide bur oak from rough to finish in one pass, without even batting an eye. Thanks to everybody who helped me with advice on setting the knives, the cut quality is much better, not perfect but nothing I can complain about when I was taking almost an 1/8" off in one pass :D. A trip to the sharpeners and a little fine tuning and I know it will cut glass smooth.

I know you guys are probably thinking this guy is crazy getting excited over this but considering most of my tools are BORG hobbyist (Delta contractor table saw, 12" craftsman BS, Rigid 6" jointer), upgrading from a Ryobi planer to this monster is simply amazing. Though I think it has now created a monster. My old planer did everything I asked it to do, just like all my other tools. Now that I have upgraded and seen what a difference a more robust, higher quality machine can make I am looking at my other tools and telling myself, I've never had any problems out of my table saw but...:rolleyes: Has anybody else been in the same situation? Is this that slippery slope that I've heard everybody talk about? I am almost scared to finally setup my vega lathe that I found on CL, I may get fired from work for failure to show up :o

[joe fabitz]

If there's one completely true axiom in a woodworkers life, it's that the slippery slope eventually effects all of us.

I started out with an el-cheapo remanufactured Skil router, and when I realized it couldn't push a 3-1/2" panel bit, I immediately upgraded to a 3-1/2hp Milwaukee router.

So much for my budget. :rolleyes:

[Don Jarvie]

Rusty, glad it's working well.

[Stephen Cherry]

I am almost scared to finally setup my vega lathe that I found on CL, I may get fired from work for failure to show up :o


Well you should be scared- lathes are known to cause people to enter into a hypnotic state and begin purchasing many very expensive, turning related doo dads.

[Rusty Eads]

It's just a 12 x 36 spindle lathe, I should be safe...right :rolleyes:

[Chip Lindley]

Rusty, your moment of clarity is the same I had about 25 years ago when I found out the difference between Sears & Roebuck and Rockwell; like night and day.

[Bart Leetch]

Rusty

Which model do you have? I have a model 910 with the rip attachment & a 5 hp motor that was my Dad's.

[Rusty Eads]

mine is a 9103 that also has the rip saw and 5 hp motor

[eugene thomas]

It is slippery slope. i have to stop telling the wife dome buying tools. in june upgraded to 17" grizzly band saw and the now done buying tools line came out. since then bought the domino, 22 festool vacume, and vacume press kit for veneering..

[Bart Leetch]

mine is a 9103 that also has the rip saw and 5 hp motor

Does your planer look like this?

[Don Jarvie]

Thats it Bart. I have the same model less the saw attachment. I have a 3hp Wagner R/I motor that weighs at least 80 pounds.

You can feel the power when it starts up. I've become a big be;iever in the R/I motor.

[Karl Card]

I was always broke anyway but at least now I have something to show for it.... I am still broke but at least I have a table saw, 2 bs, 2 lathes, belt sander, 18/36 performax, 8 inch jointer, 2 drill presses, dust collector, planer and a whole bunch of wood... pen kits out the arse and a gallon of ice cream...lol

Welcome to the real world.

[Clark Harbaugh]

Slippery slope?

4 years ago my wife and I bought our first house. I thought I would try wood working and try to build a desk. I did this with a HF biscuit joiner, a HF router, and a $200 Black & Decker table saw from the borg. I quickly found that, not only did I have a decent talent for it, but I absolutely loved working with wood.

I have since upgraded all of my tools based on value and necessity, but have no complaints so far: 5HP Grizzly table saw, 17" Grizzly band saw, 8" Grizzly jointer, 3HP Grizzly dust collector, Dewalt 13" planer, Hitachi 12" compound miter saw, and Rikon 12" lathe (with extension). This doesnt even count the hand tools (sanders, routers, jig saws, etc.).

A slippery slope indeed. At least I have a wife that keeps ordering new furniture from me, which keeps justifying new tools:). The projects keep coming (and getting more challenging...). I would love to upgrade the planer and get a thickness drum sander.

You just need to take your significant other furntiture shopping with a camera phone. Take pictures of everything she loves, then convince her you can design something based on those pics and build it for her, which will mean even more to her. "Oh, by the way honey, if you want me to build that bed you want, I need to get a new multi-router. It's only $2700...".

Think she'll buy it?

[Bart Leetch]

This is what mine looks like also so I guess it's a 9103. I have taken the saw attachment off & replaced the rollers with bronze bushings, drive chains & belts & newer style Gibs to hold the blades in they make installing the blades much easier.

I also purchased as set of these http://www.grizzly.com/products/H2301/images/
which makes getting the blades close to perfect quicker. I then made a Plexiglas holder for a dial indicator that sets on the cutter head to double check the knife height. I put it in a mobile base.

I couldn't find instructions for getting everything back in adjustment does anyone have instructions for setting roller height from the bed? I may have to call Belsaw.

[Rusty Eads]

Mine looks similar but not exactly the same. Mine has an enclosed stand and the hood is more angle, I'm sure it's the same model just a few years apart. The picture is without the ripsaw attached. It has the 5 hp 220 volt GE motor. Have you used the rip saw yet? It seems strange that the teeth face the opposite way in relation to the blade on a table saw. The owner's manual gives instructions on how to adjust the spring tension on the feed rollers but that's about it.

[Bart Leetch]

Have you used the rip saw yet?


No I've had no need to. My Dad used it with 4 blades to mass produce trim stripping for a big apartment complex where the upstairs was paneled in wood & needed stripping where the walls & ceiling came together.


It seems strange that the teeth face the opposite way in relation to the blade on a table saw.

I wondered about this to but I talked to my Dad about this & he said it works fine.

The owner's manual gives instructions on how to adjust the spring tension on the feed rollers but that's about it.

That's all I've found too.

[Bart Leetch]

Thats it Bart. I have the same model less the saw attachment. I have a 3hp Wagner R/I motor that weighs at least 80 pounds.

You can feel the power when it starts up. I've become a big believer in the R/I motor.

Do you mean Repulsion induction motor? I don't really understand the difference between the two types of motors.