Bandsaw riser blocks questions

[shane lyall]

Will an aftermarket block from Grizzly fit my Delta? I see them advertised at about $50 less than Delta's kit. Will the guards fit as well? Any other vendors with a good kit at a better price? I wouldn't mind paying for Delta quality IF it was the old American made stuff and I was getting Delta quality from back in the day. The newer stuff is made overseas and I can't see an extra $50 for the same parts from the same factory. I have a shop full of Delta and Porter-Cable tools and I'll be the first to admit the new stuff just isn't as good. Mainly just fit and finnish but a few parts are just cheap looking. For example, the table crank arm and drive wheels on my drill press were cast on the old drill press. My new one is a plastic crank arm and AL wheels. They work fine today but what about 30 years from now? Off my soapbox now....


My saw is an older model made in Tennessee in the mid 80's IIRC. I know it is US made at any rate. I also know I'll have to upgrade my motor from 3/4 to a 1.5 horse. Will it tension a 3/4 blade to re-saw well? It's a good saw as it sits but I'd like a little more clearance and more ponys are never a bad thing in my book. I don't do a lot of re-sawing but would like the option when I want it. I just don't want to trade a good little saw for a avarage bigger one.

[Cary Falk]

I am sure the Delta kit isn't any better quality than the Grizzly. The problem is whether all the other pieces of the guard and stuff is compatiable. I have seen the question asked many times and have neve seen an answer. For $50 I would not risk it. Everything I have read says that a 14" cast iron bandsaw can not properly tension anything more than a 1/2" blade.

[shane lyall]

Thats what I was afraid of as well Cary. I'd like to use a wider blade but if I can get it tight it would be moot. The more I think about it, the more I think I'll just order from Delta and save myself some possible headache later.

[Van Huskey]

Regarding the riser block, I have seen this question many times and as Cary mentions I never see a definative answer. I do seem to remember some issues with the pins and or holes that require you to pull pins out etc. That alone tells me I wouldn't want to bother for the money savings. One thing you might do is post a WTB in the classifieds at OWWM.org that way you could probably get an American made riser and associated parts but I have no idea what the going price for those are used, the may be more or less than the new one.

I have never really been a fan of riser blocks because... well there is a long list of reasons. Lots of people are very happy with them installed though. I am a big advocate of making sure a given saw will properly tension a given blade. I view the Delta 14" cast saw and it clones as a 1/2" max saw in general. If one really wants a wider blade the hardened spring steel blades made from thin gauge backer are the best choice. Spectrum supply sells the Kerfmaster in .016 gauge in 5/8" which is thin enough the Delta will tension it fine. As always there are exceptions and there are people running 3/4" Resaw King blades on their cast clones and say they are happy with them...

My first inclination regarding a riser block is save the money and watch CL religiously for a good deal on a saw with your desired resaw height.

[Cary Falk]

I do seem to remember some issues with the pins and or holes that require you to pull pins out etc. .
I used to have a Delta BS with a Delta riser. I had to remove the pins from the block to get it to line up corrrectly.

[Mark Burnette]

My experience last March with an older US made 14" Delta & a new Delta riser.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?162483-Any-chance-of-riser-block-misalignment

Confounded me for a couple days til I discovered the dowel pin difference. Easy fix. I like the result.

[Howard Acheson]

You need more than just the riser block. You need a longer shaft for the upper guide adjusting rod and well as longer blade covers. I don't know if the Grizz auxiliary parts are interchangeable with the Delta.

[Jerome Hanby]

Not even the Delta is always interchangeable with the Delta. The guide rod is hexagonal on some older saws, round on the newer ones. It's possible that the round rods would fit the older hexagonal holes, but I wouldn't like it <g>.

[John TenEyck]

I just added a riser block to my 14" Delta Wood/Metal bandsaw, circa 1950? I used a Powermatic kit, because I got it cheap. I had to redrill the holes in the bottom of the riser block to mesh with the pins on my saw, but that was no big deal. The pins on the upper side of the riser block I cut off, because I wasn't going to modify my saw. I was afraid I would have alignment problems, but it lined up perfectly, with a little fiddling, and has not moved in the month I've been using it. The other Powermatic stuff fit almost perfectly - the left side blade guard, and the upper blade guard with just a little filing. I have a hex post on the Delta, and got a long one from Iturra Designs, but you can buy it at McMaster Carr as well.

I have a 1.5 HP motor on the saw, and am now using 3 tpi 1/2" Olson MVP blades for resawing. They cut like a mad - absolutely no trouble with 10 inch oak. I use Iturra's high tension spring, but wouldn't but a 3/4" blade on it unless it was very low gauge. Actually, I don't see a reason to do so, as the saw cuts beautifully straight if you set it up well with a sharp blade.

I've had no problems with the riser. The saw is no more, nor less rigid than before, and alignment is spot-on. Can't ask for more. I've heard of others using the Grizzly kit, and I wouldn't hesitate to do so.

John