Today is New Bandsaw Day -Psyched, but a Gripe

[Joe Beaulieu]

I am getting my new Laguna LT14 SUV saw delivered today. I am very psyched. I wanted to ask a couple of question though.

How many of you folks use your bandsaw for both resawing and for scroll type work? The reason I ask is that I bought the SUV because it is billed as the "ultimate bandsaw". Now I am not that naïve that I believe Marketing fluff, but I did assume that you could do everything on this saw that you can with other bandsaws. If its "ultimate" it should do every typical bandsaw operation, and hopefully better. Well, I found out after I ordered the saw that it wont do scroll work (meaning you can't use narrow blades) without first purchasing a set of accessory "Cool Blocks". I was a little annoyed, but figured "how much can they cost"? Well - they are $200.00 a set! I was shocked when I saw this. IMHO that little detail should be made much more clear than it is in any of their literature. I didn't actually find out about this until I started thinking about accessories. I came across the Cool Blocks on their accessories page and it had a small note that these were required on my saw to use blades 1/4" or smaller. I cannot anticipate how I will use this saw - but I can bet I will need to cut some curves, and likely need a narrow blade. Yes I wanted a good resaw saw, but I just assumed for the price it would do small blades as well. I kind of feel mislead.

Anyone else have this saw? Are the Cool Blocks absolutely necessary? Can I use a small blade with the stock guides (Laguna uses ceramic guides)? Is that idea making you cringe about warranties and somehow ruining the ceramic blocks? Did anyone gripe about this to Laguna and get any satisfaction? I think it is a marginal case of bait and switch. Its not easy to find this point in their literature. I think it is intentionally misleading. I also think they are pricing these things way too high - why are a couple of hunks of steel and some relatively small guide material $200?

Anyway - it is new saw day, and I am not going to let this screw my mood up too much. Now if it shows up with some other problem I may let loose.

Thanks

Joe

[M Toupin]

That's insane... Make some appropriately sized hardwood blocks, soak them in mineral oil overnight and install. Works just as well and you can bury the blade in the block without cringing every time.

Mike

[Kurt Kintner]

$200 ?? I paid $17 for a set of four on Amazon......
I don't know if Laguna uses an odd size, or something, but I'd check Amazon .....
Mine are on an old Delta clone....
l've used 1/8 inch blades on my saw for years with no issues....
It can make very tight corners......but my DeWalt scrool saw is all I use now....
The bandsaw now has a 1/2 inch blade.....

[Tom M King]

I don't know anything about that saw, but would think these can't be beat for scroll work on a bandsaw. http://www.carterproducts.com/band-saw-products/band-saw-stabilizer

[Glenn de Souza]

That's insane... Make some appropriately sized hardwood blocks, soak them in mineral oil overnight and install. Works just as well and you can bury the blade in the block without cringing every time.

Mike

Your response reminded me of something I read or heard a long while ago. If you have euro type guides and the goal is to "create" Cool Blocks to support a narrow blade, you can make a small block of wood, cut a bandsaw kerf partway through it, turn it around so the open end of the kerf faces the operator, clamp the euro guides on the block from either side, adjust so the blade is buried, and voila, you have a shopmade wood guide that should adequately support the narrowest blade. Never thought about soaking it in mineral oil, but that's a good idea for lubing it.

[Larry Frank]

I have a 16" Jet that I use for resaw and some projects. I tried small blades on it and was not happy. I got a 10" Rikon on sale and have the Carter Stabilizer on it. It works really well for small toys and very detail work.

[Joe Beaulieu]

I don't know anything about that saw, but would think these can't be beat for scroll work on a bandsaw. http://www.carterproducts.com/band-saw-products/band-saw-stabilizer

Tom - many many thanks - that is a perfect idea - looks much better than the Laguna guides and is less than half the price. I just ordered the custom Laguna set for my bandsaw! This board is tremendous! Just saved me more than a hundred bucks, and made me very psyched about this saw again. Outstanding!

My last gripe is that Carter is charging $23.00 to ship a 1 lb package to me via UPS Ground. I know companies like to make money on freight - I negotiated contracts with UPS and FedEx for small package shipping, and I can tell you they aren't paying much more than $6 or 7.00 for a one pound package. That is highway robbery, but what are you going to do - neither Amazon nor Ebay had them.

Joe

[richard poitras]

I have used a Carter Stabilizer for scroll work on one of my band saws and find they work very well. The only problem is you have to remove the entire head of the existing guides to install the stabilizer so a quick blade change is not going to happen. Were as if the Laguna has special cool blocks for narrow blades I would think it would be a lot easyer / quicker to change blades. Keep us in the know on how you address this issue and how you like the new saw.

[Dan Friedrichs]

I think you should try the saw out with a narrow blade before getting worried or buying more accessories. I have an LT14, and have no problem adjusting the factory ceramic guides to support a 1/4" blade (or a 1" resaw blade). I swap between them often.

[Jim Becker]

It's not unusual to have a different guide system for very narrow blades. I've "gotten away with" a 1/8" blade on my MM16 with the Euro guides but the tolerance is so tight that it's very difficult to avoid contact with the teeth...something that "cool blocks" and similar are better suited for since the blade can be embedded in them. Even when I had my 14" Jet saw, I switched to "cool blocks" type guides for narrow blades. If I would have had the space, I would have kept the second saw, but given very rare use of narrow blades, I don't miss it too much.

Best wishes with your new tool!

[Mike Henderson]

This is off subject a bit, but if you want to do scroll work, why not get a scroll saw? The problem with a bandsaw for scroll work is that you can only cut from the edge. With a scroll saw, you can drill a hole and then put the blade through the hole to do an interior cut.

Mike

[Rich Riddle]

Congratulations on the saw. Good luck with the Carter guides doing what you want.

[Dan Rude]

Shipping is better if you order from Peachtree woodworking $12 for $75-100. Dan

[Allan Speers]

I don't know anything about that saw, but would think these can't be beat for scroll work on a bandsaw. http://www.carterproducts.com/band-saw-products/band-saw-stabilizer


This, if you plan on using a 1/8" blade. I put one on my 1940's Sears 10", and it's wonderful.

I don't think I'd want to be replacing both the guides and the blade on my 21" Grizzly, though. That Laguna looks like a lovely machine, but getting a small BS just for scroll work is a very very good idea, if you do a lot of that work.

[Biff Phillips]

I don't know anything about that saw, but would think these can't be beat for scroll work on a bandsaw. http://www.carterproducts.com/band-saw-products/band-saw-stabilizer

I second this.. I have one of these and they work better than cool blocks for scroll work and 1/4" blades.

[Keith Hankins]

My Griz 17" HD for a long time was my only saw. Problem it was a major PIA to change over and get it aligned switching from resaw blade to narrow blade for curve work. Finally I found a 1934 Delta 14" for 200 bucks and I put a carter stablizer (no side support) and its been wonderful. I use the big boy for resaw, and the 14 for curve work and life is good!

[Jim Laumann]

I did the same thing as Keith - have a 17" Grizz w/ a 1/2" blade - found it to be a pain to swap blades - found a 12" Jet on CL - put a 1/8" scroll blade on the Jet for making toys.

[Joe Beaulieu]

Thank you all for the help - very much appreciated!

I am a weekend warrior woodworker (alliteration if ever there was) and use my bandsaw for a lot of different things. I do have an old Jet 14" that is in great shape, I just got sick of the feel of that machine. I really don't have the room to keep both machines. So I will be moving between cutting curves and also some resawing. I have to believe this is a pretty common approach.

What size blade are you all using for scroll work? I would usually use a 3/16" or 1/8" blade. Are you guys not using something that small - kind of seems like many people use a 1/4" blade, and don't go smaller than that. Is that the case?

Thanks again folks - really appreciate the help.

Joe

[Derek Stockley]

I came across the Cool Blocks on their accessories page and it had a small note that these were required on my saw to use blades 1/4" or smaller.

I have one of these saws and like you, I don't want to pay for the extra block. The manual says you can use the ceramic guides with blades from 1/4" to 1 1/4" (page 29). I do have a 1/4" blade, but since getting the saw, I've been mostly doing built-ins and casework for myself that don't involve tight curves, so I haven't actually installed it yet. When the occasion comes, I do plan to take a crack at making a holder rather than buying one - even if I have to make it out of aluminum like the originals, I'm pretty sure I can do it far cheaper than $200 (and that's not even counting the roughly 30% penalty I pay on all retail goods for being Canadian).

[glenn bradley]

It looks like where you are caught is between changing out the guides for scrolling or trying the current guides and thrust. Looking at the guides there is certainly opportunity to swap out a couple of pieces of hardwood for scrolling. I am looking at a picture of the guides not installed on the machine so access could be dissuading factor.

I see that their cool block solution is a set of four holders with typical round cool block stock being held in them. The hefty price tag is for the holders, not the rods I imagine. Using your current guides as a template I would think a set of hardwood blocks could be made in short order. Swaping them in and out may be another story.

I would hold off on selling your smaller saw for a month or two. I sold mine right away and then bought a used (not as nice) saw to replace it a few months later. The extra sacrifice in floor space was made up for by the ability of me to get things done more quickly in my limited shop time. Maybe sell the 14" and pick up a small 10" Craftsman/Rikon. Not near the saw but, small enough to lug in and out of the way. A usable scroll saw takes up a surprising amount of room so if you don't have any fretwork requirements a small bandsaw would be my choice.

Just one more fool's opinion ;-)

[Curt Harms]

The Carter Stabilizer does work for blades narrower than 1/4". At least on the Rikon 10-325 installing it involves partial disassembly of the upper blade guide plus re-aligning the 'regular' blade guide so there's time/tinkering involved. A cool blocks setup is easier/quicker if available for your saw.