Am I just asking too much of my 14" B.S. ?

[Doug Shepard]

For Minimax or Laguna owners that upgraded from 14" machines I'm really curious how much fussing you need to do to get good resaw results compared to what you used to do. I'm getting tired of the incessant fiddling and setup required with my current machine to get acceptable resaw results. I can and have gotten good results, but as soon as I start going for wider widths things start to go downhill. That sort of makes the riser block purchase start to seem questionable as the original 6" capability seems to be about the limit of good results. I spent a frustrating weekend trying to get some 3/32" slices from a piece of 8.5" x 20" myrtle. I got 2 good ones, 1 So-So piece, and 2 pieces of kindling. Since my jointer is only 6", any screw-ups had to followed by re-flattening the face by hand then re-squaring the edge to the face before I could try to re-check the drift angle with a piece of scrap and reset the fence for another attempt. Mr. Lee's new BU Jointer plane and his scrub plane got a lot of use the past couple of days. This Neander stuff is hard work and takes time. I don't mind doing it as the hand-planed finish looks pretty darn good, but would rather not have so much good wood ending up on the floor.
I have no problem spending time on initial BS setup. I would just like to avoid having to do it each and every time I want to resaw. I started giving the Minimax MM16 a hard look this weekend. Do the Laguna, Minimax league machines allow you to get good repeatable resaw results? Did you get a quantum leap in resaw quality and ease of setup vs. your previous machines?

Here's my current setup:
Jet 14" enclosed cab B.S. w/ Riser Block, Mobile base, Carter guides, Duginske Fence (incl. the curved resawing attachments - both high and low versions). Also have several shop made fences of various heights. The blade is Highland Hardware's Woodslicer (almost new). I've done all the co-planer adjustments, squaring the table to the blade, adjusting the fence for blade drift (when using the shop made fences), yada, yada, yada. I'll get a couple of good slices then I start getting barreling, uneven thickness from top to bottom, or even exiting the wood midstream as if the drift angle drastically changed. I'm starting to think the situation wont be solved with this saw and that I need to upgrade. I suspect my problems are in three main areas:
Just not enough power for resawing wider wood.
Not enough blade width
Not enough blade tension.

I know I can correct some of these shortcomings by placing an order with Iturra (stronger tensioning spring, Carbide Tipped blade, etc), but I'm not sure how much improvement I'd get. In some ways I feel I'd still be asking a draft horse to run the Kentucky Derby.

[Charlie Plesums]

Although I have (and love) other MiniMax equipment, I still have my Grizzly 14 inch bandsaw - the one virtually identical to the Jet 14 inch. I dream of the day when I will upgrade to a larger MiniMax bandsaw.

One comment towards the end of your post, you considered a carbide blade for the current saw... Some of the carbide tip bandsaw blades have been reformulated so they won't die immediately when run on tiny wheels like 16 inch. Timberwolf just came out with a new carbide blade, but only for 18 inch or larger saws. The old rule was at least 20 inches for carbide blades, so the blade would last as long as the tips. Therefore I am holding my breath until I can spring for the 20 inch MiniMax. But you should certainly not consider a carbide blade for the 14 inch saw.

I am not sure how much more stress the frame will take on the 14 inch saws. Therefore I only use Timberwolf (low tension) blades, and have not upgraded the tension spring.

[Gene Collison]

Doug,

I have basically a bone stock older Delta Platinum version 14" with the Carter guides, a similar saw to what you have. I resaw 5 and 6 inch tropicals on it all the time. I don't have any problem cutting 3/32 veneers. I never have to adjust it except when changing blades. I can raise the blade guide up or down, doesn't matter, I never have to readjust anything. My blade is a 1/2" Lenox trimaster. I had an imported saw other than your brand that required total readjustment each and every time I raised the blade guide. A real pain! I think the need to readjust every time can come from the joint at the arm not being machined parallel to the table, top or bottom. In other words the arm is not perpendicular to the table. But from the sound of your problem with the blade wandering in the cut makes me think your blade needs replacement too. Before I switched to the carbide blade I was getting no more than 20 minutes per blade resawing. YMMV. My Lenox gives me a smooth enough cut *sometimes* to use right off the saw. It made a huge difference. Hope this helps.

Gene

[Gene Collison]

Although I have (and love) other MiniMax equipment, I still have my Grizzly 14 inch bandsaw - the one virtually identical to the Jet 14 inch. I dream of the day when I will upgrade to a larger MiniMax bandsaw.

One comment towards the end of your post, you considered a carbide blade for the current saw... Some of the carbide tip bandsaw blades have been reformulated so they won't die immediately when run on tiny wheels like 16 inch. Timberwolf just came out with a new carbide blade, but only for 18 inch or larger saws. The old rule was at least 20 inches for carbide blades, so the blade would last as long as the tips. Therefore I am holding my breath until I can spring for the 20 inch MiniMax. But you should certainly not consider a carbide blade for the 14 inch saw.

I am not sure how much more stress the frame will take on the 14 inch saws. Therefore I only use Timberwolf (low tension) blades, and have not upgraded the tension spring.

Charlie,

Not to disaggree but I have been using a Lenox 1/2" blade on my Delta for over a year now. In my experience they don't require any more tension than any other steel blade. It works just fine set at or around the same tension as for any other 1/2" blade.

Gene

[Chuck Blanchette]

Doug,

Get the spring! It allowed me to tension by blade where it should be. I used much more tension on my Grizzly G0555/14" w/riser, and the results were amazing. Oh, that and the bi-metal blade...


Chuck

[Bernie Weishapl]

Doug I definately would not use carbide on a 14" machine. I just bought a new Grizzly G0555 14". I talked with Highland Hardware and Timberwolf before I bought blades. Highland Hardware did not recommend their 3/4" woodslicer for my 14 inch. I do use timberwolf 3/4" 3 tpi and 2 tpi for resawing. The 2 tpi I use for resawing logs.

One thing I did notice was that it takes more tension on the 1/2" woodslicer to get a good resaw cut than it does the 3/4" timberwolf blade but Suffolk told me that would be the case. Another thing I have noticed though is with the woodslicer my cut is a lot smoother than with the timberwolf blade. I have a 6 1/8" jointer so I don't resaw veneer wider than that especially with the TW blades.

So Doug it may be that you need more tension on your blade. That is the only thing I can see it would be because it sounds like you have it tuned to the max.

[Dave Malen]

I used to have the Jet 14 with riser block and carter guides. I used a half inch Timberwolf blade. With good results up to 8 inches. Since your using the highland blade you probably need to tension more. Laguna sells a blade called the Resaw King which gives clean cuts and can be used on 14 in saws. (it is not carbide) But it has braised HSS teeth. I bought recently a Laguna Lt14-se which I like a lot. More hp definitely helps to make things easier when resawing. Is your Duginsky fence flexing at all. Ive heard they can do that.

Dave

[Cecil Arnold]

I moved from a Jet 14" with riser to a MM 16 and the difference is day and night. Having said that, I think the cheap fix would be a Lennox trimaster (carbide) in 1/2" along with a stronger spring. I think I recall seeing Louis Ittura state that you can use the 1/2" carbide blades on these small saws. There was a problem with the 1" on the MM 16s, but reportedly they have reformulated the band to make it more flexible. Oh, if you should venture into MM country, you should be able to get 3/32 cuts on 12" stock with a decent 1" blade (not carbide). Hope that helps and good luck on whatever decision you make.

[Jamie Buxton]

For Minimax or Laguna owners that upgraded from 14" machines I'm really curious how much fussing you need to do to get good resaw results compared to what you used to do. ...


Doug, I used to have a 14" Delta, and moved up to a Laguna LT16HD. One of the very nice surprises is how little fussing it needs. I could get the Delta to do satisfactory tall resawing -- if I put a brand new blade on it, tweaked the lead angle, mumbled the correct incantations under my breath, and the phase of the moon was just right. The Laguna just cuts. No dances, no incantations, no lead angle stuff. That's real nice.

[Andy London]

I resaw daily with a Delta 28-206, 14" with Riser, quick release. I use Hackinsson blades as I find them superior to the Timberwolf that I used for years at a lower cost. I use a 3/8" Silco 3 tpi blade, I resawed 120 lin feet of 11" wide birdseye yesterday for example and it came out perfect. Most of my resawing work is exotics and I find it works well.

If upgrading, I will go with the 20" General, I have used it in the college shops performing demo's, man what a machine!

Andy

[Steve Wargo]

Used to own a Jet 14" closed stand with riser block, Carter Rollers, High tension spring, aftermarket fence... You get the idea. I spent a lot of time and money in that saw getting it tuned up and working correctly. I often had people bring me stock to resaw it for them. I always thought it did a nice job, but very, very slow. Then I bought a Laguna 16HD. Now as I reflect back on that saw I realize that it may have a done a nice job... but nothing like what the Laguna. If I'm resawing veneer now I can always get at least one extra sheet out of a 1" thick piece of stock, because there is so little clean up afterwards. Not trying to convince you that you need a new saw, but I actually sold my old Jet, and Unisaw to purchase the Laguna. A decision I've not ever regretted.

[Mike Cutler]

Doug.
I had all the same issues with the 14" Jet that you are having when resawing.
I could resaw veneer all day long, but if I tried too resaw a 3/4" board in two for bookmatching it was just too slow, inconsistent,and frustrating.
I ended up buying an 18" Rikon specifically for resawing only and keep the Jet for other bandsaw work.
The Jet is a nice machine, but if you really intend to do a lot of resawing I would go with a bigger more powerful machine, also with better dust collection.
Don't get rid of your Jet though, unless space is at a premium. There are many posts by folks that upgraded the Jet to a larger machine and then regretted getting rid of the 14" Jet at a later time.

[Chris Lee]

Doug,I am reletively new to the process of resawing. I moved up to a MM16 a few months ago from an older Grizzly 14" saw. Once I set up the fence I am real happy with the results, considering I am still using the freebie blade they through in. This weekend I resawed some 8" wide curly maple down to about 3/32 and got good results with a 1/2" cheepie blade. I think tension is a big thing here, You can really crank it down hard on a machine like the MM or a Laguna.Good LuckChris

[Lee Schierer]

I'll get a couple of good slices then I start getting barreling, uneven thickness from top to bottom, or even exiting the wood midstream as if the drift angle drastically changed. I'm starting to think the situation wont be solved with this saw and that I need to upgrade. I suspect my problems are in three main areas:
Just not enough power for resawing wider wood.
Not enough blade width
Not enough blade tension.

I suspect your barreling is being caused by a relaxing of the tension due to the blade warming up. Resawing makes the band get hot, wehn it gets hot, it expands. Try making your two cuts and before you attempt the third, tension the band another turn. You should get a satisfactory third slice as well. If your spring is bottomed out then you need a heavier spring.

You didn't mention what width blade you are using. 14" saws are not strong enough in the frame to tension anything heavier than a 1/2" bands. If you are running a 3/4" bands, try a 1/2" band. Take a look at your band tracking. If the band is not riding on the center of the wheel top and bottom, you need to adjust your saw so it is.

Lee

[Byron Trantham]

Doug, I have the Jet 14 cabinet base with the riser block. I couldn't use the saw for much of anything. I finally pulled the trigger and bought the Itura "upgrade stuff"; new spring, shims to get coplanar operation, large hand crank for tensioning, Lenox bi-metal 1/2" blade, and their blade tensioner. Result - one fine saw for a 14"! I used the tensioner to identify the position of the mark for that blade and marked it on the little scale. I then mounted and tensioned my 1/4" blade and did the same thing. I took the advice of several on this board and and aligned the tracking to get VERY straight cuts for re-sawing. I have the fence you do and I do not use the curved re-saw fitting. One note that I found important. I could NOT get the recommended tensioning pressure as indicated by the gage BUT the pressure that I did get works - very well. In a nut shell, for a couple hundred dollars I recovered my saw. Itura was a big help - talk to them.

[Doug Shepard]

...I could get the Delta to do satisfactory tall resawing -- if I put a brand new blade on it, tweaked the lead angle, mumbled the correct incantations under my breath, and the phase of the moon was just right....


Boy do I hear that! I almost feel I need to keep a log of what I was wearing every time I had good results with tall resawing, so that I'm wearing my "lucky" underwear when I approach the 14" altar of frustration.

Thanks everyone for the tips and advice. Just to clarify - the Woodslicer I have is a 1/2" blade and it should be OK.The one that's on there only had maybe 20 mins on it. I've had good luck with those blades lasting way longer at least for resawing 6" and narrower stuff. I do have another unopened one I'll put on. Maybe I'll be able to get 3 good slices before things start going astray.
For this last resaw episode I was using one of my taller shop-made half-fences clamped down tight to the table. I haven't really noticed the flexing problem with the Duginske fence that Dave M. mentioned, but haven't really noticed better results with it in the past - either with or without the curved resaw attachment - so I was using the other fence this time just for the additional height.

It may take me a few days to figure out what route I'm going to take (throw more $$ at upgrading the Jet or get a better BS). If I go new I figure the money saved in less wasted wood would probably pay for itself over the life of the saw, so cost isn't really my main concern. Fitting one into my very limited space is a major concern though. Definitely wouldn't be able to keep the Jet if I end up getting a new one. I still have to be able to park one car in the 2.5 car "shop" and already have things pretty tight in all the corners.

For Cecil/Chris or Jamie/Steve or other owners of the Minimax MM16 or Laguna LT16HD, can you tell me what the footprint is? I looked in the online pdf manuals and that info isn't there. What I'm looking for is the "box" size. If you boxed the saw in with sheet metal what's the size of that box?

Thanks all.

[Chris Lee]

Doug,I work out of a 2 car 22x22 garage and space is real tight, but it works. I don't remember the exact size but it really is not all that bad. If I remember correctly it's widest point is about 22" or so and depth is about 30". I am just guessing, but I can measure when I get home, if no one posts it in the mean time. While it may tower over a normal 14" saw the footprint is not that much bigger than my old grizz 14" on a mobile base. It sits in the same space. All my tools line the walls and get wheeled out to work with so the wife can park in the garage so I feel your pain.

[Cecil Arnold]

Doug, my MM16 has a footprint of 16X26, but with the Jet MB it comes out at 19X31. I'm currently cutting some 13" ash logs for bowl blanks and the 1" cheap blade goes through them like butter (well almost). There is enough discussion here on the merits of MM vs. Laguna and I'm sure they are both good, however I've been nothing but happy with the CS I've gotten from MM.

[Doug Shepard]

Doug,I work out of a 2 car 22x22 garage and space is real tight, but it works. I don't remember the exact size but it really is not all that bad. If I remember correctly it's widest point is about 22" or so and depth is about 30". I am just guessing, but I can measure when I get home, if no one posts it in the mean time. While it may tower over a normal 14" saw the footprint is not that much bigger than my old grizz 14" on a mobile base. It sits in the same space. All my tools line the walls and get wheeled out to work with so the wife can park in the garage so I feel your pain.

Chris - Thanks. If it aint too much trouble, the measurements would be great. The 22x30 looks like it might be about right but the actual size would be great. Their website has the table size as 17.75"x24.5" but it's hard to tell how much to add for the frame, fence rail, etc. The height at the tallest point would be nice too. I'm in the same boat. Everything's on wheels and gets rolled out for use. Right now with the current location of the Jet I can (just) still get a car in the garage and there's an overhead obstruction that could be a slight problem. I might have a few more inches of fudge factor. Other than that, I'd have to take a serious look at re-arranging where things are stored to see if I can optimize space. Only problem is, I went through that once and thought I'd already improved things as much as possible. So it's slightly possible a bigger saw just wont fit into the available space.


Doug, my MM16 has a footprint of 16X26, but with the Jet MB it comes out at 19X31. .... There is enough discussion here on the merits of MM vs. Laguna and I'm sure they are both good, however I've been nothing but happy with the CS I've gotten from MM.

Cecil - is the 16x26 just the size at the base? Or is that at it's widest dimensions? I hadn't been contemplating purchasing one, but in reading related posts the last few months have sort of picked up on a percieved advantage of MM's CS (and maybe the saw too?) over Laguna's. I'm sure either saw would knock my socks off, but the MM was the first one I started looking at the other day, mainly due to the impressions I've picked up here. Is there any particular reason you're not using their mobility kit though? Instead of the Jet MB? Just curious.

[Cecil Arnold]

Okay, the base is 16X26, the overall MM is about 32" deep including the table, 28" wide which includes the motor, and 74" tall sitting on the MB. Save yourself some bucks if you can and don't get the mobility kit. While it works it is a real PITA using the Johnson bar and that sucker is HEAVY. If you can check you will see where Bruce Page put his MM on a MB with a sheet of 3/4 ply underneath which he bolted together (all three, the MM, ply, and MB) in order to be able to change blades. The MM requires that the lower door be opened about 180* in order to install the wider blades. Using the setup I have it is necessary to tilt the saw slightly to open the door the required distance. Bruce's approch is better and safer.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Okay, the base is 16X26, the overall MM is about 32" deep including the table, 28" wide which includes the motor, and 74" tall sitting on the MB. Save yourself some bucks if you can and don't get the mobility kit. While it works it is a real PITA using the Johnson bar and that sucker is HEAVY. If you can check you will see where Bruce Page put his MM on a MB with a sheet of 3/4 ply underneath which he bolted together (all three, the MM, ply, and MB) in order to be able to change blades. The MM requires that the lower door be opened about 180* in order to install the wider blades. Using the setup I have it is necessary to tilt the saw slightly to open the door the required distance. Bruce's approch is better and safer.

I put my mm16 on a shop fox mobile base with two pieces of 1X4 under the front and back. I move it out about three feet to use and shove it up against the wall when not in use.

[Steve Rowe]

Doug - 5 years ago, I upgraded from a Delta 14" BS to a Laguna LT-18. I no longer fuss with any setup to obtain great resaw results. The upgrade was a quantum leap in performance. I don't use special tensioning gages, I just set the tension on the gage provided on the saw and it works great. I get better resaw results using a 1" carbide tipped Lennox blade than I do the standard blades.

I sold the Delta earlier this year because I needed the space. I must admit that I liked having two bandsaws and felt the Delta did a good job with smaller blades (1/4" and smaller). I don't have the cool blocks for the LT-18 so I cannot install a blade smaller than 1/4". For cutting curves on smaller pieces, I like the table height on the Delta better since it was higher than the larger BS.
Steve

[Greg Ladd]

Doug,

I also have the Delta Platinum edition with the Carter guides and the riser kit. With a 1/2" Timberwolf blade and the stock I was able to resaw hard maple without problem.

I made the mistake of checking out the MiniMax line at a woodworking show. I purchased a new MiniMax this past spring and just yesterday ran it for the first time.

I resawed a piece of hard maple for a project my son is working on at school. With very little tuning at all, almost to the point of simply slipping on a Lenox Trimaster and getting the guides close, I was able to get a cut that was almost completely smooth. My son couldn't believe the surface and claimed that I could not have done that on a bandsaw. This was with no fence adjustment for lead and I do not have a blade tension meter.

I must say I am excited to see what this saw will do after a proper tuning.

You will not be disappointed it you decide to upgrade to a European style bandsaw.

Greg

[Jim Becker]

I never "fiddle" with my MM16. I just tension, turn on the light, open the blast gate and cut. My blades last longer for some reason and the cuts are wonderful. For resaw, I do like to put on the carbide tipped blade, however, but I get near-tablesaw cut quality with it.

[Chris Lee]

Doug,
It appears Cecil beat me to the dimensions. I have the MM mobile base because it was free. I don't know if I would have paid for it. I do have to take the mobile base off to put on the 1" blade, but it is only 2 bolts and the 1/2 inch does 90% of what I need. If you can fit the saw in your shop you won't be sorry. Every day when I walk through my garage I smile when I see that saw.:D I just have to figure out where to put a drum sander to keep her company!

Chris

[Scott Brihn]

Doug,

The footprint on my Laguna 16HD is 27" x 15.75 x 70.75H. My saw is almost four-years old. Not sure if the "new" generation has maintained the same dimensions. For personal comfort I put mine on a 3"H platform. After some initial concern over a small amount of arcing I installed the ceramic guides about three-years ago. IMHO a productive improvement. I haven't made the leap to carbide blades yet but find when resawing very little clean up is required and the veneers are of a consistent thickness. I am using relatively affordable Timberwolf blades.

[Doug Shepard]

... I just have to figure out where to put a drum sander to keep her company!


Yeah, that's one of the reasons I'm so tight on space. The Performax 16-32 gobbles up a fair chunk of space. I've got it, the router table, PM 54 jointer, shop-vac, and the Jet all tucked into the same area in front of where I still need to park a van. The other half of the garage has all the other machines plus a Honda GoldWing so there's not much space left there either. I'm going to get some measuring done to see if I can make one fit and double check the 220 circuits. I'm pretty sure they're the 30 Amps that MM says is required, but just can't remember for sure.


...Save yourself some bucks if you can and don't get the mobility kit. While it works it is a real PITA using the Johnson bar and that sucker is HEAVY. If you can check you will see where Bruce Page put his MM on a MB with a sheet of 3/4 ply underneath which he bolted together (all three, the MM, ply, and MB) in order to be able to change blades. The MM requires that the lower door be opened about 180* in order to install the wider blades. Using the setup I have it is necessary to tilt the saw slightly to open the door the required distance. Bruce's approch is better and safer.

Darn nice to know about the door clearance issue for blade changes in advance. At $175 for the mobility kit you'd think they'd have a better design that would work without interfering with the door. I'll do some searching for the B.Page post, but that sounds like an excellent idea.

I started thinking about the amount of thin and tall resawing requirements I've got planned and unless I get over-ruled by the tale of the tape, I think I'm going to take the plunge. Now the biggest decision will be MM16 or LT16HD. I've gone back and looked at past threads and the preponderance of opinion would seem to suggest a bias towards the MM16 from SMC folks. One thing I'm disappointed about is that MM does not appear to be attending the Dec 2 Detroit WW Show, while Laguna is. Assuming I can make one fit, I could hold off 6 weeks in hopes of getting a price break at the show. So it's possible a Laguna could be in the cards too. I'm sure either one would more than satisfy me. I got on Laguna's site and requested some additional info. Apparently they have a DVD and brochures they'll mail you. Didn't see anything similar on MM's site - they just want your phone nbr so they can contact you. Think I'm just going to find a time of my own choosing to call them and ask questions.
Course then I'll have to re-ignite SMC'er passions on what's the best BS blade, but that's for another thread after the saw choice is made and researching past threads....

[Steven Wilson]

I had a similar setup on my Jet 14" except I also had a number of Iturra parts (spring, knobs, crank, etc) the spring being the most important. I've had a MM20 for the last couple of years and it's great. I don't fuss with it, it resaws anything I throw at it, and it's great for ripping stock and other straight work. I keep a Lennox 1" carbide blade on it most of the time and it performs its task well. If you upgrade to a heavier duty bandsaw you find you'll use it more and more and your tablesaw less - they're great machines to have.

[Cecil Arnold]

Doug, MM has a video that they will be glad to send you. See if you can get Dane Kirkpatrick, he's in California--a really nice guy, especally for a salesman--to send you a tape. Dane really follows up on request and since he is two hours earlier than MI, you can give him a call after you get home and it's still business hours for him.

[Doug Shepard]

Doug, MM has a video that they will be glad to send you. See if you can get Dane Kirkpatrick, he's in California--a really nice guy, especally for a salesman--to send you a tape....

Well I had the day off so I called MM and ended up talking to a guy named Erik Loza for about 40 mins. Very knowledgeable and nice guy too - had to keep reminding myself that he's there to sell stuff. He's mailing out their video and some other info today. A couple of nice things came out of that conversation:
While we didn't talk actual prices, I mentioned my disappointment about their not attending the upcoming Detroit WW show, and that I was also eyeballing the Laguna LT16HD and was hoping to pick up some type of WW show pricing on whichever saw I decided on. He offered to make whatever special pricing they have at WW shows available. Kinda hoped the L-word would prompt something like that.
He also mentioned that some of the Carter guides are directly (and quickly) installable on the MM, and offered to look over a pic of mine if I email it to him and let me know if mine will work on the MM16. That way I could still use smaller blades without needing to buy their Cool Block kit.



... I have the MM mobile base because it was free. I don't know if I would have paid for it. I do have to take the mobile base off to put on the 1" blade, but it is only 2 bolts and the 1/2 inch does 90% of what I need. ...


I found the Bruce Page thread after seeing Cecil's mention of it, and happened to mention to Erik that I thought I'd probably go that route, and that other folks here had commented on the inconvenience of the Mob. kit interfering with the door for wide blade changes. Erik laughingly said something like 'I thought everbody knew about that fix'. Apparently it takes about 3 seconds to remove the wheel. You might want to call them and ask for the details, but if I have it right it involves using a Clevis pin to attach the wheel.

For anyone using the Lenox Tri-Master 1" carbide on the MM16, do you know of anywhere that sells it for less than the $225 that MM wants? I tried googling a bit, but didn't find too much that actually showed prices, and nothing in that exact size (154") either.

Anyway - should have something in the mail from both MM and Laguna in a couple of days. Then I'll probably have even more questions.

[Greg Ladd]

The latest Iturra Design catalog has the 1" Lenox Promaster III (which I believe is actually the Trimaster III) for $158. I also seem to remember someone getting Minimax to exchange the Lenox 1" in place of the blades they normally ship for a $100 upcharge.

In regards to the Carter rollers...someone mentioned in another thread the Minimax was shipping a new style guide on their bandsaws. Do you have any idea what style of guide is now shipping on the Minimax bandsaw? Mine has the euro style guides and I haven't decided yet if I like them as well as the Carters my 14" Delta bandsaw has.

Greg

[Doug Shepard]

The latest Iturra Design catalog has the 1" Lenox Promaster III (which I believe is actually the Trimaster III) for $158. I also seem to remember someone getting Minimax to exchange the Lenox 1" in place of the blades they normally ship for a $100 upcharge.

In regards to the Carter rollers...someone mentioned in another thread the Minimax was shipping a new style guide on their bandsaws. Do you have any idea what style of guide is now shipping on the Minimax bandsaw? Mine has the euro style guides and I haven't decided yet if I like them as well as the Carters my 14" Delta bandsaw has.

Greg

I expect to be a bit more knowledgeable on all this once I see the video MM is sending, but as far as I know the euro style guide is still what's on the saw. And it's also apparently what I would want to use for a 1" blade doing resawing. Where the Carter guide usage would come into play is for using narrower blades. According to Erik at MM, the MM16 uses a 'universal post' (vs. Laguna's proprietary mounting setup) that many of the Carter guides can slip right on to. Assuming that my Carter's fit, I think Erik's suggestion is to use those instead of buying their $85 Cool Block kit that they sell for narrow blade use.
I asked them what blade they normally ship on the saw and the answer was 'none', but I'll have to ask if they have a bundled price when buying one with the saw. Look's like it's time to call Iturra and get their newer catalog too. My older one doesn't have the one's you mentioned.

Thanks

[Mike Wilkins]

Your concerns are exactly why I upgraded to a Laguna LT18 saw. I had the Delta 14" machine for a lot of years, and it worked great. But it showed a noticeable slow-down when resawing at its capacity(6 inches). I did switch to a Woodslicer from Highland Hardware, which is a great blade, and got better results. But after the switch to the LT, none of these things were a concern. I regularly resaw to its capacity, 12.25 inches, with the normal steel bands. I did get one of the resaw master blades with the carbide tips, but have not had a chance to use it yet.
I know that you can add a riser block to get more resaw capacity, but you are still stuck with a smaller machine trying to emulate a larger machine. You are not able to tension a blade high enough to slice wide timbers without getting a bow in the middle. Most experts recommend 25,000psi or more for effectively resawing wide planks, and the 14" machines cannot go that high. And besides, the Laguna looks cool in my shop; especially after I got over the cost, the weight, and the wife's complaints about the cost.
But hey; you only go through this life once; may as well be happy while you are here. Be safe and watch those fingers.

[Doug Shepard]

Still waiting on the video & literature from Laguna, but the MM16 stuff showed up today.
For you MM16 owners:
Is the saw really that quiet? In the video you can actually hear the sound of wood scraps hitting the floor and the squeak of the fence being moved over the sound of the saw running - whether cutting or not. Is this just mic placement or is the saw that quiet?

Some of you mentioned the great resaw quality you were getting, but seeing is believing. One of the things that tumbled out of the envelope was what I at first thought was a piece of tempered hardboard but it was too thin. So wondering what it was, I fetched my glasses. It's a piece of African Imbuye 1/16 x 2 x 12 cut on both sides with a 1" Lenox Tri-Master. Honestly I can't see a single saw mark on it and it's very smooth. Impressive.

You can see the clevis pin setup on the mobility kit wheel in the video that Erik mentioned to me as a quick removal fix for blade changes. So now I'm wondering, is this a recent change? Did it originally come with bolts instead? Just curious.

[Cecil Arnold]

Doug, yes it's quiet, I can't hear it for the sound of the Jet 1100CK DC, and the pins are new. I still think you will want to put it on a MB since you stated the need to move it out of the way in order to store cars inyour workshop.

[Doug Shepard]

Doug, yes it's quiet, I can't hear it for the sound of the Jet 1100CK DC, and the pins are new. I still think you will want to put it on a MB since you stated the need to move it out of the way in order to store cars inyour workshop.

I'm thinking that your suggestion to follow Bruce Page's method is probably the better way to go, if for no other reason than it's cheaper. Just thought I'd ask about the mobility kit though in case MM throws it in as part of a package deal. If the price difference with the Mob. kit removed was less than what it would cost me to buy another mobile base, then I guess I'd go with MM's mobility kit.