Slowing down a Delta 14" Bandsaw for resawing

[Bill Berklich]

Hi All

Looking for advice/experience on slowing a 14" Delta Bandsaw (Model 28-276 w/ 56 frame, 110v, 3/4 hp motor) for resawing. It's an early 90's model single pulley no riser block (yet). My plan was to just buy and swap 2-step pulleys from the -206 (sister) model but they are no longer available. Right now it runs at about 3,500fpm I think I need down to 2,000-2,500 for a 3/4" 3TPI blade.

Any thoughts, comments, guidance, or direction - other than "Buy a bigger saw" ;-)

Thx

[John K Jordan]

Hi All

Looking for advice/experience on slowing a 14" Delta Bandsaw (Model 28-276 w/ 56 frame, 110v, 3/4 hp motor) for resawing. It's an early 90's model single pulley no riser block (yet). My plan was to just buy and swap 2-step pulleys from the -206 (sister) model but they are no longer available. Right now it runs at about 3,500fpm I think I need down to 2,000-2,500 for a 3/4" 3TPI blade.

Any thoughts, comments, guidance, or direction - other than "Buy a bigger saw" ;-)

Thx

Pulleys are off-the-shelf items. Given the shaft size and the diameters I'd be surprised if you couldn't find a pair to give the speed you want.

Other options are to look for a different motor, add a VFD and a 3-phase motor for variable speed, or even engineer a step-down pulley and use the same motor. (would probably require some metal working for brackets and mounts, a new shaft, pillow block, and a single new, larger pulley, maybe a new belt.) I think I have one of those and if you want I could look at it for ideas. I added a riser and used it a lot for resawing but didn't do anything with the speed.

Or but a new saw! (Oops, sorry!) Maybe find a used 2-speed saw for cheap. Having more than one bandsaw can be great.

JKJ

[John Lanciani]

Why slow it down? I sped my 14" Delta up to 4000 fpm and was quite pleased at the results. Also, skip the 3/4" blade; the 14" Delta (and all of the clones) can't properly tension a 3/4" blade. 1/2" is perfectly adequate on that saw.

[Todd Davidson]

John is correct. These 14" bandsaws cannot properly tension a 3/4" blade - switch to a 1/2". Your 3/4hp motor is kind of anemic for resawing as well.
I have a Delta 14" (28-259) w/ riser block and a 1-1/2hp motor. With a 1/2" blade I can resaw to the full 12 inches.

[glenn bradley]

I even run a 1/2" blade on my larger saws. I don't see any improvement with a 3/4" blade. I too was scratching my head at why you want to slow the cutter. I want more cuts per second when resawing, not less. The required low tooth count for resawing makes a higher speed more desirable for me. JMHO.

[John K Jordan]

John is correct. These 14" bandsaws cannot properly tension a 3/4" blade - switch to a 1/2". Your 3/4hp motor is kind of anemic for resawing as well.
I have a Delta 14" (28-259) w/ riser block and a 1-1/2hp motor. With a 1/2" blade I can resaw to the full 12 inches.

I agree about the blade. I missed the 3/4" blade note. I tried a number of different blades on my 14" Delta and found the larger ones could not be tensioned nearly enough - I bought a tension gauge to be sure. (The tension indicator on the saw is NOT useful.) A correctly tensioned 3/4" blade would overstress the saw. In fact, I DID overstress my saw and had to replace some parts. (I got a beefed up tension bracket from Iturra design).

I settled on 1/2" 3tpi blades for that saw which worked well on even 12" thick dry and green wood. The 3/4hp motor was a bit "anemic" as Todd mentioned, but it never bogged down and cut everything I tried with careful feeding. I used it for years before I got a larger saw.

I use the same 1/2" 3tpi blades now for my 18" bandsaw for resawing and preparing turning blanks for green wood.

JKJ

[Bill Berklich]

Boy, I knew if I tossed it out I'd get a lot of great info!! Thanks. SO some quick background. Have had this saw for YEARS and rarely use it so I'm not really up on the details of using it. A couple of days ago a buddy gave me several chunks of American Elm too big for my TS. I struggled through slicing a piece with 3/16" dull (shiny teeth) blade. It's the original blade. So, I dd some online research and I read somewhere that a 3/4" blade and slower speed were what I needed. I figured I'd better ask the collective before I went off in possibly the wrong direction.

Sounds like I can just chuck up a /2" an d go to town. I do have a 1/2 3TPI blade I bought years ago and never opened :-)

And yes, I would like a newer, bigger, faster, <stick in any tool or car/truck/boat name here> !!

[Jim Becker]

I even run a 1/2" blade on my larger saws.
Me, too....1/2" is pretty much my standard blade, even though I "can" tension a 1" blade on my saw.

[John K Jordan]

... I struggled through slicing a piece with 3/16" dull (shiny teeth) blade. It's the original blade....
And yes, I would like a newer, bigger, faster, <stick in any tool or car/truck/boat name here> !!

Bill, one thing to keep in mind - you can very easily sharpen a bandsaw blade if you have a Dremel rotary tool and one of those little metal cut-off disks. I sharpen all of mine at least 2-3 times before I put on a new one. Those with fewer teeth-per-inch and on smaller saws are a lot quicker to sharpen, though! I still sharpen the 145" blades from my 18" saw but it just takes longer. :) Sharpening this way takes zero skill and saves a bunch of money.

I have text instructions and photos if you want - just ask.

Newer bigger faster? A friend of mine got a girlfriend like that. Didn't work out so well...

JKJ

[glenn bradley]

Newer bigger faster? A friend of mine got a girlfriend like that. Didn't work out so well...

Coffee on the monitor . . . again.

[Bill Berklich]

[QUOTE=John K Jordan;2698853]Bill, one thing to keep in mind

ROFLMAO!!! I can see how that may not work for everyone though I got lucky and "traded up" to my second wife. Please send instructions if you will, my plan was to trash it but if I can just sharpen so much the better. I just found my dremel last night. I moved to Detroit from Memphis 8 years ago an still diggin' stuff out. Lathe came out last month, last weekend I fixed my jointer.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Get a copy of Itura's catalog. It's the "bible" for 14" BS.

[lowell holmes]

Have you viewed Alex Snodgrass videos? Google his name and watch. His method works.

[John K Jordan]

[QUOTE=John K Jordan;2698853]...Please send instructions if you will, my plan was to trash it but if I can just sharpen so much the better. I just found my dremel last night....

There are several useful ways people sharpen - this is the way I do it:
I leave the blade on the saw and use a red sharpie and color a few gullets to mark the place where I start.
I use a Dremel with one of the thin metal-cutting disks, about 1" or so in diameter.

I sharpen by touching the front of the tooth. Technically, the gullet should be ground rather than the front of the tooth which is best done with a machine. Practically, I find this method makes the blade cut as well as a new one.

- Hold the Dremel so the flat side of the disk is about the same angle as the front of a tooth and touch it briefly to the tooth. I grind for only a second or two and don't turn the speed way up. When the disk is moved away there should be a shiny flat spot on the front of the tooth right at the tip. I do not grind inside the gullet.
- Move the blade down and sharpen the next tooth or the next few teeth. Repeat until the red mark comes around. There are 435 teeth on a 3-tpi blade for my 18" Rikon bandsaw and the only time I checked it took me an average of 2.7 seconds per tooth. :-)

A poor cell phone picture!:

362152

Notes:
I generally sharpen a blade two or three times before replacing it but some people sharpen more times. Eventually the set of the teeth will be reduced as the front is ground away but it is difficult to reset hardened teeth without breaking them.

Since the teeth on my blades are set left-center-right I experimented with swinging the Dremel to the left and right to align with the tooth. I couldn't tell any difference in the way it cut.

It is easier to keep the Dremel position constant if you move the blade one tooth at a time but it is a lot quicker to move the blade more and sharpen a half dozen at a time.

A different method may provide a better sharpening job but this works for me.

I have some LONG text I could email with a couple of other variations and methods if anyone is interested, one from noted woodworker Stephen Russell, another by Brian Hahn. Too muvh to post here, so if anyone wants to read it send me an email address.

JKJ

[Randy Heinemann]

The most important thing about resawing is to have the bandsaw setup properly, meaning the blade correctly positioned on the wheels, the blade properly tensioned, and a sharp blade. The guy from Carter recommends dedicating your 1/2" 3TPI blade to resawing since cutting curves with it also may take the set out of the teeth if it is forced around curves. While 3/4 hp might limit the height you can resaw to some degree, slowing down your feed rate should allow you to resaw most wood you have available. I used to resaw with an old Sears 12"; not well, but, with some time spent on setup, it worked OK until I finally upgraded.

[Bill Dufour]

easy way to slow it down would be to install a new motor of 1600 RPM. Make it three phase and use a vfd to adjust the rpm to suit.
Bill

[William Young]

Two points:
Sharpening Bandsaw Blade - I also use my Dremel. However, I prefer to use the cylindrical stone like the ones used for chainsaw sharpening. Get the smallest diameter you can find to approximate the curve of the gullet. I prefer to grind in the gullet being sure to touch the underside of the cutting tip. This way you are less likely to change the height of the tooth. Use a slow speed, and light touch, and move the Dremel back and forth to use the whole length of the stone.

More Power - Larger motors are kind of expensive. If you have a smaller 1/2 or 3/4 hp motor lying under the bench unused, pair it up with the one you have. This is easier if it is the same rpm motor. I now have 1/2 and 3/4 hp motors driving my 14" Delta and it works great. No more bogging down when resawing. I can provide more details if anyone is interested.

[Doug Garson]

I'd be interested in how you pair up two motors on a band saw. Hard to picture how it would be done.

[William Young]

I'd be interested in how you pair up two motors on a band saw. Hard to picture how it would be done.

Here's a photo. More details if you need them:

362270

[Doug Garson]

OK, that's a lot simpler than anything I could imagine. Thanks for sharing.

[Chris Fournier]

I used a Delta 14"er with a riser for years. I never changed the speed, I put a 1 hp motor on it and gasp - I used 3/4" blades on it. With a good blade, 1.5" skip tooth I think I could resaw to the capacity of the saw. It took a bit of a knack but I produced more guitar backs and sides than I can remember and this was often out of hard maple and rosewoods.

Contrary to those who say that this saw can't tension a 3/4" blade properly I'd say maybe not but it will do a great job of resawing with an improperly tensioned 3/4" blade!