New to the board. Hello! and some Q's.

[Ryan Sparreboom]

Hey everyone. This is my first post here, I have been reading lots on this site and wow is there ever a ton of knowledgeable people here!
I have a small wood shop set up in my garage. I love to make things like small furniture items and such. Right now I'm working on a bathroom cabinet for a friend. he wants it "floating" so it has to be very sturdy to support the granite top and sink he'll be installing. I'm using oak for the project. I've built quite a few other things like crib boards, a stool, picture frames, a mirror, some shelves, a rocking motorcycle, a jewelry box and necklace stand, and a coffee table and end table set with porcelain tile inlayed, but am still quite new at wordworking.
So far my tools consist of a Craftsman table saw, a small (11") bandsaw, a benchtop drill press, a router (plunge and fixed base) and router table, a real good Hitachi circular saw (7 1/4"), Dewalt jigsaw, Ridgid 6.5 HP vaccuum (top of the line for ridgid), Delta 10" compound mitre saw, and numerous hand tools that I've found I needed so far.
My wife has given me the O.K to buy some new tools soon! So I have decided I want to get a good planer, and a 14" bandsaw so I can do some resawing.
I've been researching my options and have pretty much decided on this planer: http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/R4330-Thickness-Planer/

and this bandsaw: http://www.deltaportercable.com/Products/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=11197

I also want to buy a few add ons like mobile bases (I'll build my own stand for the planer), a fence, and some more blades for the bandsaw, and some cool blocks.
My budget is $1500 max. (Cdn)

I was wondering if people have other suggestions? I like the planer for the good reviews it gets and the lifetime warranty of Ridgid tools. And the fact it has 3 reversable blades, and decent dust collection. And I like the bandsaw cause it has the features I want (1HP motor, ability to add hieght extension, good guide system, enclosed base, good dust collection, ect.) and it's gotten good reviews too.
I would also like to pick up a good random orbit sander for about $150 max. and was wondering on suggestions on this?

Anyway thanks. Thats a bit about me and I will certainly post some pics of the work I have done and am doing eventually.

[Jerome Hanby]

Your setup is eerily similar to mine. I've got the Ridgid planer and love it. Have you considered shopping around for a used Shopsmith? In the $500 neighborhood (US) you might be able to get the basic unit, bandsaw, and maybe a jointer. I wont argue that better standalone tools exist, but the Shopsmith is a good worker in all it's modes (except maybe Table Saw, but that's my opinion). For me, I leave the Jointer on it unless I need the bandsaw and leave the sanding disk attached. I can remove the sanding disk and raise the headstock to drill press mode without disturbing the jointer. Personally, I love the Shopsmith Bandsaw. It's sweet, simple, has better power than other bandsaws in it's class, and equipped with Timberwolf blades cuts with almost zero drift!

I've heard that the Shopsmith planer is a great device, I tend to believe it since I never see a bargain on one.

I didn't shop around nearly as much as I could have, so I have about $1200 total invested in my Shopsmith with jointer, bandsaw, belt sander, and lathe duplicator. It's also going to serve as the base and power source for my shop built thickness sander. I'm sure that I'll replace the jointer with a larger unit someday and I've discovered that wasting wood just kills me, so someday I'll probably buy a bandsaw with more resaw capacity but I feel like that $1200 got me the equivalent of a shop full of tools much quicker than I could have otherwise managed. Plus when I've learned enough to intelligently select replacement stand alone tools, I wont feel the same buyer's remorse!

[Lee Schierer]

I have a similar Delta bandsaw that I purchased in Canada. It was made in China and has a few mechanical fit problems that had to be corrected to get the optimum performace from the saw. The Adjustment slide for the lower guide was loose fitting and allowed the guide blocks to move excessively from side to side. I fixed this by adding a layer of .007 thick UHMW tape to the slide. The other problem was the lower thrust bearing mount was loose. When you tightened it up it would force the roller against the housing and not let the roller spin freely. I had to remove the housing and do some milling to allow the proper clearance for the bearing. It also had a cheap on/off swicth that broke a few months ago that I was able to replace with a similar but better manufactured switch.

I have a Porter Cable ROS 5" ROS (non-variable speed) and it has served me well for the past 8 years or so.

[Jim Becker]

Welcome to SMC, Ryan!

[Larry Browning]

Ryan,
I would check the fine print of the "lifetime warranty of Ridgid tools". Is that your lifetime or the tool's lifetime? More than likely it is the latter, which is whatever Ridgid decides is a reasonable life for the tool. I bought a cordless drill from them with this "lifetime" warranty and it seems that they think a cordless drill has about a 5 year lifetime. And if you don't have the original sales receipt, good luck. I had mine, but since it was printed on thermal paper, all I really had was a blank piece of paper.
I'm not saying don't buy from them, just check the fine print and understand what you are really getting for your money.

[Jerome Hanby]

If i am recalling correctly from my planer purchase, I thought the lifetime warranty was for labor...


Ryan,
I would check the fine print of the "lifetime warranty of Ridgid tools". Is that your lifetime or the tool's lifetime? More than likely it is the latter, which is whatever Ridgid decides is a reasonable life for the tool. I bought a cordless drill from them with this "lifetime" warranty and it seems that they think a cordless drill has about a 5 year lifetime. And if you don't have the original sales receipt, good luck. I had mine, but since it was printed on thermal paper, all I really had was a blank piece of paper.
I'm not saying don't buy from them, just check the fine print and understand what you are really getting for your money.

[Ryan Sparreboom]

Thanks for the replys and the welcome guys.
I'm not a real big fan of the multi purpose tools, and prefer the stand alone types, even though it takes up more room.
I'm sure there are minor adjustments to be made out of the box on any bandsaw. Lee, have you heard of many other people having the same problems you had with your saw? Anybody else have the Delta 28-206 that has some insight as to how good or bad it is? Maybe Lee's was just a poor example of it? Hmm.... My only other option is a General International, but the on'es in my price range come with 8" of resaw capacity and no ability to add more. I do plan on getting Timberwolf blades. What are people's thoughts on those blades?

I realize that Ridgid's "lifetime" warranty is not unlimited. It is for the life of the tool. What they consider that to be I'm not sure. But I have a friend who has a Ridgid mitre saw. The bearings wore out sooner than he figured they should on a saw priced as it was, so he contacted the company, took it into an authorized repair center and they fixed it for him, free under warranty, no questions asked. He had owned it for 2 years or so.
So even though there are some limitations, I think its still a better warranty than most tools offer.
Besides that, I'm not gonna buy it just cause of the warranty, I have read a lot of good reviews on how it cuts and compares to other similar priced planers.

[J. Z. Guest]

Before you buy another bandsaw, get a jointer.

Don't get too hung up on tools unless they're not doing the job for you.

[Ryan Sparreboom]

Pretty much impossible to do any type of resawing with my current little bandsaw, which is why I want a bigger one.
I also feel I can live without a jointer for now, and will likely aquire one later. I can make a face flat with a simple jig in the planer, before flipping it over to make the other face parallel. And can make an edge square and straight with another simple jig on my table saw. At least thats my theory. It's more time consuming, so eventually I will get a jointer.
Resawing is more important to me right now. I'll keep a real small blade on my 11" for cutting tight curves and keep a wide blade on the 14" for resawing.

[Bruce Pennell]

Ryan for resawing you might want to think Grizzly G0513 (http://www.grizzly.com/products/17-Bandsaw-2-HP/G0513) 17" 2hp bandsaw. I also have Rigid planer (2) and I love my impact driver. I started with HF 14"then went to Delta 14" then upgraded to the grizzly 17". I use the Grizzly 90% of the time, for straight cuts 3/4" blade the Delta I have 1/2" blade use it for blanks and curves. The HF 14" has a 1/8" blade I use it for bandsaw boxes. The extra power in the 17" is great. I've been cutting 10- 12" logs for turning, nice to have the power.

[glenn bradley]

First of all, WELCOME. Second, I'll go with Bruce on the BS idea. The Delta, IMHO, is overpriced. You'll want a couple of horsepower for resawing. Band saws are one of those things where it almost can't be too big until it becomes ridiculous for your situation.

Third, as soon as you resaw that lumber you are going to need a jointer to flatten one side so that you can continue the milling process. A workaround is a planer sled so given the budget and the current tools I guess I would lean toward a larger BS, a planer and a planer sled to get me by.

Ideally (and very few of us have that situation) you could resaw a board on the BS, face joint and edge joint on the jointer, run it through the planer to thickness it, rip it to width on the TS and cross cut to length.

Even if you don't resaw for awhile, I think a jointer is the first step to truing up any board so, if you go with the bigger BS, build the planer sled. You'll be glad you did.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Welcome to the Creek Ryan!

[Harley Reasons]

I realize that Ridgid's "lifetime" warranty is not unlimited. It is for the life of the tool. What they consider that to be I'm not sure. But I have a friend who has a Ridgid mitre saw. The bearings wore out sooner than he figured they should on a saw priced as it was, so he contacted the company, took it into an authorized repair center and they fixed it for him, free under warranty, no questions asked. He had owned it for 2 years or so.
So even though there are some limitations, I think its still a better warranty than most tools offer.


The Ridgid Lifetime Service Agreement (LSA) is for the life of the ORIGINAL purchaser. Hence their slogan "One tool for LIFE". You may note that this is not a warranty it is a LSA and does not go into effect until the 3 year manufacturers' warranty has expired. The Ridgid Trademark is owned by Emerson Electric Co. which in turn licenses it to One World Technology (OWT). OWT then contracts with Techtronics International (TTI) to manufacture the products. The 3 year warranty is handled through OWT but is backcharged to TTI. The LSA is against OWT
In addition to Ridgid Brand tools, TTI also produces the Ryobi, Milwaukee, Crapsman, Homelite & Hoover tools, garden and household products.
OWT is based in South Carolina and of course TTI is based in China.
Here is a link to the Ridgid LSA that clears up any misconceptions
Ridgid LSA (http://www.ridgid.com/Manuals/RidgidLSA.pdf)
I recently asked the OWT tool rep how they could offer the LSA on their tools and his answer was very logical and probably is true in 75% of male population. He stated "Most guys do not read the information that comes with a tool until they have a problem with it!" Most of the time a problem will not occur until you have thrown the box away which has the barcode on it that is required to register the LSA. The original purchaser has 90 days to register the tool or they are stuck with a 3 yr warranty. So if you buy an item that qualifies for the LSA you need to do five things:
1. At the time of purchase as for a duplicate cash register receipt.
2. Cut the UPC from the box immediately before opening the box.
3. Fill out the enclosed card with the tool model and serial number
4. Keep a copy for your records of everything (Staple to inside cover of your owners manual)
5. Mail to the address shown on the card.
Additionally, you can go to www.ridgid.com and set up an Ebox where you can enter the information for your tools and OWT will validate the LSA when the information is received.
As an orange apron in the Tool Department I try to tell every buyer of Ridgid Tools to be sure and register their LSA. Weekly we get guys coming back in with a Ridgid Tool that they want to "Swap Out" under the LSA but have failed to register them. They get all mad when we tell them they have to go back to Ridgid for repairs that the HD BORG doesn't provide "Swap Out" replacements.
Sorry about the long post, got carried away

[Lee Schierer]

Lee, have you heard of many other people having the same problems you had with your saw? Anybody else have the Delta 28-206 that has some insight as to how good or bad it is? Maybe Lee's was just a poor example of it? Hmm....
There was at least one other person that had the bearing interference problem that posted here. They may have had the other problem too, but that wasn't the reason they posted their question. Now that the problems have been resolved, the saw works fine.

[Mike Goetzke]

Ryan - about a year ago I bought a Delta 28-276. An open stand 3/4HP 14" brother of the 28-206. I was able to catch it on Amazon for $200. Of coarse, shortly after the purchase I bought a used Delta 28-262 closed-stand 1HP BS and a few other things from a local guy at bargain prices. I took my new 28-276 saw and put it on the 28-262 base. I did this because the 206 has a 4" dust port and quick-release and the 262 had the more powerful motor. I'm completely satisfied with the performance of this saw even for resawing and haven't had any issues with it.

Mike

[Ryan Sparreboom]

Thanks again fella's. That Grizzly saw sure looks nice, but unfortunately I can't get them in Canada. I could do an "international order" but the cost of shipping, freight, and customs would put me WAY over budget (probably double the price of the saw for me). It still amazes me how so many American companies consider Canada "overseas". Anyway...
As far as the Delta bandsaw being overpriced, I'm sure I can get it for about $100 cheaper. And that is CDN. Even though the exchange rate is still very good, they do include the costs of shipping and stuff in that. So ya I can get the saw for $300 less on Amazon, but then I have to arrange and pay for my own shipping and customs. It's not worth it in the end. Canada just doesn't have enough options for the same tools Americans can get for at the prices.

As I stated earlier on. I do plan on getting a jointer eventually. Probably November at the WW show if I can find a good deal. In the interm, I will likely use a sled on the planer. I have seen a few options for this, but does anyone have a GOOD link on how to build one?

[Ryan Sparreboom]

So I've bought my planer (Dewalt 735, LOVE it) and now I'm a bit torn between my original plan of buying a 14" bandsaw, or buying a jointer. Help me out, which one should I buy???

[Harley Reasons]

So I've bought my planer (Dewalt 735, LOVE it) and now I'm a bit torn between my original plan of buying a 14" bandsaw, or buying a jointer. Help me out, which one should I buy???

Did you send int for the $50 rebate on the Dewalt?

[Ryan Sparreboom]

NO! Sweet, I didn't know about that! How do I get it???

But any thoughts on which "major" tool to buy next. I have a budget of about $750..... 6" jointer or 14" bandsaw? My original thoughts was to go for the bandsaw for resawing and rig up some jigs for jointing on the planer and tablesaw (face and edge). But now that I have the planer, it sure would be easier to have a jointer, and I'm not sure how much resawing I'll really do anyways. Any thoughts from all you guys that have "been there done that" with these tool decisions? Thanks I sure appreciate it.

[Les Heinen]

Ryan,
Congrats on the 735. I bought my 735 about 3 years ago and have absolutely no regrets. The one thing I should caution you on is the DC set-up. Unless the have changed the design, the DC discharge is right over the outfeed table and attaching the DC hose creates some challenges when receiving the stock on the outfeed table. The stock either caught it or I have to be mindful and hold it to the side. Just this weekend I finally went to the borg & found a PVC 3"x4" bend which would friction fit the DC discharge fitting (3" end)and also allow the clamping of the DC hose on the 4" end. This permits me to have the DC hose out of the way. You may also want to look at doing something along these lines.

My opinion would be to go with the jointer. I have reservations about the use of sleds for jointing purposes using a planer. Looks good on paper but I think there would be quite a bit of frustration before it resulted in acceptable surfaces. Others on this forum have done well by using a sled but I feel their talent level is well above mine. The advantage to the sled is that you could theoretically joint stock over twice as wide as you could with the jointer thereby eliminating the need to rip, joint and glue-up wide panels. You might want to try a small sled before you make your decision.

[Ryan Sparreboom]

Thanks Les, Ya I noticed the problem with the position of the DC output on the planer as soon as I ran the first board thru it. Wierd that they wouldn't fix it, but I already attached a piece of rubber plumbing and will keep my hose out of the way with some type of clamp for now.

The more I think about it the more I'm leaning towards a jointer. Rigging up a sled and setting up shims for every board I want to plane just seems like a PITA. I have a whole stach of 50 yr old Birch that has some nice "flame" figure to it that I want to make square and smooth. I think I need the jointer first. But I want to hear some more opinions first. I have about a week till I want to buy.

Anyone else got $0.02 they can put in to help me out?

[Cary Swoveland]

Ryan,

Firstly, welcome to SMC.

Now that you have the planer, what's your budget for a jointer?

Where in Canada are you? Now would be a good time to go to "UserCP" and give some information about yourself.

Cary

[Ryan Sparreboom]

Thanks Cary. I'm in Edmonton. My budget is about $750, but that includes getting a few mobile bases too.
I made some updates on the userCP.

[Cary Falk]

Ryan,
I would go with a jointer first. I have the Delta 28-206 that you were asking about in your original post. I haven't had any issues with it. I have had it for a few years. I put a riser on it and have had good luck with resawing.

[Doug Shepard]

Pretty much impossible to do any type of resawing with my current little bandsaw, which is why I want a bigger one.
...
Resawing is more important to me right now. I'll keep a real small blade on my 11" for cutting tight curves and keep a wide blade on the 14" for resawing.

Moving to a 14" BS isnt going to put you in a much better position. The 14" ones just dont excel at resawing. Get the biggest baddest BS you can do budgetwise. The heavier the frame and greater the HP, the better. Go used if you can find something in your area.
An Ex-14" BS owner.

[Walt Caza]

Hi Ryan,
My vote is also for jointer, it does crucial things no other machine can do.
Unless you are a dab hand with hand tools, how are you going to make
boards straight and flat with a square edge?

My jointer has become the hub of my machines. When machining, I often go
between the tablesaw and jointer, planer and jointer, also bandsaw and jointer.

I was told by a rep at a woodshow that the reason we cannot get Grizzly in Canada,
is because they have some family relation to Busy Bee, and have an agreement not to compete.
I have no way of knowing if that is true, but I do know they will not send a free catalog to Canada.(?)
BB does offer their own Craftex brand. I have not purchased any,
but many others do. I will pm a link to you.

welcome to the Creek,
Walt
:)
__________________;)

[Greg Hines, MD]

As to the big tools, I would go with a jointer over another bandsaw, at least until you really need to do the resawing.

One thing that you might want to look into is a Kreg jig. Pocket screws will help you out of a great variety of problems.

Doc

[Gary Lee]

I've used the Delta bandsaw ( in someone else's shop) to cut some 6" thick oak corbels for a custom bar front. It lacked the power needed for this. The curves were shallow (the corbels/posts were 34" tall) so there was very little binding, just not enough horsepower. It did get the job done but it was SSSLLLOOOWWW. The blade was brand new. Actually I changed it halfway through to a second new blade. I would recommend at least 2 horse. I had also considered a Grizzly but went to the Minimax E16.