Hitachi cb75f bandsaw: buy hitachi guide kit or use 3rd party kit? And more...

[Erik C. Hammarlund]

Hi all,

i haven't posted here in ages! Hope everyone doesn't mind my opening with a question...

I am trying to finally get around to setting up a hitachi cb75f bandsaw that i picked up used for a steal a while back. I haven't owned a decent bandsaw in many years.

I want to put a fairly thin blade on it--3/8" should do it, as 1/4 seems too thin--to do some work for holiday gifts and finer curves. I understand that the stock guides aren't really designed for thin blades, as it's a resaw and normally takes big blades. So i need new guides to make that work.

TWO OPTIONS; NEED ADVICE:


I can buy the hitachi blade guide set from amazon for $117 or so.(google 'hitachi 977974' for the part info)
I can buy some other set of similarly priced blade guides, as per the suggestion of the many bandsaw sages on this board. if so, i don't even know where to start. A Carter set like this one from lee Valley (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=56056&cat=1,41036,56060), for $150? (and will it even fit my saw? Is Hitachi compatible with Delta or Jet?) Something else?

Help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,

Erik

[Mike Wilkins]

Another excuse for buying another tool here.
I have been using a Laguna LT18 for years, and it has the capacity to use from 1/4" to 1 1/4" blades. Changing blades is a hassle at best, due to the dance with the guides. So I decided to get another bandsaw just for use with 3/16" blades for scroll and tight radius work. The Rikon benchtop unit (don't recall the model #) works great for these type cuts, and the cost is attractive also (less than $200). There are other small benchtop units on the market that should serve you well for these type cuts, and reserve the big guy for the big boy cuts.
Just another deflated nickels worth of advice.

[Erik C. Hammarlund]

Fair enough recommendation, but given space, time, and my marriage, not a realistic one ;)

As they say, not everything is logical in life!

Any thoughts on guide systems? :D

[Erik C. Hammarlund]

Seems that I can get Carter guides to fit my saw: Either the Carter 500-3 or the CP30A:
500-3
http://www.carterproducts.com/product.asp?product_id=198&cat_id=28

CP30A
http://www.carterproducts.com/product_list.asp?cat_id=26

Which to get?