Official Luthiers Forum!

If this isn't the right room for this please move it.

I have a 14" Grizzly that I just got and LOVE IT. Now I'm trying to get the most efficient use out of it in my luthiery career. I'm trying to figure out what types of blades I need for it. Since I like using hand tools whenever it's practical/more comfortable, all I'll be using it for is making straight cuts for necks, blocks and the like as well as cutting out bodies on electric guitars and making MDF molds. I know different blades are best for different woods and some are just plain unsuitable for some woods etc. so I'm wondering what blades some of you use throughout your projects. I can see cutting mahogany, rosewood, cocobolo, maple, cedar, walnut, alder, ash, paduak, primavera, and some other exotic hardwoods. The stock shouldn't be more than say 2.5 inches at the very most. I won't be doing any resawing just yet, and in fact I'm going to want a dedicated saw for that to get optimal use in that area, and also because my saw isn't tall enough to do carved electric guitar tops for example.

I use a 1/4-4tpi blade most of the time - it will cut plywood/MDF molds as well as general work.
A 1/4-6tpi is a good general use blade.
A close-fitting (wood or plastic) table insert will reduce chipping quite a lot. I've even used a couple of pieces of tape to close the slot, for a quick cut on thinner stock (trimming a back or soundboard).

Cheers
John

Easy zero-clearance setup for the bandsaw: Take a piece of scrap plywood about 18" square or so. Cut it about halfway through then just clamp it to the table and leave it there. Works great.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I love that idea.
It has the drift angle built in.

The only angle that I can add is to use 1/8" melamine board to protect spruce and cedar from scratches.

Bob

Thank you for the replies. What do you mean by zero clearance?

A table insert that fits tight to the blade so that small bits can't be pulled down into 'the hole'....
Actually more important on the tablesaw when ripping thin slices, IMO

I wouldn't disagree with that although my bandsaw insert never seems to be quite level with the table and this solves that problem. I probably should have noted I use this with a 1/4" 6TPI blade and I think it helps keep the blade aligned when cutting tight curves and such. It also prevents small cutoff pieces from getting jammed in between the insert and the blade. I don't use this when resawing, only for detail work.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I have a three year old 14" Grizzly also. I have to tell you that the crummy original blade tension threaded rod seized on me and I had to replace it. I was going to get another from grizzly but at the last minute decided on an Accuright Ratchet-Rod from Carter Products through Woodcraft. I'm so glad I did, if I had known, I would have replaced it from day one. The Carter is an ACME THREAD rod and so much smoother and the metal ratchet knob sure beats turning the grizzly knob round and round. You can even swap the knob out for a 3/8" ratchet wrench but I find it's not really needed. I plan to keep upgrading my Grizzly with Carter products as finances and priorities permit. BTW, switching out the tension rod did not permit the continued use of the tension release lever and all it's spacers and hardware as comes from grizzly but I don't even miss that as it was always a pain, awkward to use in it's back of machine set-up. It's not a problem at all to ratchet back the rod a couple of turns to ease off a little tension. That being said, Carter does offer their own aftermarket release lever that's properly mounted in a user friendly and safe front location but it costs about $160.

Oh, and I guess this thread was really about blades so I just go to Lowe's and get their cheap and not so good 93 -1/2" x1/4" hook blades. They seem to do the job for me so far but as expected don't last as long as I would like. I plan on getting the 6" riser kit a little later on so I won't be buying any Good blades until then.
René
http://www.carterproducts.com/product.a ... &cat_id=16

Hey Rene that sure looks like one helpful gizmo, I'll have to save up for it.

Also......

I'm having trouble with a wandering blade. It's the 3/8 inch blade that came with the saw. I have it tensioned just above the 3/8" mark that the gauge suggests for a 3/8" blade but I'm still getting mad wandering cuts. The blade is tracking on the center of the crown, the bearings are the right distance away from it, and as I said earlier the saw is just a bit tighter than it need be. I had this happen with 1" granadillo, the blade strayed about 18" off the mark, and it usually strays to the right and then slowly comes back after about an inch or so.

Very annoying................

As for blades, I had a Viking blade blade on my previous saw that I quite liked so I think I'll get another one to fit this saw. Lee Valley carries a lot of Carter products.

I noticed after typing that you had used a viking blade on your previous bandsaw- definitely a world apart from the Grizzly blade I got.....

A few thoughts on this -
1- the blade that came with my Grizzly was not very good quality, so a decent replacement would probably be an improvement- keep dull and low-quality blades for days when you plan to cut a lot of Masonite or other abrasive stuff.
2-the markings on the 'tension gauge' are quite 'approximate, to be charitable- so you can probably crank on a bit of extra tension, if that's what's needed.
3- bandsaws are at their best when fed freehand and cutting curves, as you know. If you are using the fence, 'drift' is involved. The harder the wood and the thicker, the worse the drift problem. If you are doing primarily straight cuts, use the widest blade your saw can tension properly.

About 'upgrading' your Grizzly- make a list of all the 'add-ons' you are thinking of buying and compare the cost to the price of a better saw. Perhaps a plan for another (or a second,) saw in a few years would make more sense. That stuff can add up.

Cheers
John

John,
I agree it is better to buy a better tool from the start when finances allow it but the grizzly bandsaw is all I could afford at the time and it will probably be the last saw I buy barring some kind of catastrophic failure like a plane crashing into my shop. Still,the grizzly is a good, sturdy saw in my opinion and I like it a lot. Improving it's shortcomings slowly over time doesn't hurt too much and is doable for me.

René

René-
Nothing wrong with inexpensive tools- I used a wood-frame bandsaw built from a (Gilliom) kit for 30 yrs before I moved up to the Grizzly 14"! My first belt sander was from AMT and had oiled wood 'bearings'- it only lasted 25 yrs!
It sounds like you have an upgrade program that works for you. I've seen postings here on the OLF that described $500-700 of 'upgrades' for a basic 14" saw. It may be a 'guy thing' - like the $2000 sound system in the $850 used car?

Cheers
John

Looks like I've got the rright idea then. Good to know. I suppose as long as I make some very ledgible lines and make sure I stay way out of them I'll be ok, also the new blade should help and I'll look after the saw as far as maintainance. Thanks for all of your help. As far as upgrades are concerned, I think cool blocks are a pretty sensible one. It would be even better if I could retrofit a bearing system on it though. Good blades are a good thing to add, and maybe get two or three sizes and tooth sizes so I don't wear them out as often and/or ruin the wood.