Official Luthiers Forum!

So I'm dying to get my feet wet and get back to a build as I discussed in my return thread. Currently I'm planning visits with Barry Daniels and Chuck H. here in Houston as soon as our mutual schedules will allow. While the finances aren't going to allow a bandsaw purchase anytime soon, I've spent a few evenings drooling over the current offerings out there. Back when I had a shop I owned this particular model:

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/833083 ... ndsaw.aspx

I had done a ton of research on it vs Laguna, Grizzly, Jet and others and for the $ at the time ($899 on sale!) I felt it was the obvious choice. Yes I had to put in 220v service with a new panel box but that allowed me to go ahead and upgrade the rest of my work space with an additional dozen outlets at strategic places. My intent upon the original purchase was to purchase the only bandsaw I would possibly ever need for resawing as well as small detail work. It was easy to set up, tune and get running right away. At the time I felt it was a fantastic choice financially as well as functionally.

In the 3 years I owed this model not one time did I ever use it for resawing purposes. I didn't feel any of the slabs I came across justified purchasing to cut my own material from vs purchasing specific b/s sets or soundboards. I couldn't see building 5-6 cocobolo guitars anytime in the near future so why spend cash needed elsewhere just to satisfy my WAS for POSSIBLE future needs. I know wood like everything else is only going to escalate in price so it's an investment that shouldn't lose, but there are many more important things (baby items lol) in my near future.

What do you like about your current setup or other models you see available today? IF I ever purchase another larger bandsaw I'm curious what those of you who have a 14" or bigger saw think of the one you currently own. Did you have to change guide blocks? Do you like the aluminum wheels vs cast iron? For those of you with a brake, do you find it worth the extra expense? What resaw fence do you use and why?

Forward to my current situation and $ is a major obstacle for the near future for such a purchase. Prices have gone up obviously. When it comes time to pull the trigger on a new one what are your thoughts on going small like this and leave the resawing to the professionals.

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/150503 ... 10305.aspx
I'm thinking it would do most everything for the small builder and not break the bank. Thoughts?

For what it's worth I like the Grizzly and Rikon 17"-18" models IF I were to buy bigger than a bench top model in the future. Also looked at this Laguna recently but the table was too short for my comfort as I'm 6'1".
http://www.woodcraft.com/product/854323 ... ndsaw.aspx

Just a discussion. No wrong or right answers.

Thanks!

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Bobby Masten

I'll chime in, because of a recent upgrade I made:

When I first started building, I did not have a bandsaw, and it was a major pain to not have one. Seriously. I would have a hard time going back to not owning a bandsaw.

I then bought one of the tiny Delta benchtop bandsaws a lot of years ago. I think the best way to describe the experience is that it was better than not having a bandsaw, but it was very limited, both in terms of capacity and accuracy of the cut.

I later upgraded to a Ridgid 14" bandsaw, which I immediately tricked out with Cool Blocks and a decent after-market fence. This did a great job for a very long time. I would still own it, but for an upgrade that came up recently and suddenly. It was wobbly and noisy, and changing blades was a hassle. But it did real bandsaw stuff. It was not big enough for resawing tops or backs, but like you, that is a rare need for someone like me.

I recently fell into the chance to buy a barely used Jet Deluxe Pro, which is a 14" bandsaw sold with a riser block and bearing guides instead of blocks, a quick release tension arm, an easier left side blade guard (for making blade changes easier), a decent fence, lots of little upgrades like that. The price was right, so I jumped on it. I am very, very happy with the new, barely used bandsaw. It will be big enough to resaw backs or tops if I need that, but most of the time, I will be cutting smaller stock. It has already done a great job for me. It has more weight than the Ridgid, so there is less wobbliness and less noise. It can take a larger blade. It is just all around a better bandsaw.

I guess my advice is that, if the small Rikon is all you can afford, it is worth having, as compared to not having any bandsaw at all. Not having one at all would stink big time for me. If you want to go larger, but cannot afford it, I think 14" bandsaws are plenty big for what we need to do, other than resawing tops and backs.

"When it comes time to pull the trigger on a new one"

Don't.
A good used 14 inch bandsaw can be pretty affordable if you look around a bit before buying. It is a good all around saw and with the right set up and technique you can even use it for resawing occasionally. The bandsaw I use the most is a bog standard delta 14 with a 3/4 hp motor.
The 12 inch craftsman saws can usually be bought for under $100 on the used market and can also be decent saws if properly set up.
Since you have experience using a bandsaw you can test drive those in the used market and avoid those with problems.

Well, I bought a Laguna SUV recently. I bought it specifically for resawing. It has become my general use straight cut saw. But since changing blades every time from curved to straight cuts isn't practical, I also bought a little benchtop saw like the rikon.

Since you know for sure you won't be resawing, it'll get you a long way as far as guitar making work goes. The hardest cut you'll need to do is cutting your neck blank into shape, and those little saws will do it, if a bit reluctantly.

So go far it, it'll get you started. And then keep your eyes on craigslist, cause bandsaws often come up cheap.

I've been using a small bench top craftsman bandsaw for about three years and it's been almost not worth the hassle to use due to it bogging down so much and blade drift being so terrible. I found myself opting for my scroll saw more than my bandsaw when doing curvy work. Last week I scored a band new 19" Grizzly G0514X2 with foot brake, two carbide tipped 1.25" resaw blades, four carbide tipped smaller blades, and a rolling stand for $1,200! I still need to run 220v in the shop but the fit and finish of this machine is incredible and I can't wait to put it to work. I'm sure my tablesaw will start to collect a little dust once this is up and running! Keep an eye on Craigslist, as good deals are out there!

https://www.grizzly.com/products/19-Ext ... se/G0514X2

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Chris Alvarado
www.ChrisAlvaradoLive.com
www.Driftwood-Guitars.com

I'm with Clay. Spend your money on a good used machine from Craigslist. If you're not averse to doing a little work, I'd hold out for an early Delta (something from the '40s or '50s) or one of the other classic brands: Silver, Walker-Turner, etc. The older equipment can be worked on fairly easily, and it's so much more durable than anything you can buy today.

I routinely see 14" Deltas on my CL and on government auction sites that go very cheaply. With the amount of money you'd save, you can get a riser block and all the other tricked-out goodies you can imagine and have a great machine for a fraction of the cost of something new.

I received a 14" Craftsman from Santa a few years back.
It took some tweaking and parts filing to make decent cuts.
Changing a blade takes about an hour to reset the guides and tracking.
I build electrics, so cutting body shapes is a snap.
I mill my own Mesquite and the saw just barely handles it.
I re-saw drop tops on every build, so I am glad I have it.
For milling and re-sawing, it is under powered for dense woods, but I can go slow and get the job done.

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

I like old tools,
and had a Delta 14".
Didn't use it much,
but came in handy.
Did do some resawing on it with great success!
Would be nice to have a new modern bandsaw,
but at half the price, more fiddling around,
that's how I'd go!

I have the first iteration of this saw, the Deluxe. It's identical, minus the riser block and bearing guides. How I wish I had the riser! I've made the following upgrades and love the saw.

1. 1-1/2 HP Leeson farm duty motor
2. Browning high speed pulley set (from Iturra Designs)
3. Power Twist Link V-belt (from Iturra Designs)
4. The urethane (or whatever) tires from Iturra Designs)
5. Kreg fence (the Jet fence I had sucked)

I have owned a similar bandsaw for 7 years now, earlier version of this http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-hobby-series-hbs250n-bandsaw
Similar specs, it was best in category in a big review, and not having a surplus of space or cash, I bought it and have been happy with it so far.
Took a bit of setting up (mainly learning curve, my first experience with a bandsaw) but once it was done, it has served it's purpose well.
I obviously don't resaw, but with a premium blade http://www.axminster.co.uk/axcaliber-premium-bandsaw-blades/ I have (slowly) ripped rosewood (+/-3 " FB blank) and hard maple bridge plates from stock, various bindings, necks blanks and laminations, braces, even split thick mahogany sides at full capacity, made kerfed linings etc,
You get the picture, its had it's share of abuse.
All I've ever had to do after setting it up is replace blades, bearings and one set of tire rubbers.
I do notice the new model is rated hobby and my one was rated trade so there may be some differences.
But if I have the space, I won't be getting rid of this one even if I upgrade, and it's certainly earned it's keep.

I know you won't regret buying bigger and better, but depends on your circumstances

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

While I'd love to have a 19" to be able to resaw it isn't necessary for me. I buy my wood pre-milled.

When I was researching what to buy the consensus I found is what I read in the posts above: for MOST builders a decent 14" bandsaw, properly set-up, will do the vast majority of what you need.

With that in mind I kept my eye on Craigslist and eBay. I limited the eBay search to 100 miles from my location and someone was selling a recent (import) Delta 14" bandsaw with a minimum bid of $125. I ended up being the ONLY bidder and therefore got it for $125. It even came with several new(general purpose) blades. I added a better fence (Kreg ~$100).

So in addition to Craigs List, anyone looking for tools should check eBay limiting the search to their area. Like me, you might find what you need.

Local eBay is precisely how I found my barely used Jet Deluxe Pro described above. It was a few hours away, but I had to travel in that direction for something anyway, so it was pretty convenient, all considered.

Hint: Check listings in places that have a Woodcraft store nearby. Woodworkers buy Jet or Powermatic tools, then lose interest and want to sell at a steep discount in order to get rid of it.

I love my Jet 18". I use a 10" delta for small work, but truth be known, I wish I had a quality 14" for small blade work. The bandsaw is my most used cutting tool bar none. Second most used tool is drum sander. Then various configurations of sanders. Least used is the table saw. Dread having to use it. If I ever upgrade, it's gonna be a Saw Stop. Invest in a good 14" bandsaw. If ur not resawing, u will never find it lacking. Even though, plenty folks use theirs for resaw work.

I would say get a 14" if you can find one, that's pretty much the minimum size that will allow you to do all the luthery tasks needed except heavy resawing. If it's a cast iron C frame you can add a riser block and do light resaw work.

Like many here I started out with a 10" bench-mounted bandsaw and it limited what I could do. Part of the problem was lack of power, another was inability to tension the blade sufficiently, and a bigger problem was the limited space between the blade and frame. The saw was just too small - for me - YMMV.

After about a 6 months with the 10" saw I bought a Grizzly 14" that I tricked out with a riser block, better guides, and some Iturra parts; that one served me well for about 12 years. I always had an issue with the cast iron frame flexing when I wanted to resaw backs/sides and the vibration/flex would cause the kerfs to be larger than they needed to be (no surprise there) plus the motor was just under powered for resawing. For smaller cuts it was just fine. Bottom line is it got the job done and I was thankful to have it.

I finally got the opportunity to upgrade the saw. It took me quite a while to figure out just which one I was going to spend the money on. Because my shop is small and I don't resaw very often I finally decided on the Rikon 10-325 14" saw. It' just short of being too big for my shop. Turned out to be about right for me, it has plenty of resaw capacity (for me), more power, and a more rigid box frame. There is no blade brake but I don't miss it. Things I would like to upgrade are the guides and maybe the fence (it's ok but I thing the Kreg might be nice).

Good luck with your shopping.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I started with a 9" in my apt and it was very useful. When I got a garage I got a basic 14" 3/4hp Delta with a good blade and it was great. Everything but guitat backs.

Upgraded to a 12" 1hp Inca which does everything the 14" did and better. With the caveat that I don't know of any carbide blade that will work on the 12 or (cheap) 14.

Now I've got a VERY beefy Ryobi dedicated 14" resaw (very rare find) with a 3" blade and I plan to use the Inca for my 1/4" curve cutting tasks. I should be in band saw heaven!

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Pat