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I see that Woodcraft has this Rikon bandsaw on sale: http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2085779/43096/Rikon-14-Open-Stand-1-HP-Bandsaw-Model-10-321.aspx. At almost 30% off, it looks like a good deal.

My only question is about the resaw capacity. The specs say it will cut 8 inches thick. I don't plan to do wholesale resawing, but I do want to be able to do things like slice and book-match a maple top for an electric guitar. And it seems like it would be prudent to get something big enough to resaw an acoustic guitar back.

What do you think? Is 8-inch resaw capacity adequate, or should I hold out for the deluxe Rikon with 12-inch capacity?

Thanks.

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John Cavanaugh
Saint Paul, MN
"What could possibly go wrong?"

I have the Rikon 14" deluxe with a 13" resaw capability. It has a 1.5 HP motor. The 8" resaw seems like it would be OK for slicing rosettes from turning blocks. Although with some of the wood the 1.5 Hp in the deluxe seems to have to work a bit. I have not resawed any wood to get tops or backs. I really like my Rikon, I use it every day. Getting a 14" makes life a lot easier cutting out backs and top profiles than a smaller saw as you do not have to flip the top over when you run into the support.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Same as my old Powermatic. I cut a slot in the bottom of the top area where the guide retracts and was able to gain around a half inch to resaw to 8-1/2". Cuts fine with a 1/2" carbide blade. Saw must be 15 years old and have really done some heavy duty work on it. I have an old Rikon contractor's saw that is the same as the old Powermatic.

I am saving my money to buy a new band saw right now and have done quite a bit of research on them.
If you are planning on doing resawing for tops, backs and sides you need HP. From everything I have read and everyone I have talked to they say that a 1 1/2 motor is just not big enough to do a decent job cutting through thicker wood. Almost everyone I have talked to so far has told me to go for the biggest hp rating that I can.

The other thing to think about when resawing is blade width. A minimum of a 1" blade is recommended for resawing anything over 4 or 5 inches. Anything thicker than that and a thiner blade will want to wander because you can't get enough tension on the blade with out breaking them.

Something to consider when re-sawing is a guitar body is roughly 15" wide so you need to cut half that with is 7 1/2". That is fine if the piece of wood you are cutting has perfect grain so you can cut an 8" piece of wood and just fit a guitar into that space. But being able to cut larger wood to give yourself some room to choose where the back will fit makes a lot more sense so you will want to get larger resaw capability than the bare minimum.


My decision is down to these:

The Laguna 14" with 3 HP Leeson Motor

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2083658/35880/Laguna-14-Bandsaw-3-HP-Leeson-Motor-LT14-SUV.aspx

And the Rikon 14 Pro Bandsaw with 3HP motor

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2086198/46344/Rikon-14-Professional-Bandsaw-with-3-HP-Motor-Model-10-351.aspx

These are the 2 that I have boiled my decision down to without going top end for an 18" or larger saw.

Hope this helps.
Bob

I forgot to add, If you are not serious about resaw capabilities and are just looking for a decent band saw then that is probably a great saw to buy.

I am currently using an old Craftsman 14" saw with a 3/4 horse motor and about a 6" resaw capability. It has served me well for a lot of woodworking projects but it keeps breaking down on me and it is time to replace it. If I wasn't interested in cutting my own tops and backs I would probably look for something new in the 1 1/2 horsepower range. But that one would "get you by" for basic cutting and scroll work.

Bob

I used a 14" Delta with an extension for several years doing occasional resawing. It has a 3/4 hp motor and would handle up to 3/4" blades. I can't tell you how many beautiful pieces of topwood I destroyed using this under powered machine. A few years ago I bought a Hitachi resaw with a 3 hp (220v) motor which is adequate for resawing up to 11" or more. If you want to resaw get something bigger and much more powerful.

I resaw 8 to 10 inch stock all the time with a Rikon 14" deluxe with a 1/2" blade. If the fence is adjusted for the blade drift it won't wander in the cut and you will end up with more wood and less sawdust than with a larger blade. Paul

I've been resawing with the jet 14 inch with the riser block, 1.5 horsepower, and am seriously feeling the limitations in power and blade longevity. As soon as I get the funds I'm moving up to a 17 inch 3HP saw.

It's served me okay to this point, but I seem to be getting busier with the building.

I'd get one with a studier base than the one you linked to though, if you are wanting to really resaw stuff.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

I too have a Delta 14" with riser block & 3/4 HP motor which cost me about $800 in 1992.

The largest & toughest stuff I ever resawed on it was approx 10" Bubinga.

Yes, it can be done but the fence has to be properly set for drift, guides precisely set, and you have to feed very, very slowly. It wasn't fun, but possible. I used 1/2" carbon steel blades, 3 or 4 tpi skip tooth, nothing fancy. The only time I ever damaged a piece was when I tried to feed too fast or the blade became dull which would occasionally happen in the middle of the cut.

The frame on the Rikon is welded steel as opposed to cast iron so it should be pretty stiff. Assuming the guides are decent, it should be ok for occasional resawing of Maple just be sure to only use sharp blades. A 1/2" 3tpi 0.025" trimaster will set you back another $125 but I have no experience using carbide blades on smaller saws.

Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

That would be a decent saw for smaller stuff, but as others say, it won't be fun for resawing.

I have the Rikon 10-325 which has a 1.5 HP motor. I got it used off Craigs for $500 about 3 years ago. I have resawed up to 9" of light to medium hardwoods with no issues, I just have to take it slow. There are many things I don't like about my 10-325 but the one thing that annoys me the most is the guide bearings. They are a pain to set up, and the bottom rear guide bearing won't move far enough forward to work with smaller blades.

I suggest trying to find a bigger saw used on Craigslist.

Thanks to all of you for the feedback. You gave me plenty to think about. Maybe the answer is to get this saw for general shop work and find time on a larger saw if I want to resaw.

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John Cavanaugh
Saint Paul, MN
"What could possibly go wrong?"

Oh for sure!
When I get my new saw I'm keeping the old one for certain tasks. It'll be good I think to ave two saws.
All the pro luthiers I know have a couple.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

That might be a good idea.

I like having two band saws. My Rikon is set up with a 6 or 7 TPI blade for general purpose work and I have a little tiny band saw that i have off in a corner that I bring out to use for cutting thin stuff. The little saw was from my grandfather when he passed away, so it was free, but you can pick these up for $50 or so It beats having to change blades all the time. On the rare occasion that I resaw, I will throw on a 3 TPI blade on the Rikon.

John,
If you don't have a band saw and need it for general cutting then I would say "go for it". The price is really good and it is a good brand so you can't go wrong. Save your pennies to by a big one for resawing.

I am close to ordering my new one but I will keep my craftsman since it is slowly being rebuilt as it keeps breaking down on me... So far I have replaces the motor, one of the pullies, both upper and lower bearings, and new urethane tires so I couldn't sell it without loosing money. I will keep a small blade on it for cutting the small stuff but my new one will be for resawing and cutting thicker materials or for more accurate cuts.

You can't go wrong at that price and it would make a great second saw if you decide to get a bigger one. But for cutting most stuff on a guitar like braces and even resawing stock for bridges it would be just fine. I buy blocks of Rosewood and Ebony and make all my own bridges and my old Craftsman has worked just fine for that.

Cheers,
Bob

Or switch to 3 piece Backs. Suddenly the smaller Bandsaws become a bit more useful.

2 horses at least - you'll never regret it.

John Shelton - why a 3/4" blade on a 14" Delta? I can just barely get a 1/2" Tri-master up to enough tension to keep it moderately happy on mine.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Or use a combination tablesaw/bandsaw with the "nail in kerf" method and resaw with an underpowered saw and a cheap 1/4 inch wide blade.

Just to finish this thread: I finally decided against getting the Rikon 10-321. However, the next month, the 10-325 went on sale for 20% off, and I bought that. I bought a "mobility kit" for it so I can move it around my tiny shop. I don't have it up and running yet, but I'm confident that it will do what I need a bandsaw to do.

My thanks to everyone who contributed to the discussion. Having your feedback helped.

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John Cavanaugh
Saint Paul, MN
"What could possibly go wrong?"

Not that there is anything wrong with 14", but if you ever want to use carbide blades, I believe the minimum recommended diameter is 18"

This does not apply to carbide tipped blades AFAIK.

Mike

I tried 1/2" and found the 3/4" skip tooth cut a little better. I still use the Delta for some things like ripping bindings and linings and roughing out necks. I bought a small 10" Delta for scroll work so there's no need for narrow blades on the 14".

I resawed a couple of small billets with the Hitachi a couple days ago to get 8 tops that turned out a uniform 3/16" X 11" X 22". Needless to say I am very satisfied with this resaw.