Official Luthiers Forum!

No Mike, I like in Baltimore, MD/ Washington DC area.Not sure where I will live when I go back. I was in Chinatown, DC for a couple years. Now I am looking for somewhere not in the middle of a Metro area with a garage or better yet a basement. Unless I am mistaken, the poster was referring to Rockville, MD, which is right outside of Baltimore on 495/695 or whatever version of 95 it is. My stepdad is also looking in upstate NY.

Hahaha. My bad. Yeah I am not driving to Maine to save $200 bucks on the saw. I'll spend that on gas.

I am dying to buy a saw, mainly because I have a large 4" x 3" chunk of Mahogany that I can't get through with the piece of garbage saw that I have right now (3/4 hp Asian P.O.S.). It also won't cut straight, even with a new blade, new guides and proper tension. Not even through a piece of 1/8" cheap panel plywood. It's got to go!!!! Also my stepdad just got a couple hundred BF of cherry that has been seasoned for 25 years. Gorgeous stuff. So my excitement stems from three things:

1. Being able to finish up builds # 1 & 2.
2. The end of my bandsaw troubles
3. Adding re-saw capability

I don't what you mean, exactly, by 'won't cut straight' .
However, you will probably find that even a more expensive saw will show 'drift' if it has domed tires, and you will have to adjust to that.
Bandsaws and belt sanders are in a category of tools that seem to need frequent 'adjustment' to work properly. (I'm pretty thankful that I don't have to do a range of adjustments when I swap tablesaw blades!).
Try to arrange some 'hands-on' advice for tuning up your new bandsaw.

Cheers
John

By "won't cut straight" I mean that you have to compensate by about 30 degrees, even with an 1/8" piece of cheap balsa ply. And that is with a brand new blade and the blade tension as tight as it gets. I actually think that one of the hand-held portable bandsaws is capable of doing a better job than this piece of crap that I have right now. I've had a few people look at it, we've changed blades etc, and all I can come up with is that it's a piece of garbage. I'll definitely have some help setting the new saw up.

This Friday looks like some good deals to be had for anyone close by or willing to drive:

http://boston.craigslist.org/nwb/tls/1807206111.html

_________________
Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

Last year I bought a few Laguna Resaw blades (1 1/4 x 3tpi) for my bandsaw and I finally got around to putting one on the saw today.
(Sawing the African Olivewood into sets was 'on the list'.)
That's a great saw blade! Thin kerf and very smooth cutting - a couple of passes through the thickness sander and all the saw marks are gone.
So, if you are thinking about one of those Laguna blades, I can recommend it.

Cheers
John

If u r going to buy a laguna blade, consider going to the deals forum at sawmillcreek.org. Tito from laguna is running a sale on them. Most times I get them at half price

Speaking of Laguna, do their bandsaws ever go on sale? I'd spring for one of those 3HP 14"'s if the price ever dropped. Anything more than that is just too cost prohibitive, although their 16"'s are nice as well.

But the more I look at those high end saws, the better that $999.00 Rikon sounds. then I can still get a new dust collector.

I've had good luck just getting in touch with Laguna and asking if there is a deal on the blades. (I think the resaw blades were a flat $75 each?)
Try
Tim_Lory@lagunatools.com

Cheers
John

Laguna has tool sales all the time, though the best 'bargains' seem to be on some of the more expensive tools. (Wanna buy a $12000 tablesaw for only $9999?). From time to time, they also have deals like 'free' blades and Driftmaster fences with bandsaw purchases.

I get regular emails from them; you could probably subscribe to email notifications via their website.

Cheers
John

I'm on their list. I even emailed an agent to politely ask for a discount. After looking at the shipping cost (over $380) he mentioned free shipping and I thought about it. But for $1500 I can buy a Rikon, dust collection and some accessories for the saw. Outside of getting one used, I don't think it's gonna happen for me. I still have yet to read anything really negative about the Rikon. Unlike Jet, which costs more and I almost bought, because I was so impressed with my Jet 16/32. Glad I didn't make that mistake.

It may well be a piece of garbage, but I'll bet it can be set up to cut better than that, if it really is a decent quality blade (not the one that came with it). Getting the wheels as close to coplanar as possible can affect this a lot. Tight as you can get it may not be ideal; you din't say anything about the blade. . Don't conclude that the saw just can't saw straight without giving it a thorough tuning.

_________________
Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I have a Laguna but I think FFW's review of the 14" bandsaws highly suspicious. I don't own a Rikon nor have I used one but I can't see how blade changes on the Rikon can be more finicky than the Laguna. The Rikon seems tool-less, the blade slot is at the front, the guard has a swivel, and I bet the guides are easier to set as well. I had bad experiences with another 14" brand and the experience compelled me to break the piggy by getting the Laguna but if I were starting from scratch, I would almost certainly get the Rikon (or the Grizzly G0513X2B).

Tim Lory has moved on, replace his username with Tito.

I can't tell exactly, but I think I just read something here that sounded like dissing of Jet bandsaws. If I read that wrong, excuse me. My Jet 18", 3hp is awsome. I got it at a great price too. Any bandsaw that is not properly set up or is used with a cheapo blade will deliver crappy results.

John[/quote]

[/quote]

It may well be a piece of garbage, but I'll bet it can be set up to cut better than that, if it really is a decent quality blade (not the one that came with it). Getting the wheels as close to coplanar as possible can affect this a lot. Tight as you can get it may not be ideal; you din't say anything about the blade. . Don't conclude that the saw just can't saw straight without giving it a thorough tuning.[/quote]

Oh man it doesn't have wheels and its an off brand, so I have no clue where I would find a set that would fit the machine. Also there are no bottom guides at all. I didn't measure the wheels, but I don't even think they are 14". I mean it's alright for cutting popsicle sticks and such, but not much else. Hahaha. It's really not even worth tuning. Cutting straight is only half the issue. It's 3/4 motor has a hard time getting through 1.5" of spruce. Forget about hard wood.

Thanks for the update, Mike.
So it's just Tito@lagunatools.com
?

Cheers
John

I haven't used a Jet, but that was me. I have read several poor reviews. Recurring issues seemed to be the table was not true and thin cheap metal used for boring holes for adjustment bolts. Several people reported that the metal kept stripping out rendering the adjustment useless. Again that was just the reviews, and there were only negative ones from each source I checked. Perhaps you should be the first to leave a positive one.

I had a "cheap" 14" bandsaw that was a total POC, sold it and now own a MiniMax 16" that is outstanding.

Greg

_________________
Gwaltney Guitars

Yes

I have no idea what you are talking about . See my thread on the purfing bar. U cannot do that on a crappy bs. However, I will own a laguna bs one day. I like their inovative products

I think knocking a manufacturer is bad for website karma. You never know who might want to be a sponsor. I guess if u have firsthand experience, that would be useful, but just quoting Internet sources can lead to umintended consequences.

Like I said, I own a Jet 16/32 and I love it. For that reason I almost bought a Jet band saw. However I was only able to find negative reviews and it goes for $1600. If I can get the Rikon for $999.00 then I'm still glad I didn't buy it regardless. All I'm saying is it got poor reviews. I fail to see how that is slamming a brand. I own the brand myself.

If anyone is slamming Jet bandsaws, it's the owners of the saw:

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/206356 ... viewHeader

http://www.finewoodworking.com/ToolGuid ... &tab=_user

When I am buying stuff online, sorry but these reviews are powerful tools. As I previously suggested, perhaps you should submit a positive review if you feel that these are inaccurate. As an online buyer, my decisions are heavily based on reviews.

I wish you the best of luck on your first bandsaw purchase. These are relatively simple machines, and at your price point, you will find that most are similar. What makes them different is the setup at the cutting point, the blades you employ, and the fence you use. Once you spend enough time on woodworking sites, you will discover that every tool out there has its adherants and critics. Since money is normally the limiting factor, one has to find a way into the market, and then be willing to invest in upgrades over time. Iturra's favorite saw is the 14" in its many incarnations. Why? Solid iron. The rest is made up in carter guides, appropriate blades and so on. He supports users of frame based saws, but he is not their biggest fan. So why don't they make all bandsaws out of cast iron? Money and cure time (you have to cure the iron, and the bigger it is the longer it takes).

So, all frame based bandsaws are a compromise at best. Questions is, are you willing to do the research and invest in the upgrades that will make your particular brand a great saw? Some of us have. And that is why folks like me will say a particular critic may have a point with an "out of the box" bandsaw. Really, any $1000 out of the box bandsaw is going to have issues. I just like being able to get the basic machine in my shop and then amoratize the upgrades over time. Jet makes fine tools in all areas and I am a rock solid fan.

Mike

thanks, that is very helpful. Factoring the price of upgrades is definitely a major part of my consideration, which is why I find the Rikon appealing. My current bandsaw lacks guides, but also lacks the power needed to get through a couple inches of wood. So due to my experience with that saw, I want something powerful that can be upgraded to cut very straight without bogging down. Another issue is portability. I'd love a 1500 lbs Powermatic if I knew I was never going to move, but being military I move all the time. I am planning on $1500.00 total price for the saw, carter guides, Lennox blade (starting with just one) and delivery. If it costs much more than that, I may as well go with a Laguna or Agazzani correct?

As of right now it looks like the Rikon is going to be the choice, although I am not opposed to purchasing a Jet. You mentioned that you got a great price on yours, where did you find it?

thanks,
Joey