New bandsaw

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darrenjttu

darrenjttu

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Dec 9, 2007
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Fort Worth, Texas.
Well I guess I have to bite the bullet and get me a bandsaw. Hopefuly I wont grow out of this one. It will be used to cut all kinds of blanks out of logs for the lathe and of course some flatwork. Has any body had any exsperience with these bandsaws? I know I need a different blade than the one it comes with.
 
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You're right. If all you ever cut is pen blanks out of 1" slabs a 14" 1 hp is dandy. I have the 1.5 hp delta 14 and it gets stumped a little too often on heavy wood. Anything over 3" thick and the more horsepower you can get, the better. I cut a lot of bowl blanks out of hardwood. The top of my list is a 16 0r 20 inch MiniMax with 4.8hp. Of course they cost three times as much - built in the US though. The Grizzly is mostly fine, it's just that sometimes you have to go real sloooow.

For the record, I don't think there's an upper limit to hp for a penturner. If you want to be able to cut slabs from a 12" thick burl, big is a good thing. I notice Grizzly makes a 19" 3hp model for not a whole lot more than what the 17" costs. It doesn't look like a bad saw at all.

Marc

Dario said:
Please tell us, what is the ideal HP size?

For most penturners I thought 2 HP is on the upper limit and more than sufficient for almost anything.
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marcruby said:
You're right. If all you ever cut is pen blanks out of 1" slabs a 14" 1 hp is dandy. I have the 1.5 hp delta 14 and it gets stumped a little too often. Anything over 3" thick and the more horsepower you can get, the better. I cut a lot of bowl blanks out of hardwood. The top of my list is a 16 0r 20 inch MiniMax with 4.8hp. Of course they cost three times as much. The Grizzly is mostly fine, it's just that sometimes you have to go real sloooow.

Marc
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Marc,

I have a small 1/2 HP ShopSmith and I've cut my share of 5-1/2" thick blocks and logs....all hardwood w/o any problem when used with sharp blade. Granted that it doesn't cut as fast but still does the job.

I imagine 2HP will be plenty but honestly, I haven't used a bandsaw that size to compare.
 
Dario said:
Marc,
I have a small 1/2 HP ShopSmith and I've cut my share of 5-1/2" thick blocks and logs....all hardwood w/o any problem when used with sharp blade. Granted that it doesn't cut as fast but still does the job.
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Is that the 11" thingy? That saw weighs less than much of the wood I cut. It would scare me to death.

Marc
 
That G0513x2, looks like a nice saw, good luck with it. Grizzly has a great selection of regular carbon steel and Timber Wolf blades. If you have questions about blades contact people at Suffoks, think they make those Timber Wolf blades. They are nice folks to talk too!

Some really good information at their site: http:www.suffolkmachinery.com

Also think carbon steel blades with right number of teeth & set a good op too.
 
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Is the 2 hp enough power? I know the 3 hp is just a little more. The 5 hp is just a little more than that. Where does it stop. NO pen blanks will be cut with this saw. I will use it for cutting out bowl blanks from already cut up logs from the chain saw and of course some flat work will be done. So.... will the 2hp be powerfull enough?
 
For the most part, yes. My 1.5 hp is fine for most things, but sometimes it struggles or jams when I'm through something really heavy. I need to go very slowly, but it gets through. The issue becomes critical when you are cutting through A LOT of wood. Like a 12" section of an oak or walnut. More horsepower and a sharp blade mean you don't have to use as much muscle to feed the wood into the blade, and that makes it a bit safer to use.

So I would lean to getting the 3hp Grizzly. Or getting a really good chain saw. If you plan on doing a lot of resawing consider getting a saw with 5 hp. But that's a lot of expense if you don't need it.

Marc


darrenjttu said:
Is the 2 hp enough power? I know the 3 hp is just a little more. The 5 hp is just a little more than that. Where does it stop. NO pen blanks will be cut with this saw. I will use it for cutting out bowl blanks from already cut up logs from the chain saw and of course some flat work will be done. So.... will the 2hp be powerfull enough?
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I read in a post somewhere on one of the forums I frequent that the biggest key is the blade itself... even with a big motor, if the blade is dull, you will bog down the saw. The poster in the thread said he had talked with the Timberwolf people and was told - if I remember the post correctly - that most blades were good for 200 BF and not much more.
I run a 14" Delta with a one or one and half HP motor (don't remember which right now) and when I have a new blade, it will cut most anything, but as the blade wears, I have to go slower and slower and work more. I still need to get a riser on the saw so I can cut thicker pieces... largest under the blade is 6", would like to go to 12".
 
darrenjttu said:
Is the 2 hp enough power? I know the 3 hp is just a little more. The 5 hp is just a little more than that. Where does it stop. NO pen blanks will be cut with this saw. I will use it for cutting out bowl blanks from already cut up logs from the chain saw and of course some flat work will be done. So.... will the 2hp be powerfull enough?
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Nolan is using something similar. He cuts a lot of Australian burl. Check with him what he thinks.
 
That goes without saying. 200 BF isn't very much, though, when you're cutting 6" slabs or rounding 8" diameter bowl blanks. I want to try resharpening the blade - I think there are a couple of u-tube videos on how to do that.

Marc

ozmandus said:
I read in a post somewhere on one of the forums I frequent that the biggest key is the blade itself... --most blades were good for 200 BF and not much more.
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Marc,

I re-sharpen my blades with a Dremel w/ a lapiday diamond bit...it is quick and easy. Probably less than 3 minutes a 3 or 4 tpi blade (of course my blades are shorter than yours :biggrin:)

Maybe it is because I just free hand it (no jig) but I usually get 3 sharpening before it goes bad. It eventually start to "wander" and cut crooked or bowed.
 
Thanks, that helps me convince myself. I was just thinking that if you use a diamond bit you could probably sharpen one of the carbide tipped blades. If I could get four rounds of use out of a blade before having to send it in for a professional resharpening, a carbide blade could become just barely cost effective.

Marc

Dario said:
Marc,

I re-sharpen my blades with a Dremel w/ a lapiday diamond bit...it is quick and easy. Probably less than 3 minutes a 3 or 4 tpi blade (of course my blades are shorter than yours :biggrin:)

Maybe it is because I just free hand it (no jig) but I usually get 3 sharpening before it goes bad. It eventually start to "wander" and cut crooked or bowed.
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Think your 2HP bandsaw will more than meet all your sawing needs. Yes, you must have the right blade for the job. Figuring out which blade combinations work with your saw for different projects will come with experience. Also your rate of feed will depend upon size & species of wood.

Read same post as OZMANDUS concerning Timber Wolf blades and 200 bf max. Don't remember the bandsaw or width of the blade poster was using but, that also makes a difference. You'll probably get more blade life cutting dry wood vice wet.

I get by with 3/8" carbon steel 3 TPI blades for woodturning cuts. That has proven to be the best all around blade for the money on my G0555. Stopped cutting real green wood because hate cleaning the blades. Have never tried to re-sharpen a bandsaw blade. Just change them out when they're dull. Have some finer 3/8" blades for other projects.

Folks at Timber Wolf/Suffolk will help you with any questions you could have about blades.
 
I'm looking for an old 36" band saw to turn into a mini saw mill.My next band saw will be big,like Marc says over 3" you need power.Wet wood is really not easier on the saw like many try to claim(well that's not what I have found).I'm cheap so I will buy an old 3 phase at auction sometime soon and use a converter to go to single phase.A band saw is my next major purchase that and a good log splitter(going into the firewood biz this summer).Victor
 
Have you ever checked Craigslist in your area? I bought a 20" 5hp Jet from a good friend whose woodshop closed. He had 2 of these monsters and I didn't even know he was selling them. I was browsing CL one night and there it was. I paid 700 bucks for it (and 700 more for a nearly new Jet Exacta 52" cabinet saw), it maybe had 2 hours on it, and he delivered it! Now, getting it up one small step and into my shop was another matter, but 4 guys made it in. It lists for 2700 bucks, and my kids kids will be using it.

I'd check Craigslist and be patient. I find stuff there all the time.

Dale
 
Who you gonna get to move that behemoth, Bekins? Seriously, have you asked how much that thing weighs? Looks cool. 3-phase?

Dale
 
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I'm looking at it monday and will see what its all about.I noticed the company seems to be geared towards sawmill style band saws,so they should have some parts to help with the conversion.I'm sure it weighs a ton, but I got my 18" delta/rockwell wedge planner home and weighs about 700 lbs.I hope its in good shape(looks to be),I think it will be perfect for what I want to do.We will see wish me luck that its what i want.Victor
 
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