Band Saw Opinions needed

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Thank you Levi for letting me know that the Proxxon link didn't work.
Here is the info about the Band Saw from Proxxon.

MICRO Band Saw MBS/E


ProxxonBS.jpg






A solid, ribbed die-cast aluminum housing (not a tubular or sheet metal construction) ensures the necessary stability. The machine has double ball bearing aluminum pulleys, a sturdy machined table with a slot for the miter gauge as well as the coolant trough. The worktable tilts up to 45° for accurate miter cuts. The low noise 110-120V motor (high quality, for quiet, prolonged use) operates via toothed belt. Electronically controlled speeds for exceptionally accurate cutting (no subsequent finishing necessary) are available from 395 to 820 ft/min. A practical table at the outside of the machine housing indicates the recommended speed for various types of material. The blade size of 13/64" x 1/64" (5.0 x 0.4 mm) is ideal for fine work, allowing to cut even smallest radii. The machine is equipped with a vacuum-cleaner adapter to help you work in a dust-free environment.


Technical data:
Speed 395 to 820 ft/min
(with feedback control)
Throat depth 5 29/32" (150 mm)
Max. work piece height 3 13/32" (85 mm)
Table Size 7 7/8" x 8 11/16"
(200 x 220 mm)
(adjustable from 0 to 45°)
Volts 110-120V AC, 60 Hz

The machine comes with one 42" x 13/64" x 1/64" (1065 x 0,5 x 0,4 mm) band saw blade (14 TPI).
 
Sounds like you might be happier with a scroll saw. A 10" band saw can't do anything that the 14" wouldn't do. For a band saw, small means cheap, less sturdy blade guide systems which give less clean cuts. I have a Rikon 10"for cutting curves, mainly so that I can keep a 1" carbide resaw blade on my 16" MiniMax. It's not what I would call a precision tool.

Dan
 
Thanks for the reply.

Our 14" BS is old and needs lots of TLC. I am looking for something smaller, I have a scroll saw but that isn't going to do the cutting I am looking for. I am looking for precision cuts, and a mini- table saw isn't an option.
 
winpooh498 said:
Thanks for the reply.

Our 14" BS is old and needs lots of TLC. I am looking for something smaller, I have a scroll saw but that isn't going to do the cutting I am looking for. I am looking for precision cuts, and a mini- table saw isn't an option.
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Maybe it's time to just update the old 14" saw. My Grizzly GO555 will take 1/8" blades and cut pretty intricate.
Just a thought.
 
I haven't used the little rikon but I've looked one over. It looked solider than a lot of the stuff out there. I want to get a small bandsaw to but in a secondary shop where I can work during the winter. With my smaller lathe and scroll saw.

Marc
 
I'm with Steve on this one. I have the G0555 and the smallest blade I have is 3/16" but it does a great job on thin stock and tight turns. If you dress the back of the blade with a diamond stone they work even better for tight turns. It might be worth it to go through your old saw and upgrade the guides, tires, bearings and such but the G0555 is a great choice too!:wink::biggrin:
 
The problem with the smaller band saws is that because they are smaller (and generally cheaper) they are not built strong enough to handle the kind of tensioning needed to keep the blade straight when doing intricate work. A larger BS does allow for more tension.

I have the 10 in delta at my US address and it was difficult to make a "straight" crosscut on hard/grainy blanks even at full tension and slow feed. I could still flex the blade easily with one finger at full tension. I could make straight cuts, but it was a pain. I spent several hours fine tuning it, but it just isn't made to do what a larger BS can do. A larger BS can still use just as fine of a blade as the 10 inch ones can. The extra power of a larger BS also provides smoother flow of the teeth through the wood, which will also make it more accurate in more intricate cutting. Less power means slower cuts and less control - without considerable experience.

I will say that I know (and have known) some fine craftsmen who could take any machine and make it work absolutely great, but that takes experience and skill, and excellent eye / hand coordination to boot.
 
You can look up charts on the min Radius a particular blade should be able to cut. You can decrease this with a simple mod to the blade, basically using a sharpening stone to round the back corners of the blade off.
I have used a 14" band saw with 1/8" blade to scroll cut hundreds of reindeer. it did just fine except in just a few very tiny curves which I moved to the scroll saw to complete.
 
Daniel said:
... I have used a 14" band saw with 1/8" blade to scroll cut hundreds of reindeer. it did just fine except in just a few very tiny curves which I moved to the scroll saw to complete.
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Hundreds? Why would anyone need more than eight tiny reideer? Well, maybe nine if it be foggy.
 
leehljp said:
The problem with the smaller band saws is that because they are smaller (and generally cheaper) they are not built strong enough to handle the kind of tensioning needed to keep the blade straight when doing intricate work. A larger BS does allow for more tension.
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Hank is exactly right. I have that Rikon 10" and I can't get decent tension on it with a 1/4" blade. I bought it so I could leave the resaw blade on my big saw and have the small one for misc tasks like trimming blanks. I might try a narrower blade, but I doubt I'll ever be completely happy with it.
 
Intricate cutting for segments --

This ranges from marquetry to ornamental turning -- and the issue is precision. Most band saws have a fairly wide set to the teeth and that loses the precision of tight fits. Fret saws and scroll saws have precision blades but require skills in setup and saw handling.

Precision to 0.03 is about the lower end of bandsaws (that is a kerf of about 1/16th splitting the line and hitting about dead on. That is not the accuracy needed for complex inlays.

Now a band saw followed by a controlled sanding process might get you there ---

So -- how precise a fit are you looking for???
 
I'm generally a low-output kind of guy, but I have to say I'm very pleased with my Craftsman 10" band saw. It's sytled after (if not made by) the Rikon, has the same HP motor, and on sale, it's only $149!
 
Steve, I got it, He He, and now I even laughed. You no how it is I decided to try making one. So of course I had to tell someone, and well then they want one. And before you know it the reindeer are multiplying faster than rabbits.
 
dgscott said:
I'm generally a low-output kind of guy, but I have to say I'm very pleased with my Craftsman 10" band saw. It's sytled after (if not made by) the Rikon, has the same HP motor, and on sale, it's only $149!
Click to expand...

I also have a Craftsman 10" and have been happy with it. I don't have any experience with larger band saws though.
 
I had a small Ricon bandsaw, good quality and performed well. The problem I had is that you couldn't cut anything that was more than 2" thick. I sold it and bought a Delta. If you dont intend to cut anything over 2" it is a great saw.
 
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