Jump to content

18" Bandsaw


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 60
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Yeah I know about the fence situation, I've been using an old Delta 14" with a similar kind of fence.  I've basically gotten used to setting the position and clamping the other end.  I plan on making my own resaw fence.

BTW, I think I found a simple solution to my 120V-230V issues here.  Provides 15A of 230V juice, you plug it into two 15A 120V outlets on separate circuits.  <fist pump>

If you can trace an outlet directly back to the panel, it can be rewired for 220. However if it is "split" to other outlets then that won't work. Again, I suggest having a pro look at it.

That resaw fence is cool. I've seen that design before. It's great for a dedicated resaw operation, but for occasional use it might take a long time to get set up properly. I'm sure it's also mainly for thin veneer making.

With a good fence, all you need is a tall post to rest one site of your stock on. Follow the line and you're home free.

-Doug

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that in a garage it will be easier to find a 220V outlet than 2 separate circuit 110.

Not this garage...3-cars wide, each garage door has its own circuit, and there's a wall circuit around the whole thing. Plus an outdoor GFI circuit just outside one of the doors.

I thought about ganging two of the breakers to make one of the circuits into a 220V line, but this will be cheaper and I don't have to knock out any drywall or replace any receptacles to get it done.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that in a garage it will be easier to find a 220V outlet than 2 separate circuit 110.

Not this garage...3-cars wide, each garage door has its own circuit, and there's a wall circuit around the whole thing. Plus an outdoor GFI circuit just outside one of the doors.

I haved worked with this (garage opener) a lot, and most of thetimes the whole garage is wired from the same circuit but from different Cbreakers. Make sure you check the box to make sure they are from different circuit wires. If you do, you are one lucky son of a gun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well...OK, maybe I'm not up to scratch on my electricians lingo, but...here's the deal. Each garage door is plugged into a ceiling outlet that has its own dedicated breaker in the main panel. So my thinking is, each line that has its own breaker is a circuit. There's only one panel (200A) for the whole house.

The garage wall sockets have their own breaker separate from the garage doors. The GFI has its own breaker. So, I figure I have 5 options from which to plug two 110V lines into this thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think what Maiden is trying to say is something like this (correct me if I am wrong). If you take the cover off of your breaker box you will see two large cables coming in at the top. Each one of these is a 110V supply line. Now if you look down a line of breakers vertically, you will see that each one going down, connects to one of these lines in an alternating fashion. Thus creating a 110v circuit for each single breaker space.

To get a 220V circuit you need a 220v breaker. A 220v breaker fills 2 spaces vertically and spans the contacts for both lines of 110, giving you 220V.

Erik, for the rig you are looking at to work, the outlets you plug it into each need to ultimately attach to a different 110V supply line back at you breaker box. Otherwise all you have is 110V.

Did that make sense? I hope so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, I get you, thanks Jer. Sounds like I just have to make sure that the two circuits come from separate 120V feeds to the main panel. I'll pull the cover this evening and check it all out, shouldn't be a problem.

I've run circuits from panels many times, but never actually wired up a panel myself. Time to learn!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

jer7440 got it right, here is a link

http://users.ev1.net/~oschmidt/electwiring.html

scroll down the center of the page and look at the B Box drawing, the 2 115Vac wires are a separate circuit. Usualy every row is a different circuit, the right and left side are separated. Now if you look at the 220 breakers, their clips (the ones that attach to the power line) are stagered, so it takes power from both 115 circuits. If both your 115 CBs are on the same side of the breaker box, they are on the same circuit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, if you use two breakers on the same bus bar, it won't work. The two bus bars are 180deg. out of phase with each other, creating a voltage difference of 220volts between them. Try to find two that are right next to each other, they will be on different bars.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for that link Maiden, and Jer & orgmorg for straightening me out on the whole "circuits" thing.

My (electrical) hurdles are many; the panel is in the basement, one floor down from the garage, and both the basement and garage are finished in drywall. But at least the panel and garage are on the same end of the house; 5 feet up and 5 feet left from the panel, and I'm in the garage (near the floor). There are 3 breaker slots free on the panel, so there's room to run a feed for a garage sub-panel, but to get an electrician to come and do it would be more than the cost of the power tap ($138). Maybe someday...after the kids move out and we bulldoze their bikes & stuff to the curb. :D

There are 5 feeds to the garage with separate breakers; lights (can't touch that), wall outlets, garage doors 1, 2 & 3 (ceiling outlets). The latter 4 breakers are right next to each other in the panel, so I'm 99% certain I can find two that are out of phase and plug my power tap into them. The thing I like about using the power tap is that I can leave everything else plugged in, and as long as I'm not running the bandsaw and opening garage door #3 at the same time, I should be golden.

Thanks again guys!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

OK...got a chance to visit the Grizzly factory (in PA) AND test a Rikon 18" both today. There was a janitor following me around the Grizzly floor mopping up all the drool... :D:DB)

But I still went with the Rikon, for a lot of reasons. The frame is larger & more sturdy, I like the bearings better than the Grizzly, and I can raise up the lower bearings on the Rikon so that they're only a little more than 2 inches under the table. It'll also take a 1-1/2" blade, the Griz won't. Lower dust collector port is right on the bottom on the Rikon (3" off the bottom on the Griz). The blade wheels are more solid on the Rikon. No plug on the Griz, just wires. Both fences stink, but the Rikon fence stinks less.

Went with the power tap; instant 220V for $130.

I'm stoked! Thanks for all the advice everybody!

Rikon18f.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sweet, homegrown bookmatched anything. I didn't even know they made 1.5" blades. That's rediculous. Now I know how my lumber yard gets their bookmatched stuff so nice looking though. My saw is a sears/crafstman 18". I would seriously doubt it could take a blade that wide. Maybe 1" max. I don't think I'd even want to try it. If I eventually start pounding out a higher quantity of guitars, I will go get myself a bandsaw that means business.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, the Grizzly 17" takes a max 1" blade.

BigD, what are the width/TPI specs on your custom resaw blades? Hook tooth? Skip tooth? Are they 142" exact, or something else?

Could you also post a pic of your resaw fence attachment? Do you go with a big tall wall, or just a tall post?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's another question that's relavant to bookmatching tops:

How many of you guys have/are using thickness sanders. It would seem almost a neccesity if you're bookmatching tops. If you have one, how big is it and what did you pay for it?

Once I get out of college and get my own place I'm going to start buying industrial grade tools. The ultimate goal is to start my own company. Until then, it's mechanical engineering for me. I already have a pretty compete shop, but it's in my parent's house and some of the tools are mine, some are my dad's. One way or the other I will probably end up just buying everything new.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Getting a good shop costs $$$$. my thoughts are like yours. one day I would like to leave the 9-5 desk job. In the meantime I am acquiring tools and all of that.

I have been doing tops for about 1 yr now and I resaw them, if I had sharp knives on my planer snipe was not so bad.

I just bought the performax 16-32 yesterday.

will post a pic of my workshop soon, its now done other than finishing equipment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Performax Sanders are great. 16-32 does a fine job for surfacing (if set up correctly it is very accurate). They also make a couple of wider models, but for guitars 16-32 is just about perfect and uses less sand paper to cover the drum. Good stuff. These sanders are not the best choice for removing a lot of material, that is still better done with planer or even better accurate sawing. The 16-32 is around $1000. If you plan on running a lot of material a belt may be better than drum, but price will go up quite a bit.

Peace, Rich

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know very well how much it costs to have a really nice shop. I'd estimate I could be quite happy with around $50k invested in a shop. Considering a mechanical engineer makes an upward of $60k/yr. starting salary(and even more w/ a 4.0 :D ), I think I'll have that shop in a few years, especially if I can convince my girlfriend to wait on marriage a few years after college. We shall see, we shall see.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

True dat, true dat. My girlfriend wants to get married while she's still in school. Since she's likely going to become a medical doctor (jury's still out; she might end up as a PhD research scientist instead) I guess the tight belts will be loosened fairly shortly after she's done. :D

Greg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...