Bandsaw Help

[NJD]

Hello, I’m looking to invest in a bandsaw, purely for the job of cutting neck blanks and roughing body shapes. I’ve been looking around at what I can get for a maximum of about £175 and I’ve found the following:

http://www.diytools.co.uk/diy/Main/Product...iProductID=1853

http://www.diytools.co.uk/diy/Main/Product...ProductID=37443

Basically I need something with a cutting height that will take a whole neck blank. There was a thread similar to this where the guy had listed a few that didn’t have the cutting height, he then went on to mention reading good things about the Record bandsaw, but I’ve yet to find a review.

Any help in this matter would be much appreciated!

Many thanks,

Nathan.

[12056]

i think i know what you are asking. you wouldnt HAVE to get one that would cut more than 3 inches at a time, but its always best to go with as much cutting room as you can on a saw. and you probably couldnt even find one that cuts less than that

[NJD]

Lol, if it was up to me and money & room were no object – I’d have a bandsaw I could rip a 1 piece body blank into veneers on!! But alas, back to the real world… yeah, I can’t imagine ever needing to rip stock down from planks or the like, and if I did get to that point my workshop and capital would have no doubt expanded by then anyway.

Would you just advise choosing which ever one of the two had a larger capacity then? I suppose at that price they’re both going to be at the same level…

I believe they are both good manufacturers(?), I believe they both make 'real deal' bandsaws too

[12056]

Would you just advise choosing which ever one of the two had a larger capacity then? I suppose at that price they’re both going to be at the same level…

ya, id say probably that if you really wanted to go with one of the 2. but just to be sure, look the internet for an hour or two (if it takes that long) and FIND SOME REVIEWS IF YA CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fryovanni]

Any chance you can look them over at a show room? It looks like the specs are very similar. One has roller bearing guides top and bottom (big plus for set up and tuning). More capacity and horsepower would be nice,but given that is not in the cards. Go for the machine you can tune well. A well set up bandsaw will cut better,blades will last longer, and the machine will run smoother than a poorly set up machine(even with more power). After you pick up your bandsaw, buy a good blade(makes a big difference to performance). Before you try to use it. Study up on how to set the machine correctly and set it up properly. I would go out on a limb here and say a LOT of people that give poor reviews to bandsaws when the first start using them have not set them up correctly(or are using the wrong blade for the job).

Peace,Rich

[NJD]

Ah brilliant, thanks for the advice Rich! I’ve used industrial bandsaws in college but never even touched on actually tuning them. A guide book or a guide dvd would, I suppose, be a good move when buying a machine then.

What blade would you then recommend I try and source?

[prs man]

I bought a 16'' jet band saw last year and love it.

buy the bigest one you can get.

you don't need a huge band saw but when you need it you wish you had saved a little more and bought the bigger one.

do research on the motoer size and compair the different sizes and guide bearing or block. the guide bearing I like better then guide blocks.

if you need to get parts to repair can you get them near you.

if you can stay with a 14'' band saw for cutting the body shapes and necks.

I bought timber wolf band saw blade from woodcraft.com

they cost a little more but worth ever penny.

if your doing re-sawing someday timber wolf is a nice blade for re-sawing wood for book match tops.

[fryovanni]

I use Timber Wolf, Wood Slicer, Lennox, and sometimes Woodcraft blades for thin softer woods. Each has it's purpose. Timberwolf works great for necks, bodies and the like (Woods as hard as Hard Maple). Lennox III blade is good for heavy slabs on harder woods (blades does not deflect like woodslicer on hard to control cuts). Woodslicers are deadly good for re-sawing and low loss cuts of even the hardest woods (I ran some African Blackwood recently and it cut so smooth and fine). Only down side to Woodslicers is it is such a thin blade it is not best suited for cutting curves.

Peace,Rich

[erikbojerik]

I just got my first Woodslicer....it's the fushizzel!! I might never buy anything else ever again.

That is how you spell "Fushizzel" right?

[NJD]

Hmmm, so for body and neck roughing a timberwolf blade seems to be the way to go?

[RGGR]

Not to rain on your project, but I can't justify the cash out on tool I hardly use during the build.

I just beg, steal, borrow my way into nice professional bandsaw and for 6 pack or pack of smokes they let me have all access I want.

Wood working companies are great for this.

[fryovanni]

Hmmm, so for body and neck roughing a timberwolf blade seems to be the way to go?

They are a great choice.

Erik- I am betting you are getting what I meant when I said the woodslicer cuts down on surfacing and waste. You are going to love it for deadly hard dense(and expensive) woods also.

Peace,Rich

[WezV]

Not to rain on your project, but I can't justify the cash out on tool I hardly use during the build.

Yeah but when you have one you find a lot more uses for it, and so do all your relatives that suddenly cant be bothered to saw anything by hand (actually thats a good reason not to get one).

I have had mine since my second guitar and wouldnt build without it. Its only a little old delta though, cant wait to get something bigger

[NJD]

Hmmm, I dunno – I don’t mind begging stealing and borrowing every once in a while for something big but I work full time and the only friendly joinery around doesn’t open on weekends. Plus I wouldn’t want to end up being 'that pain in the arse that turns up to cut a piece of 2 x 4 for some jig' every Thursday lunchtime.

[Desopolis]

i didnt need it, but I cant tell you how helpfull it was for my project...

some times you just need to trim somthing, and clamping down everything so I can jigsaw it wasnt even entering my mind as I kicked on the power and was allready done cutting.

plus the shear speed you can cut..

once I get a stable shop it will definatly be there, but for now Im down to weekends at a cabinet makers...

[RGGR]

Plus I wouldn’t want to end up being 'that pain in the arse that turns up to cut a piece of 2 x 4 for some jig' every Thursday lunchtime.

When that pain in the arse brings along nice cold 6 packs, I think you will be okay.

[NJD]

Lol, I see your point of view - those big machines are very clean and quick, but I do want something to hand too. I have that option for big jobs but just want a tool around for the odd 2 minute job on a Sunday when I have 5 mins to myself - I don't want this bandsaw to replace slipping my local joiner the odd £5 for a big neat job just be there when I have a jig to knock up or a neck or body blank to rough out.