The following are some of my experiences and philosophies on using the bandsaw. Feel free to disagree.
These comments are directed toward the 14” bandsaw in general, but are specific to the 14” Delta saw and its clones (Jet, etc.) because these are the most used by woodturners in their shops and studios. Instructions for tune-up and adjustments of the saw are presented in Part-1 of this series.
Recommended Reading
There are several excellent sources of information on blade selection and operation. Any disagreement between them is in what is important and the details.
Two Internet sites are also excellent sources. If you don’t have a computer, find someone who does, and make copies because these are worth reading.
MY OPINIONS ON….
Buying A Bandsaw – Which One?
There are several decisions to be made when buying a new 14” bandsaw – Delta, Jet, Ridgid, or other; closed or open stand; with or without a riser block. The answers to these questions will depend on how it will be used and how much you want to spend.
The 14” saw is an assembly of compromises that were made to produce a saw that would fit the needs of the most woodworkers. This has generally been successful. However, finding a bandsaw that will make precision cuts in dry wood while having the capacity to saw large bowl blanks is asking too much. We can configure the saw towards one extreme or the other. Trying to do both with the same bandsaw will always sacrifice the precision cuts.
General Quality
Delta stands alone with its lower guide assembly that places the blocks less than ¾” below the table surface. For all practical purposes, Jet and Ridgid are identical to the Delta, except for the design of the lower guide blocks. The Jet is available with the enclosed-stand while the Ridgid is available only with the open-stand. The quality control of the Reliant, Grizzly, and the other clones of the Delta is out of control, and the buyer takes a chance that they will get the occasional good one. There are several other saws available, Rikon is one of them, that look good but it is too soon to tell if they are as good or better than the Delts and Jet saws.
Guide Blocks
The only notable difference between Delta and the others is in the lower guide assembly. For a saw that is used for making polychromatic assemblies or similar work that requires smooth accurate saw lines, my preference is the 14” Delta. I am a believer in the old wisdom that says, “The closer the guides are to the work, the more accurate the cut and the better the finish.”
However, for a saw that is used for cutting thick bowl blanks from green wood, I prefer the Jet because its lower guide blocks are almost 2½” below the table, providing more clearance for the removal of sawdust and trash.
Closed Stand or Open Stand?
The closed-stand on the Jet is more solid than the Delta because it has included an additional stiffener plate between the saw and the stand. The Delta saw will move as the top of the stand flexes, but this can be fixed with a piece of ¾” plywood.
As provided by the manufacturer, the open-stands are as rigid as the closed variety (the Delta open stand is the more rigid), and the open-stand is more stable because of its larger “footprint”. This is helpful when wrestling large heavy blocks of wood to the saw table. When the open areas of the stand are enclosed with pieces of plywood, the result is superior to anything provided by the manufacturer, either open or closed.
The motor, belt, and sheaves are more accessible on the open stand. Maintenance on the saw drive and belt isn’t something that we will do very often, but the design of the closed-base insures that it is something that we will NEVER do.
Riser Blocks
All of the 14” saws are sold with a 6” standard cutting depth that can be extended to 12” through the use of an accessory “riser block” that is inserted in the joint in the saw frame.
As woodturners, we are in love with our “riser blocks”, BUT, there is a price for the additional capacity. The riser block adds another point of misalignment because there are now two (2) joints in the frame, and the additional height increases the flexibility of the frame and that amplifies any unbalance in the top wheel.
If you are using the saw for precision sawing such as “polychromatic” assemblies (a fancy word for “segmented”), DO NOT use the riser block. The saw is capable of smoother and more accurate cuts without it.
Horsepower
The woodturner who installs the riser block should plan for a larger motor as part of their purchase of the bandsaw. All 14” bandsaws share the common problem of inadequate horsepower for sawing greater than 6” thickness. This is especially true when sawing green wood. You might want to consider a larger motor if you are sawing bowl blanks that are thicker than 6”. Keep in mind that the cost can become as much, or more, than that of a larger saw with the capacity built in.
My Recommendation (for what it's worth)
From the previous discussion, it should be obvious that I consider the extra cost for the enclosed-stand a waste of money. Buy the open stand and enclose it with plywood. Then add a shelf between the stringers and place at least two (2) sandbags on it. The added weight is definitely a benefit, particularly when the saw is mounted on a mobile base.
Some saws may not be available with the 1-horsepower motor in any configuration other than with the enclosed-stand. I would still opt for the open stand, and then use the money saved to buy a 1.5hp motor for it.
If you are going to use the saw for precision work, get the Delta, primarily because of the lower guide assembly, and do not install the riser block.
For sawing bowl blanks and green wood where capacity is more important than precision, get either the Jet or Ridgid with the riser-block, making the decision on lowest cost. Plan to replace the motor for an increase in horsepower.
If the saw will be used for both purposes, the Delta with the riser-block is the better saw, again because of the lower guide location. Precision sawing will suffer from the addition of the riser-block, but that is the sacrifice that must be made when using the same saw for both purposes. The larger motor may also be required.
Buying Blades
Many woodturners are advocates of the Timber Wolf brand blades because of their quality. I used them exclusively for many years. They are available directly from Suffolk, and from several retail outlets at a higher price.
I have changed to the Supercut blades because they are equal to the Timberwolf (my opinion), for less cost, and they are made 5 miles up the road from my shop. They are now available on amazon.com
These blades are superior for three (3) reasons.
First, they are consistently sharper out-of-the-box than any other brand. A new blade should feel “sparkling” sharp when you run your fingers across the teeth. I have received competitor’s blades that felt like running my finger across a comb – no bite.
Second, the tooth “set” on their band stock is more uniform than other brands. That leads to a smoother sawn surface, and more efficient use of the motor horsepower.
Third, their welds are better than most of the others. The weld should be straight, strong, smooth, and ground to the same thickness or slightly thinner than the blade. Lennox makes comparable blades, but I have had problems with crooked and weak welds by their suppliers. I can tolerate having to work on a thick weld before using the blade, but I will not accept a poor quality or crooked weld.
You are fortunate if you have another source that can meet all three of these requirements.
Blade Width
Unless there is a need for sawing a small radius, most woodturners have little need for anything other than a ½” wide blade. A narrower blade doesn’t have the stability for accurate sawing at an acceptable feed rate, or the strength to prevent it from bowing while making deep cuts. A 3/8” wide blade would be an acceptable compromise. Both widths are available with a variety of tooth profiles and from 3 to 24 teeth per inch (TPI) from both Supercut and Timberwolf..
Number of Teeth
There are three (3) rules for selecting the teeth per inch (TPI) on the blade. Since these rules can be conflicting, the best choice is a compromise between them. It’s up to each of us to determine how much and where we are willing to compromise.
"The Compromise"
Obeying the rules could result in a feed speed that is too fast to accurately follow a layout line when we are doing precision sawing. But, if we slow down our feed rate, we don’t load the teeth enough to dampen the tooth vibration, and we get a poor surface. So, if it doesn’t burn the wood, a blade with more than the recommended teeth in the cut will solve the problem because the tooth gullet area is less, allowing us to use a slower feed rate while still filling the gullets with sawdust.
A better solution would be to reduce the blade speed to a level where we could follow the layout line with the recommended number of teeth. Unfortunately, a variable speed bandsaw is an option that is not commercially available.
There is no compromise available to us we are when sawing thick bowl blanks. We install a blade with 2 or 3 TPI, the largest tooth and gullet area available, and don’t worry about such things.
Experience
Our use of the two blades that have become the accepted commercial standards for the 14” saw will verify the first rule. The best performance and smoothest surfaces with the 1/4 X 6 TPI blade is usually found in wood that is between 1½” to 2” thick. The ½ X 3 TPI blade makes its best cuts in wood that is about 4” in thickness. In either case, there are approximately 10-12 teeth in the cut. Cuts can be made in thicker or thinner wood, but the blade’s performance is generally not as good.
Blade Speed
The Delta saw and all of its clones have a 3,200 surface feet per minute (SFPM) blade speed with a 1750 RPM motor and the stock 3” and 6” pulleys. This is too fast to get an accurate cut and a good finish on most 4/4 and thinner wood, and can cause burning in Cherry and Maple. A blade speed of 1,800 to 2,400 SFPM would be more suitable for these conditions. Changing the pulleys is not a practical solution for a saw that has many different uses. A 1½-hp variable speed DC drive motor is available at a cost of $550. Or, we can make our own mechanical drive through a jackshaft and stepped pulleys.
Unfortunately, the cost of new step-pulleys, the jackshaft, and bearings could be almost as much as the DC motor if we have to rely on commercial sources.
Either option would allow us to fit the blade speed to the sawing task, including the slower speeds required for sawing aluminum and brass. An open stand on the saw is best suited for drive modifications because of the limited space in the closed-stand for installation and adjustment.
Resawing
A higher blade speed would be be appropriate, but the 14” wheel diameter limits the maximum blade speed to 3200 SFPM. A higher speed would “throw” the blade away from the front of the top wheel. It would also require a proportional increase in motor horsepower on a saw that is already lacking in power.
The ½” X 2 or 3 TPI blade performs quite well in most common hardwoods of 4-8” thickness, and the feed rate is usually limited by the motor horsepower. The blade will have difficulty clearing the sawdust from a thicker cut, and overheating can be a problem in dry wood. A common problem with sawing thick wood is that the blade gets hot and loses its tension above the top guides. An occasional light spray of water above the top guide will prevent this problem when it occurs.
A light spray of kerosene or "Pam" will keep the blade relatively free of resin buildup.
Sawing Green Wood (up to 12” thick)
The ½” X 3 TPI blade, and the 3,200 SFM cutting speed works well for most green wood, and the blade is adequately lubricated by the water in the wood. Both Supercut and Timberwold make blades that they recommend for sawing green wood. These blades have a wider kerf that is useful in soft or “fuzzy” wood. Be aware that the wider kerf requires more horsepower than most of these saws have available from the factory.
Horsepower is a problem with any cut that is deeper than 5” or 6”. Replacing the existing motor with a 2hp Baldor will improve the performance, regardless of the blade that is used, for sawing green wood . The Baldor motor is more efficient than the stock motor on any of these saws, and the actual horsepower delivered to the blade will be greater than the numerical increase.
Again, increasing the blade speed would be even better, but that would require a saw with large diameter wheels and an even larger horsepower motor.
