After two attempts to post via Tiscali I will sucumb to the Dark Side
and use Google. Please forgive me if this leads to duplication.

After much persuation I have convinced SWMBO that a nice shiny bandsaw
would
look very nice in the garage. However funds are short so I was
thinking of
getting the Axmister White AWSBS at £130 (as shown in link below). I
am
intending to use it mainly for small to medium sized jobs.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/recno/6/p...dsaw-21384.htm

Has anybody used this model or have any reccomendations at around this
price
point? Are there any other retailers I should look at (I am in
Sheffield
for any bricks and mortar shops)?

Thanks for any help

Mark

I've got this one...
http://www.axminster.co.uk/recno/2/p...saw-23237..htm
....and it's for sale!

Don't know how much of what I say about mine bears true for yours - but
my impression of the Axminster white range is reasonable basic quality
(the yellow Perform stuff is pretty awful).

On mine,
Plusses: well made cast iron table, excellent fence (better than the
big Startrite that's replaced it in my workshop), realiable, safe,
simple, no unnecessary fancy features, good variety of blades
available.

Middlings: Reasonable mitre gauge, but a bigger one would be good.

Minuses: Dust extraction was only moderate until I removed the grille
that stops an idiot from stick their hand inside the machine via the
dust port, the table tilting clamps/adjustment could be better, it's
realistic limit is about 60mm thickness of oak, 100mm softwood.

If I can tempt you with mine, just over 1 year old, unmarked, spare
blades - £280 quid

On 2 May 2006 10:03:18 -0700, "Mark" wrote:

thinking of getting the Axmister White AWSBS at £130

I've got an Axminster 350 and I dearly wish I'd spent a couple of grand
on a Laguna or Minimax instead. This is about the smallest machine (14"
wheels) I'd really think of as useful. It's one of those machines where
once you have it, you wonder how you ever managed before.

That said, the Axminster AWSBS is as good as it gets for anything
smaller and the price is good (1/3rd of the 350). Construction is
excellent, wheels are good, and the real limit is just the basic
geometry. I don't like the guides though - poor roller guides are worse
than poor blocks. I'd throw tham away and go to Cool Blocks. In
particular these rollers are no good for narrow blades and will soon
destroy more blades than the cost of a decent set of guides.

"Andy Dingley" wrote in message
...
On 2 May 2006 10:03:18 -0700, "Mark" wrote:

thinking of getting the Axmister White AWSBS at £130

I've got an Axminster 350 and I dearly wish I'd spent a couple of grand
on a Laguna or Minimax instead. This is about the smallest machine (14"
wheels) I'd really think of as useful. It's one of those machines where
once you have it, you wonder how you ever managed before.

That said, the Axminster AWSBS is as good as it gets for anything
smaller and the price is good (1/3rd of the 350). Construction is
excellent, wheels are good, and the real limit is just the basic
geometry. I don't like the guides though - poor roller guides are worse
than poor blocks. I'd throw tham away and go to Cool Blocks. In
particular these rollers are no good for narrow blades and will soon
destroy more blades than the cost of a decent set of guides.

Where would I get Cool Blocks from? and are they relatively simple to fit?
I've never used a band saw before, let alone set one up, so any advice is
gratefully recieved.

Cheers

Mark

On Tue, 2 May 2006 22:14:12 +0100, "Mark Spice"
wrote:

Where would I get Cool Blocks from?

Anywhere that sells bandsaw bits. They're just magic self-lubricating
plastic, sawn into various bar sizes. You can use blocks of hard maple
soaked in oil too, they just wear out faster.

The trouble with bearings is that if they ever slip (as Axmonster's are
prone too) then the blade pops backwards over the side of the back
roller. The teeth now run _between_ the side rollers and the set is
pressed out of them, destroying the blade.

and are they relatively simple to fit?

You need a holder to fit them into, which is just a couple of blocks
fastened to the guide carrier with square holes through them and an
Allen screw to clamp.

I've never used a band saw before, let alone set one up, so any advice is
gratefully recieved.

Get yourself a copy of Mark Duginske's "Bandsaw Handbook". Well worth
it.

A good range of blades pays dividends too.

Mark wrote:
I
am
intending to use it mainly for small to medium sized jobs.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/recno/6/p...dsaw-21384.htm

Has anybody used this model or have any reccomendations at around this
price
point?

I have one of these (AWSBS) and I'm very happy with it, although I think
the guides are it's weakest point. The trick with all Bandsaws is to
buy the best blades and give them the right (tighter than you think)
tension.

R.