Sorry, but it's silly question time!

I'm puzzled by Americans' references to their bandsaws as 14-inch, 16-inch etc.
My bandsaw has a 1400mm blade (about 55 inches) and max throat height is
80 mm (just over 3 inches), so what is the 14 inches referring to?
I checked the spec of the "Delta 28-248 14inch" but can see no 14inch measurement.

On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:29:55 GMT, Bob Martin
wrote:

so what is the 14 inches referring to?

Wheel diameter. This is the real fundamental limit on how well a large
or small machine can work.

in 1223424 20050730 133226 Andy Dingley wrote:
On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:29:55 GMT, Bob Martin
wrote:

so what is the 14 inches referring to?

Wheel diameter. This is the real fundamental limit on how well a large
or small machine can work.

Thanks, Andy, mine is a measly 8 inches - does that make it a toy ? :-)

On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:29:55 GMT, Bob Martin
wrote:


Sorry, but it's silly question time!

I'm puzzled by Americans' references to their bandsaws as 14-inch, 16-inch etc.
My bandsaw has a 1400mm blade (about 55 inches) and max throat height is
80 mm (just over 3 inches), so what is the 14 inches referring to?
I checked the spec of the "Delta 28-248 14inch" but can see no 14inch measurement.

Depth. The throat height is usuallly a little shorter than that.
With a 14" bandsaw, you can run 14" of material between the blade and
the frame.

For example, I've got a little Delta 9" bandsaw (59.5" blade)- the
tallest piece I can cut is somewhere between 4" and 6", but the widest
piece I can cut (inside the saw, obviously the width is unlimited on
the outside) is 9"- a little less if using the fence.

It'd be pretty slick if the height were 9", though

Diameter of wheels.

On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:29:55 GMT, Bob Martin
wrote:


Sorry, but it's silly question time!

I'm puzzled by Americans' references to their bandsaws as 14-inch, 16-inch etc.
My bandsaw has a 1400mm blade (about 55 inches) and max throat height is
80 mm (just over 3 inches), so what is the 14 inches referring to?
I checked the spec of the "Delta 28-248 14inch" but can see no 14inch measurement.

Bob Martin wrote in news:rJKGe.9508$Aw4.7071
@newsfe5-win.ntli.net:

in 1223424 20050730 133226 Andy Dingley wrote:
On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:29:55 GMT, Bob Martin
wrote:

so what is the 14 inches referring to?

Wheel diameter. This is the real fundamental limit on how well a large
or small machine can work.

Thanks, Andy, mine is a measly 8 inches - does that make it a toy ? :-)

Not necessarily. It does make it difficult to take on larger work,
however.

That said, the limits I tend to hit are the max vertical cutting height.
What your machines important limits are depends on what you are taking on.

A pro woodworker of note, whose shop I recently visited, had four bandsaws.
The largest was a 36" (wheel-diameter) Euro beauty. There is no way he
would use that for everything, though.

The right tool, etc..

Patriarch

"Bob Martin" wrote in message

Thanks, Andy, mine is a measly 8 inches - does that make it a toy ? :-)

Bandsaw? Yes.

If you are talking other equipment, 8" is real working tool but it is still
nice to have it played with like a toy.

Generally the dia. of the wheel which is also the approximate cutting
capacity to the back of the overarm (less the back blade guard
thickness), however on a three wheel band saw it is the cut capacity
to the back of the overarm.

On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:29:55 GMT, Bob Martin
wrote:


Sorry, but it's silly question time!

I'm puzzled by Americans' references to their bandsaws as 14-inch, 16-inch etc.
My bandsaw has a 1400mm blade (about 55 inches) and max throat height is
80 mm (just over 3 inches), so what is the 14 inches referring to?
I checked the spec of the "Delta 28-248 14inch" but can see no 14inch measurement.

Bob Martin wrote:
Thanks, Andy, mine is a measly 8 inches - does that make it a toy ? :-)

Depends on what you want to do with it. I originally got a 9" Delta
because I wanted to make my own plane totes. If you do turnings, you
can make turning blanks up to the thickness that your blade will cut,
the throat depth doesn't matter. This'll probably be about 4" on an 8"
BS but that makes a fair bowl and is certainly deep enough for any
platter. I figured that if I made 4-6 totes, I'd made my money back
from buying the BS.

Dave in Fairfax
--
reply-to doesn't work
use: daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/
PATINA
http://www.patinatools.org

On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 13:32:26 +0100, Andy Dingley
wrote:

On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:29:55 GMT, Bob Martin
wrote:

so what is the 14 inches referring to?

Wheel diameter. This is the real fundamental limit on how well a large
or small machine can work.

I stand corrected- must have just matched the throat depth on my
machine. Couldn't figure it out when I bought the sucker either, so I
just measured until I got something that matched the 9" label, and
throat depth fit the bill!

On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 23:21:10 -0500, Prometheus
wrote:

I stand corrected- must have just matched the throat depth on my
machine.

They generally will - throat depth is the wheel size, less the odd 1/4"
for the LHS blade guard.

"Bob Martin" wrote in message
...
in 1223424 20050730 133226 Andy Dingley wrote:
On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:29:55 GMT, Bob Martin
wrote:

so what is the 14 inches referring to?

Wheel diameter. This is the real fundamental limit on how well a large
or small machine can work.

Thanks, Andy, mine is a measly 8 inches - does that make it a toy ? :-)

The obligatory response having been taken care of, the problem with smaller
bandsaws is the blade. You're in a compromise position with blades anyway,
what with wanting flexibility and toughness to bend around the wheels, and
teeth hard enough not to simply bend as they hit the work.

Smaller bandsaws go through blades faster than big ones because of metal
fatigue .

Basically the size of the wheels - or sometimes the distance from the
blade to the frame. Has NOTHING to do with depth of cut or
bladelength

John

On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:29:55 GMT, Bob Martin
wrote:


Sorry, but it's silly question time!

I'm puzzled by Americans' references to their bandsaws as 14-inch, 16-inch etc.
My bandsaw has a 1400mm blade (about 55 inches) and max throat height is
80 mm (just over 3 inches), so what is the 14 inches referring to?
I checked the spec of the "Delta 28-248 14inch" but can see no 14inch measurement.

On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 12:51:35 GMT, Bob Martin wrote:

in 1223424 20050730 133226 Andy Dingley wrote:
On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:29:55 GMT, Bob Martin
wrote:

so what is the 14 inches referring to?

Wheel diameter. This is the real fundamental limit on how well a large
or small machine can work.

Thanks, Andy, mine is a measly 8 inches - does that make it a toy ? :-)

don't fret, Bob.. size isn't everything...

it looks really silly, seeing someone put an 1/8" blade on a 16" bandsaw and try
to make small stuff.. *g*


mac

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