I'm a long time lurker here. I am a hobbist and have recently gotten into
guitar making. I'm thinking of buying a small bandsaw. Anyone have a
recommendation or opinion?
Thanks,
Zeli

"zelix" writes:

I'm a long time lurker here. I am a hobbist and have recently gotten into
guitar making. I'm thinking of buying a small bandsaw. Anyone have a
recommendation or opinion?

Do not buy a too small saw, as resaw capacity is crucial, you need at
least half the guitar top/bottom width as resaw capacity!

--
Dr. Juergen Hannappel http://lisa2.physik.uni-bonn.de/~hannappe
Phone: +49 228 73 2447 FAX ... 7869
Physikalisches Institut der Uni Bonn Nussallee 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
CERN: Phone: +412276 76461 Fax: ..77930 Bat. 892-R-A13 CH-1211 Geneve 23

zelix wrote:
I'm a long time lurker here. I am a hobbist and have recently gotten into
guitar making. I'm thinking of buying a small bandsaw. Anyone have a
recommendation or opinion?
Thanks,


Two.

As a general rule when buying a power tool always consider
buying one that is larger than you think you need. You can
prety much always routinely and easily do small work with
big tools, but a small tool will opften be inadequate and
even if adequate difficult and frustrating to use for the
occaisional big job.

Also, check out _turning saws_ (a hand tool) which you may find
both more economical and more fun to use, unless you are
planning mass production.

For really small fine work, a fret saw or a scroll saw would
be appropriate.

Regardless, I've used the small Delta and was happy with it.
Jet has a good reputation for their 12' and larger saws.

--

FF

"zelix" wrote in
:



I'm a long time lurker here. I am a hobbist and have recently gotten
into guitar making. I'm thinking of buying a small bandsaw. Anyone
have a recommendation or opinion?
Thanks,
Zeli



By "small", I'm going to assume you mean 14"...
So, my second WW tool was Delta's 9" bandsaw (BS100 it's called now).
1) $99 at the time from Lowes
2) Wasn't sure if I'd keep this hobby alive or not
3) Two years later, a 14" bandsaw replaced it and the 9" one is now on
the floor awaiting a higher calling in life

I can't imagine guitar making without a serious bandsaw. I'm no luthier -
but it seems to me you'd want to make a serious investment in that
machine.

By "small", I'm going to assume you mean 14"...
So, my second WW tool was Delta's 9" bandsaw (BS100 it's called now).

How did it work for you? Is it a decent machine?

1) $99 at the time from Lowes
2) Wasn't sure if I'd keep this hobby alive or not

That's where I am at this point. I have been into boat building for a while.
I thought I'd try to branch out a little. I haven't really had musch use for
a bandsaw until now.

3) Two years later, a 14" bandsaw replaced it and the 9" one is now on
the floor awaiting a higher calling in life

I can't imagine guitar making without a serious bandsaw.

I've made one guitar without a bandsaw.. it was not easy. I think that a
bandsaw would help in the neck developement.

I'm no luthier -
but it seems to me you'd want to make a serious investment in that
machine.

I have limited space (a small garage shop). I really Don't think I'll be
doing alot with a bandsaw... at least for now. So I"m thinking of a smaller
unit.

Patrick Conroy wrote:
By "small", I'm going to assume you mean 14"...
So, my second WW tool was Delta's 9" bandsaw (BS100 it's called now).
1) $99 at the time from Lowes
2) Wasn't sure if I'd keep this hobby alive or not
3) Two years later, a 14" bandsaw replaced it and the 9" one is now on
the floor awaiting a higher calling in life

I can't imagine guitar making without a serious bandsaw. I'm no luthier -
but it seems to me you'd want to make a serious investment in that
machine.

My first one was a Delta 9", it worked fine for making plane totes and
cutting small things. It wouldn't handle resawing or making decent
turning blanks though, only cut about 3 1/2" thick wood. The 12" Delta
isn't much larger and has nearly the capability of a 14" BS but can't
take a lift kit. I gave the 9" to my BIL who uses it for 2X? and 1-2X?
shaping around his house. With a 6" gap under the blade guard, it *may*
not be tallenough for you, though. A 14" BS will take a riser kit to
give you 1' under the guard, but it distinctly larger. You'll have to
decide what you need to be able to cut.

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

I'm no guitar maker but considering the thin guage of the woods you
work with I'd have thought that a deep-throated fret saw would be more
useful than a bandsaw.

JMHO

FoggyTown

On Tue, 2 Aug 2005 10:38:12 -0400, "zelix" wrote:

I'm thinking of buying a small bandsaw.

14" wheels is "small"

Anything less is a toy

If you can afford it, house it and you're thinking about resawing, go to
16" or 18"

If you've got space, save up and get a 14", maybe something used that you
can fix up. If it's gotta be small but you want something pretty well
built, look into the Grizzly Heavy Duty 9". I just bought one to replace my
little Ryobi 9". I haven't been able to use it yet, but the thing is heavy
and stout and the fit and finish seems nice. It cost about twice as much as
the Ryobi, but I think it's a better value. The Ryobi has served me well,
though, I made a lot of jigs out of it and got a lot of use from it. I
don't think I'd trust it for bandsawing out a neck blank, though. I have a
lot more confidence in the Ryobi than the little Delta's I've seen. The
Grizzly weighs three times as much as the Ryobi, I think it'll do everything
I need for guitar making with the exception of resawing.

No matter what you get, chuck the stock blade and buy a quality Timberwolf
blade or something along those lines. Also pick up a book to learn how to
set it up and tune it up, like Mark Duginske's The Bandsaw Book.

Jon

"zelix" wrote in
:





By "small", I'm going to assume you mean 14"...
So, my second WW tool was Delta's 9" bandsaw (BS100 it's called now).

How did it work for you? Is it a decent machine?


ehhhhhhhhhhh - hard to say. As a newbie - just about all my machines are
better at what they do than I am a craftsman.

After a couple of years of learning, I pulled it out and tried to "tune
it" as well as I could my Jet 14", and things improved, but it still has
its limits.

From another point of view - in the Universe of Small Bandsaws, I think
it's fine. I might be tempted by the Ryobi 10" or the Jet 12" instead of
the BS100.



I have limited space (a small garage shop). I really Don't think I'll
be doing alot with a bandsaw... at least for now. So I"m thinking of a
smaller unit.

I'm in the small bay of our 3 car garage. 10ish by 15ish feet. The 14" BS
is on wheels. So I hear you on trying to work within small confines.

Couple of final thoughts: like the jointer and planer I invested in, I
really didn't know how much I would use them until I had them. They get
constant use now. I'll bet the BS gets more use that you expect.

The BS100 might be a bigger loss in the end than a better machine. Dunno.

I've picked up a few Delta tools as refurbished, like my Drill Press and
realized even bigger savings.

Good luck!

zelix wrote:
I'm a long time lurker here. I am a hobbist and have recently gotten in=
to=20
guitar making. I'm thinking of buying a small bandsaw. Anyone have a=20
recommendation or opinion?
Thanks,
Zeli=20
=20
=20

I have the King Industrial Band Saw 1433 FX. Lots of people sell a=20
similar looking model.
http://www.kingcanada.com/Products.htm?CD=3D104

Nice for resaw. Guitar is on my list of projects. You can get a 3/4 "=20
blade, run it on 220 and shave veneer to 1/16" to 1/8 " if you like.

I got the riser block to extend the resaw capability so I use the 105"=20
blades which I get from:
http://www.tufftooth.com/

His BiMetal blades are quite nice. Similar to Timberwolf I guess... and=20
he has industrial quality blades.


--=20
Will R.
Jewel Boxes and Wood Art
http://woodwork.pmccl.com
The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those=20
who have not got it.=94 George Bernard Shaw

I've been using a Ryobi 9" bandsaw for guitar building for almost three
years now, and except for the lack resawing capability, it's worked
quite well for me. I have used it for cutting various things to shape -
solid bodies, neck blanks, and have actually used it to resaw
fingerboards up to about 3" thick--I just had to take it really slow and
careful, with a large block of alder clamped to the table as a resaw fence.

But it was time to move on. I've had a Ridgid 14" bandsaw with a 6"
riser block and a Kregg fence for about a month now, and I figured I
would still use the Ryobi for the light-duty stuff. Well, forget that!
Like another poster, the small BS has been sitting on the floor in a
corner ever since the big one went into service--it hasn't been used
even once.

I'm working in all three bays of a 3-car garage, so I have a little more
room, but portability is still a necessity--all of the larger tools
(table saw and planer at this point) live on wheels, and the smaller
tools (benchtop drill press, oscillating drum sander, and belt-disk
sander) live on utility carts.

I put locking wheels on the Ridgid BS too, but it seems to have taken up
more or less permanent residence in one corner of the shop.

If you can possibly do it, go for a larger unit--at least 14" The
additional power and cutting capacity are definitely worth the
additional price. The total cost for mine was close to $600 with the
riser block, Kregg fence, wheels, and sales taxes.

If you can't justify that much money, or the space is too limited, I can
recommend the Ryobi unit (Home Depot). You might consider the newer 10"
model, which comes with it's own stand, so you have a choice between
benchtop and floor-stand operation.

--Steve

zelix wrote:

I'm a long time lurker here. I am a hobbist and have recently gotten into
guitar making. I'm thinking of buying a small bandsaw. Anyone have a
recommendation or opinion?
Thanks,
Zeli

On Tue, 2 Aug 2005 10:38:12 -0400, "zelix" wrote:

I'm a long time lurker here. I am a hobbist and have recently gotten into
guitar making. I'm thinking of buying a small bandsaw. Anyone have a
recommendation or opinion?

I've got the Delta 9" bandsaw, and it works well for what it is. You
can't really resaw much with it, and it's no good for roughing out
turning blanks, but it's great for doing projects in thinner woods.
I've used it a lot in making table legs, and curved bits in 4/4 stock,
and it's a nice little machine. If you're trying to do work on larger
pieces that are still pretty thin, a three-wheel bandsaw may be the
way to go. In any case, a little bandsaw works just as well as a big
one- it just has it's limitations when it comes to the size of the
stock you can expect to cut on it.

So how is the Rigid in comparison to other BS? I use to work in a music shop
and we stuck with the old tried and true Delta 14". I also use to work for
HD and persoanlly didn't wasn't overly impressed with the Ridgid BS Though I
thought the TS was a good solid one for a starter.

Dave
Steve wrote in message ...
I've been using a Ryobi 9" bandsaw for guitar building for almost three
years now, and except for the lack resawing capability, it's worked
quite well for me. I have used it for cutting various things to shape -
solid bodies, neck blanks, and have actually used it to resaw
fingerboards up to about 3" thick--I just had to take it really slow and
careful, with a large block of alder clamped to the table as a resaw
fence.

But it was time to move on. I've had a Ridgid 14" bandsaw with a 6"
riser block and a Kregg fence for about a month now, and I figured I
would still use the Ryobi for the light-duty stuff. Well, forget that!
Like another poster, the small BS has been sitting on the floor in a
corner ever since the big one went into service--it hasn't been used
even once.

I'm working in all three bays of a 3-car garage, so I have a little more
room, but portability is still a necessity--all of the larger tools
(table saw and planer at this point) live on wheels, and the smaller
tools (benchtop drill press, oscillating drum sander, and belt-disk
sander) live on utility carts.

I put locking wheels on the Ridgid BS too, but it seems to have taken up
more or less permanent residence in one corner of the shop.

If you can possibly do it, go for a larger unit--at least 14" The
additional power and cutting capacity are definitely worth the
additional price. The total cost for mine was close to $600 with the
riser block, Kregg fence, wheels, and sales taxes.

If you can't justify that much money, or the space is too limited, I can
recommend the Ryobi unit (Home Depot). You might consider the newer 10"
model, which comes with it's own stand, so you have a choice between
benchtop and floor-stand operation.

--Steve

zelix wrote:

I'm a long time lurker here. I am a hobbist and have recently gotten
into
guitar making. I'm thinking of buying a small bandsaw. Anyone have a
recommendation or opinion?
Thanks,
Zeli

Prometheus wrote:
snip
If you're trying to do work on larger
pieces that are still pretty thin, a three-wheel bandsaw may be the
way to go.

Prolly oughta forget about the three wheelers, they've got a way of
eating blades.

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 Tue, 2 Aug 2005 10:38:12 -0400, "zelix" wrote:

I'm a long time lurker here. I am a hobbist and have recently gotten into
guitar making. I'm thinking of buying a small bandsaw. Anyone have a
recommendation or opinion?
Thanks,
Zeli

I've got the 9" Ryobi and while I've never been terribly happy with
it, it's certainly more than paid for itself. I think the 9" saws
live in the middle ground between a scroll saw and a real band saw,
doing ok for some of the tasks you'd do on either of them. I don't
know if a scroll saw would give you what you need for guitar making,
but they certainly take up a lot less space. Otherwise I would
definitely try for a 14" band saw if at all possible.


-Leuf

On Thu, 04 Aug 2005 17:15:43 -0400, Leuf
wrote:

On Tue, 2 Aug 2005 10:38:12 -0400, "zelix" wrote:

I'm a long time lurker here. I am a hobbist and have recently gotten into
guitar making. I'm thinking of buying a small bandsaw. Anyone have a
recommendation or opinion?
Thanks,
Zeli

I've got the 9" Ryobi and while I've never been terribly happy with
it, it's certainly more than paid for itself. I think the 9" saws
live in the middle ground between a scroll saw and a real band saw,
doing ok for some of the tasks you'd do on either of them. I don't
know if a scroll saw would give you what you need for guitar making,
but they certainly take up a lot less space. Otherwise I would
definitely try for a 14" band saw if at all possible.


-Leuf

I also have a 9 inch bandsaw. It's the Canadian Tire brand but could
be made by Ryobi for all I know. It's cheaply made and doesn't stand
up to much abuse. I suppose it's a toss-up as to whether I use it or
the drill press more, though. On this model there is a cast piece
that holds the blade guides which cracks really easily if I try to
snug up the adjustment screw. When I look for a larger unit that's
the sort of thing I will be looking at.

Joe