I did not even get to touch the saw until this afternoon. I spent the
morning rat killing and picking up a power cord to attach to the saw. After
attaching the 10-3 cord I started the saw up for the first time with out a
blade attached as I wanted to make sure all the safety switches worked
properly. Yup, it starts up OK. This saw has a start switch that you turn
1/4" turn and the motor starts. If you hit the red kill switch, step on the
break, or open the top and bottom doors the switch automatically turns in
the opposite direction 1/4" turn and turns the saw off.
The next step was to put a 1/2" blade on and check tracking and set the
guides. Boring! The blade immediately tracked to the center of both wheels
and no tracking adjustment was necessary. Cool. With the Rikon I some
times had to help that adjustment out with a pop of my palm on the lower end
of the top wheel. Adjusting the 10 point ceramic guides was straight
forward and non eventful. Cool. I manually rotated the top wheel several
times to insure that the weld was not going to be a problem with respect to
the ceramic guides and immediately noticed that the top wheel did not feel
like it was going to grind a blister on my finger like the old Craftsman and
Rikon did. Cool.
Time to power up with the blade mounted. The instructions indicate to
start for a split second and turn the machine off when using a new blade to
again insure that every thing is OK. This is easily done by turning the
start switch 1/8" turn and letting go. It springs back to off
automatically. Kinda like turning the key to start the starter on a car.
Every thing seemed OK. I started the saw again and left it running and
noticed a loud squeal and then it went away after the blade came up to
speed. I immediately tightened the drive belt a bit more and the squeal was
gone. The saw is very quiet with just the common tapping noise that the
blade makes as the weld goes through the guides.
Checking the fence and table alignment to the blade, I found both were
dead on. Test cuts with that 1/2" blade through 3/4" oak were pretty darn
smooth considering this was 1 of 3, "throw in with the deal", blades. I
will be anxious to see how the Laguna Resaw King does on veneers. Next a
relatively narrow resawing test. I had a piece of 7/8" thick oak 2.5" wide
by 28" long. After adjusting the fence for blade drift I started cutting
1/16" thick slabs off of that 7/8" thick piece of wood. I probably would
not have to sand before gluing to a substrate as the surface was similar to
the back side of Formica maybe a touch rougher. The resawing and guiding
was effortless and the pieces were consistent in thickness from end to end
and top to bottom. I got 8 pieces. Is that good? :~) Wider pieces
tomorrow.

I am sorry your new band saw is so boring. Is that what you get when
you pay a premium price. :-) We look forward to hearing parts 3 and 4
of the story. Of course, I want to come by for an eye witness report
after you are slicing veneers.

Bob

"Bob" wrote in message
ups.com...
I am sorry your new band saw is so boring. Is that what you get when
you pay a premium price. :-) We look forward to hearing parts 3 and 4
of the story. Of course, I want to come by for an eye witness report
after you are slicing veneers.

Bob

I'll let you know when the veneers start stacking up. About 2 weeks ago my
wife dreamed that she came home from work and when she opened the garage
door she saw me standing in side a pile of veneers stacked to the ceiling.

"Leon" wrote

I'll let you know when the veneers start stacking up. About 2 weeks ago
my wife dreamed that she came home from work and when she opened the
garage door she saw me standing in side a pile of veneers stacked to the
ceiling.
Your wife has dreams about WOOD?

That one is a keeper.

Leon wrote:

I started the saw again and left it running and
noticed a loud squeal and then it went away after the blade came up to
speed.

Are you SUUURRE that wasn't you squealing with delight at your new saw?
It sure sounds like something that would warrant a good squeal. I do
that almost anytime I get a tool that works great anymore.

I had a piece of 7/8" thick oak 2.5" wide by 28" long. After
adjusting the fence for blade drift I started cutting 1/16" thick slabs
off of that 7/8" thick piece of wood. I probably would not have to
sand before gluing to a substrate as the surface was similar to the
back side of Formica maybe a touch rougher. The resawing and guiding
was effortless and the pieces were consistent in thickness from end to
end
and top to bottom. I got 8 pieces. Is that good? :~)

Alright now Leon... of course that's good. We all know of Laguna's
legendary quality, but I guess I am just as impressed that you were
able to cut something that thin and even with a factory blade. THAT I
have never heard of. Maybe Laguna is just quality all around. I hope
you keep us in touch with what you think as you go along.

Some inquiring minds are looking forward to their own new bandsaw in
their not-to-distant future. ;^)

Robert

wrote in message
oups.com...
Leon wrote:


Are you SUUURRE that wasn't you squealing with delight at your new saw?
It sure sounds like something that would warrant a good squeal. I do
that almost anytime I get a tool that works great anymore.

No, I usually do not squeal. I usually ummm...


I had a piece of 7/8" thick oak 2.5" wide by 28" long. After
adjusting the fence for blade drift I started cutting 1/16" thick slabs
off of that 7/8" thick piece of wood. I probably would not have to
sand before gluing to a substrate as the surface was similar to the
back side of Formica maybe a touch rougher. The resawing and guiding
was effortless and the pieces were consistent in thickness from end to
end
and top to bottom. I got 8 pieces. Is that good? :~)

Alright now Leon... of course that's good. We all know of Laguna's
legendary quality, but I guess I am just as impressed that you were
able to cut something that thin and even with a factory blade. THAT I
have never heard of. Maybe Laguna is just quality all around. I hope
you keep us in touch with what you think as you go along.

I'll do that.


Some inquiring minds are looking forward to their own new bandsaw in
their not-to-distant future. ;^)

So far all I can add is that the mchine purchase was like moving up from a
bench top TS to a Cabinet Saw. Probably a bigger move than the one when I
replaced my Craftsman contractors TS with my Jet cabinet saw . Rock
solid. Expensive, but no compromises.

I will say also that the rubber tires apear to be 2 to 3 thimes thicker than
the ones on the MiniMax. The Laguna tires are a good 1/4" thick.

charlie b wrote:

If you're going to get a Resaw King blade you
must be figuring on doing a LOT of veneer
making - the price of one will buy a LOT of
"normal" blades. 130 inch blade x $2 an inch?
I definitely wouldn't try slicing up any
mini-logs with one - one nail, piece of wire
or an included pebble and the carbide tips
would be toast.

Looks like right now they are 1.50/in. for a 1" blade...

But I cannot find a link to the lt16 or lt16hd on their site: it's
either the 14" or 18".

er
--
email not valid

When you get to cuttinkg one sided slices . . .

While I found the ceramic guides better than
the euro guides (two bearings on the sides of
the blade, one behind if), the lower guide is
a PITA to adjust, at least on my early model
guides - nice show price when they first came
out). Would be nice to have a horizontal guide
to keep the side blocks from rotating as you
tighten their set screw.

The dust collection also could use some
improvements, though still better than
JET/Delta. It's amazing how much saw
dust ends up in the lower cabinet.

If you're going to get a Resaw King blade you
must be figuring on doing a LOT of veneer
making - the price of one will buy a LOT of
"normal" blades. 130 inch blade x $2 an inch?
I definitely wouldn't try slicing up any
mini-logs with one - one nail, piece of wire
or an included pebble and the carbide tips
would be toast.

A good bandsaw, or even a mediocre bandsaw
with the right sharp blade, can do some
amazing things that no other tool/machine
will do. And for ripping, it's a hell of a lot
safer than a table saw.

I didn't really think I needed a bandsaw when
I was setting up shop. But when LT offered an
LT16SEC (the 2 1/4 hp model) for $1100
delivery to my shop floor included, I couldn't
pass up the deal. Now it gets used for all sorts
of things.

Enjoy the saw - you'll wonder how you got
along without it. Now you can do bombay
chests, cabriolet legs . . .

charlie b

wrote in message

Some inquiring minds are looking forward to their own new bandsaw in
their not-to-distant future. ;^)


psssst ... wanna buy a used Delta 14"??



--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 12/13/05

"Swingman" wrote in message
...
wrote in message

Some inquiring minds are looking forward to their own new bandsaw in
their not-to-distant future. ;^)


psssst ... wanna buy a used Delta 14"??




OK, Swingman you gotta, "Sell IT", if you wanna sell it.. It has been
souped up with a highly polished chrome tension adjustment wheel that feels
like fine jewelry. Additionally it has been modified with a High
Performance tension spring that delivers professional quality pressure that
is second to none. LOL.

"charlie b" wrote in message
...
When you get to cuttinkg one sided slices . . .

While I found the ceramic guides better than
the euro guides (two bearings on the sides of
the blade, one behind if), the lower guide is
a PITA to adjust, at least on my early model
guides - nice show price when they first came
out). Would be nice to have a horizontal guide
to keep the side blocks from rotating as you
tighten their set screw.

Yeah the lower guides are a little more trouble however the Laguna now has
thumb screws instead of hex screws for the thrust and side guides, top and
bottom. Unfortunately the lower thrust thumb screw is a bit tough with
half of a left thumb missing. ;~)


The dust collection also could use some
improvements, though still better than
JET/Delta. It's amazing how much saw
dust ends up in the lower cabinet.

So far the dust is blown out from under the lower door and very little dust
stays in side. I was kinda suprised at how little compared to the Rikon. I
guess the bigger openings help with air flow when using a dust collector.


If you're going to get a Resaw King blade you
must be figuring on doing a LOT of veneer
making - the price of one will buy a LOT of
"normal" blades. 130 inch blade x $2 an inch?

A Resaw King came with the deal. The Resaw King 150", 3 throw in blades,
Mobility kit and delivery with lift gate and placed in my garage was $300
more than regular price for the saw alone. Basically, for $40 over the
shipped price I got all the blades and the mobility kit. Normally the saw
would have cost about $500 more than what I paid. FIY the Resaw King is now
$1.50 per inch in any width and can be resharpened for about $44 shipped
back to me. The Resaw King for my saw, 150", priced out at $225 and last
month they were on sale for 20% off.

I definitely wouldn't try slicing up any
mini-logs with one - one nail, piece of wire
or an included pebble and the carbide tips
would be toast.


Nooo. I will reserve the good stuff and exotics for the Resaw King.


A good bandsaw, or even a mediocre bandsaw
with the right sharp blade, can do some
amazing things that no other tool/machine
will do. And for ripping, it's a hell of a lot
safer than a table saw.

I can see that.


I didn't really think I needed a bandsaw when
I was setting up shop. But when LT offered an
LT16SEC (the 2 1/4 hp model) for $1100
delivery to my shop floor included, I couldn't
pass up the deal. Now it gets used for all sorts
of things.

Yeah it seems that the prices have really gone up in the past 2 or 3 years.
Its hard to pass up a good deal.


Enjoy the saw - you'll wonder how you got
along without it. Now you can do bombay
chests, cabriolet legs . . .

Amazingly I have done cabriolet legs on my old 12" Craftsman and they came
out great.

"Enoch Root" wrote in message
news:78GdnaGnd_Op4dvZnZ2dnUVZ_tWdnZ2d@forethought. net...

Looks like right now they are 1.50/in. for a 1" blade...

IIRC $1.50 for any width.


But I cannot find a link to the lt16 or lt16hd on their site: it's
either the 14" or 18".


LT16

http://www.lagunatools.com/lt16.htm

LT16HD

http://www.lagunatools.com/lt16hd.htm

"Leon" wrote in message
"Swingman" wrote in message
wrote in message

Some inquiring minds are looking forward to their own new bandsaw in
their not-to-distant future. ;^)


psssst ... wanna buy a used Delta 14"??




OK, Swingman you gotta, "Sell IT", if you wanna sell it.. It has been
souped up with a highly polished chrome tension adjustment wheel that
feels
like fine jewelry. Additionally it has been modified with a High
Performance tension spring that delivers professional quality pressure
that
is second to none. LOL.

You left off the ceramic guides, the wheel brush, and the link belt ...

I am starting to think a Laguna 20" might be what it's gonna take to live in
the same town with you!

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 12/13/05

"Swingman" wrote in message
...

You left off the ceramic guides, the wheel brush, and the link belt ...

Oh yeah I for got about those improvements. I was only thinking of the new
ones that I saw last week. The new belt was hidden in the cabinet. :~)



I am starting to think a Laguna 20" might be what it's gonna take to live
in
the same town with you!

Maybe. I can't say if it would be a great improvement over your Delta but I
certainly see a difference over what I had.

Hey Swingman... I'm with you. All I have is a 12" Sears with Carter
guides and a Taiwanese 14" for other stuff. When I need something
bigger cut, I have a buddy with a 16" Jet and one with an old 18" Jet.
When Leon gets that all sorted out and set up, I don't know how easy it
will be to be around him.

Of course, if I had that saw, I would be the picture of humility.

Yeah, right.

I would probably paint it red and drive around with it in the back of
my truck.

Robert

Leon wrote:
"Enoch Root" wrote in message
news:78GdnaGnd_Op4dvZnZ2dnUVZ_tWdnZ2d@forethought. net...

Looks like right now they are 1.50/in. for a 1" blade...


IIRC $1.50 for any width.


But I cannot find a link to the lt16 or lt16hd on their site: it's
either the 14" or 18".



LT16

http://www.lagunatools.com/lt16.htm

LT16HD

http://www.lagunatools.com/lt16hd.htm

heh. thanks.

er
--
email not valid

In article .com,
says...
Yeah, right.

I would probably paint it red and drive around with it in the back of
my truck.

Robert

Probably not. You'd paint it red, try to lift it on to the back of your truck
and spend the next couple of weeks in bed with a busted back :-P

-Peter
...who wrestled his 18" Jet off the back of a low slung trailer and into
the workshop by hisself - the damn thing weighs twice as much as I do. Let's
just say I've been seeing my chiropractor a few times, lately.

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

wrote in message

Hey Swingman... I'm with you. All I have is a 12" Sears with Carter
guides and a Taiwanese 14" for other stuff. When I need something
bigger cut, I have a buddy with a 16" Jet and one with an old 18" Jet.

You're right ... I guess the next best thing to having one is having a
friend with one ... right Leon, old buddy?

All kidding aside, my Delta suffices for my needs at the moment and is
pretty well tuned up to do what I want it to do. If I find myself needing to
spend some Section 17 $$ before the end of the year, there's always the
Leigh FMT, or the JDS multi-router ... either one of which should justify
some trade-off time with the owners of these high dollar band saws.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 12/13/05

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hey Swingman... I'm with you. All I have is a 12" Sears with Carter
guides and a Taiwanese 14" for other stuff. When I need something
bigger cut, I have a buddy with a 16" Jet and one with an old 18" Jet.
When Leon gets that all sorted out and set up, I don't know how easy it
will be to be around him.

Boy had I known you coulda had my 12 Craftsman too. LOL



Of course, if I had that saw, I would be the picture of humility.

Yeah, right.

I would probably paint it red and drive around with it in the back of
my truck.

"Swingman" wrote in message
...
wrote in message



You're right ... I guess the next best thing to having one is having a
friend with one ... right Leon, old buddy?

Any time sir, just gimme a call.


All kidding aside, my Delta suffices for my needs at the moment and is
pretty well tuned up to do what I want it to do. If I find myself needing
to
spend some Section 17 $$ before the end of the year, there's always the
Leigh FMT, or the JDS multi-router ... either one of which should justify
some trade-off time with the owners of these high dollar band saws.


Good idea. No reason to buy one if one is available. ;~) Had I bought
your Delta when you did I would probably not have this Laguna.