Looking to buy first & last bandsaw. Actually I've been looking for
quite a while now for an older Delta or Rockwell but I have not come
across anything within reasonable driving distance of where I live
(north MS). So, I'm going to splurge and buy a new one - looked on
Delta's website to see what is "current" and the only one they list
(oddly) is a 28-206 which is just a 14" 1HP jobber. (What is the deal
with that - are they coming out with new lineup?) I'd like at least a
1.5HP model, so what are other options? Considering Grizzly 514 or
555. Budget ~$850, no more than $1000 tops.
Ideas?

Check that, I meant the Grizzly 513, NOT the 514. Sorry for any
confusion with my pricing.

On Jan 10, 5:17*pm, " wrote:
Looking to buy first & last bandsaw. *Actually I've been looking for
quite a while now for an older Delta or Rockwell but I have not come
across anything within reasonable driving distance of where I live
(north MS). *So, I'm going to splurge and buy a new one - looked on
Delta's website to see what is "current" and the only one they list
(oddly) is a 28-206 which is just a 14" 1HP jobber. (What is the deal
with that - are they coming out with new lineup?) *I'd like at least a
1.5HP model, so what are other options? *Considering Grizzly 514 or
555. *Budget ~$850, no more than $1000 tops.
Ideas?

On Sun, 10 Jan 2010 15:17:47 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

Looking to buy first & last bandsaw. Actually I've been looking for
quite a while now for an older Delta or Rockwell but I have not come
across anything within reasonable driving distance of where I live
(north MS). So, I'm going to splurge and buy a new one - looked on
Delta's website to see what is "current" and the only one they list
(oddly) is a 28-206 which is just a 14" 1HP jobber. (What is the deal
with that - are they coming out with new lineup?) I'd like at least a
1.5HP model, so what are other options? Considering Grizzly 514 or
555. Budget ~$850, no more than $1000 tops.
Ideas?


Well, it really depends on what you will be doing with it. I have a
Delta 14", and many times wished I had risers for it but when I was
buying I didn't think I needed it. I use the fence very little. When
tuned up, it gives a nice accurate cut.

On Jan 10, 6:17*pm, " wrote:
Looking to buy first & last bandsaw. *Actually I've been looking for
quite a while now for an older Delta or Rockwell but I have not come
across anything within reasonable driving distance of where I live
(north MS). *So, I'm going to splurge and buy a new one - looked on
Delta's website to see what is "current" and the only one they list
(oddly) is a 28-206 which is just a 14" 1HP jobber. (What is the deal
with that - are they coming out with new lineup?) *I'd like at least a
1.5HP model, so what are other options? *Considering Grizzly 514 or
555. *Budget ~$850, no more than $1000 tops.
Ideas?

Where's Leon?? :^)

On Jan 10, 6:17*pm, " wrote:
Looking to buy first & last bandsaw. *Actually I've been looking for
quite a while now for an older Delta or Rockwell but I have not come
across anything within reasonable driving distance of where I live
(north MS). *So, I'm going to splurge and buy a new one - looked on
Delta's website to see what is "current" and the only one they list
(oddly) is a 28-206 which is just a 14" 1HP jobber. (What is the deal
with that - are they coming out with new lineup?) *I'd like at least a
1.5HP model, so what are other options? *Considering Grizzly 514 or
555. *Budget ~$850, no more than $1000 tops.
Ideas?

Where's Leon?? :^)

(I forgot to change accounts)

First project would be some side (dining) chairs, so it needs to be
able to cut 8/4 ash or white oak with ease.

On Jan 10, 5:52*pm, Phisherman wrote:
Well, it really depends on what you will be doing with it. *I have a
Delta 14", and many times wished I had risers for it but when I was
buying I didn't think I needed it. *I use the fence very little. When
tuned up, it gives a nice accurate cut. *

On 1/10/2010 6:01 PM, GarageWoodworks wrote:
On Jan 10, 6:17 pm, wrote:
Looking to buy first& last bandsaw. Actually I've been looking for
quite a while now for an older Delta or Rockwell but I have not come
across anything within reasonable driving distance of where I live
(north MS). So, I'm going to splurge and buy a new one - looked on
Delta's website to see what is "current" and the only one they list
(oddly) is a 28-206 which is just a 14" 1HP jobber. (What is the deal
with that - are they coming out with new lineup?) I'd like at least a
1.5HP model, so what are other options? Considering Grizzly 514 or
555. Budget ~$850, no more than $1000 tops.
Ideas?

Where's Leon?? :^)

(I forgot to change accounts)

The guy's got to eat dinner some time. :-)

I could be wrong, but I doubt Laguna has a bandsaw in that price range.

--
See Nad. See Nad go. Go Nad!
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

" wrote in message
...
Looking to buy first & last bandsaw. Actually I've been looking for
quite a while now for an older Delta or Rockwell but I have not come
across anything within reasonable driving distance of where I live
(north MS). So, I'm going to splurge and buy a new one - looked on
Delta's website to see what is "current" and the only one they list
(oddly) is a 28-206 which is just a 14" 1HP jobber. (What is the deal
with that - are they coming out with new lineup?) I'd like at least a
1.5HP model, so what are other options? Considering Grizzly 514 or
555. Budget ~$850, no more than $1000 tops.
Ideas?


Heeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrsssss. Leon!
Just finished my bowl of soup....Steve... ;~)

Dukes..... you want your first and last..... hmmmmmmmmmm

You really need to decide what that really means..... Pretty simple really
but this is not as simple as you might think.

For about 20 years I owned but did not use very much a Craftsman 12" 1/2hp
BS. Under powered and a PIA to keep set up correctly.

About 3 years ago I decided I wanted a bigger more robust BS with more bells
and features. I jumped up to the highly recommended 18" Rikon. I read many
articles about it and heard great stories about it. I ordered it sight
unseen with the understanding that I could return it if unsatisfied, no
questions asked. Three weeks later I returned it, I had never done any
thing like that before.

The Rikon was an improvement but not nearly as big of an improvement as I
was looking for. Had I kept it, it would not have been my last. I wanted
my last one also.

Don't get me wrong here the Rikon is worth every penny but $1000 would not
buy a "new" BS that I would consider my last.

I wanted a BS that had plenty of power. I wanted a BS that would resaw with
ease. I wanted a BS that ran relatively quiet. I wanted a BS that did not
have to be readjusted 7 ways to Sunday every other time I used it. I
wanted a BS that was easily adjusted when adjustments or blade changes were
made.

I learned that for me my last band saw was going to have to be much better
than what a "new" $1000 saw had to offer.

Sooooo I started looking at the more expensive saws.....the saws that were
in my price range happened to be MiniMax and Laguna. Neither are
inexpensive.

Ultimately I ordered the Laguna, LT16-HD. 3 years later I can confidently
say that this saw is my last BS.

If you are relatively unfamiliar with band saws it will be hard to explain
why you want certain features and not others.

Why I chose the Laguna...

1. Buying the Rikon I thought I wanted roller bearing guides....In little
time I hated roller guides. The Laguna uses ceramic guides, 10 ceramic
guides. The upper guide has an upper and lower ceramic guide on each side
and a rear ceramic guide. The lower has the same set up. The blade can
touch the ceramic guides with out building up heat and this also keeps the
blade clean and free from debris. I found that roller guides would stamp
the debris on to the blade and made the blade dirty and very difficult to
clean. This created vibration and noise.

2. The Laguna is a beast. You can tension a 1-1/4 wide blade with little
effort and the saw holds it shape. WHAT?
One of the problems with less expensive saws is that they have to be fiddled
with to get them to cut properly. When you use larger blades you have to
tension them more. With cheaper saws the saw frames will distort slightly.
When they distort the blade tracks differently and you have to adjust the
upper wheel. Normally adjusting the upper wheel requires the readjustment
of the upper and lower thrust and side guides.... Going from a 1/4" blade
to the 1-1/4" blade requires no additional adjustment from the upper wheel,
on my particular model. Naturally you have to readjust the upper and lower
guides when changing blade sizes but the blades all tend to track correctly
with out having to fiddle with the upper wheel adjustment. I cannot
remember the last time I made an upper wheel adjustment.

3. My particular Laguna came with a 220 volt 4.5hp Baldor motor....
Resawing wide hard wood IS NOT a problem.

4. I normally keep a 1/2" blade in the Laguna and when I want to use the
saw I simply retention the blade, no other adjustments needed from that
point.

5. Basically I wanted a saw that was ready to go when I was.

Regardless of what you decide on, I would strongly advise you to go to the
Laguna web site and view the band saw videos on line. These videos are very
educational and will explain what you should look for in a bandsaw.

Here is what Laguna has to offer on bandsaws.
http://www.lagunatools.com/bandsaws

Here is their bandsaw video location, scroll down closer to the last bandsaw
videos.
http://www.lagunatools.com/company/video-bandsaw

One last thing, Laguna has a less expensive line of saws that are near your
upper limit. I am not so sure that one of those would be what I would
consider my last BS. I would suggest that if you want a "last band saw" you
should consider the HD line of saws. While these HD saws are indeed way
past your limit I found that for me $1000 on a saw that did not get me to
where I wanted to be was a bigger waste of money than the extra I spent on
the Laguna. With the Rikon I would have had a better saw than my old
Craftsman however I feel that I would not have used the saw unless I had no
other choice for making a cut. With the Laguna I look for reasons to use
the saw, it is that much more of a pleasure to operate and use rather than
constantly having to adjust. Keep in mind that as a blade warms up it will
stretch during use. This on many saws will require retensioning of the
blade, readjustment of the upper wheel, and often readjustments of the upper
and lower guides.... I only have to retention the blade on my saw.
If you want your last saw, save up for your last saw, don't let the $1000
you have now burn a hole in your pocket.

If you have any other questions please feel free to e-mail me...or ping me.

Having gone through all this you may be perfectly happy with a less
expensive saw.

On Jan 10, 10:46*pm, "Leon" wrote:
Why I chose the Laguna...

Thanks for the information. I'd certainly consider the Laguna models
you're referring to if I had that kind of budget (and 3phase power).
Barring any emergencies, I suppose I could save for a few more years
or so to get where I could buy that, but in the interim I have a list
of projects, but without a saw (and I've been waiting already as it
is). I don't dispute the capability of the saw, but at the same time,
if I went by this logic, for me, I'd have a house with 10,000 square
feet and 5 bathrooms for just 2 people, and I'd drive a Dodge 3500 to
pick up milk & eggs at the grocery store.... Of course there wouldn't
be any money left to buy anything other than milk & eggs, but that's
another story!

Cheers

What, you don't like scrambled eggs?

Jim in Milwaukee

wrote:

partial snip:

Of course there wouldn't
be any money left to buy anything other than milk & eggs, but that's
another story!

On Jan 11, 7:34*am, Jim in Milwaukee wrote:
What, you don't like scrambled eggs?

How do you make them without electricity or gas?

On Jan 11, 7:40*am, " wrote:
On Jan 11, 7:34*am, Jim in Milwaukee wrote:

What, you don't like scrambled eggs?

How do you make them without electricity or gas?

http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Eggs_&_Cheese

On Jan 11, 8:53*am, " wrote:
On Jan 11, 7:40*am, " wrote:

On Jan 11, 7:34*am, Jim in Milwaukee wrote:

What, you don't like scrambled eggs?

How do you make them without electricity or gas?

http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Eggs_&_Cheese

Neat, but I still need bandsaw recs..

On Jan 10, 5:17*pm, " wrote:
Looking to buy first & last bandsaw. *Actually I've been looking for
quite a while now for an older Delta or Rockwell but I have not come
across anything within reasonable driving distance of where I live
(north MS). *So, I'm going to splurge and buy a new one - looked on
Delta's website to see what is "current" and the only one they list
(oddly) is a 28-206 which is just a 14" 1HP jobber. (What is the deal
with that - are they coming out with new lineup?) *I'd like at least a
1.5HP model, so what are other options? *Considering Grizzly 514 or
555. *Budget ~$850, no more than $1000 tops.
Ideas?

I bought an 18" Jet about seven years ago using similar criteria
(first and last). Can't testify regarding last yet (because I'm still
breathing), but I have been quite happy. I saw quite a bit of 8/4
hardwood for custom rocking horses and other projects and the large
table is a plus for that. It has plenty of power for 8/4. I have
resawn thicker but admittedly resawing use is limited.

A couple of minor cons:
1) The lower rollers are a pain to adjust, but easier with experience
2) It uses an odd-length blade that seems to be proprietary to that
saw. But if you have a local source for custom fabricated blades you
might get them made cheaper than retail anyway.

Might look at Grizzly too. They have some similar machines.

RonB

" wrote in message
...
On Jan 10, 10:46 pm, "Leon" wrote:
Why I chose the Laguna...

Thanks for the information. I'd certainly consider the Laguna models
you're referring to if I had that kind of budget (and 3phase power).
Barring any emergencies, I suppose I could save for a few more years
or so to get where I could buy that, but in the interim I have a list
of projects, but without a saw (and I've been waiting already as it
is). I don't dispute the capability of the saw, but at the same time,
if I went by this logic, for me, I'd have a house with 10,000 square
feet and 5 bathrooms for just 2 people, and I'd drive a Dodge 3500 to
pick up milk & eggs at the grocery store.... Of course there wouldn't
be any money left to buy anything other than milk & eggs, but that's
another story!

Cheers

These saws do not require 3 phase power.

Capability of the saw was not the main point I was trying to indicate. The
$1000 saws will do what the Laguna saws will do but you will probably find
that you spend as much time tweaking the saw each time you use it as you do
using it. Maybe not, you may be happy with what the saw is capable of
producing. Band saws have a lot of adjustments that all need to work in
concert with each other to deliver a good cut. The better built the saw the
less the adjustment in one area will affect adjustments in other areas. I
have been doing serious wood working for a bout 30 years now, started when I
was 23. I have been down the road of getting the tool that was adequate but
through trial and error and experience learned that the tool that is the
easiest to use and does what it is suppose to do is the one that you are
going to value and actually use the most.

I do not know your financial situation and will not pretend to know what is
best for you. But, you did indicate that you wanted your first and last BS.
IMHO $1000 saws are not going to be your last unless your experience with
them is so bad that you give up on them all together. And while a new saw
gives that "new car" satisfaction and you don't think you will mind making
adjustments, more often than not the new does eventually wear off and the
adjustments become an irritant. Imagine having to readjust your TS rip
fence every time you changed blades or started a new project. Even this is
necessary with most less expensive BS's. If you look at an earlier post by
GarageWoodwork he was commenting that his $1000 saw was not giving him the
results he was looking for when resawing 6" wide cherry. He seems to think
the fence is the problem. Out of the box so to speak my Laguna was giving
me oak veneers that you could see through, with no fence adjustment at all.

Additionally every one seems to have an opinion as to which "brand" is the
best blade to use for this or that. Oddly with my Rikon I had the worst
problems with the top brand blades. The free blade that came with the saw
actually worked the best as did the blade that I had made at a local shop.
It was a crap shoot every time I tried a new blade as to whether it would
perform decently or even track correctly. So far in the last 3 years it has
not mattered which blade I put on the Laguna, the freebies that came with
it, the Timberwolf's that I purchased myself, or the Laguna ResawKing blade,
they all track correctly and with out any need to ever readjust the top
wheel tilt between blade changes.

$1000 is a lot of money to spend on a piece of equipment that you would not
use an equal amount to other tools costing that amount.

Again IMHO you might be better served to look for a good used older Delta
BS, something 7-8 years or older and not put out the money on a more
expensive new saw with features that you may not like. Test the waters with
a less expensive saw and learn what will make the saw do what you want it to
do. Unfortunately BS's unlike most all other shop equipment do require much
more user input to keep them cutting optimally. The less you have to make
those adjustments the more you will enjoy the saw in the long run. You will
actually find other uses for your BS....LOL... I now use my BS to cut up
fire wood that is too large to put in the fire place. And oddly I learned
that older fire wood is a great source for cultivating your own exotic
spalted veneers.

Good Luck with your hunt!

Sorry, I missed the Laguna model number in your post the first time I
read it this morning. My mistake! I will check this out, thanks!

On Jan 11, 9:59*am, "Leon" wrote:
" wrote in message

These saws do not require 3 phase power.
Good Luck with your hunt!

"RonB" wrote in message
...

2) It uses an odd-length blade that seems to be proprietary to that
saw. But if you have a local source for custom fabricated blades you
might get them made cheaper than retail anyway.

Might look at Grizzly too. They have some similar machines.

RonB


Odd length blades are not really a big problem as I have learned although I
cannot buy locally unless I have one made locally. My saw uses a 150"
blade. Timber will make any length blade you desire in a wide variety of
styles. Like their premade blades they charge by the inch and I was never
charged more per inch for a custom length than for a stock blade. And
their service and knowledge is pretty good. They do want you to be happy
with their product.

When my Rikon BS was on order I ordered blades from Timberwolf for it. I
was able to immediately start using those blades when I got the saw.
Unfortunately I had tracking problems that could never be resolved even with
calls to Timberwolf first and later to Rikon. Timberwolf asked me to cut
one of the problem blades to see if it would lay out straight which it did
and was suppose to do. Long story short they replaced that blade free of
charge and after returning the Rikon and buying the Laguna they took the
shorter unused blades back in exchange for the longer blades for the Laguna.
I only had to pay for shipping and the difference in the price for the extra
16 or so inches on each blade.

On 01/10/2010 05:17 PM, wrote:
Looking to buy first & last bandsaw. Actually I've been looking for
quite a while now for an older Delta or Rockwell but I have not come
across anything within reasonable driving distance of where I live
(north MS). So, I'm going to splurge and buy a new one - looked on
Delta's website to see what is "current" and the only one they list
(oddly) is a 28-206 which is just a 14" 1HP jobber. (What is the deal
with that - are they coming out with new lineup?) I'd like at least a
1.5HP model, so what are other options? Considering Grizzly 514 or
555. Budget ~$850, no more than $1000 tops.
Ideas?

The 513 is likely a decent saw. For a bit more you can get the
heavy-duty version, which has a larger table, cast iron wheels, and an
upgraded fence. The guides are slightly different as well...not sure if
they're actually an improvement or just different. For another $100 you
can get the foot brake, which is nice if there might be others around
since it lets you stop the blade quickly.

I've got a Steel City 18". It's roughly equivalent to the G0513X2B but
with a smaller table and crappier fence.

It has no trouble tensioning a 1" blade, it holds its adjustments
reasonably well, and I use the foot brake a lot. On the downside, the
fence isn't great, and the blade guard needed some modification--from
the factory it's difficult to install large blades without removing the
guard. I've resawn 8" of dry hard maple without difficulties, and it
went through almost 12" of green birch for turning blanks with ease.

Chris

wrote in message
...
On Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:22:55 -0600, "Leon"

Leon, while I've got it in mind, I wanted to ask you, have you used
your Domino to attach 3/4" thick face frames? If so, how well does it
work for that purpose?

Thanks



Yes!

Back in October I was working on the bedroom towers project where I was
assembleing the 2 frame and panel sides, back panels and front face frame
to the 4 seperate shelves, top, bottom and 2 mid shelves for each tower All
of the outer panels and face frames attached to each of the shelves with 8
doiminos on each shelf, 2 per side of each shelf. The corners of the outer
panels and face frome were simply glued to each other. Basically each outer
panel attached to 4 shelves with 8 total domino, 32 dominos total.
That was enough to worry about aligning properly as I had 4 different style
outer panels/face frames on each unit.

A trial dry fit to see if I had been lucky enough for all 32 dominos to come
together on 8 selerate planes resulted in a cabinet that could be stood up,
perfectly fitting, with no fear of seperation.

Was that what you were wanting to hear? ;~)

On Mon, 11 Jan 2010 04:37:15 -0800, wrote:

Thanks for the information. I'd certainly consider the Laguna models
you're referring to if I had that kind of budget (and 3phase power).

Leon is advising the "last" bandsaw you'll ever need. Of course, that
depends on your needs. I'm strictly a hobby woodworker. I use my
bandsaw about once a week. But I do small boxes and turnings, so I
wanted good resaw and log cutting abilities. On a limited budget.

I wound up with the Rikon 14" deluxe. It has two speeds and the low
speed has sufficient torque that I've cut up 12" walnut logs on it using
a sled. It has a 13" resaw capability, even more than the 18" model.
I've also cut 1/16" veneer, although 1/8" is a lot easier.

Leon mentions problems with roller guides. I only saw those when I was
cutting green wood. After I cleaned off the blade I sprayed it with one
of those dry lubricants and never had the problem again.

The Woodcraft store where I worked part time has sold a *lot* of these
saws. I can only recall one coming back and I don't remember the reason.

Take a look at:

http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/12...ws-grizzly-vs-
rikon-vs-powermatic-vs-laguna-and-more

The Rikon came in 2nd only to a Grizzly model. But the Grizzly only had
a 6" resaw capability.

--
Intelligence is an experiment that failed - G. B. Shaw

On Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:22:03 -0600, "Leon"
wrote:
Was that what you were wanting to hear? ;~)

Yes, thanks. What I've used for the past 15 years or so for projects
with hardwood veneer is a Lee Valley mini plane with a little chisel
that raises a sliver of wood, bang in a nail and then glue the sliver
back down. Unfortunately, the quality of the hardwood veneer on some
of the plywood I've bought hasn't been all that great and it's often
difficult to raise the shaving properly and glue it back down without
it being noticeable. It works better on hardwood face frames, but
occasionally it's noticeable where I've raised the shaving.

In all honesty though, I might just be looking for additional reasons
to buy myself a Domino.

wrote in message
...
On Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:22:03 -0600, "Leon"
wrote:
Was that what you were wanting to hear? ;~)

Yes, thanks. What I've used for the past 15 years or so for projects
with hardwood veneer is a Lee Valley mini plane with a little chisel
that raises a sliver of wood, bang in a nail and then glue the sliver
back down. Unfortunately, the quality of the hardwood veneer on some
of the plywood I've bought hasn't been all that great and it's often
difficult to raise the shaving properly and glue it back down without
it being noticeable. It works better on hardwood face frames, but
occasionally it's noticeable where I've raised the shaving.

In all honesty though, I might just be looking for additional reasons
to buy myself a Domino.

Well what I/we do is simply nail through the face frame on the kitchen jobs.
It is easier to desguise the nail on red oak. We put masking tape over the
spot to receive the nail and shoot the nail through the tape. This keeps
the putty out of the pores or grain of the surrounding wood and keeps the
putty in the nail hole. And the nails are mostly to hold the cabinets
together until the glue dries as we do dado the backs of the face frames and
cabinet panels.
We typically assemble the cabinets for a complete kitchen in 3-5 days after
cutting the plywood panels, milling and assembling the face frames.
Swingman and I have often done this in two locations. I typically cut all
the plywood panels, I had 27 sheets of plywood to cut up one day for a
double kitchen we were doing. He mills and builds the face frames.
We get together to put all of our parts together...Fortunately they have
always fit, then we install. IIRC we have done 5 kitchens so far this way.

On Jan 11, 11:55*am, Larry Blanchard wrote:
On Mon, 11 Jan 2010 04:37:15 -0800, wrote:
Thanks for the information. *I'd certainly consider the Laguna models
you're referring to if I had that kind of budget (and 3phase power).

Leon is advising the "last" bandsaw you'll ever need. *Of course, that
depends on your needs. *I'm strictly a hobby woodworker. *I use my
bandsaw about once a week. *But I do small boxes and turnings, so I
wanted good resaw and log cutting abilities. *On a limited budget.

I wound up with the Rikon 14" deluxe. *It has two speeds and the low
speed has sufficient torque that I've cut up 12" walnut logs on it using
a sled. *It has a 13" resaw capability, even more than the 18" model. *
I've also cut 1/16" veneer, although 1/8" is a lot easier.

Leon mentions problems with roller guides. *I only saw those when I was
cutting green wood. *After I cleaned off the blade I sprayed it with one
of those dry lubricants and never had the problem again.

The Woodcraft store where I worked part time has sold a *lot* of these
saws. *I can only recall one coming back and I don't remember the reason.

On Jan 11, 10:22*am, "Leon" wrote:
"RonB" wrote in message


Odd length blades are not really a big problem as I have learned although I
cannot buy locally unless I have one made locally. *

Yeah. I'm still adjusting to a new environment. When we lived in the
city we had a couple of sources for custom made blades and I could
usually get them in a day or so. We recently moved to SE Kansas and I
haven't scoped out local sources yet.

RonB

On Sun, 10 Jan 2010 15:17:47 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

Looking to buy first & last bandsaw. Actually I've been looking for
quite a while now for an older Delta or Rockwell but I have not come
across anything within reasonable driving distance of where I live
(north MS). So, I'm going to splurge and buy a new one - looked on
Delta's website to see what is "current" and the only one they list
(oddly) is a 28-206 which is just a 14" 1HP jobber. (What is the deal
with that - are they coming out with new lineup?) I'd like at least a
1.5HP model, so what are other options? Considering Grizzly 514 or
555. Budget ~$850, no more than $1000 tops.
Ideas?

Take a look at a Rikon 14" deluxe. 1.5 hp, 13" resaw, 2 speed, tension
release, 799 at Woodcraft.

FWIW, I decided to go with a Craftsman Pro which has 1 hp, 8 in resaw
capacity and no tension release but appears to be otherwise pretty much the
same saw and it cuts anything I throw at it--even resawed some 7" wide
lignum vitae a while back without any strain. At current prices I'd have
paid the extra for the Rikon to get the tension release, which can't be
easily retrofitted to the Craftsman, but the price differential at the time
was a lot higher.

On 01/11/2010 06:29 PM, Leon wrote:
I really wanted the tension release also but the Laguna tension crank works
so well that it is no longer an issue.

No tension release on my MiniMax either, and I've never once found myself wanting for one.
The feature sported by the MiniMax that I would *not* want to live without is the foot
brake. Cuts power to the machine and stops those big heavy drive wheels in under one
second; I love it.

--
Free bad advice available here.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

" wrote in message
...
Looking to buy first & last bandsaw. Actually I've been looking for
quite a while now for an older Delta or Rockwell but I have not come
across anything within reasonable driving distance of where I live
(north MS). So, I'm going to splurge and buy a new one - looked on
Delta's website to see what is "current" and the only one they list
(oddly) is a 28-206 which is just a 14" 1HP jobber. (What is the deal
with that - are they coming out with new lineup?) I'd like at least a
1.5HP model, so what are other options? Considering Grizzly 514 or
555. Budget ~$850, no more than $1000 tops.
Ideas?


I have the Grizzly G0555 with the riser and it's handled everything I've
thrown at it with ease. Regular cuts, scroll cuts, resaw. Most I've ever
resawn was almost 10" red oak - no problems.

Vic

"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...
On 01/11/2010 06:29 PM, Leon wrote:
I really wanted the tension release also but the Laguna tension crank
works
so well that it is no longer an issue.

No tension release on my MiniMax either, and I've never once found myself
wanting for one. The feature sported by the MiniMax that I would *not*
want to live without is the foot brake. Cuts power to the machine and
stops those big heavy drive wheels in under one second; I love it.

I have the foot brake too and it cuts power too but really don't use it much
unless others are around. I kinda like to listen to it coast down to a
stop. I recall how fast the MiniMax brakes worked.

I was using my Laguna this afternoon. I am attaching false frame and panel
fronts to a dozen under bed storage drawers. The 1/4" panel being centered
leaves a space behind it and will bow in when you attach a pull. So I
needed a spacer behind the panel a bit over 1/4" thick. Having several
scraps of 1/2" Baltic Birch left over I rewased 6" wide a 12" long pieces to
fill the voids.

I thought I had toasted the 1/2" blade that was on there, it is a cheapo one
that I have been using to split firewood and it had gotten to where it would
absolutely not cut straight. Strange enough I simply retensioned the blade
a touch more than recomended and slid my fence up to guide the resaw
operation. The fence was not adjusted for any drift but my slices were
perfect. There is something about a cool saw and being able to use it any
time with out tweaking... I'm sure you enjoy the same.

On 1/12/2010 7:19 PM, Leon wrote:
I was using my Laguna this afternoon. I am attaching false frame and panel
fronts to a dozen under bed storage drawers. The 1/4" panel being centered
leaves a space behind it and will bow in when you attach a pull. So I
needed a spacer behind the panel a bit over 1/4" thick. Having several
scraps of 1/2" Baltic Birch left over I rewased 6" wide a 12" long pieces to
fill the voids.

I thought I had toasted the 1/2" blade that was on there, it is a cheapo one
that I have been using to split firewood and it had gotten to where it would
absolutely not cut straight. Strange enough I simply retensioned the blade
a touch more than recomended and slid my fence up to guide the resaw
operation. The fence was not adjusted for any drift but my slices were
perfect. There is something about a cool saw and being able to use it any
time with out tweaking... I'm sure you enjoy the same.

I hear ya, and yes I do; it's my favorite machine in the shop. I also love
how, after aligning it once right after I bought the saw, the (rock-solid!)
height adjustment for the upper blade guides continues to stay in perfect
alignment after all these years, no matter what blade I use or how tightly it's
tensioned. Set the vertical height anywhere along its 13" travel, install a
new blade and adjust the bearings, then alter the resaw height to any position
from 0" to 13" and the bearings will always be in perfect adjustment, even if
you drastically change the tension adjustment. Try that on a cheapie saw with
a flexible frame...

--
See Nad. See Nad go. Go Nad!
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...

I hear ya, and yes I do; it's my favorite machine in the shop. I also
love how, after aligning it once right after I bought the saw, the
(rock-solid!) height adjustment for the upper blade guides continues to
stay in perfect alignment after all these years, no matter what blade I
use or how tightly it's tensioned. Set the vertical height anywhere along
its 13" travel, install a new blade and adjust the bearings, then alter
the resaw height to any position from 0" to 13" and the bearings will
always be in perfect adjustment, even if you drastically change the
tension adjustment. Try that on a cheapie saw with a flexible frame...

And that in a nut shell is what a lot of people don't realize. IMHO being
able to USE the saw with out tweaking is worth the extra expense and you
gotta think that the heaft in these saws will be like cabinet saws, they
will out last you. ;~)

I bought my Rikon about the same time that you and Brian did. I'm
happy with it, but I never did sell my 14" bandsaw. I find I keep a
1" blade on the Rikon and have it tweaked perfect for resawing. I
tend to use the other bandsaw for everything else. This isn't totally
a comment about the Rikon as I've rarely had a tool I wanted to get
rid of even if I couldn't find it or be sure someone had returned it.

Mike M


On Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:35:28 -0600, "Leon"
wrote:


"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...

I hear ya, and yes I do; it's my favorite machine in the shop. I also
love how, after aligning it once right after I bought the saw, the
(rock-solid!) height adjustment for the upper blade guides continues to
stay in perfect alignment after all these years, no matter what blade I
use or how tightly it's tensioned. Set the vertical height anywhere along
its 13" travel, install a new blade and adjust the bearings, then alter
the resaw height to any position from 0" to 13" and the bearings will
always be in perfect adjustment, even if you drastically change the
tension adjustment. Try that on a cheapie saw with a flexible frame...

And that in a nut shell is what a lot of people don't realize. IMHO being
able to USE the saw with out tweaking is worth the extra expense and you
gotta think that the heaft in these saws will be like cabinet saws, they
will out last you. ;~)

I'm going to look at a Laguna 16HD this weekend - I just found out
someone I know owns one. I think he said it has a 4.5HP Baldor. I
can't imagine needing anything that hefty but I can't wait to see it
hum. In any case, there's no way I can afford it, so the question
becomes -are the "lower end" saws from Laguna as good as the HD
models?

On Jan 12, 10:35*pm, "Leon" wrote:
always be in perfect adjustment, even if you drastically change the
tension adjustment. *Try that on a cheapie saw with a flexible frame....

And that in a nut shell is what a lot of people don't realize. *IMHO being
able to USE the saw with out tweaking is worth the extra expense and you
gotta think that the heaft in these saws will be like cabinet saws, they
will out last you. *;~)

On Jan 13, 10:54*am, " wrote:
I'm going to look at a Laguna 16HD this weekend - I just found out
someone I know owns one. *I think he said it has a 4.5HP Baldor. *I
can't imagine needing anything that hefty but I can't wait to see it
hum. *In any case, there's no way I can afford it, so the question
becomes -are the "lower end" saws from Laguna as good as the HD
models?

And by "as good as", I mean - will it not require constant tweaking
and adjusting like Leon's?

" wrote in message
...
On Jan 13, 10:54 am, " wrote:
I'm going to look at a Laguna 16HD this weekend - I just found out
someone I know owns one. I think he said it has a 4.5HP Baldor. I
can't imagine needing anything that hefty but I can't wait to see it
hum. In any case, there's no way I can afford it, so the question
becomes -are the "lower end" saws from Laguna as good as the HD
models?

And by "as good as", I mean - will it not require constant tweaking
and adjusting like Leon's?


Hummmm you now have the bug.... I though that I was possibly paying too much
also until I got the saw....
Will the less expensive line of Laguna's be more trouble tweaking?

Hard to say. BUT, IIRC the HD line of Laguna BS's are Italian build,
supposedly the best come from there. MiniMax saws are made there IIRC.
The less expensive line of saws are/were made in Bulgaria? I have heard of
no complaints about any of the Laguna saws other than getting over the
sticker shock.

One thing that was the deciding factor on the Laguna's are their unique and
exclusive ceramic guide system. IIRC all of their saws have this system.
Another reason I chose the larger line over the smaller line is that there
is more room under the table to adjust the lower guides. That was important
for me because I only have 1/2 of my left thumb and I had to be able to get
my right hand in there to make adjustments to the thumb screws. Easier with
the left hand with all 5 digits.

If you have any doubts call Laguna and talk to them, tell them where you
stand and any doubts you may have about one line of BS's vs. another line
that they sell.

I would say that they would be pretty consistent with the narrower blades
for sure. When you start getting up into the wider blades maybe not so
much.