FRom my experience, thinner wood can be use with cheaper chinese or equivalent band saw, but when thicker pieces of wood are worked, it is better to put them over a table saw. Reason for that : blade deflection on band saw.
True, but with a properly adjusted bandsaw, you would have to cut wood at least 3 cm before the blade deflection becomes an issue. Most model timbers we use are far thinner than that, unless you are re-sawing strips from blocks of wood. Many people do not know how to adjust a band saw. For example, most people assume that the blade should ride perfectly on the center of the wheel tire. In actuality, the centerline of the wheel tire should be where the roots of the cutting teeth of the blade are. So, the blade should be positioned slightly to the rear of the center of the tire. If don't adjust the blade to be there, the blade cut will wander to the right or left while cutting. There are other things to know about positioning the blade support bearing and the closeness of the cooling blocks, which are on either side of the blade.
Thank Kurt. I learn something new with the positionning of the tire vs the blade. But we must agree that the cost of the band saw is proportional with her capacity to be adjusted adequatly. A 200 $ band saw is not the same as 1000 $ one.
A properly tuned and prepared bandsaw can perform as well as a tablesaw. And it wastes less wood. Its best for creating thin stock by resawing. But buy a good bandsaw. Put on better blade guides (mine has roller guides instead of blocks), decent tires - urethane instead of rubber, replace the tension spring and fence! Then - use a good blade. The carbide tipped resaw blade on my saw was $150.00 alone. I've had my bandsaw for over 20 years and it performs perfectly. As does my tablesaw. You want quality results, use good equipment.
True, but for small work on models, you'd be surprised what you can do with a cheap two wheel band saw.
Rubber tend to grip a blade better and prevent sliding under load than urethane, but being softer an prone to aging, it will have age cracks and stretch out before a urethane tire will. When cutting large pieces of wood, I prefer the older rubber tires for that reason. for light cutting, urethane is perfectly fine and will last many years longer. Like you said, choose the tool to suit the job.
I agree with these two last posts Kurt. It is a matter of a just (adequate?) expectation.
I've only had urethane tires on my saw. Its done exceptional work especially thin stock and veneers. I sometimes use low tension Timberwolf blades too. And I regularly employ a tension release (from Carter) to help the tires last long and not develop a flat spot. Good book on bandsaws written by Duginske well worth reading/reference.
Hi Jim, (and others)..
In fact I will not be doing a ton of work. I will be making some scratch built railway cars, maybe a few diorama-style buildings. Maybe the biggest job will be sawing 3-5 mm thick basswood/plywood into various sized and angled pieces. I will not be cutting any metals and probably little or no acrylic. But not ripping loads of strips. I can see from the previous comments that the Byrnes is the way to go for quality and exactitude, but it may to too much for my needs (and in Canadian dollars + shipping + duties) - maybe a bit more than I was hoping to spend.
For anyone looking for a quick primer on how to set up a bandsaw:
That's the video I watched years ago. It's very entertaining and contains everything you need to make your bandsaw sing! Even a cheap, Chinese desktop two-wheel bandsaw can perform well if adjusted correctly.
Very good video - Many Thanks
Then the table saw option from MicroMark would be my recommendation. I have used one for awhile now and have always been satisfied with its performance.
Thanks Jim. I notice there are a few on the Micromark website. Would the Microlux miniature table saw (#8775) be a good choice?
It would. It has the ability to raise/lower the blade as well as tilt.Thanks Jim. I notice there are a few on the Micromark website. Would the Microlux miniature table saw (#8775) be a good choice?
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Hi Jim, (and others)..
In fact I will not be doing a ton of work. I will be making some scratch built railway cars, maybe a few diorama-style buildings. Maybe the biggest job will be sawing 3-5 mm thick basswood/plywood into various sized and angled pieces. I will not be cutting any metals and probably little or no acrylic. But not ripping loads of strips. I can see from the previous comments that the Byrnes is the way to go for quality and exactitude, but it may to too much for my needs (and in Canadian dollars + shipping + duties) - maybe a bit more than I was hoping to spend.
for the cost of a Byrnes table saw you can buy a life time supply of milled wood, unless you just like the idea of cutting yourself.
even if you buy a 4 inch hobby size saw do you have the big tools to resaw it down to size for the small hobby tools? or will you have to buy resawn wood? if that is the case just buy the finish sizes you need.
if you are a woodworker in general and do a number of different projects then perhaps the cost in large and small hobby tool may be worth the investment. But like you said if your not going to be cutting loads of strips you will find the tool will sit idle most of the time.
In fact I will not be doing a ton of work. I will be making some scratch built railway cars, maybe a few diorama-style buildings. Maybe the biggest job will be sawing 3-5 mm thick basswood/plywood into various sized and angled pieces. I will not be cutting any metals and probably little or no acrylic. But not ripping loads of strips. I can see from the previous comments that the Byrnes is the way to go for quality and exactitude, but it may to too much for my needs (and in Canadian dollars + shipping + duties) - maybe a bit more than I was hoping to spend.
for the cost of a Byrnes table saw you can buy a life time supply of milled wood, unless you just like the idea of cutting yourself.
even if you buy a 4 inch hobby size saw do you have the big tools to resaw it down to size for the small hobby tools? or will you have to buy resawn wood? if that is the case just buy the finish sizes you need.
if you are a woodworker in general and do a number of different projects then perhaps the cost in large and small hobby tool may be worth the investment. But like you said if your not going to be cutting loads of strips you will find the tool will sit idle most of the time.
Well put and very correct Dave. And one should not forget the huge amount of waste involved. From cutoffs to material lost in the kerfs. Pricing hardwoods these days will surprise you too! And not in a good way.
G'day Philski, The Micromark 87775 has a fixed blade, it is the 80463 that can raise and tilt,
Best regards John,
The 80463 would be the only one I'd ever consider.