band saw

[just bob]

What is a good quality band saw to start looking at? I have a Craftstman and it is very light duty. Or is the blade more important than the saw? Should it be 1/2" wide or does it matter? My blade drifts a lot. Also a while back someone on here was looking for an odd ball band saw blade and I saw this. Maybe it will help others.


http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/tls/3198231921.html

[coffeecup]

I'm not sure what it would take to get your saw up and running right; the drift problem sounds like it might be a combination of the guides being worn/out of adjustment, maybe the thrust bearing being worn, blade tension problems, or the blade just being wonky. You might get a copy of Duginske's Band Saw Handbook and checking your saw over before replacing it.

As for getting a new one, I'm personally not a fan of any of the current new saws available at a price I could justify. Today, we seem to have a choice between a cheap hunk-o-junk built for the hobby market (that apparently consists of little old ladies sawing an annual bunny silhouette out of 1/8" baltic birch ply), and commercial models intended for hard use (and costing as much as a 2-year-old SUV). For the cost of one of the hobby saws, I could locate an older saw, do any needed repairs, and come out with a much better saw.

I lucked into mine a dozen years ago, one of the heavier Delta 14" saws. They had come out with a lighter version, and I got the old "floor model". I had to do some repairs, but since then it has been a good saw. I can saw veneers on it, or use it to rough out parts for a wagon wheel, or about anything in-between. If you can find a similar saw--roughly 1990 or earlier--you might get a good deal on it. This was a popular saw for home shops through much of the 20th century; parts are available 9and more importantly, most of them are reasonably priced).

[glennbad]

I agree with the CC's comments. I have a Delta table top model, bought it used off a co-worker, so I didn't pay alot. It's a decent homeowner special, but it does the job for what I am using it for.

Depending on how old your saw is, it may not be worth putting alot of money into replacement parts, if they need them. As to the blade, a dull blade can cause alot of problems. So can an improperly tensioned blade.

Can't really add much to the conversation though.

Glenn

[Elvis]

I have an old 10 inch Rockwell that came from the estate of an old local knife maker several years ago. After using it for a few years it started throwing the blades off. Realignment wouldn't help anymore. It had rounded off and had a high spot at the middle of the rubber on the top wheel so I sanded the wheel flat again and haven't had any problems since. I don't know if your problem is related, but that little trick has kept mine going for a few more years.

[Ramrod]

A good heavy duty blade (1/2") with the proper tooth count ( for what you are cutting), makes a world of difference. I cant get a 1/4 inch blade to work well at all. They always want to drift.
Mark

[conslade]

I have been using an old Sears 12" band saw for thirty years. It has given me excellent service. When I got it, I changed out the pulleys and added an extra belt in order to slow down the RPMS so I could cut metal. I got blades from the Doall Saw Co. for the metal. Sawed many a knife blade with it.
Now I saw a lot of large pieces of hardwood (desert ironwood, cocobolo, bois d'arc ) and use a 1/2" saw blade made by Timberwolf. If you will Google Timberwolf Band Saw Blades, you can go to their website. These folks sell the best cutting blades I have ever seen and they also are experts on band saws. Contact 'em and they will help with your questions.
You can also find instruction on-line to tune up your saw. You will be amazed how much difference a sharp blade will make.
Hope this helps a little. Good sawing!

[jerryd6818]

A little bit off topic but not much. Some interesting history (from Wikipedia) on Rockwell and Delta.


In 1945 Rockwell Manufacturing Company acquired Delta Machinery and renamed it the Delta Power Tool Division of Rockwell Manufacturing Company and continued to manufacture in Milwaukee. In 1966, Rockwell invented the world's first power miter saw. In 1981, Rockwell's power tool group was acquired by Pentair and re-branded Delta Machinery. Pentair's Tools group was acquired by Black & Decker in 2005.

Current ownership: In January, 2011, Taiwan-based Chang Type Industrial Co., Ltd. purchased the Delta brand from Stanley Black & Decker. Chang Type formed a wholly owned subsidiary, Delta Power Equipment Corp. to own the acquired assets including trademarks, designs and industrial tooling. Chang Type is moving Delta's production tooling from a Stanley Black & Decker owned facility in Jackson, Tennessee to a facility in Anderson County, South Carolina.

[orvet]

I have a 16” Delta band saw with a heavy-duty cast iron frame, (made in the USA). I bought it from my neighbor when he upgraded to a new Grizzly. I find the wider the blades the less it tends to drift. 3/8 inch and 1/2 inch blades track really well but the 1/4 & 1/8 inch blades tend to drift. I also found using a guide and less pressure tends to minimize the drift even with smaller blades, especially with harder woods.

I bought a lot of package blades and they didn't perform as well as I expected. I have had much more success using a 3/8" 14 tooth raker, bimetal blade that I have made up by my local welding supply shop. The price is comparable to what I was paying for the prepackaged blades and the performance of the blades is far superior to the prepackaged ones.

I agree with Jim, buying older quality equipment (when it can be found) is preferable to buying new ones and it is considerably less expensive!