Senior Member
My wife has cleared the way for me to get a band saw. She's prepared to live with a cost of between $600 to $700. Now, I know that will get me a decent bandsaw. But I'm thinking that maybe I could get a smaller bandsaw and have enough money left over for a small tablesaw or drill press.
If you had $600 to spend on those essential shop tools, how would you spend it?
Senior Member
My wife has cleared the way for me to get a band saw. She's prepared to live with a cost of between $600 to $700. Now, I know that will get me a decent bandsaw. But I'm thinking that maybe I could get a smaller bandsaw and have enough money left over for a small tablesaw or drill press.
If you had $600 to spend on those essential shop tools, how would you spend it?
Senior Member
My wife has cleared the way for me to get a band saw. She's prepared to live with a cost of between $600 to $700. Now, I know that will get me a decent bandsaw. But I'm thinking that maybe I could get a smaller bandsaw and have enough money left over for a small tablesaw or drill press.
If you had $600 to spend on those essential shop tools, how would you spend it?
Former member # 1964
Tough call, Scott. For my money, a table saw is the one most useful power tool, but I already have a good one. I've been wanting a thickness planer but haven't yet seen fit to spend the money for one. (I have several hundred board feet of walnut and cherry that has air dried for several years and ideas of using it for furniture, mostly.) If I decide to strip-plank or cold-mold a hull, I will almost certainly buy a band saw to get the most out of the stock I would be re-sawing.
I guess the answer lies mostly in the type of work you want to do, predominately. I think a table saw is the most versatile, but for special requirements, you may get more benefit from another tool. What kind of work would you do, mostly?
I have a prejudice in favor of buying only better quality tools, so I urge you not to try to stretch your money too far by buying tools that may be too lightly constructed for your needs. Sometimes it is possible to find good deals on used woodworking tools. Estate sales can be a gold mine in this regard.
Enjoy!
Wayne
Former member # 1964
Tough call, Scott. For my money, a table saw is the one most useful power tool, but I already have a good one. I've been wanting a thickness planer but haven't yet seen fit to spend the money for one. (I have several hundred board feet of walnut and cherry that has air dried for several years and ideas of using it for furniture, mostly.) If I decide to strip-plank or cold-mold a hull, I will almost certainly buy a band saw to get the most out of the stock I would be re-sawing.
I guess the answer lies mostly in the type of work you want to do, predominately. I think a table saw is the most versatile, but for special requirements, you may get more benefit from another tool. What kind of work would you do, mostly?
I have a prejudice in favor of buying only better quality tools, so I urge you not to try to stretch your money too far by buying tools that may be too lightly constructed for your needs. Sometimes it is possible to find good deals on used woodworking tools. Estate sales can be a gold mine in this regard.
Enjoy!
Wayne
Former member # 1964
Tough call, Scott. For my money, a table saw is the one most useful power tool, but I already have a good one. I've been wanting a thickness planer but haven't yet seen fit to spend the money for one. (I have several hundred board feet of walnut and cherry that has air dried for several years and ideas of using it for furniture, mostly.) If I decide to strip-plank or cold-mold a hull, I will almost certainly buy a band saw to get the most out of the stock I would be re-sawing.
I guess the answer lies mostly in the type of work you want to do, predominately. I think a table saw is the most versatile, but for special requirements, you may get more benefit from another tool. What kind of work would you do, mostly?
I have a prejudice in favor of buying only better quality tools, so I urge you not to try to stretch your money too far by buying tools that may be too lightly constructed for your needs. Sometimes it is possible to find good deals on used woodworking tools. Estate sales can be a gold mine in this regard.
Enjoy!
Wayne
Senior Member
Scott, You can't go wrong with a 14 inch bandsaw. I would not be happy with a smaller unit.
My kids gave me the Jet saw as a retirement gift. Took about 4 hours to assemble and another 2 to set up. I now use it almost daily and should have sprung for it many years ago.
Get the mobile base unit, and place in a corner for the night. All this for under $600.
As for a table saw, the wish list calls for at least the Delta contractors unit. But that can wait until I retire from my next career.
Abe
PS Have you received approval from the family to consider that barn/shop we talked about at Mystic?
Senior Member
Scott, You can't go wrong with a 14 inch bandsaw. I would not be happy with a smaller unit.
My kids gave me the Jet saw as a retirement gift. Took about 4 hours to assemble and another 2 to set up. I now use it almost daily and should have sprung for it many years ago.
Get the mobile base unit, and place in a corner for the night. All this for under $600.
As for a table saw, the wish list calls for at least the Delta contractors unit. But that can wait until I retire from my next career.
Abe
PS Have you received approval from the family to consider that barn/shop we talked about at Mystic?
Senior Member
Scott, You can't go wrong with a 14 inch bandsaw. I would not be happy with a smaller unit.
My kids gave me the Jet saw as a retirement gift. Took about 4 hours to assemble and another 2 to set up. I now use it almost daily and should have sprung for it many years ago.
Get the mobile base unit, and place in a corner for the night. All this for under $600.
As for a table saw, the wish list calls for at least the Delta contractors unit. But that can wait until I retire from my next career.
Abe
PS Have you received approval from the family to consider that barn/shop we talked about at Mystic?
Senior Member
Scott, I buy my lumber random and re-saw it, I have a cheap 10 in. table saw for the re-sawing, but I have to finish it to spec. by hand. If I had the extra cash I'd spring for a thickness planer.
Jim
Senior Member
Scott, I buy my lumber random and re-saw it, I have a cheap 10 in. table saw for the re-sawing, but I have to finish it to spec. by hand. If I had the extra cash I'd spring for a thickness planer.
Jim
Senior Member
Scott, I buy my lumber random and re-saw it, I have a cheap 10 in. table saw for the re-sawing, but I have to finish it to spec. by hand. If I had the extra cash I'd spring for a thickness planer.
Jim
Trying to be reasonable
I have the 12" Jet bandsaw, and have been very happy with it. It has been large enough for anything I've wanted to do with it so far. The entire frame, top and bottom, is one single iron casting. Motor is 1/2 HP TEFC. It's almost as heavy as their 14" saw and is a lot cheaper; I bought mine for $275. That would leave you a lot of extra money to play with. See http://www.jettools.com/
For what it's worth, I think a table saw would be much much more useful than a drill press.
Trying to be reasonable
I have the 12" Jet bandsaw, and have been very happy with it. It has been large enough for anything I've wanted to do with it so far. The entire frame, top and bottom, is one single iron casting. Motor is 1/2 HP TEFC. It's almost as heavy as their 14" saw and is a lot cheaper; I bought mine for $275. That would leave you a lot of extra money to play with. See http://www.jettools.com/
For what it's worth, I think a table saw would be much much more useful than a drill press.
Trying to be reasonable
I have the 12" Jet bandsaw, and have been very happy with it. It has been large enough for anything I've wanted to do with it so far. The entire frame, top and bottom, is one single iron casting. Motor is 1/2 HP TEFC. It's almost as heavy as their 14" saw and is a lot cheaper; I bought mine for $275. That would leave you a lot of extra money to play with. See http://www.jettools.com/
For what it's worth, I think a table saw would be much much more useful than a drill press.
I don't think you can go wrong with a good 500 dollar band saw. The trick is to buy the appropriate thank you gift for your wife with the remaining 100 dollars
I don't think you can go wrong with a good 500 dollar band saw. The trick is to buy the appropriate thank you gift for your wife with the remaining 100 dollars
I don't think you can go wrong with a good 500 dollar band saw. The trick is to buy the appropriate thank you gift for your wife with the remaining 100 dollars
Retro Member #1235
ROTFLMHO, Mitch, that is priceless!
Scott, the 14" Delta is the standard; take a look through all the various catalogs and note all the stuff made for them (and, yes, a few others). If you ever want to do any amount of resawing, the 14" Delta, and Jet, I think, are the only ones that offer a height kit. You ought to have a look for used stuff, or you might be really lucky like me (for once) and be given an antique 14" Delta.
One other bit about the Delta, the lower guide blocks are right below the table, providing better blade control.
I do have a solution to your quandry, simply send me the $500. I'll find a good use for
it, and send your wife $150 to boot!
Retro Member #1235
ROTFLMHO, Mitch, that is priceless!
Scott, the 14" Delta is the standard; take a look through all the various catalogs and note all the stuff made for them (and, yes, a few others). If you ever want to do any amount of resawing, the 14" Delta, and Jet, I think, are the only ones that offer a height kit. You ought to have a look for used stuff, or you might be really lucky like me (for once) and be given an antique 14" Delta.
One other bit about the Delta, the lower guide blocks are right below the table, providing better blade control.
I do have a solution to your quandry, simply send me the $500. I'll find a good use for
it, and send your wife $150 to boot!
Retro Member #1235
ROTFLMHO, Mitch, that is priceless!
Scott, the 14" Delta is the standard; take a look through all the various catalogs and note all the stuff made for them (and, yes, a few others). If you ever want to do any amount of resawing, the 14" Delta, and Jet, I think, are the only ones that offer a height kit. You ought to have a look for used stuff, or you might be really lucky like me (for once) and be given an antique 14" Delta.
One other bit about the Delta, the lower guide blocks are right below the table, providing better blade control.
I do have a solution to your quandry, simply send me the $500. I'll find a good use for
it, and send your wife $150 to boot!
Senior Member
I find the 14" bandsaw gets a lot more use than the table saw. The set up is zip, compared to the table saw and, perhaps it's just a fantasy, but I don't worry about fingers flying across the shop before I know they are gone with the bandsaw like I do with the tablesaw. I'd say you'd have to have both, though. I don't see much point in putting a lot of money into "accuracy" on the bandsaw, since it is a free hand exercise anyway. Put your techno-bucks into a good fence and miter on the tablesaw.
I'm still surviving with a 1950's Craftsman eight inch table saw... sigh. I wonder, should I continue to lust after the Delta/Jet Unisaws or settle for their 10" contractor's table saw with the Beisemeyer type fence system? Is the additional eight hundred bucks worth it for the Unisaw?
Used tools are definitely worth looking for. I got my Delta/Rockwell 16" stationary thickness planer for $500. My 14" bandsaw cost me $100. Guys buy these things and then lose interest... after a while, they let them go. Our gain!
Inquiring minds want to know!
[This message has been edited by Bob Cleek (edited 11-23-2000).]
Senior Member
I find the 14" bandsaw gets a lot more use than the table saw. The set up is zip, compared to the table saw and, perhaps it's just a fantasy, but I don't worry about fingers flying across the shop before I know they are gone with the bandsaw like I do with the tablesaw. I'd say you'd have to have both, though. I don't see much point in putting a lot of money into "accuracy" on the bandsaw, since it is a free hand exercise anyway. Put your techno-bucks into a good fence and miter on the tablesaw.
I'm still surviving with a 1950's Craftsman eight inch table saw... sigh. I wonder, should I continue to lust after the Delta/Jet Unisaws or settle for their 10" contractor's table saw with the Beisemeyer type fence system? Is the additional eight hundred bucks worth it for the Unisaw?
Used tools are definitely worth looking for. I got my Delta/Rockwell 16" stationary thickness planer for $500. My 14" bandsaw cost me $100. Guys buy these things and then lose interest... after a while, they let them go. Our gain!
Inquiring minds want to know!
[This message has been edited by Bob Cleek (edited 11-23-2000).]
Senior Member
I find the 14" bandsaw gets a lot more use than the table saw. The set up is zip, compared to the table saw and, perhaps it's just a fantasy, but I don't worry about fingers flying across the shop before I know they are gone with the bandsaw like I do with the tablesaw. I'd say you'd have to have both, though. I don't see much point in putting a lot of money into "accuracy" on the bandsaw, since it is a free hand exercise anyway. Put your techno-bucks into a good fence and miter on the tablesaw.
I'm still surviving with a 1950's Craftsman eight inch table saw... sigh. I wonder, should I continue to lust after the Delta/Jet Unisaws or settle for their 10" contractor's table saw with the Beisemeyer type fence system? Is the additional eight hundred bucks worth it for the Unisaw?
Used tools are definitely worth looking for. I got my Delta/Rockwell 16" stationary thickness planer for $500. My 14" bandsaw cost me $100. Guys buy these things and then lose interest... after a while, they let them go. Our gain!
Inquiring minds want to know!
[This message has been edited by Bob Cleek (edited 11-23-2000).]
Just to add to the confusion: I have an Inca 10" band saw. However I find I get less waste resawing with a thin kerf blade on the 10" table Saw (a 1940's Atlas) than I do with the bandsaw and thickness planer.
You're gonna need a Bosch saber saw to cut out all the moldes for your Haven 12.5 unless you can get SWMBO to move the decimal point one to the right for your band saw allowance.
--Norm
Just to add to the confusion: I have an Inca 10" band saw. However I find I get less waste resawing with a thin kerf blade on the 10" table Saw (a 1940's Atlas) than I do with the bandsaw and thickness planer.
You're gonna need a Bosch saber saw to cut out all the moldes for your Haven 12.5 unless you can get SWMBO to move the decimal point one to the right for your band saw allowance.
--Norm
Just to add to the confusion: I have an Inca 10" band saw. However I find I get less waste resawing with a thin kerf blade on the 10" table Saw (a 1940's Atlas) than I do with the bandsaw and thickness planer.
You're gonna need a Bosch saber saw to cut out all the moldes for your Haven 12.5 unless you can get SWMBO to move the decimal point one to the right for your band saw allowance.
--Norm
Senior Member
I understand why Bob says he worries less about the band saw - but we should all be aware of the statistics (as I recall them from a series of shop safety articles Fine Woodworking did a few years ago). And statistically, the band saw is more dangerous than the band saw, and accounts for more hand injuries than any other stationary power tool. The reason is that it seems so much more innocent - it's quiet. But it will clip off fingers at exactly the same rate as a table saw, that is, as fast as you feed them in.
That said, I'll chime in on the side of a good 14" band saw - and indispensable tool. And don't forget you may want to reserve some money for accessories - you'll want at least 1/2 dozen spare and alternate width blades, I would invest in Cool blocks guides, and make sure you can hook it up to some kind of dust collector. The nice thing about band saws is that a shop vac will work well if you don't have a dust collector system, and many band saws come with an appropriate sized hookup.
Senior Member
I understand why Bob says he worries less about the band saw - but we should all be aware of the statistics (as I recall them from a series of shop safety articles Fine Woodworking did a few years ago). And statistically, the band saw is more dangerous than the band saw, and accounts for more hand injuries than any other stationary power tool. The reason is that it seems so much more innocent - it's quiet. But it will clip off fingers at exactly the same rate as a table saw, that is, as fast as you feed them in.
That said, I'll chime in on the side of a good 14" band saw - and indispensable tool. And don't forget you may want to reserve some money for accessories - you'll want at least 1/2 dozen spare and alternate width blades, I would invest in Cool blocks guides, and make sure you can hook it up to some kind of dust collector. The nice thing about band saws is that a shop vac will work well if you don't have a dust collector system, and many band saws come with an appropriate sized hookup.
Senior Member
I understand why Bob says he worries less about the band saw - but we should all be aware of the statistics (as I recall them from a series of shop safety articles Fine Woodworking did a few years ago). And statistically, the band saw is more dangerous than the band saw, and accounts for more hand injuries than any other stationary power tool. The reason is that it seems so much more innocent - it's quiet. But it will clip off fingers at exactly the same rate as a table saw, that is, as fast as you feed them in.
That said, I'll chime in on the side of a good 14" band saw - and indispensable tool. And don't forget you may want to reserve some money for accessories - you'll want at least 1/2 dozen spare and alternate width blades, I would invest in Cool blocks guides, and make sure you can hook it up to some kind of dust collector. The nice thing about band saws is that a shop vac will work well if you don't have a dust collector system, and many band saws come with an appropriate sized hookup.
Senior Member
Love my bandsaw Scott, but if I only could have one major tool, it would have to be the tablesaw. After a couple of cheaper ones, I finally got a Unisaw with the Unifence and love it. My method of buying tools has been to get the tool when a job comes along that requires it. The wife takes the finished project and never complains about the money spent on the tool.
A friend gave me a Grizzly 18" bandsaw and though I've worked on it a few times, it still is not a good tool. The old 12" Sears does a better job up to 6" thick. One day I'll get out Duginski's book and work on it till it either runs right or is sold. I had a 14" copy of the Delta and it worked well but I managed to break the table trunions and the upper wheel support doing work too heavy for it. On imports, many parts are made of heavy cast iron but much of the critical working parts are cast of pot metal. They don't take much abuse.
Someone mentioned dust collection. Most bandsaws can be rigged to collect dust very well but tablesaws are a problem. The chips that go down into the table are can be collected easily, but much dust will fly directly off the saw toward you and the floor. Unless you use a collection cover over the blade (I don't like them) the stuff is going to fly.
One help is to install a riving knife behind the blade to help keep the back teeth of the blade from striking the work on the way up. The fence should also be adjusted so that the back teeth are a few thousanths further from the fence than the front teeth. This will make a more accurate cut, less dust and most importantly, reduce the chance of a dangerous kickback.
I saw the safety report on shop tools that said the bandsaw had more injuries to the hands than the tablesaw but have a hard time believing it. If they counted minor nicks, maybe they are right, but most injuries on the tablesaw are not MINOR. A motor of adequate power (one that will not stall or slow appreciably in the cut), SHARP blades, feather boards and push sticks, along with good habits will minimize the danger.
NEVER, EVER, under ANY circumstances, reach over the running blade to move or extract an offcut. If the blade should grab (touching the offcut is the best way to make it grab), no one has reactions fast enough to avoid having the hands dragged into the blade. Most of the missing fingers went this way.
Didn't mean to rant on about safety, but got to going and decided to leave it in.
Senior Member
Love my bandsaw Scott, but if I only could have one major tool, it would have to be the tablesaw. After a couple of cheaper ones, I finally got a Unisaw with the Unifence and love it. My method of buying tools has been to get the tool when a job comes along that requires it. The wife takes the finished project and never complains about the money spent on the tool.
A friend gave me a Grizzly 18" bandsaw and though I've worked on it a few times, it still is not a good tool. The old 12" Sears does a better job up to 6" thick. One day I'll get out Duginski's book and work on it till it either runs right or is sold. I had a 14" copy of the Delta and it worked well but I managed to break the table trunions and the upper wheel support doing work too heavy for it. On imports, many parts are made of heavy cast iron but much of the critical working parts are cast of pot metal. They don't take much abuse.
Someone mentioned dust collection. Most bandsaws can be rigged to collect dust very well but tablesaws are a problem. The chips that go down into the table are can be collected easily, but much dust will fly directly off the saw toward you and the floor. Unless you use a collection cover over the blade (I don't like them) the stuff is going to fly.
One help is to install a riving knife behind the blade to help keep the back teeth of the blade from striking the work on the way up. The fence should also be adjusted so that the back teeth are a few thousanths further from the fence than the front teeth. This will make a more accurate cut, less dust and most importantly, reduce the chance of a dangerous kickback.
I saw the safety report on shop tools that said the bandsaw had more injuries to the hands than the tablesaw but have a hard time believing it. If they counted minor nicks, maybe they are right, but most injuries on the tablesaw are not MINOR. A motor of adequate power (one that will not stall or slow appreciably in the cut), SHARP blades, feather boards and push sticks, along with good habits will minimize the danger.
NEVER, EVER, under ANY circumstances, reach over the running blade to move or extract an offcut. If the blade should grab (touching the offcut is the best way to make it grab), no one has reactions fast enough to avoid having the hands dragged into the blade. Most of the missing fingers went this way.
Didn't mean to rant on about safety, but got to going and decided to leave it in.
Senior Member
Love my bandsaw Scott, but if I only could have one major tool, it would have to be the tablesaw. After a couple of cheaper ones, I finally got a Unisaw with the Unifence and love it. My method of buying tools has been to get the tool when a job comes along that requires it. The wife takes the finished project and never complains about the money spent on the tool.
A friend gave me a Grizzly 18" bandsaw and though I've worked on it a few times, it still is not a good tool. The old 12" Sears does a better job up to 6" thick. One day I'll get out Duginski's book and work on it till it either runs right or is sold. I had a 14" copy of the Delta and it worked well but I managed to break the table trunions and the upper wheel support doing work too heavy for it. On imports, many parts are made of heavy cast iron but much of the critical working parts are cast of pot metal. They don't take much abuse.
Someone mentioned dust collection. Most bandsaws can be rigged to collect dust very well but tablesaws are a problem. The chips that go down into the table are can be collected easily, but much dust will fly directly off the saw toward you and the floor. Unless you use a collection cover over the blade (I don't like them) the stuff is going to fly.
One help is to install a riving knife behind the blade to help keep the back teeth of the blade from striking the work on the way up. The fence should also be adjusted so that the back teeth are a few thousanths further from the fence than the front teeth. This will make a more accurate cut, less dust and most importantly, reduce the chance of a dangerous kickback.
I saw the safety report on shop tools that said the bandsaw had more injuries to the hands than the tablesaw but have a hard time believing it. If they counted minor nicks, maybe they are right, but most injuries on the tablesaw are not MINOR. A motor of adequate power (one that will not stall or slow appreciably in the cut), SHARP blades, feather boards and push sticks, along with good habits will minimize the danger.
NEVER, EVER, under ANY circumstances, reach over the running blade to move or extract an offcut. If the blade should grab (touching the offcut is the best way to make it grab), no one has reactions fast enough to avoid having the hands dragged into the blade. Most of the missing fingers went this way.
Didn't mean to rant on about safety, but got to going and decided to leave it in.
No one has mentioned the router/router table, on which a lot of the work done on a bandsaw and even table saw can be done, and possibly better. That's definitely my next acquisition.
Thanks to advice received here on this forum, and from a N.A. friend who uses one himself, my table saw is a Delta Model 36-630. Truth to tell, I'm petrified of that monster. The Forest blade is wonderful, but one must cross the line of attack of the blade to reach beneath the front of the machine to turn it off, and I hate having to bend below the table to reach across (under) and even duck my head down there in case something lets fly. Brrrrrr!
Years ago I had a Craftsman table saw - forget which size/model - and that thing couldn't cut a straight line if hell froze over, as the blade would just wander at will.
So, what won't get done with the table saw or router or electric drill or Fein sander will just have to be whittled with hand tools.
www
No one has mentioned the router/router table, on which a lot of the work done on a bandsaw and even table saw can be done, and possibly better. That's definitely my next acquisition.
Thanks to advice received here on this forum, and from a N.A. friend who uses one himself, my table saw is a Delta Model 36-630. Truth to tell, I'm petrified of that monster. The Forest blade is wonderful, but one must cross the line of attack of the blade to reach beneath the front of the machine to turn it off, and I hate having to bend below the table to reach across (under) and even duck my head down there in case something lets fly. Brrrrrr!
Years ago I had a Craftsman table saw - forget which size/model - and that thing couldn't cut a straight line if hell froze over, as the blade would just wander at will.
So, what won't get done with the table saw or router or electric drill or Fein sander will just have to be whittled with hand tools.
www
No one has mentioned the router/router table, on which a lot of the work done on a bandsaw and even table saw can be done, and possibly better. That's definitely my next acquisition.
Thanks to advice received here on this forum, and from a N.A. friend who uses one himself, my table saw is a Delta Model 36-630. Truth to tell, I'm petrified of that monster. The Forest blade is wonderful, but one must cross the line of attack of the blade to reach beneath the front of the machine to turn it off, and I hate having to bend below the table to reach across (under) and even duck my head down there in case something lets fly. Brrrrrr!
Years ago I had a Craftsman table saw - forget which size/model - and that thing couldn't cut a straight line if hell froze over, as the blade would just wander at will.
So, what won't get done with the table saw or router or electric drill or Fein sander will just have to be whittled with hand tools.
www
Senior Member
Wandiwise,
You are so right about that switch. Why Delta put it there is beyond me. The cable they provide is not long enough to move it to the other side and my good intentions to rewire it have been just intentions, so far. Greatest trouble is to start the thing when you have a 4X8 sheet of ply ready to cut. My plan is to put the switch on the left side of the table and add a foot operated shut-off. Hope I don't wait till after there is a problem.
It pays to treat power tools with respect, but when I start to get nervous, I go and work on something else with less potential for maiming me.
Senior Member
Wandiwise,
You are so right about that switch. Why Delta put it there is beyond me. The cable they provide is not long enough to move it to the other side and my good intentions to rewire it have been just intentions, so far. Greatest trouble is to start the thing when you have a 4X8 sheet of ply ready to cut. My plan is to put the switch on the left side of the table and add a foot operated shut-off. Hope I don't wait till after there is a problem.
It pays to treat power tools with respect, but when I start to get nervous, I go and work on something else with less potential for maiming me.
Senior Member
Wandiwise,
You are so right about that switch. Why Delta put it there is beyond me. The cable they provide is not long enough to move it to the other side and my good intentions to rewire it have been just intentions, so far. Greatest trouble is to start the thing when you have a 4X8 sheet of ply ready to cut. My plan is to put the switch on the left side of the table and add a foot operated shut-off. Hope I don't wait till after there is a problem.
It pays to treat power tools with respect, but when I start to get nervous, I go and work on something else with less potential for maiming me.
Tom
Glad you left the safty rant in. my mistake was trying to cut on the back side of the blade luckly I still have me fingers but it was pure luck. started to think about it and got sick so I will d=not write details. In out college shop there was a sheet metal flue on the wall 25 feet infront of the table saw. there were three ( or more) heavy impact craters and several minor ones level with the table. a band saw doesn't kick back. repete this mantra " I will not push my fingers through the blade"
the table saw is the first and all around tool and I think that every job it does can be done better safer and faster by the proper special purpose tool.
Intestingly since they are so popular they make them biger and stronger and sheeper than other tools. I'd love to see a three horse 48 inch wide by 4.5 inch deep ( or more) band saw for $500 like you see with the table saws
will second the idea on the router table.
best wishes
jeffery
Tom
Glad you left the safty rant in. my mistake was trying to cut on the back side of the blade luckly I still have me fingers but it was pure luck. started to think about it and got sick so I will d=not write details. In out college shop there was a sheet metal flue on the wall 25 feet infront of the table saw. there were three ( or more) heavy impact craters and several minor ones level with the table. a band saw doesn't kick back. repete this mantra " I will not push my fingers through the blade"
the table saw is the first and all around tool and I think that every job it does can be done better safer and faster by the proper special purpose tool.
Intestingly since they are so popular they make them biger and stronger and sheeper than other tools. I'd love to see a three horse 48 inch wide by 4.5 inch deep ( or more) band saw for $500 like you see with the table saws
will second the idea on the router table.
best wishes
jeffery
Tom
Glad you left the safty rant in. my mistake was trying to cut on the back side of the blade luckly I still have me fingers but it was pure luck. started to think about it and got sick so I will d=not write details. In out college shop there was a sheet metal flue on the wall 25 feet infront of the table saw. there were three ( or more) heavy impact craters and several minor ones level with the table. a band saw doesn't kick back. repete this mantra " I will not push my fingers through the blade"
the table saw is the first and all around tool and I think that every job it does can be done better safer and faster by the proper special purpose tool.
Intestingly since they are so popular they make them biger and stronger and sheeper than other tools. I'd love to see a three horse 48 inch wide by 4.5 inch deep ( or more) band saw for $500 like you see with the table saws
will second the idea on the router table.
best wishes
jeffery
Senior Member
Thank you all for the great input on this.
There are many reasons to choose either a band saw or a table saw, and all of the good suggestions here only make the decision more difficult.
I think I'm going to get the band saw. It was Tom's comment that convinced me. Tom, even though you find the table saw more useful, your comment that you buy tools as the need arises hit home with me. My next big project will be building a cold molded hull for a Haven 12 1/2. Cutting the molds and resawing all of the veneer for cold molding requires a band saw. Without a band saw, I might be able to cut the molds by hand or with a hand-held sabre saw (which I have), but I'd never be able to resaw the veneer, and I don't want to pay someone else to do it for me. I just don't see how I could do that work with a table saw. I'll get a good fence and mitre gauge, of course, so I will be able to use it for square cuts--anyhow, it can't be any less accurate for square cuts than my present method: marking and sawing by hand.
So, is it worth it spring for the Delta 14" or would the Jet 14" be just as good?
Senior Member
Thank you all for the great input on this.
There are many reasons to choose either a band saw or a table saw, and all of the good suggestions here only make the decision more difficult.
I think I'm going to get the band saw. It was Tom's comment that convinced me. Tom, even though you find the table saw more useful, your comment that you buy tools as the need arises hit home with me. My next big project will be building a cold molded hull for a Haven 12 1/2. Cutting the molds and resawing all of the veneer for cold molding requires a band saw. Without a band saw, I might be able to cut the molds by hand or with a hand-held sabre saw (which I have), but I'd never be able to resaw the veneer, and I don't want to pay someone else to do it for me. I just don't see how I could do that work with a table saw. I'll get a good fence and mitre gauge, of course, so I will be able to use it for square cuts--anyhow, it can't be any less accurate for square cuts than my present method: marking and sawing by hand.
So, is it worth it spring for the Delta 14" or would the Jet 14" be just as good?
Senior Member
Thank you all for the great input on this.
There are many reasons to choose either a band saw or a table saw, and all of the good suggestions here only make the decision more difficult.
I think I'm going to get the band saw. It was Tom's comment that convinced me. Tom, even though you find the table saw more useful, your comment that you buy tools as the need arises hit home with me. My next big project will be building a cold molded hull for a Haven 12 1/2. Cutting the molds and resawing all of the veneer for cold molding requires a band saw. Without a band saw, I might be able to cut the molds by hand or with a hand-held sabre saw (which I have), but I'd never be able to resaw the veneer, and I don't want to pay someone else to do it for me. I just don't see how I could do that work with a table saw. I'll get a good fence and mitre gauge, of course, so I will be able to use it for square cuts--anyhow, it can't be any less accurate for square cuts than my present method: marking and sawing by hand.
So, is it worth it spring for the Delta 14" or would the Jet 14" be just as good?
Senior Member
Scott,
The first thing you should buy is a good book on bandsaws. I have the one by mark Duginski and like it very much, but there are others that may be just as good. One of the first things you will find out is that the blade almost never tracks parallel to the miter gauge slot. The reasons are explained in the book but the result is that the fence must be set to match the track of the blade. As a result most fences that come with bandsaws are no good for thick resawing. Best thing is to make your own so that is can be as high as the board being cut and can be aligned to the blade and clamped to the table. Don't forget a good flexible light with a magnetic base so that the cut can be illuminated. Highland Hardware's wood slicer blades are worth the money for veneer making or thick resawing.
As for the Jet versus Delta, it depends on the money, or lack of. I have a Jet 6" jointer and know it is inferior to the Delta although, with a couple of bearings, belts and shims, it has run well for 15 years. The Chinese copies used to be made by using Delta parts as molds for casting, so they can be very similar. As I said before, look out for inferior pot metal parts. I suspect that Jet does a better job of quality control on their imported tools than most. My Unisaw was made in Brazil and seems fine.
By the way, Jet now owns Powermatic and Performax.
Senior Member
Scott,
The first thing you should buy is a good book on bandsaws. I have the one by mark Duginski and like it very much, but there are others that may be just as good. One of the first things you will find out is that the blade almost never tracks parallel to the miter gauge slot. The reasons are explained in the book but the result is that the fence must be set to match the track of the blade. As a result most fences that come with bandsaws are no good for thick resawing. Best thing is to make your own so that is can be as high as the board being cut and can be aligned to the blade and clamped to the table. Don't forget a good flexible light with a magnetic base so that the cut can be illuminated. Highland Hardware's wood slicer blades are worth the money for veneer making or thick resawing.
As for the Jet versus Delta, it depends on the money, or lack of. I have a Jet 6" jointer and know it is inferior to the Delta although, with a couple of bearings, belts and shims, it has run well for 15 years. The Chinese copies used to be made by using Delta parts as molds for casting, so they can be very similar. As I said before, look out for inferior pot metal parts. I suspect that Jet does a better job of quality control on their imported tools than most. My Unisaw was made in Brazil and seems fine.
By the way, Jet now owns Powermatic and Performax.
Senior Member
Scott,
The first thing you should buy is a good book on bandsaws. I have the one by mark Duginski and like it very much, but there are others that may be just as good. One of the first things you will find out is that the blade almost never tracks parallel to the miter gauge slot. The reasons are explained in the book but the result is that the fence must be set to match the track of the blade. As a result most fences that come with bandsaws are no good for thick resawing. Best thing is to make your own so that is can be as high as the board being cut and can be aligned to the blade and clamped to the table. Don't forget a good flexible light with a magnetic base so that the cut can be illuminated. Highland Hardware's wood slicer blades are worth the money for veneer making or thick resawing.
As for the Jet versus Delta, it depends on the money, or lack of. I have a Jet 6" jointer and know it is inferior to the Delta although, with a couple of bearings, belts and shims, it has run well for 15 years. The Chinese copies used to be made by using Delta parts as molds for casting, so they can be very similar. As I said before, look out for inferior pot metal parts. I suspect that Jet does a better job of quality control on their imported tools than most. My Unisaw was made in Brazil and seems fine.
By the way, Jet now owns Powermatic and Performax.
Senior Member
Scott,
As said earlier, I am happy with the Jet. Found the Jet assembly instructions complete and set-up was a snap.
If you want to travel for a couple hours Scott, your welcome to test drive the unit. Bring along some ply, and you can start those molds!
Andy A.
Senior Member
Scott,
As said earlier, I am happy with the Jet. Found the Jet assembly instructions complete and set-up was a snap.
If you want to travel for a couple hours Scott, your welcome to test drive the unit. Bring along some ply, and you can start those molds!
Andy A.
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