What HP tablesaw/bandsaw

[PeterC]

I am upgrading the motors on my 12" bandsaw and 10" tablesaw, both of which are currently 3/4 hp. I have both a 1 hp and a 2hp motor to use. Which saw should get which? Or should they both be 2 hp? I need to resaw 5" mahogany plank on the bandsaw and rip a lot of kauri, teak etc. on the tablesaw, plus the usual type of work getting out smaller pieces. I'd value your advice.

Thanks in advance.

PeterC

[Chris Wood]

Peter,
I envy your situation as 3/4 hp should be adequate for both saws. Given the luxury, I would go for the 2hp on the table saw and put the 1 hp on the band saw. (IMHO)
Anyway, how come you have all this kauri to rip?
Christoff

[Dale Harvey]

Five inch mahogony is a lot to ask of a twelve inch bandsaw. Good excuse to get a bigger bandsaw to fit the 1hp motor. Make sure you use good quality cast iron or steel belt pulleys on both saws especialy the table saw. Cheap potmetal pulleys waste power. A variable ratio step pulley setup is very worthwhile on a bandsaw. All horses are not equal when it comes to useable power. A heavy old RI motor will be much better than some of the higher rated new junk. Also 220 volt is much better than 110 for serious work, and 3 phase beats both.

[PeterC]

Chris
I live in the land of the Kiwi, where every second house is made of 100 y.o. heart Kauri. As they pull them down to "modernise" the suburbs, enterprising folk grab the timber (up to 30' lengths of perfectly clear, straight-grained 6x2) to build all manner of things, including a fair number of boats. I'm using it for frames, backbone etc on my runabout.

Dale, I appreciate the comments about the 12". Final choice will be made after a trial, but a new 14" or 18" is out of the question for me at the moment, may have to find a friendly sawmiller to do the job. Am currently installing a set of variable pulleys in the bandsaw to bring the speed down to cut metal and it would be no problems to install an extra step pulley. What ratios or speed range (or metres per minute) would you suggest?
Not sure what an RI motor is but I do have a third alternative, a couple of huge old cast iron monsters I can barely lift that're totally enclosed and fire rated. They are rated at 3/4 hp but I doubt a train could cause them to slow perceptably. I in my ignorance thought the 1hp would be better. Are you saying these old motors are preferable?

By the way, we're all 240V down here.

PeterC

[DougK]

Peter...
And I suppose you are obtaining all this great lumber for nothing...!

My experience with wood shop equipment, opt for a minimum of 2 hp for the table saw for any serious work. You want the blade spinning about 5200 to 5500 rpm so plan your gearing (pulleys) based on the speed of your motor. 240 volts is good. Use a really good (high tooth count...60 or better) triple-chip blade* and don't be afraid to spray a little silicon on the table saw and blade periodically. Teak is extremely oily, hence resistant to the marine environment, but raises absolute hell with sharp-edged tools. The oils mean the dust is "wet" and doesn't clear well which produces lots of heat in the blade... result...warps and poor cut quality.

Good luck and hello to all as I'm new here [img]smile.gif[/img]

Cabinet maker and woodworker for 35 years... lots of custom boat interiors and accessories but never built one. Owned all types over the years, though.

[DougK]

Oops! forgot to mention the "triple chip blade" is one that has three cut surfaces on every other blade. The ones between are normal in that one will face left and the next right...etc. So, you have a left face, a triple cut, a right face, a triple cut, a left face...and so on.

[Paul Scheuer]

Peter: I think that modern "HP" markings are more creative marketing than actual ratings. The truth comes from what I believe are called "Motor Curves" that give torque and current vs rpm. If you can't get the curves, a comparison of the FLA (Full Load Amps) markings will give you a better idea of how the motors will perform.

Doug: What does silicon do ? I was told by the old farts that I used to work with, before I became an old fart, that silicon residuals play hell with any future paint. (The most common cause of "fish eyes").

[DougK]

Paul...
Have always used a silicon, or similar spray on my table saw with never a glueing or finishing problem from any wood. This was in s. Florida, though, and the high humidity there may have had something to do with my success (or getting away with it!) using it. Pam cooking spray works too, but, good, rust free surfaces are imperative. Keep the tools clean and the problem is eliminated. I was also doing production work then... sawing 1000's of bf a day.

I prefer the triple chips because they clear sawdust better than some of the others. Also... alot depends on what you can afford or what's available in your area.

Sounds like Dave knows his business with teak as I haven't milled alot of that... mostly hardwoods and more cypress than I care to remember. I still like 5200 rpm, though [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Dave Fleming]

Possibly the reason using triple chip grind in a production environment, the saw blade plate will be necessarily thicker to accomodate the carbide tips used. A power feeder is not uncommon under such circumstances.
But once again I still don't like the idea of Sillycone on any wood working machinery. We, in Seattle, used a good grade of carnuba wax on all surfaces and it gets just a bit wet up there, if ya folla?
In a production situation where the ripping is one of the first steps in the process of milling then there is always the chance that further milling will reduce the possiblty of Sillycone on the surfaces to be finished but for home/amateur use I still stand bye my previous opinion and experience.

[Ron Williamson]

We use triple-chips for melamine and Mdf only.For anything else,the feed speed is too slow,and with all those teeth in the work,they heat up quickly.Rip blades for main rip,combination blades for (4ATB,1R)other table saws,chop saws and RAs
R