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Author Topic: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"  (Read 5532 times)

tigertiger

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Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« on: January 19, 2017, 11:45:10 am »

I am looking at buying a band-saw for general cabinet making, as well as for models.


Basically I am looking at 8"and 9"machines.


8" is smaller and lighter and at about 20kg can be moved around a small shop and would not need a stand, but it can't handle as big pieces of wood. I am looking at one with a larger motor to handle hardwoods. There may be other limitations in comparison with the 9"models. Cheap.


9" a bit bigger, and more powerful but a lot heavier, and would need a stand or trolley (made for it). Not so cheap.


Bigger, heavier and twice the price of the 8 would be a 10"but I am not sure I can go that big, unless there are mega advantages.


If anyone has owned or used either size, I would be interested to hear your experiences.
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SailorGreg

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"1
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2017, 07:54:15 pm »

Well, the bigger (and heavier) the better.  You can do small, fine work on a large saw, but you can't do big, heavy work on a small one.  But that ignores all the practicalities such as price, space available and what your intended use is.  You mention cabinetmaking but do you mean small items or dining tables?  A small saw will need to be bolted down if you need to cut large pieces of timber or you run the risk of the saw tipping over as you push the wood through.  And you might not think there is much difference between 8" and 9" but it is surprising how often you need to use the full capacity and if you buy the 8" you will soon wish you had the 9" (or the 10"!).


But most of all - buy quality.  A decent bandsaw properly set up (and they do take a little setting up each time you change a blade) will cut dead straight lines without any trouble, and saw thin veneers off the face of a plank consistently.  If you end up with a saw you can't trust you will waste a lot of time and material getting a decent cut, or not use it at all, which is just a waste of money.  Most reputable models will have reviews on the www and you can learn a lot from them.


Good luck and enjoy your new saw!


Greg

tigertiger

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2017, 02:29:18 am »

As for cabinet making, I would really only be using for cutting curves, mostly on legs and frame pieces. For straight cuts on larger pieces I use the table saw.
I would like to do some re-sawing to make some panels, but the reality is that unless you go up to 12-14" you can only really cut timbers of about 10mm thick And so re-sawing is not really on the list of jobs I can do.



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tigertiger

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #3 on: December 12, 2017, 12:15:55 pm »

For those who didn't see the other thread on bandsaws. I opted for the 10" in the end. It should be mounted on a floor stand but I replaced it with a rolling cabinet on locking wheels, to still give me the mobility I want.
The cabinet is 490mm with 75mm wheels, the saw is 960mm tall, total 1450mm height overall.
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CGAux26

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #4 on: December 12, 2017, 05:41:02 pm »

Nice.  Would you build me a cabinet like that?   :-))
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derekwarner

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #5 on: December 12, 2017, 08:24:31 pm »

Cabinet?...looks like TT put it together from a Flat Pak.....from the Chinese factory that supplies IKEA  {-)
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tigertiger

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #6 on: December 13, 2017, 12:57:33 am »

Nice.  Would you build me a cabinet like that?   :-))
 




Will you collect?  :o


Made from the scrapwood pile.
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Neil

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #7 on: December 13, 2017, 01:15:35 pm »


Yer workshop's too tidy TT for any work to be going on in there..


we must see more models being built and sailed........


disheartening to see all that lovely equipment not being fruitfully used building a nice big model ship. O0 O0 {-) {-) {-)
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Peter Fitness

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #8 on: December 13, 2017, 08:58:36 pm »

I'll bet he could find a chuck key in there though Neil {-)


Peter.
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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #9 on: December 13, 2017, 10:10:57 pm »


I'll bet he could find a chuck key in there though Neil {-) 
Peter.


has he not found that yet..........has this not been rumbling on for years..........the key to the situation lies in the dust, %% %% :embarrassed: lol.


Jim.
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Neil

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #10 on: December 14, 2017, 12:03:13 am »

HO, HO, HO!!!....... and a merry Christmas to you lot too,  {-) {-) {-)
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dougal99

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #11 on: December 14, 2017, 04:17:12 pm »

If you stare long enough at this picture you will see a chuck key  O0 {-)
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CGAux26

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #12 on: January 23, 2018, 06:43:59 pm »

I am about to buy a bandsaw, first for cutting styrene sheet for my latest build.  But also for plywood and other woods.  What blades are best-type of tooth offset, teeth per inch, blade width, etc.?
Thanks.
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SailorGreg

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #13 on: January 23, 2018, 07:57:09 pm »

I don't think a bandsaw would be my first choice for cutting styrene sheet.  I assume you are talking about normal modelling thicknesses, 1 or 2 mm or less. A sharp blade will do a neater job. That said, if you have a large number of cuts to make in big sheets of material I can see the attraction. You really want a blade with lots of tpi, perhaps a metal cutting blade. (I should add that I have never tried this and it might be that the soft plastic clogs the teeth too readily.  Some experimentation is probably needed, keep the speed as low as your machine allows.).  If you use a conventional wood blade, especially a skip tooth blade, you will tear the material rather than cutting neatly. The same applies to thin plywood. You might also want to be extra efficient in removing the dust/scraps of plastic as if they get into the moving parts they could melt and gum up the works.


In terms of blade width, it really depends how tight a curve you want to cut. Narrow blades cut tight curves but aren't as good on straight lines. Wider blades, vice versa. If you are doing mostly straight lines or gentle curves (radius 6" or more) then a 1/2" blade will probably be best. If you plan on lots of intricate curves, 1/4" or less will fit the bill.


There is an almost infinite amount of advice on YouTube and Google about choosing and setting up bandsaws. Have a read of some of that before spending your $$.


Greg

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #14 on: January 23, 2018, 08:23:16 pm »

Cutting plastic on a bandsaw is a bind literally! The residue builds up and melts as it sets up rides under the sheet material, and can force the line out of true. I cut some styrene on mine but usually only thick laminations and then slowly and withdrawing occasionally to remove the kerf.

Re Bandsaw: TT, I agree with your decision as you always have a job that needs a bigger saw. You could have a four foot deep saw from a saw mill and still want an inch or two more!

I have used a 14tpi blade for varous materials and as long as you don't mis treat it it will be alright. Like anything mechanical, if you over do it it will cause wear and tear, and if you force a machine, it might well bite back  %%

Your saw and cabinet arrangement looks very nice, and you now have a place to put the tools she came with and spare blades.
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SailorGreg

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #15 on: January 23, 2018, 09:08:16 pm »

A sharp blade will do a neater job.


Of course I mean a sharp knife blade, not a bandsaw blade.

tigertiger

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #16 on: January 24, 2018, 02:01:18 am »

I agree with the comments about styrene and heat. I worked in a plastics factory many years ago. Cutting the pre-moulded 6mm plastics was no problem, but once molded the were down to about 1-2mm there would be bobbling and melting. Finished edges were always created on a sanding wheel. The band saws were set on low speeds and as we were not finish cutting, we used standard 14 tpi blades.

A mechanical fret saw would be my choice for modelling. Much finer blades, and fits on a bench better too. The other point I made earlier was that band saws cannot cut holes. Something you may want to do when cutting out frames.
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Brian60

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #17 on: January 24, 2018, 05:20:23 pm »

I cut styrene on my bandsaw as ever there is a technique. I use 26tpi on the blade and stick to 6mm or 1/4 inch blades. The trick is to have a piece of plywood the same size as the saw bed but with a slot in it up to the blade. Make the slot with a gap of 2mm at each side of the blade, so say a 5mm slot overall. This gives just enough clearance between the blade and the wood but still enough to support your styrene. Any meltback that occurs is given room by the gap, will harden almost instantly and break off without jamming the blade slot in the bed.

However I only use it if cutting 1.5mm or greater styrene, below that a blade is good enough. Otherwise if its a complex shape (not straigtht lines or simple circles etc) it gets done on my laser cutter - but thats another game altogether.

ballastanksian

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #18 on: January 24, 2018, 09:30:07 pm »

Excellent tip Brian. I use a scalpel for all standard thicknesses of styrene, cutting both sides of the 1.5-2.5mm thicknesses to reduce poor edges. I then use a sanding block and scalpel scraped across the edge to finish it off.

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CGAux26

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #19 on: January 25, 2018, 02:43:26 pm »

Bryan, to clarify your comment about a supporting piece of plywood, do you make the slot so it trails behind the  blade?  Sounds like a great idea.


I too use the knife-and-score method to cut styrene.  I have already cut 2 frames from .090" material, and it takes 6-8 strokes to get where it will snap properly.  Thing is, I will need some curved cuts in this thick material, as well as cutting wood, for which the bandsaw is designed.  So I have ordered a 24 TPI raker blade.



And to all who offered help, thank you very much.   :-))  [size=78%]My Grizzly 9" bandsaw and 4 blades are on their way.  So we will see how it goes.[/size]
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Brian60

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #20 on: January 25, 2018, 03:49:24 pm »

In front of the blade, extending maybe 25 mm or so behind it. When you push the plasticard forward the swarf underneath tends to curl back towards you, so you need the slot there. It gives it time to cool and harden again so that as the plastic moves forward, this piece of swarf contacts the blade a second time and snaps off. It doesn't always do this, it can just break off naturally most of the time, but there is always one bit in a cut that will want to do it.

The gap in the plywood after the blade allows air to get to both sides of the cut so that it doesn't heat weld closed again :-))

CGAux26

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #21 on: February 03, 2018, 12:47:59 am »

OK, I bought the Grizzly 9" bandsaw, as well as a stand from Sears.  And lockable casters.  All assembled and ready for boat building duty.  I did a few straight cuts in 0.090" styrene, and it worked fine with the furnished 10 TPI raker blade.  I bought 3 other blades, all with greater tooth counts, following advice found here and elsewhere. 


Again, thanks for the help guys.


And what a pain in the tush, trying to upload the picture.
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Tug Fanatic

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #22 on: February 03, 2018, 09:30:37 am »


There you go.


I think that the reason that it will not appear might be because .pdf files are not supported.
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Brian60

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #23 on: February 03, 2018, 03:24:39 pm »

Looks like a nice bit of kit. But don't trust that straight edge, from experience they do not run parallel. It has a rule along the front edge,  align a set square with that rule and place the set square up against the blade, mark the far end. You now have a parallel datum to the blade. From the far end mark off increments to the same rule measurement as on the front of the table. Then you have an easy reference that the front part of the guide and the far end of it are parallel to the blade at all times.

This matters if you want to reproduce many cuts and not freehand it.

Hope that makes sense?...see the diagram (very exagerrated) to maybe understand what I mean. My own fence does this a lot when adjusting it, so I clamp the front, make sure the tip is on the same measurement at the far end and then clamp that to the table with a C clamp. It only needs to be .5mm or 1/32nd out to completely disrupt your cuts and the final pieces not align correctly when assembling.

tigertiger

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Re: Bandsaw advice 8"or 9"
« Reply #24 on: February 04, 2018, 02:58:24 am »

The fence is adjustable. There are Youtube vids on how to align. And there are even little magnet tools to do this. Sorry I can't access Youtube at the moment (GFW) otherwise I would post a link.
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