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Choice of bandsaw

W

Wizard9999

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All

I had been thinking I would get my workshop built before buying any kit, and as I am still 'in the ground' that may be a while.

However, in terms of band saw I had come pretty close to deciding I would get a Record Power BS350S when the time came. The specification seemed pretty good and I liked the 5 year guarantee they give with their product - it gives me confidence they think their product is well made and I have heard they do not quibble when people make use of the guarantee.

I went to the D&M Tool Show yesterday and Record Power had an extra discount over their current winter deal price on the BS350S bringing the price down to £599.99 incl. free delivery (versus current quoted price of £699.99 on the winter deal). But, they are also doing an extra £200 off the BS400, bringing the price down to £799.99 - which is now only £100 more than I had accepted I would be paying for a BS350S.

I had a chat with the big cheese from Record Power and said I was unable to decide what to do and he kindly said as long as I called before the show closes he will honour the show price ver the phone as I have been to the show.

So my dilema is, should I go for a BS400 at the D&M Tool Show price?

As you know I will not have infinite space, but because of the flared legs on the base of the BS350S it actually has a slightly bigger footprint than the BS400. The BS400 has greater capacity in terms of depth and throat, plus an extra half horsepower and will take a 1" blade where the BS350S has a max blade size of 3/4".

I hope to primarily be making furniture in my workshop when build up to the size of say a wardrobe, but I don't envisage having a lathe so will not be cutting large blanks for turning out of green timber.

I would welcome any thoughts people have as to whether the extra £100 for a BS400 would be money well spent or wasted as the BS350 would do everything I will ever need from a bandsaw. Or, as a wild card is there another bandsaw out there that will do everything the BS400 will with similar quality for even less money that I have overlooked!

Thanks in advance,
Terry.
 
Thanks Roger. Random Orbital Bob is in fact a good friend of mine and we went to the show together yesterday, so I know in the final scheme of things he would tell me to go for the BS400. But the main driver for his upgrade from a smaller Record Power bandsaw was the need to cut larger bowl blanks in gren timber, so I wondered what others thought. Maybe I am just over analysing and I should just get on the phone and get my credit card out.

Terry.
 
While thinking about it, order it.

Do you plan on resawing? Can you see yourself resawing. If so bigger is better.

You may resaw to book match planks, reduce time in thinknessing, reduce waste and to get the most out of timbers.

I couldn't tell you the width from blade to fram on mine but many times I could have done with an extra inch or so when doing curved work.

Hope this helps.
 
Buy the bigger stronger one Terry, without a doubt. Any and every tool you own has a limit. I work to the limits of what my computer can do every time I draw in 3D, for instance, and wish I had a better machine. The bandsaw is such a brilliant tool, far and away the most used power tool in my workshop, but I wish I had got a bigger and stronger one. When it comes to the big lumps of green oak I will be playing with soon for my house extension, even with the brilliant Tuffsaw blades, I want a bigger and better machine. Similarly, I guarantee that you will find your machine's limits, and be frustrated by them.

Mike
 
Woodbloke":2nm9xp8x said:
The Tuff blade was pretty good, but I've switched to a 19mm Axminster Diamond Ground blade which is as good, if not better as the steel stock is thinner and the diamond ground teeth give a finish (when new) which is excellent - Rob
Click to expand...

So what your are saying is to achieve an excellent finish (something not really thought of in bandsaws anyway) you are to keep replacing the diamond ground blade, even before the blade had passed its cutting use. Thinner stock metal says to me its going to snap sooner.

I can't say I have ever wished the kerf of a bandsaw blade to be thinner. Ill stick with tuff saws.

Great news on the bandsaw. Im planing an upgrade soon.
 
Quick question...

How many of you take off the tension on your bandsaw blade at the end of the day ?

I used to but don't any longer.
 
RogerS":1hcz2tjq said:
Quick question...

How many of you take off the tension on your bandsaw blade at the end of the day ?

I used to but don't any longer.
Click to expand...

I've never bothered. My bandsaw is an early Startrite (18-S-1) three-wheeler and built like a brick out house so I can't imagine the frame will distort.

Could be more of an issue with newer machines built from thinner gauge steel though.

Bob
 
Woodbloke":2g4pj503 said:
I had a similar dilemma when I bought my big bandsaw a couple of years ago at Yandles, but it was either a Record machine or a Startrite. I had a natter with the bloke and he pointed out that by far the biggest consideration on a bandsaw is the size of the tensioning spring. Looking at equivalent machines in each brand, the Startrite spring was massive compared to the Record.
Click to expand...

Well, my price point didn't extend to a Startrite, especially as they were not at the D&M show so no extra discounts. But taking on board the substance of your comment I guess it is good news I have gone for the BS400 as it goes up to a 1" blade whereas the BS350S only goes up to 3/4"

Woodbloke":2g4pj503 said:
That said, it's generally accepted that to obtain the max tension on the saw blade, a size smaller should always be fitted. So if the saw will accept 25mm it will only fully tension a 19mm blade. I used a Tuff M42 19mm blade which the Startrite would only just tension at full welly. The Tuff blade was pretty good, but I've switched to a 19mm Axminster Diamond Ground blade which is as good, if not better as the steel stock is thinner and the diamond ground teeth give a finish (when new) which is excellent - Rob
Click to expand...

Presumably the hefty staff discount has no influence on your decision ;) .

Terry.
 
Great choice!

I usually take the tension off, I have a piece of card with a small button magnet on that says "tension off' which I stick on the blade after I release it. Think having the quick release lever helps.
 
Andyp":10tltdah said:
Wizard9999":10tltdah said:
Subtle hints taken, decision made, BS400 ordered! :eusa-dance:
Click to expand...

Good for you. Have you just bought a table saw as well ;)
Click to expand...

Andy

No, I tried, but was beaten to the punch on that one - presuming you are talking about the one advertised on UKW. It did look a good deal as the add ons all sounded first class. But I have consoled myself that:
i) the new Xcalibur is supposed to be better
ii) I would struggle for space to store that (as well as the bandsaw) before the workshop is built

Terry.
 
Wizard9999":2bmzv51v said:
Andyp":2bmzv51v said:
Wizard9999":2bmzv51v said:
Subtle hints taken, decision made, BS400 ordered! :eusa-dance:
Click to expand...

Good for you. Have you just bought a table saw as well ;)
Click to expand...

Andy

No, I tried, but was beaten to the punch on that one - presuming you are talking about the one advertised on UKW. It did look a good deal as the add ons all sounded first class. But I have consoled myself that:
i) the new Xcalibur is supposed to be better
ii) I would struggle for space to store that (as well as the bandsaw) before the workshop is built

Terry.
Click to expand...

Well, once I'd missed out on the saw I presume Andy was referring to I obviously convinced myself it was a lucky escape, but...

...the buyer seems to have messed the seller about and because of that it became available again. Kindly the seller PM'ed me on UKW to let me know, but I didn't see the message in time so he resisted it. I saw this but only after somebody else had announced they had sent a PM. Anyway, was grateful seller had tried to alert me first so PM'ed him to thank him for doing this. What do you know, he came back and said the other enquiry hadn't worked out either and it was mine if I wanted it.

Now I don't even have a workshop yet and it won't be easy to store it until then, Mike and maybe others will tell me even when it's built my workshop will be way too small for a table saw, but I decided this was just fate, so I called the seller and agreed to buy it.

Terry.
 
9fingers":1ngiq9ak said:
I've got lost here Terry, which Saw model have you ended up with?

Bob
Click to expand...

One rather like the one in your workshop Bob! Add runs as follows:

Time has come to get rid of my very lightly used Xcaliber 10" Table Saw & Accessories.
This is my personal saw and I have had it for some time and have looked after it carefully.
I need the space for my predominantly metal working machines now.

Comes mounted on a custom built 6 locking castor mobile base with dust extraction hose connected.
Has an INCRA 3000 mitre gauge with Shop Stop fittings, also the standard mitre gauge item.
Table side extension with full length Biesemeyer fence.
FREUD dado set with sacrificial side fence, ony used a couple of times. Various pre cut levelled inserts for the dado set.
Cast iron Dakota Tenoning attachment in perfect order.
Standard riving knife & guard etc, push sticks , blade removal tool, arbour extension, service tools etc
Various feather boards.
Three TCT extra blades, brand new.
Long armoured power cable with connector.
Storage cupboard built in underneath side table.
Click to expand...
 
Most of us get the workshop before the tools :D

Well done anyway. I am sure you will have bagged a good 'un.
 
Good work. I think Philly has, or used to have one of the Axcalibur machines and rated it iirc.

Bet you can't wait to get somewhere to plug it in… ;)

Cheers
Mark
 
Axcalibur (Or maybe Axcaliber) is an axminster brand.

The saws that I, Philly, Steve Maskery and Terry (at least) have got are Xcalibur branded - I don't think we know who the maker is but they are close copies of the Delta Unisaw and Biesemeyer fence as used by New Yankee Norm.

Cheers

Bob
 
Haha very successful 'wood size reduction' month. I saw that Xcalibur and salivated- looked like a great deal, I know they say the newer version is supposedly better, but that is a HELL of a lot of saw for the money- well done!!

that said, I've just spent £1100 and most of the last weekend taking my air suspension (well, my car's) apart and rebuilding it. Must say, as I've been away from woody pursuits, it was very satisfying to get some spanner work done!

Anyhow, apologies for the digression. Best wishes and I hope your new wood spoiling equipment soon has a suitable home! :text-bravo: :obscene-drinkingcheers:
 
Andyp":2fwn2hqo said:
Most of us get the workshop before the tools :D

.....
Click to expand...

Ah no, actually it's quite a cunning plan. Keep it in the dining room until SWMBO gives up and says you have to keep it somewhere else. "Why don't you build yourself a workshop" she then says.
 
Rod":2mzbwx69 said:
Terry I think members on the other forum think it was you who messed the seller?

Rod
Click to expand...

Blimey Rod, thanks for pointing this out (given my recent behaviour I have vowed no to visit For Sale boards for some time now), when I saw it I almost spat my coffee out out all over my keyboard! That said, given the sequence of posts it was a reasonable conclusion to reach, so no bad feeling on my part, just glad Martin posted to make it so clear it was not me.

Terry.
 
Hi Terry, just popped over to see what you've bought. I think you've got yourself a bargain there. :obscene-drinkingcheers: Martin is a nice guy as well. I have met him several times up at Pugh's auctions.
 
Took delivery of a BS400 just over a week ago, along with a couple of Tuffsaw blades. After reading the piece on UKWoodshop http://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/record-power-bs400-bandsaw-review-t78828.html (thanks to RogerS for posting the link) I did a few useful things to ease putting it together:
1) my mate Dennis came round to help man handle the machine - I wouldn't recommend doing it yourself unless you're an Olympic weightlifter or prop forward.
2) we took it off the pallet before we did anything
3) we fitted the wheel kit first so we could move it around with the jockey wheel. I'm very impressed with the wheels / jockey wheel. They make moving / parking 140kg of metal a doddle.

Yesterday evening I bit the bullet and did my first resaw of a piece of timber. I'm making a hall table for a Xmas present and the lovely piece of reclaimed elm for the top was a touch too thick for my liking (35mm). The legs are tapered so the whole table has a slender look, it they had been straight 35mm would have probably looked right) The elm is 250mm wide and a metre long. I cut 7mm off (nice thick veneer that I plan on using for another table).

The saw / blade (M42 3 tpi) cut through the elm with ease. I used a roller stand either side to steady it. The cut surface was impressively smooth. A couple of passes through the thicknesser and I had a much better looking 25mm thick top.

I guess I will lose about 2mm off the thick veneer when I get round finishing it, although I had already thickness'd it so I will stick the smooth side done and re-thickness it. As it happens, the newly sawn side has better figure than the smooth side.

So far so good. Next resaw will be a lovely piece of olive ash which should look stunning as a top for a small coffee table. I have to finish the hall table first as Xmas is looming.
 
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