Need advice on what is a good 14 inch bandsaw and if the extensions really work. Reasonable price is also a factor. It will be used mainly for resawing smaller pieces of wood that can not be handled by a bandsaw mill. Any and all advice on methods of use would also be appreciated as I have never used one.
Thanks.
How much resaw capacity are you looking for?
I have a Laguna 16HD, but haven't yet done any resawing and it probably doesn't pass the "reasonable price" test. Check out Laguna Tools - the video is worth watching.
One of the woodworking magazines I subscribe to had a review of bandsaws for resawing in the last year. I'll try to find it.
If you're locked into 14" take a look at the Delta saws. They do a nice job, parts are available, and if you get the conversion kit they can resaw boards up to 12" wide. The extensions do work if you're willing to invest the time to really tune the saw. My Dad swears by his 14" Delta with the extension kit, but he also invested several hours to align everything and then put on a good skip-tooth resawing blade.
If you're willing to look at a little bigger saw, I've been real happy with my 18" Jet. They typically sell for $900 - $1,100, but are a real nice saw. My Jet ran great right out of the box, but for the Deltas I've owned some tune-up has always been required.
I've got a Jet 14" bandsaw that I've been real happy with. I've got the riser block on it. I friend of mine has a Grizzly 14" bandsaw has has been happy with it also. The key to resawing successfully is the blade. Timberwolf blades are my favorite and those folks are very knowledgeable about anything dealing with bandsaws.
Whatever the bandsaw (the shop where I worked had some big ones), resawing is always easier if you take the extra step of doing as much as you can on the table saw. This kills the largest part of the work with a more powerful saw.
This wastes a small bit of thickness, as the table saw's blade has a larger kerf, and might not always be practical if you are pressed for thickness, but it makes it much easier to split a board at the bandsaw, much easier to feed and follow.
David -- I also have a Laguna 16 and absolutely love it! I've used it to resaw everything from rock maple, hickory, oak and birch to teak. The one improvement I've made is to use a Lenox carbide tipped blade. Wow! [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]
Pete
Great! I hope to put mine to use in the near future. They are pouring the floor in my barn/shop tomorrow! The boy and I just have to finish siding, wiring, lighting, insulation, wallboard and heat. Maybe by Christmas [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
I use Grizzly 14" with extension block, Timberwolf blades. I saw stock from my own logs as well (small ones). I am shopping for a sawmill. Laguna is great but too expensive for me.
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