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Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size #32041 02/18/14 02:07 PM
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mo Offline OP
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I've been looking at stationary bandsaws for the shop. The more I use the portable the more I like the idea of stationary.

What kind of power and wheel diameter do you all find as a good base point for timber shop work?

Thanks

Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32042 02/18/14 02:29 PM
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bmike Offline
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Not sure on the size of this thing... it was in pieces when I was in the shop at New Energy Works. I could email over and see what size it is. He's pushing a 10x10 strut through there in the image:



Mike Beganyi Design and Consulting, LLC.
www.mikebeganyi.com
Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32045 02/18/14 08:13 PM
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mo Offline OP
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That's a bandsaw. Probably a 8k saw.

I'm just interested in the most part for braces radius up to 6" wide stock. And possibly brace tenon faces..

I think an 18 might do for me but some of the ones I see have a dinky motor as far as HP. I know 1.75hp ain't gonna work.

Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32048 02/19/14 04:49 PM
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Gabel Offline
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I like a 5-7.5 hp, 36" saw for timber work.

Once you use one, there's no going back to smaller saws.

We got our first one for $400 and our second for $500. Both are Yates A36.

Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32051 02/19/14 07:12 PM
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TIMBEAL Offline
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You can cut curved braces on a band mill with a jig. 50 in half an hour with no layout. And then you can use the mill for sawing timber, too.

Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32052 02/20/14 09:03 PM
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Gabel Offline
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Good point Tim.

We use a jig for repetitive cuts, too with our stationery vertical bandsaw.

Mo were you still at the southeastern guild meeting when Ben showed the bandsaw jig? That's how we do it now, too. Brilliant!

I have a video around here somewhere I will try to link to.

Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32055 02/20/14 10:40 PM
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Will B Offline
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Gabel,
I'd love to see that video and jig. Tim, are you referring to a Woodmizer jig? I'd like to see that too.
Thanks.

Last edited by Will B; 02/20/14 10:40 PM.
Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32056 02/21/14 12:05 AM
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bmike Offline
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We had a jig for cutting arch segments back when I worked for a woodworker in high school. It could easily be adapted for curved braces (interior curve is easiest). I'll try and post a SketchUp file.


And Gabel and Tim - I would love to see that jig as well.

Last edited by bmike; 02/21/14 12:05 AM.

Mike Beganyi Design and Consulting, LLC.
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Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32057 02/21/14 12:45 AM
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TIMBEAL Offline
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I wish this was set up and I really push some stock through it, some day. I don't cut that many curved braces, but when I do this is how I do it. You need a new jig or sled for different braces. Simple to make and once it is made it is great. I cut the ends of the brace angles but don't form the tenon, it helps to balance the brace stock, cut the tenons after. It takes a little more than a couple seconds, each but not much. I use a push stick and the person on the other end pulls it through.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhPcsWsBNmY

Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32058 02/21/14 12:51 AM
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Slightly off topic but..... free hand! I have posted both these here before.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6NBYTBFDgM

Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32059 02/21/14 12:45 PM
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Great ideas on cutting curves. Ditto on seeing the vertical band jig video.
While on braces, does anybody have any tricks or jigs for cutting the ends? Shoulders and cheeks?
I always thought a radial arm saw with a dado stack would work well. But i don't have a radial arm saw to try it out and they're getting hard to find these days.

Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32070 02/25/14 08:23 PM
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Gabel Offline
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I'll see if I can dig it up -- may take a day or two as the barn ain't gonna raise itself!

Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32071 02/25/14 09:55 PM
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I have some space like that, Gabel.

I have cut a lot of braces with just a hand saw, axe and slick. Alas, most are now cut with a skill saw, all in a row perform the same cut on each piece, reset the saw and make the next. Knock the waste off if it didn't fall off and trim with a slick, if needed.

Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32072 02/26/14 01:15 AM
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mo Offline OP
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Yes, I saw that setup in Mt. Rest. I love that area.

Gabel, if you are ever interested in selling one of those Yates, let me know. I'm a buyer for more than you bought it for it sounds like.

P.S. Nice weather for raising.

Last edited by mo; 02/26/14 01:15 AM.
Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32073 02/26/14 05:20 PM
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Gabel Offline
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Mo -- I would but the reason we've bought two is we tipped the first one over setting it down in a new spot. Scary. Busted the main casting. We pulled some parts and scrapped it to help pay for the new one.

We could not for the life of us figure out how or why it happened. We had moved it a dozen times I bet before that so we thought we knew what we were doing.

Until we went to set the next one down in the same spot and it almost happened again. There was enough of a hump in the slab at that spot to tip it. Shimmed it up and bolted it down.

The video is on Whit's old phone. He said he'd dig it up tonight.

Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32121 03/02/14 08:59 AM
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galen Offline
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Hi Mo
Can I ask why you don't like the portable bandsaw.
I am heading in exactly the opposite direction to you. The stationary bandsaw is great for smaller curved knee braces but I find it pretty hard to steer a bigger timber through the machine with satifactory results. The curve always has flat spots and uneven radius even with a nice new band on my old 36" saw.
I find I am getting much better results with a carpenters chainsaw. Rougher finish but much fairer curve.
I am saving up my pennies for a Mafell Z5 unless someone talks me out of it.
The stationary bandsaw is still a damn handy tool to have about the shop nonetheless.
Cheers


Bite off more than you can chew......then chew like hell.
Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32123 03/02/14 09:57 PM
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I have an old (40 years- back when they were well made and h-e-a-v-y) Delta with 6" height and 18" width capacity. I use it to rough out curved braces from 4" stock frequently. When I inherited it from my dad (a tool and die maker) I foolishly replaced the three phase motor with a fairly HD single phase 120. It's not the fastest saw in the world, but it's not the slowest either..
Having said that, In my experience it's more about the blade you're using than the HP. A decent 4 tpi narrow re-saw blade with some set goes as fast as I want it to. Setting up in-feed and out feed tables help tons as well.


I think, therefore I am (I think)..
Chris Koehn
TimberGuides Design • Build
Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32124 03/03/14 03:12 PM
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mo Offline OP
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Good thoughts on the blade vs. hp. Good to know.

Galen,

I have used the Z5 quite a bit. Most of my radii are in braces with a far away origin.

The Z5 seems like a great tool for profiling ends of rafters and projecting cross beam / half lap stuff. I used to do those projections with cyma recta or cyma reversa, but now I just do angled cuts with the big saw. I like that look better at this time.

In long sweeping radii, gentle curves with the Mafell seem to wander and belly. The blade capacity is just not that big. Although you can take it to 10X and I think even 12X if the cut is along a gentle curve it seems to want to follow the grain. Nothing worse than running a $5K tool only to have to finish up with hand tools to fix. It also runs through blades quickly and they are not inexpensive.

In short if I was doing 10" radii all the time it would be the portable, but I'm not, so I am looking to go the stationary route with infeed and outfeed tables like dovetail described.

Haven't used the carpenters chainsaw much. The Prazi once or twice, but was not impressed. What kind of texture does the chain on the Mafell leave? Is it clean? I don't work much s4s, so I am not looking for that, but the bandsaw mill I am getting stuff from leaves a nice "light rough" texture. Sorry about the oxymoron.

Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32142 03/08/14 05:00 AM
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Jayson Offline
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Adam Valesano does some cool radius work on the bandsaw too. Maybe he has some video to post. O Adam woohoo...

Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32182 03/25/14 08:52 AM
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galen Offline
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Mo
The carpenters chainsaw I use is an old protool 380 running a 16" bar with square ground ripping chain. I use it mostly for cutting long curved timbers: sling braces, crucks, curved braces etc. While it follows a curve nicely the finish is certainly not as fine as a well tuned bandsaw. That said I am more than happy to leave it as is on a more rustic frame.
I haven't had any experience with the Mafell although apparently they have a very fine cutting chain for finish work. I am guessing that this is probably designed mainly with cross cutting work in mind and that you would have to push it like a mule to get it to rip along grain.
The saw certainly takes a bit of getting used to but the more I use it the more it is becoming the favorite tool in the shop.


Bite off more than you can chew......then chew like hell.
Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32184 03/27/14 02:15 AM
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I have the Mafell beam saw with the carbide chain and it does cut clean. I have never really tried to do curves with it though. I imagine it would work well for a large radius. It does require a bit more effort to do a rip cut, but not too bad.
I have an Oliver bandsaw that suffices for most large curved work. Smaller braces etc. end up on the stationary bandsaw.

Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32256 04/27/14 04:36 AM
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OMG. I learned 2 things tonight. Timbeal, the jig is AWESOME! and we have a cruck job coming up, wonder if one of our mills is that manly to cut freehand on the mill. Love it!

Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32258 04/27/14 11:42 AM
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What are you running for a mill? Does is raise under power or is it cranked? It is tricky to get the feed and lift/drop feeding at just the right times. Cutting down into the curve is easier due to the back of the band resting on the kerf but raising out of the cut can be tricky because the teeth are leading the cut and it just want to cut straighish so the blade gets put into more stress. I try to position the log so most of the cut is a drop and the last is nearer straight/level. I do this by raising the end at which the saw enters which us always the big butt end. They can be left with the band sawn look or a slight hewing job to clean the sweep up.

Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32281 05/18/14 03:45 AM
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Timbeal, It's a crank. so cool!
still tuning up my mill, haven't had much time to play with it.
dave

Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32319 05/30/14 08:54 PM
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mo Offline OP
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Found one:



Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: mo] #32329 06/03/14 08:32 PM
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Gabel Offline
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Nice! SCMI is some good stuff.

Re: Stationary Bandsaw Power and Size [Re: galen] #32573 09/11/14 08:52 PM
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Wouldn't it be more efficient and economical to lease a Falberg Titan. Falbergsaws.com has a new website coming out ( being pubished right now) with details about the new leasing option for portable bandsaws the average timber framer can afford without taking out a second mortgage. Cutting Arches? This is how easy that works [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsyOWfMfxdM ]

falbergsawco@skybeam.com

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