Bandsaw on a budget

Connavar

Hi lads,

I have started a project building a guitar and hope to build more and do some other projects later.It has gotten to the point where I think I need a bandsaw to progress further in the build.

Can anyone recommend a bandsaw on abudget of around €300 (stretching to 350 if there is good reason).

I am currently looking at the SIP 10" and the Record Power BS250.

Thanks in advance,
Niall

Will

I've got the record power one you mentioned. Can't fault it, then again I'm just doing basic cuts and trimming things for woodturning

Connavar

Will wrote: »

I've got the record power one you mentioned. Can't fault it, then again I'm just doing basic cuts and trimming things for woodturning

Thanks for the quick response. That one is currently the one that I was thinking of purchasing alright

fergal.b

I dont know about the bandsaw but a chap on a boatbuilding site that I am on builds them and you might find his posts interesting.

http://www.glen-l.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=11218&hilit=guitar

Connavar

Thanks for the link. Currently building an electric so I'm not sure that I will be able to use it but I was planning on doing an acoustic in the future so it should come in handy at some point.

Setanta1974

I have the Sip. The bandsaw itself is not bad but their aftersales is a joke so I's advise you to go for the Record aswell

Connavar

It seems to be the way most people are pointing me so I will go with the record power.

Thanks for the help lads

slowburner

I have a bigger brother Record bandsaw (350) and to be honest, it has been a very disappointing machine. Subsequent generations of the machines have been modified fairly significantly, especially the fences which were useless in the first generation. Both SIP and Record machines are made in China to a budget (what isn't these days?) and it shows.
One other saw that might be worth considering is the Dewalt. I have one of these too - it is a great little saw, accurate and fast. It has smaller capacities than either of the two you were looking at, though, but it is great value.
http://www.dewalt.ie/powertools/productdetails/catno/DW738/

dubtom

Funny that,I could have sworn I had a 350 but yet this link calls it a 400.
http://www.recordpower.co.uk/index.php?section=prodlist&cat=2&sef=Bandsaw+Machines They must have changed their model numbers,mines the full bodied one anyway. Surprised to hear yours isn't up to expectations Slowburner,I've had no problems with mine although it doesn't get the usage it deserves. I've cut some heavy stuff no problem, I had an old but full size and powerful Italian make bandsaw before the record and I was forever getting jams on it. Hasn't happened yet on the record.

Fingalian

Whatever one you end up with you should bear in mind that band saws need a bit of 'fettling', they don't work straight out of the box like a Tablesaw would. Most blades cut with a bit of 'drift' so its good to know how to compensate for it before you start trying to get veneers out of your expensive lacewood!
This guy has some good tips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2j4uyzOVlk

I made two relatively cheap changes to my band saw and its really improved the machine no end.
Cool blocks:
http://www.olsonsaw.net/cb500.html

Woodslicer blade:
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/woodslicer-resaw-bandsaw-blades.aspx

Good luck with whatever you buy , set up right it will probably be one of your favourite tools .

slowburner

dubtom wrote: »

Funny that,I could have sworn I had a 350 but yet this link calls it a 400.
http://www.recordpower.co.uk/index.php?section=prodlist&cat=2&sef=Bandsaw+Machines They must have changed their model numbers,mines the full bodied one anyway. Surprised to hear yours isn't up to expectations Slowburner,I've had no problems with mine although it doesn't get the usage it deserves. I've cut some heavy stuff no problem, I had an old but full size and powerful Italian make bandsaw before the record and I was forever getting jams on it. Hasn't happened yet on the record.

Mine gets pretty heavy use I suppose. I bought the machine when it first came out. I know a lot of users were not happy with the first generation and Record made a lot of subsequent improvements.
So what makes me unhappy with my one? First of all the start capacitor died so I had to start the blade by hand :eek:. The upper blade guides are not parallel to each other. The thrust bearing on the lower guides seized. The bolt tightening the table tilt sheared. The trunnion doesn't rise and fall on the same axis - this means that the upper guides have to be adjusted every time the trunnion is raised or lowered. The threads on the tensioning bolt (above the upper wheel) stripped. And I had to replace the upper guide housing assembly - a steel bolt going into a soft alloy - not a great design.
Maybe parts are better quality on more recent machines. By the way, I use a bi-metal blade most of the time from a great supplier recommended by another poster in this forum - will post up if anyone is interested. I can't speak highly enough about these blades except that they are not available in small widths for tight radius cutting.

+1 to Fingalian on the need for fettling and the fact that a bandsaw will become one of your favourite machines.

I might just give up on the 350 and use one of these:D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3pv_Rh2v_w

trad

What's the tyre pressure?

slowburner

I want to know who balances the wheels.