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What’s the dream bandsaw?

Chris Rauber

Chris Rauber

Joined
Sep 30, 2021
Messages
44
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11
Location
Canisteo, NY
I’m a hobbiest turner but would like to begin production turning mainly bowls in the next few years. What bandsaw should I keep my eye out for? The Lagunas and Powermatics come to mind, but here in the Rust Belt massive vintage saws come up for sale very often. Should vintage saws be sought after or steered clear of? Thanks!
 
I have a 20" Powermatic that will cut almost to 14" in height. I'm new at this so no expert but I have a hard time picturing the lathe for which that saw would be too small. The next size up would be the 36" Tannewitz type saws, sure seems like overkill to me.
 
The size will be driven by how much you want the saw to do. Split whole logs in half? How big? Cut log halves in pieces? Etc.

Nothing wrong with large vintage as long as you can work on them and get parts and blades.
 
Blades can be made in any size you want, but parts can be an issue. A lot of those old 36" saws had babbeted bearings. When they wear out they can either be rebabbeted or converted to ball bearing, but neither is a small job.
 
Doug Freeman said:
The size will be driven by how much you want the saw to do. Split whole logs in half? How big? Cut log halves in pieces? Etc.

Nothing wrong with large vintage as long as you can work on them and get parts and blades.
Click to expand...
I’ve got a sawmill if needed for anything up to 36’. This would be for breaking down planks or taking rough stock from chainsaw blanks to pieces fit to go on a spike plate
 
David Martin said:
Blades can be made in any size you want, but parts can be an issue. A lot of those old 36" saws had babbeted bearings. When they wear out they can either be rebabbeted or converted to ball bearing, but neither is a small job.
Click to expand...
This is great information. I started to try to research these old saws but they seem to be caught between modern enough for 10 YouTube videos made on them and old enough to be in some antique machinery books.
 
I run a 1953, 20" Delta band saw. The footprint for this saw is not much larger than most 14" saws. If you need your saw to be mobile, you will need a substantial mobile base for it. Mine is on a homemade mobile base, welded steel with steel castors, and moves easily enough for the times that I need to move it.

David Martin did not indicate the age of his saw, but a new 20" Powermatic is in the $7000.00 plus range. Other brands start in the $2000.00 range and increase in cost from there. My saw is not a restoration project. It still has the original paint and 70 years of battle scars. I did replace the bearings for the upper and lower wheel shafts and in the motor. I also dressed the crown on the tires. I do not believe roller guides are better than the original guide blocks, and have not upgraded mine. My saw will cut bowl blanks 12.5" deep and I like the original guides for green wood. I can resaw 12' when I need to, and the saw cuts veneer as well. (resewing requires a blade that has not been used to cut tight curves) I am into the saw for about $700.00.
 
Mine is pretty old, I bought it about ten years ago for $700 if I remember right. Any of the old Delta/Rockwell or Powermatic 20" saws were pretty good. Bearings and tires are the only wearable parts in them, and the bearings are all industry strandard pieces, available anywhere. I've seen several of these for sale around here lately for under $1000. If you alredy have a sawmill I can't see any reason to need anything bigger.
 
I have an old (1960s) Delta/Rockwell 20" saw - love it. My (1980s) Delta 14" with riser block (allows something like 12" height) and upgraded (1HP) motor does pretty good too, although I had to make an extension table.
Things to look for (goes for both new and used): sturdy, solid build, good reputation, enough throat (wheel size - 20" is good, 14" adequate) and height to cut the blanks you want, enough motor to drive the blade thru that blank (1 or 1.5 HP for 110v, 2HP if you can do 220v). And a table big enough to maneuver a heavy wet log around safely (remember that most of the log will be on the outboard-side of the blade when cutting a circle).
 
If you have room for an old cast iron machine they can be great saws. I had a Crescent 36 for 35 years and only recently traded it in for a MiniMax 16, which is a nice size saw with 16" resaw height, but the Crescent had better guides and was all around more fun. I would have kept it but for the space issue. I have seen similar saws advertised for $1-2000 recently. Don't be afraid of Babbit bearings, unless they are thrashed and if kept oiled they will outlast you. If worn they can often be tightened up by removing shims between the bearing shells. Parts are rarely needed for simple old machines like a bandsaw, except for guide bearings and generic tires- those are two things I would look carefully at on old monsters. Powermatic and Rockwell steel frame 20" machines are not uncommon and have a 12" resaw height. European saws like Aggazani, Centauro and Meber are high quality but less common on the used market. I think 16-20" wheels, 12" resaw height and at least a 2hp motor are a good size for general turning prepwork. You can get by with a 14" saw but the tables are small and the motors underpowered for a lot of work.
 
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Kevin has some good thoughts on old cast iron. I’d love to find one like the old shipwrights saw that was at the center for wooden boats - it was a monster that dated to the end of the 19th century. It was a beauty with a huge table and accurate bevels via massive trunions. They had no problem getting blades for it - but then it’s been 15 years since I took classes there. The barbet bearings needed to be renewed, it was a weekend process.
 
Kevin Jenness said:
If you have room for an old cast iron machine they can be great saws. I had a Crescent 36 for 35 years and only recently traded it in for a MiniMax 16, which is a nice size saw with 16" resaw height, but the Crescent had better guides and was all around more fun. I would have kept it but for the space issue. I have seen similar saws advertised for $1-2000 recently. Don't be afraid of Babbit bearings, unless they are thrashed and if kept oiled they will outlast you. If worn they can often be tightened up by removing shims between the bearing shells. Parts are rarely needed for simple old machines like a bandsaw, except for guide bearings and generic tires- those are two things I would look carefully at on old monsters. Powermatic and Rockwell steel frame 20" machines are not uncommon and have a 12" resaw height. European saws like Aggazani, Centauro and Meber are high quality but less common on the used market. I think 16-20" wheels, 12" resaw height and at least a 2hp motor are a good size for general turning prepwork. You can get by with a 14" saw but the tables are small and the motors underpowered for a lot of work.
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Oddly enough I had never heard of Centauro until today when one of my friends who was a successful turner had sent me the auction listing for one that’s just over the border into Canada from me: https://machinerymax.com/Event/LotDetails/46988516/Centauro-700CO-Bandsaw-4hp-28-Throat
Thank you so much for the information
 
Bruce Whitaker said:
I run a 1953, 20" Delta band saw. The footprint for this saw is not much larger than most 14" saws. If you need your saw to be mobile, you will need a substantial mobile base for it. Mine is on a homemade mobile base, welded steel with steel castors, and moves easily enough for the times that I need to move it.

David Martin did not indicate the age of his saw, but a new 20" Powermatic is in the $7000.00 plus range. Other brands start in the $2000.00 range and increase in cost from there. My saw is not a restoration project. It still has the original paint and 70 years of battle scars. I did replace the bearings for the upper and lower wheel shafts and in the motor. I also dressed the crown on the tires. I do not believe roller guides are better than the original guide blocks, and have not upgraded mine. My saw will cut bowl blanks 12.5" deep and I like the original guides for green wood. I can resaw 12' when I need to, and the saw cuts veneer as well. (resewing requires a blade that has not been used to cut tight curves) I am into the saw for about $700.00.
Click to expand...
Yeah in the last few weeks I have been looking and seen quite a few older 20” saws that look like they’d do the job perfectly and for remarkably cheap. It seems like a machine that you can buy new tires for, an upgrade to guide if needed and be able to save a decent amount of money. Although I’ve seen a few powermatics at 3-5hp 10 years old or so go for around 3000 which seems tempting as well
 
Another Delta/Rockwell 20" owner plus I have a Crescent 20" which is the same thing but the predecessor.

Excellent saws but the dust collection is poor which can be improved and new tires can be expensive. The stock guides are just as good as the anything out there.
 
There’s nothing like having a big bandsaw. I have a 30” Hall & Brown. For smaller work, I also have a 14” Delta - but it’s a toy compared to the H&B.

Tim
 
Well, I think you need 2. I have a Laguna 16HD, which I got years ago. I keep a 1 1/4 inch blade with teeth at 3/4 inch apart. This saw is for cutting slabs. I get a log section, rip it down the middle in as straight of a line as I can, then put that slab on the table, and square up one end. I then lay out bowl blanks by using strips of plywood from 1 to 8 inches, in 1/2 inch increments, and stand on the square end to cut slabs. I have another smaller PM bandsaw that cuts 6 inches high. It has a 1/2 by 3 tpi blade on it, which can cut circles 5 or so inch diameter. Very handy, but some times I wish I had 8 inches of clearance. It will not take a riser block, otherwise I might have done that years ago. I do have a video on this. Oh, it has a 5 hp 30 amp motor on it, so as long as the blade is sharp, it will walk through anything. I never do bowls over about 14 inch diameter since they are difficult to sell.

I have 2 complaints about bandsaw designs. One is that the dust ports do not suck. They are made for cabinet shops with dry wood. Since most of what I cut is green wood, I get a lot of build up inside the cabinet. This is a bigger problem with I cut slabs because I am cutting end grain and get lots of hair balls. I did modify my saws a bit to help solve this. I do need to plug off a lot of the area under the table so I can do a better job of directing the air flow.

The other complaint is the tables are always rather small. You need to build infeed and outfeed tables, and some times I need a bit more table on the front for bigger chunks of wood.

robo hippy
 
i'll throw my vote towards vintage. I have two bandsaws, one is a 1968 or so Delta 14" saw which was my dads and is the saw I learned on, the other is a 1940 era Walker Turner 16" saw. The W/T is easily twice the delta, even with only a 1/2HP motor on it, cutting 12" is not a big deal.

The downside to old arn is ergonomics, and dust collection. Ergonomics like taking blades off is not as simple as new saws, but once the saw is set up, they are fantastic. I'd love something larger, like a Crescent heavy 20 or larger, but only for the cool factor, the WT does all that I need from a practical perspective. While I lust after new lathes, my interest in other new machines is effectively nil, and would much rather have vintage stuff in my shop.
 
If you find an industrial grade 3-phase powered bandsaw you can easily power it via a VFD designed to run off the voltage in your house/shop.
 
I did not want to make a case for vintage machines, but I guess that I must 'fess up to my stable of band saws. My main user is my 20" Delta. I run a 3/8 blade and pretty much only cut bowl blanks and rough straight grain blanks. If I want really accurate rip cuts, I switch to a blade that has not done circle cuts. I also have my 19teens Crescent 20", but that only has 7" of clearance below the guides. I will use this mostly for scroll work and keep a 1/4" blade on it. For really heavy work, I have my 36" Jones Superior. This saw has a 1" blade and does not get used for any kind of scroll work, but it sure is fun to use when you use it!

The important thing, in my mind, is that the saw fit your needs and budget. A 36" saw will be big and heavy. On my Jones, I can barely lift the auxiliary table. The main table is about 30'x30" worth of cast iron and is not to be trifled with. On the other hand, the table on my 20" Delta can be manhandled by one old guy like me, if necessary. Yet that table is more than large enough for cutting bowl blanks. So, with all of that said, I would guess that for my three saws, I have significantly less invested than I would have in one new saw.

Parts are not really an issue. Ball bearings are pretty much stock items. Babbitt bearings are a bit more complicated in that they are not install and forget. They will last a lifetime (the turbines on the Hoover dam turn on Babbitt bearings), but they need to be oiled with each use. Four of my machines, my jointer, a lathe, a drill press and a planer are Babbitt machines. Band saw blades are consumables, and they are available from in any width or length from many sources. Even now, we have a thread running here that deals with making your own band saw blades from coil stock.

Get the saw that suits your needs. I think that a 20" saw is the best all around compromise in the size department, but others may not agree. Whether buying new or used, be alert for power requirements. Larger saws will likely require 240 v circuits. Some industrial saws will run on either single phase power or 3 phase power. Neither presents insurmountable problems, but know what you are looking at.
 
I acquired a used Centauro-built Minimax 20 about two years ago, and I'm pretty much in love. 24" would have been even better, but this saw works like a champ. I've been resawing 12-14" wide boards for thick veneer using an inch wide carbide blade and find them ready to use after one pass through the sander. Remarkably nice cut! With the 4.8 hp motor it doesn't even breathe hard while doing that kind of cutting. Much to be said for a bigger saw!
 
I would have loved to acquire a vintage 20" bandsaw. Only found dozens of craftsman 14" and one colossal 32" 7.5hp 3phase. I settled on a new 18" jet 3ph because I couldn't convince my wife to let me restore the 32." It would have been amazing but oh well.
 
Last year, after having a Grizzly 16" Delta knock off for about 40 years, I purchased a new Grizzly GO817 Super HD 2hp Resaw Bandsaw with foot brake. I immediately converted it to 220v. It suits my needs perfectly.

www.grizzly.com

14" Super HD 2 HP Resaw Bandsaw w/ Foot Brake - Grizzly Industrial, Inc.

<h1>G0817 14" Super HD 2 HP Resaw Bandsaw w/ Foot Brake</h1> <h2>This award-winning heavy-duty bandsaw features an industry-leading 14" resaw capacity!</h2> <p>The G0817 14" Super HD 2 HP Resaw Bandsaw was awarded Top Tool by <em>WOOD Magazine</em> for its performance and combination of features...
www.grizzly.com www.grizzly.com
​

Not as huge as some of the older bandsaws being discussed here, but everything I've been needing since the sale of my old Grizzly 16" bandsaw with much less height sawing capability.
-----odie-----

IMG_0077.JPG IMG_1164.JPG
 
I bought a used Minimax 16" and can highly recommend it. If money wasn't a problem I would get the 20" Powermatic
 
Grizzly has a "40th Anniversary" 2 HP 17" bandsaw for $1,300 + shipping. It looks like a lot of saw for the money:

www.grizzly.com

17" 2 HP Bandsaw - 40th Anniversary Edition - Grizzly Industrial, Inc.

<h1>G0513A40 40th Anniversary 17" 2 HP Bandsaw</h1> <h2>The newest addition to the lineup of production-ready Grizzly 17" bandsaws.</h2> <p>The limited edition 40th Anniversary G0513A40 17" 2 HP Bandsaw offers an eye-catching black on green color scheme and custom features. <p>The upgraded 6" x...
www.grizzly.com www.grizzly.com
 
Chris you don’t say what type of production bowls you plan on turning. If mostly smaller items out of dried wood then any saw that you can turn circles with is adequate. But if you plan on cutting your blanks from green logs you want bigger and horsepower. I have a Rikon 347 with 19” of resaw and I’ve used all of it making larger blanks.
 
It’d be large green bowls
Bernie Kopfer said:
Chris you don’t say what type of production bowls you plan on turning. If mostly smaller items out of dried wood then any saw that you can turn circles with is adequate. But if you plan on cutting your blanks from green logs you want bigger and horsepower. I have a Rikon 347 with 19” of resaw and I’ve used all of it making larger blanks.
Click to expand...
 
The market for bowls over 14 inch diameter is pretty small, which means they sit for a while before selling. My 16 cutting height on my Laguna is plenty. It seems that the motors on the slab cutting bandsaws are getting much smaller. The 4.5 hp motor on my Laguna will pretty much walk through anything I put on it, unless it does not have a flat surface to sit on the bed of the lathe.

robo hippy
 
In case no one has already mentioned, the dream bandsaw is an old ship builders saw. The table always stays level with the rest of the mechanisms tilting. The idea, I believe, was to be able to rip long pieces with a variable angle on the piece. Might have been a two person job, one person feeding, the other cranking a handle controlling the tilt.
 
David DeSimone said:
Grizzly has a "40th Anniversary" 2 HP 17" bandsaw for $1,300 + shipping. It looks like a lot of saw for the money:

www.grizzly.com

17" 2 HP Bandsaw - 40th Anniversary Edition - Grizzly Industrial, Inc.

<h1>G0513A40 40th Anniversary 17" 2 HP Bandsaw</h1> <h2>The newest addition to the lineup of production-ready Grizzly 17" bandsaws.</h2> <p>The limited edition 40th Anniversary G0513A40 17" 2 HP Bandsaw offers an eye-catching black on green color scheme and custom features. <p>The upgraded 6" x...
www.grizzly.com www.grizzly.com
Click to expand...
I have a G0513ANV, bought new in 2014 for $850 plus $100 delivery, this looks very similar and is a lot of saw for the money. The older one had a grizzly bear decal on the side and imho looks better :)
 
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