I tacked this onto another bandsaw thread, and didn't get any response here (got
one email, though). What I was hoping for was a lively discussion on bandsaws.
Seems the subject doesn't get nearly as much attention on this group as I
expected. So I'm trying again, correcting some of my spelling and grammar
errors...
I've been wanting my own bandsaw for a couple of years now, but I don't have
money to just throw away, so I thought I'd try to buy the best saw I can for
less than about $600.
I saw some disparging words written about some of the smaller Deltas...
Something about use of thin sheet metal, and needing to replace the blocks
immediately with Cool Blocks in order to get a consistently accurate cut. I saw
what I thought might be a good price on a 14" Jet (<$600), but then another
search turned up a Central Machinery 32208 4-speed 14" for $319 (including
shipping) at an outfit called Harbor Freight Tools. The thing that appealed to
me was the 6-inch depth of cut capacity. I did some bandsaw boxes back about 3
years ago in a class, and they turned out pretty nice, but they need at least 5
inches capacity.
So, is this Central Machinery tool any good? I can't seem to find much about
them on the web, and I never heard of them before. Also, is Harbor Freight
Tools ok to deal with (they *do* advertise a lot, but that doesn't mean much to
me)?
I may still be a ways off from getting my first bandsaw, but what I'm looking
for needs to have a cutting height of at least 5 inches. I don't anticipate
doing a lot of resawing, but I might do *some*. My long-term plans including
making violins.
So, have at it with your opinions on bandsaws -- I want to hear the voice of
experience.
--
Howard Lee Harkness
Texas Certified Concealed Handgun Instructor
www.CHL-TX.com
[email protected]
I have a Reliant bandsaw with riser block that has given me good service. A
few months ago the lower blade guide holder cracked and I called the number in
my parts manual. They quit impoting parts!
The saw looks very much like a Delta or Jet, but the Delta lower guides don't
fit. I cobbled up some guides out of 1/2 Baltic birch scrap that work.
I would stick with Delta, Jet or other name brand saw. I don't know if
discontinued Grizzly bandsaws are still supported with parts, but I would check
before they got my money.
Doug Turner <[email protected]>
I personally enjoy my harbor freight bandsaw that I picked up for $219.
Here is a webpage that has a big discussion on it that I found very
enlightening.
http://wood.bigelowsite.com/aracnetlive/wood/bandsaw/index.htm
Ken Gunter
CH-47D Chinook Pilot
http://www.ch47.org
[email protected]
"Howard Lee Harkness" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I tacked this onto another bandsaw thread, and didn't get any response
here (got
> one email, though). What I was hoping for was a lively discussion on
bandsaws.
> Seems the subject doesn't get nearly as much attention on this group as I
> expected. So I'm trying again, correcting some of my spelling and grammar
> errors...
>
> I've been wanting my own bandsaw for a couple of years now, but I don't
have
> money to just throw away, so I thought I'd try to buy the best saw I can
for
> less than about $600.
>
> I saw some disparging words written about some of the smaller Deltas...
> Something about use of thin sheet metal, and needing to replace the blocks
> immediately with Cool Blocks in order to get a consistently accurate cut.
I saw
> what I thought might be a good price on a 14" Jet (<$600), but then
another
> search turned up a Central Machinery 32208 4-speed 14" for $319 (including
> shipping) at an outfit called Harbor Freight Tools. The thing that
appealed to
> me was the 6-inch depth of cut capacity. I did some bandsaw boxes back
about 3
> years ago in a class, and they turned out pretty nice, but they need at
least 5
> inches capacity.
>
> So, is this Central Machinery tool any good? I can't seem to find much
about
> them on the web, and I never heard of them before. Also, is Harbor
Freight
> Tools ok to deal with (they *do* advertise a lot, but that doesn't mean
much to
> me)?
>
> I may still be a ways off from getting my first bandsaw, but what I'm
looking
> for needs to have a cutting height of at least 5 inches. I don't
anticipate
> doing a lot of resawing, but I might do *some*. My long-term plans
including
> making violins.
>
> So, have at it with your opinions on bandsaws -- I want to hear the voice
of
> experience.
>
> --
> Howard Lee Harkness
> Texas Certified Concealed Handgun Instructor
> www.CHL-TX.com
> [email protected]
In rec.woodworking
[email protected] (Bruce) wrote:
>In rec.woodworking
>Silvan <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>LOL!
>>
>>So is it good quality cast slag, or what? :)
>>
>>What makes HF's cast slag any worse from everyone else's? Seriously...
>
>I'll tell you one thing. There is a framing nailer at HF that goes on sale
>for $139. There is a Porter-Cable framing nailer at Sam's Wholesale for
>$237 and closer to $300 at non-discount places.
>
>The parts are interchangeable. I have the HF nailer and it ROCKS and
>drives nails like bullets.
PS: OTOH, I would NOT buy a mitre saw or lathe or other precision device
from them. You have to pick and choose.
In rec.woodworking
"Glen" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Bruce,
>
>I looked in the catalog and I noticed they (HF) had more than one framing
>nailer. Could you post the item number of the one you recommend. Thank
>You.
Sure, <going out to the garage to look at the box> 46240.
I have one Harbor Freight rule I'll share. Never buy ANYTHING from them
that isn't on sale unless you need it NOW. Evventually, every item goes on
sale.
"Mike" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Central machinery/Harbor freight is like an AK47, it doesn't look very
>pretty, it shoots but again not very accurately. Delta and Jet make what you
>are looking for. They are like a S&W, look good, shoot good, easy to get
>parts for. You get the picture, you get what you pay for.
I've seen some kind words for Grizzly... Anybody have one of their
bandsaws?
Central Machinery turns out to be about what I expected, and not what
I want. I'm leaning toward getting the 14" Jet, but the Grizzly price
is enough lower to attract my interest.
--
Howard Lee Harkness
Texas Certified Concealed Handgun Instructor
www.CHL-TX.com
[email protected]
Fred McClellan wrote:
> "Central Machinery" is a Chinese acronym for "cheap crude ill-fitting
> nearly worthless lumps of cast slag".
LOL!
So is it good quality cast slag, or what? :)
What makes HF's cast slag any worse from everyone else's? Seriously...
Changing the subject slightly, I was shopping for a 36" combination
belt/disc sander. Everybody sells them, and they all look completely
identical. Craftsman, Grizz, HF, Delta... I never got my hands on the
Grizz or HF models, but based on photos from different angles, I fully
expect that they would have been identical castings. I wound up buying the
Delta because it was on sale at Lowe's, available for cash and carry, and I
got it cheaper than HF or Grizz, but it still has that cheap crude
ill-fitting nearly worthless lump of cast slag feel in spite of the
Delta-colored paint and nameplate. It is, of course, MIT, just like
everyone else's 36" combination belt/disc sander. Extremely useful, but I
feel like it could be made better.
Same story with my horizontal (metal-cutting) bandsaw too. I got Grizz
because HF's catalog just feels too much like Big Lots or K-Mart, and I've
never bought from them, but based on all I could see, I can't say that I
expected the HF saw to be significantly different from everyone else's
"$200 bandsaw." The Grizz saw has that sort of crappy MIT feel too, but I
have to say the thing has worked like a son of a bitch, and I love it.
So I'm kind of wondering if HF *is* different. Do they sell a crappier
grade of MIT crap from everyone else, or is it really just the same crappy
MIT crap painted gray instead of green or black?
Grizz definitely has a much better catalog. :)
--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
Confirmed post number: 16571 Approximate word count: 497130
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
Loved your analogy, Mike.
Ergo, Homier = SKS?
H.
Unabashed SKS owner, and the deer are glad of it....
"Mike" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<iSlSa.101107$N7.12505@sccrnsc03>...
> Howard,
>
> Central machinery/Harbor freight is like an AK47, it doesn't look very
> pretty, it shoots but again not very accurately. Delta and Jet make what you
> are looking for. They are like a S&W, look good, shoot good, easy to get
> parts for. You get the picture, you get what you pay for.
>
> Keep them in the black.
>
> Mike the High Power shooter.
> "Howard Lee Harkness" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I tacked this onto another bandsaw thread, and didn't get any response
> here (got
> > one email, though). What I was hoping for was a lively discussion on
> bandsaws.
> > Seems the subject doesn't get nearly as much attention on this group as I
> > expected. So I'm trying again, correcting some of my spelling and grammar
> > errors...
> >
> > I've been wanting my own bandsaw for a couple of years now, but I don't
> have
> > money to just throw away, so I thought I'd try to buy the best saw I can
> for
> > less than about $600.
> >
> > I saw some disparging words written about some of the smaller Deltas...
> > Something about use of thin sheet metal, and needing to replace the blocks
> > immediately with Cool Blocks in order to get a consistently accurate cut.
> I saw
> > what I thought might be a good price on a 14" Jet (<$600), but then
> another
> > search turned up a Central Machinery 32208 4-speed 14" for $319 (including
> > shipping) at an outfit called Harbor Freight Tools. The thing that
> appealed to
> > me was the 6-inch depth of cut capacity. I did some bandsaw boxes back
> about 3
> > years ago in a class, and they turned out pretty nice, but they need at
> least 5
> > inches capacity.
> >
> > So, is this Central Machinery tool any good? I can't seem to find much
> about
> > them on the web, and I never heard of them before. Also, is Harbor
> Freight
> > Tools ok to deal with (they *do* advertise a lot, but that doesn't mean
> much to
> > me)?
> >
> > I may still be a ways off from getting my first bandsaw, but what I'm
> looking
> > for needs to have a cutting height of at least 5 inches. I don't
> anticipate
> > doing a lot of resawing, but I might do *some*. My long-term plans
> including
> > making violins.
> >
> > So, have at it with your opinions on bandsaws -- I want to hear the voice
> of
> > experience.
> >
> > --
> > Howard Lee Harkness
> > Texas Certified Concealed Handgun Instructor
> > www.CHL-TX.com
> > [email protected]
Fred McClellan <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 03:15:18 -0400, Silvan
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Fred McClellan wrote:
>>
>>> "Central Machinery" is a Chinese acronym for "cheap crude ill-fitting
>>> nearly worthless lumps of cast slag".
>>
>>LOL!
>>
>>So is it good quality cast slag, or what? :)
>>
>>What makes HF's cast slag any worse from everyone else's? Seriously...
>>
>
> Mating surfaces which should have been machined aren't, they're
> _cast_.
>
>
> Cheers,
> Fred McClellan
> the dash plumber at mindspring dot com
>
The one I have is great I have seen no unmilled parts that are milled on
a delta and the 6 riser from the Ridgid Band saw fit fine and with a
good blade I can resaw to 10.5 in oak with no problem at all. Its all in
the blade I got a Timber Wolf blade and it turned the saw from unusable
to Amazing follow the tension instructions and you will be very pleased.
Tim
Bruce,
I looked in the catalog and I noticed they (HF) had more than one framing
nailer. Could you post the item number of the one you recommend. Thank
You.
Glen
"Bruce" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In rec.woodworking
> Silvan <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >LOL!
> >
> >So is it good quality cast slag, or what? :)
> >
> >What makes HF's cast slag any worse from everyone else's? Seriously...
>
> I'll tell you one thing. There is a framing nailer at HF that goes on
sale
> for $139. There is a Porter-Cable framing nailer at Sam's Wholesale for
> $237 and closer to $300 at non-discount places.
>
> The parts are interchangeable. I have the HF nailer and it ROCKS and
> drives nails like bullets.
>
I have the HF bandsaw. I have completely disassembled it down to the
castings. Cleaned and filed all pertinent edges and surfaces. Added my own
handmade tension crank extended above the top. If I was to do this again, I
would spend the time to find fine pitch thread. The coarse thread works
good and fast but but maybe too coarse. I've added hinges to both covers
and removed the bolt and nut closest to the hinge, so I have only one knob
to secure the cover. I moved the motor from the flimsy support in the stand
to behind the saw on a base. Much more secure now. I added a link belt on
both pulleys (motor to stepped pulley and stepped pulley to lower wheel).
Added a Ridgid 6" riser kit from HD. Had to drill out the upper blade guide
hole on the casting because the Ridgid diameter rod is larger (IIRC by
1/8"). No big deal since the hole is already there to guide the drill bit.
And painted all the individual componets prior to reassembly. Oh yea, added
cool blocks and sanded the table face with my ROS then polished.
Here's the link to a picture.
http://www.wood-workers.com/users/timv/images/Tools-Shop/bandsaw4.jpg
It's awesome now, but I put a great deal of time into it.
Tim
--------
see my page at http://www.wood-workers.com/users/timv (seriously needs
updating)
Thanks.
Glen
"Bruce" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In rec.woodworking
> "Glen" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Bruce,
> >
> >I looked in the catalog and I noticed they (HF) had more than one framing
> >nailer. Could you post the item number of the one you recommend. Thank
> >You.
>
> Sure, <going out to the garage to look at the box> 46240.
>
> I have one Harbor Freight rule I'll share. Never buy ANYTHING from them
> that isn't on sale unless you need it NOW. Evventually, every item goes
on
> sale.
On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 01:52:37 GMT, Howard Lee Harkness
<[email protected]> wrote:
>I've seen some kind words for Grizzly... Anybody have one of their
>bandsaws?
I have a 16" Grizzly, If I had it to do over again I would get some
flavor of 14" saw instead. It cuts ok but it is a space hog and very
difficult to move (high center of gravity and really heavy.) You
cannot put a riser block in like you can with some of the 14" saws and
the thickness of cut is limited to 7" or so.
Anyone in Kitsap county/puget sound area looking for a 16" grizzly?
Regards
Bob
Howard,
Central machinery/Harbor freight is like an AK47, it doesn't look very
pretty, it shoots but again not very accurately. Delta and Jet make what you
are looking for. They are like a S&W, look good, shoot good, easy to get
parts for. You get the picture, you get what you pay for.
Keep them in the black.
Mike the High Power shooter.
"Howard Lee Harkness" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I tacked this onto another bandsaw thread, and didn't get any response
here (got
> one email, though). What I was hoping for was a lively discussion on
bandsaws.
> Seems the subject doesn't get nearly as much attention on this group as I
> expected. So I'm trying again, correcting some of my spelling and grammar
> errors...
>
> I've been wanting my own bandsaw for a couple of years now, but I don't
have
> money to just throw away, so I thought I'd try to buy the best saw I can
for
> less than about $600.
>
> I saw some disparging words written about some of the smaller Deltas...
> Something about use of thin sheet metal, and needing to replace the blocks
> immediately with Cool Blocks in order to get a consistently accurate cut.
I saw
> what I thought might be a good price on a 14" Jet (<$600), but then
another
> search turned up a Central Machinery 32208 4-speed 14" for $319 (including
> shipping) at an outfit called Harbor Freight Tools. The thing that
appealed to
> me was the 6-inch depth of cut capacity. I did some bandsaw boxes back
about 3
> years ago in a class, and they turned out pretty nice, but they need at
least 5
> inches capacity.
>
> So, is this Central Machinery tool any good? I can't seem to find much
about
> them on the web, and I never heard of them before. Also, is Harbor
Freight
> Tools ok to deal with (they *do* advertise a lot, but that doesn't mean
much to
> me)?
>
> I may still be a ways off from getting my first bandsaw, but what I'm
looking
> for needs to have a cutting height of at least 5 inches. I don't
anticipate
> doing a lot of resawing, but I might do *some*. My long-term plans
including
> making violins.
>
> So, have at it with your opinions on bandsaws -- I want to hear the voice
of
> experience.
>
> --
> Howard Lee Harkness
> Texas Certified Concealed Handgun Instructor
> www.CHL-TX.com
> [email protected]
Get a Jet 14" bandsaw and put some Suffolk Machimnery or Woodslaicer
blades on it. Later on, you can buy a riser block to raise it some
more but this will do you for now. I like the Minimax saw but sold it
when I moved. 18" makes a LOT of difference. Do buy either Cool Blocks
or ceramic blocks for ANYTHING you buy.
On Sat, 19 Jul 2003 22:02:35 GMT, Howard Lee Harkness
<[email protected]> wrote:
>I tacked this onto another bandsaw thread, and didn't get any response here (got
>one email, though). What I was hoping for was a lively discussion on bandsaws.
>Seems the subject doesn't get nearly as much attention on this group as I
>expected. So I'm trying again, correcting some of my spelling and grammar
>errors...
>
>I've been wanting my own bandsaw for a couple of years now, but I don't have
>money to just throw away, so I thought I'd try to buy the best saw I can for
>less than about $600.
>
>I saw some disparging words written about some of the smaller Deltas...
>Something about use of thin sheet metal, and needing to replace the blocks
>immediately with Cool Blocks in order to get a consistently accurate cut. I saw
>what I thought might be a good price on a 14" Jet (<$600), but then another
>search turned up a Central Machinery 32208 4-speed 14" for $319 (including
>shipping) at an outfit called Harbor Freight Tools. The thing that appealed to
>me was the 6-inch depth of cut capacity. I did some bandsaw boxes back about 3
>years ago in a class, and they turned out pretty nice, but they need at least 5
>inches capacity.
>
>So, is this Central Machinery tool any good? I can't seem to find much about
>them on the web, and I never heard of them before. Also, is Harbor Freight
>Tools ok to deal with (they *do* advertise a lot, but that doesn't mean much to
>me)?
>
>I may still be a ways off from getting my first bandsaw, but what I'm looking
>for needs to have a cutting height of at least 5 inches. I don't anticipate
>doing a lot of resawing, but I might do *some*. My long-term plans including
>making violins.
>
>So, have at it with your opinions on bandsaws -- I want to hear the voice of
>experience.