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  1. #1
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    Default Woodfast HB350 bandsaw resaw sawmill

    I spotted a mention of this little resaw mill in one of the woodworking mags, it was featured in one of the woodworking shows recently and while it only will cut a max. of 1.5M length and 400mm width it still looks like a handy gadget for the people that have access to some of the more unusual timbers.
    Beyond Tools seem to be the importers but they are pretty light-on with details on the machine. There is a 2.4m length capacity machine in the pipeline but that may be a bit large for most home workshop people.
    The problem I see is that while the blade is 26mm wide the bandwheels are listed as just 225mm diam. Which is odd because they list cutting capacity height of 300mm and depth of 340mm but a 26mm wide blade on even a 350mm bandwheel seems like there may be a problem with longevity?
    Are there any bandsaw resaw people out there who can give some advice please?

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  3. #2
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    Looks like a nice machine to have for cutting veneers. The 225mm wheel specs are probably a typo or some sort of mistake. From the video it looks very much like 350mm wheels. Afterthought...maybe the 225 is an inner wheel with a 67.5mm tyre around it?

  4. #3
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    My guess was about 350mm considering the height of cut was 300mm but that's still a small wheel for a 26mm wide blade. Unless, of course, there has been some new developments in blade materials in the last few years that I have missed out on?
    When I saw the photo in the mag. I thought the same thing, it's ideal for veneers and thin boards for boxes and the like. With the log on the ground there is no need to struggle to lift something heavy onto a bandsaw table and then keep it going straight. Price was a bit high but then....a resaw bandsaw isn't all that cheap these days.

  5. #4
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    The issue with cutting sawn veneer or thin stuff in general isnt the sawing - its the getting it to dry in good order. Different if you're taking slices off something thats already dry: but generally speaking you've got to be pretty on the ball to consistently produce a good product. (if you get that far I can talk you through it if you like).

    Bandwheels are 350mm dia per the woodfast spec sheet. 3 HP 50 hz motor. Track extensions are available for length but they dont say how much $. Yanno aside from the length issue you'd want to check what the minimum depth of cut is with regard resawing thicker timbers (how close to the deck the saw can travel) but yeah... I could see that being an option to a small band resaw in the backyard shed. Sadly 3k dont seem to buy much anymore

  6. #5
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    Thanks John, I agree that the cutting is probably the easiest part of the whole process while the drying/seasoning is the place where we run into problems. Minimum depth of cut always seems to be a problem with almost any sawmill, you always have to watch out for whatever it is that holds the log to the bed. On the big band saw mill that I help with we are forever worrying about the log-dogs as we get towards the bottom of the log but that bit of timber is often crap anyway and ends up going through the chipper and turned into garden mulch.
    Getting Paulownia to dry straight is a whole new problem though, probably something to do with "log tension" which seems to be a problem with this species.

  7. #6
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    Recently acquired one for our woodworking club initially triggered by the fact that we had some 2m x 400mm x 150mm C.L. slabs to reduce and this machine would appear to meet our needs and into the future with any other logs we can get (having limited space).
    The blade as supplied has 3 tpi and a small gullet so cannot clear the sawdust effectively. The saw would not cut straight because the blade distorted. We replaced the blade with a 2 tpi TCT with a deep gullet blade and it now cuts sweetly but.....
    Next thing we found was that the blade will not cut anything off the last 50mm slab that was left on the base. Presumably with a log you discard the last 50mm! We have put a 30mm glulam platform on the base, held by the dogs and then used clamps to hold the remaining slab while getting 2 more boards off it. Workable solution but a lot of whinging from our members about waste of money buying toy machines etc.
    One more thing. We are cutting the full 2m lenghths by running the saw to the end (1.5m), pulling the saw back to the start and just pushing the slab back over the blade. Works quite well.

  8. #7
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    Thanks cefn. I did wonder about the 3TPI blade. I hadn't thought about how much of the log would be left below the blade after the last cut....Now I know. The shine seems to be wearing off the idea.....

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  10. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by cefn View Post
    Next thing we found was that the blade will not cut anything off the last 50mm slab that was left on the base. Presumably with a log you discard the last 50mm! We have put a 30mm glulam platform on the base, held by the dogs and then used clamps to hold the remaining slab while getting 2 more boards off it. Workable solution but a lot of whinging from our members about waste of money buying toy machines etc.
    I wouldn't be complaining about the last 50 mm - many logs are not that straight to begin with. If the log it straight and base is coplanar with the blade I found it easier to extract stuff from the last 50 mm by flipping the remaining slab over and cutting the top off that. The flat surface makes it much easier to hold using dogs etc.

  11. #10
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    Good advice there Bob. Even when running a log through a conventional (upright) bandsaw I used to take a reasonable slice off the log and then use that flat face as the part of the log that sat on the saw table. The reason I liked the look of this saw was that I would not have to lift the log onto the table of the saw and keep it balanced up there. I thought about building a trolley gadget to hold the log for the first few cuts but it was getting all too awkward!

  12. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Old Hilly View Post
    Good advice there Bob. Even when running a log through a conventional (upright) bandsaw I used to take a reasonable slice off the log and then use that flat face as the part of the log that sat on the saw table. The reason I liked the look of this saw was that I would not have to lift the log onto the table of the saw and keep it balanced up there. I thought about building a trolley gadget to hold the log for the first few cuts but it was getting all too awkward!
    I'm a tad spoiled as I get to play with this one whenever I like.
    4.8m bed, 27HP donk, 35" wide cut, 1TPI 50mm wide blade.
    LSG1.jpg

  13. #12
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    I helped build something similar for a Paulownia plantation nearby but it takes 2 people to operate and is set up for longer logs. I really need something smaller and the Woodfast looked ideal even if the motor is a bit small.

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    I examined this unit in operation at the Maleny Wood Expo this year. On face value it looks to be a competent small bandsaw resaw mill and like any item being demo'd it was set up well on a nice log to perform well within its limitations. It also had a non-standard expensive blade on it! Many logs would requiring breaking down before the mill could handle them.

    It doesn't do much more than what a standard 400 or 500mm bandsaw can do, BUT it does have the huge benefit of reducing the required manhandling of heavy small logs. Vern's setup at TTIT could do more and is a much more versatile rig with his enhancements. ttit - The MillSled

    As John.G says you don't get much for $3k. For a back yard hobby wood turner / worker with a spare $3k and the space perhaps its a nice to have luxury, for a larger club more a necessity on manual handling safe operating practice principles.
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  15. #14
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    Thanks Moby,
    I like Vern's setup, it's well thought out but loading the logs like that would be a real challenge for me! I could do it with the loader on my baby tractor but getting the tractor into the shed poses a problem most easily solved by building a new shed. And that is probably not an option. As for the blades, I would probably need to change to a 2 TPI blade anyway which means ordering it from somewhere a long way away from here so the odd size isn't really a problem.

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    Hi cefn,

    I assume you are with the Caloundra woodworking club

    The ACT woodcraft guild also bought an HB350A after Wood Dust https://www.facebook.com/actwoodcraf...9405964007456/. We also had problems getting it to cut straight. We solved the problem with the bed leaving the last 50mm of the board by modifying both the bed (with a temp platform) and the dogs which are now higher, and now made from wood to safeguard the blade.

    Any updated information on your experience with various Blades and their results would be appreciated

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