Thread: Feedback on Laguna 12/14 bandsaw needed

Thanks for the review labrat. After checking the Laguna range out i had my mind made up on the new 14BX but reviewed the info again and all i was gaining over the 14/12 was a bigger motor with the foot brake with auto cutoff, the light socket and the revised on/off switch but these were not deal makers for me. I spoke to Cameron about what i wanted to do and expected and he said the 14/12 would be more than enough so i saved the $400 and bought the 14/12. He also agreed the base was not rigid enough to handle the mobility base so i got the 4 wheeled base instead.

With no stock it will be a few weeks before i take delivery and I'm looking forward to slicing up the fiddleback Blackwood and other stubborn timbers i have.

I know this is an 'oldish' thread but my comments from today are relevant. I'm having what I call a "conscience day", catching up on mail, paying bills, doing a few LOOOONG overdue chores, some essential shopping (beer, pizza bases, cheese, Oreos) AND a few shed tasks that should have been done before.
I am currently making a special piece of furniture and I was horrified during the week when I could only resaw 2 15mm thick 200 mm wide panels out of 50mm thick stock?
Ive had my Laguna 14/12 for 12 months or so I guess BUT I had never really set it up properly, so I sat down and watched the Alex Snodgrass bandsaw tutorial ..... with coffee and OreoS. I am aware that he is controversial to some with his assertions ...... "there is no such thing as bandsaw drift" ..... "all of the books are wrong" etc but such was my shock with wastage through the week, that CONTROVERSIAL seemed appropriate today. I followed his instructions to the letter and, even though I was previously "happy" with my Laguna 14/12, I am NOW officially "delighted".
After about 40 minutes work, my Resaw King blade can now happily cut 3, 2 and 1 mm thick veneers from this (admittedly narrow) piece of ARC...

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.... and the surface finish shown below with the Sun shining on, and then raking across, the surface, is very acceptable to me.....

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I then resawed a 200/250 mm wide piece of Oregon into a 4mm veneer also with very acceptable results

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One pass per face through the drum sander will be all that is needed to have fully usable veneers.
I am now convinced that I can get 3 15mm thick 200 mm wide slices of sapele from the 50mm stock compared to 2 last week.
To bring it back onto the original topic, I got my Laguna 14/12 with a 4 wheeled mobility kit from the beginning and a VERY EXPENSIVE Resaw King blade. I can NOW say that it exceeds all of my expectations but that performance is down to how I set it up. It is definitely a NO REGRETS purchase.

fletty

Originally Posted by fletty

Ive had my Laguna 14/12 for 12 months or so I guess BUT I had never really set it up properly, so I sat down and watched the Alex Snodgrass bandsaw tutorial ...I followed his instructions to the letter and, even though I was previously "happy" with my Laguna 14/12, I am NOW officially "delighted".

Yep, if you do it the "Snodgrass" way its all or nothing. You can't just take some of it. It works on both my bandsaws and neither of them are Laguna.

Good to see such nice results Fletty.

Cheers

Doug

Just bought a 14/12 b/s. A fantastic machine. So much going for it.

Originally Posted by doug3030

Yep, if you do it the "Snodgrass" way its all or nothing. You can't just take some of it. It works on both my bandsaws and neither of them are Laguna.

Good to see such nice results Fletty.

Cheers

Doug

What Doug said

I set mine like that from day one on the 14BX, no drift, even on the blade that is in serious need of resharpening.

Hi Fetty
what size resaw king are you using please?

I had a 19mm on my 14/12 but I thought it was a bit too wide as the edge of the blade was ok on the top wheel but hang over the edge of the bottom wheel

About a month ago the resaw king snapped and I am yet to replace it

thanks

Rob

Hi Rob, I also have the 19mm RSK. I'll go down to the shed shortly and photograph the blade on top and bottom wheels.
fletty

Hi Rob, here are pics of the 19 mm (3/4") blade on the top and bottom wheels respectively.....

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I hadn't released the blade tension so this is the set up used for the resawing yesterday. The Snodgrass method recommends the bottom of the gullet being on the centre of the top wheel and then the alignment of the bottom wheel looks after itself?
This raises another issue. There seem to be a lot of reports of the RSK snapping? I wonder IF there is any correlation between the blade snapping AND releasing or not releasing the blade tension at the end of the session? For example, I do not release the blade tension and I (so far) have never snapped a blade?

fletty

PS, rotate pics 90degCW in your mind to visualise

Originally Posted by fletty

This raises another issue. There seem to be a lot of reports of the RSK snapping? I wonder IF there is any correlation between the blade snapping AND releasing or not releasing the blade tension at the end of the session?

That's the trade-off for running these blades on a 14" bandsaw wheel. Compare the flexing the blade gets each time it goes around the Laguna 14" wheel to the much less flexing it gets on my 21" resawing bandsaw for example. The smaller the wheel the more flexing and therefore the more metal fatigue. I think you will find it is more about wheel size than whether you release the tension or not. Its a trade-off for having a smaller saw.

The tendency to break is also compounded by the blade thickness or more correctly, "thinness" if there is such a word. This is a trade-off for having a thin kerf and therefore less waste.

Originally Posted by fletty

For example, I do not release the blade tension and I (so far) have never snapped a blade?

No but you will probably need to replace your tension spring sooner and if you have a long period between jobs you might come back and find the blade sinking into your tyres. there could be other issues as well.

Cheers

Doug

my 14/12 is coming up for I think 2 years (memory being what it is can usually double that) has had the resaw King on for almost the entire time first one snapped within a month replaced no charge second one the teeth were incorrectly set could not get a clean cut replaced no charge third one been on not taken off not retensioned has had couple of Thousand meters of hardwood through no probs and the 14/12 still going strong.( of course I've now jinxed that and it'll all turn to s... now)

Thanks Fletty,
I can see clearly how you have set it up. The back of the blade must be well over the wheel rim on the top ... I felt uncomfortable about this and so I stuck with the Laguna recommendations and had the blade centred on the top .. so the teeth protruded past the edge on the bottom wheel.

I used to release the tension after each session .. but more recently i keep the tension bar up all the time.

I have noted a few posts where the RSK has snapped on a 14/12... any way .. mine bent in two places so I binned it. Maybe the way you have it set up is the manner to avoid breaks?

I like the saws capacity and the way it cuts... but mine is the model without the updated safety switch and w/o the foot brake. Good features but i can live with what I have.

Thanks

Rob

Well i finally collected my 14/12 and have spent a few hours assembling and setting up. The setup was done following the Alex Snodgrass link that was posted previously and i found his method using the roller bearing guides easy to follow but the ceramic guides on the 14/12 are more fiddly and its harder to do minute adjustments. The fence was out of square to the table by 3mm so i had to space it out with a strip of edge tape to get it right.
This is my first band saw and i can't remember ever using one so i was a bit apprehencive when i hit the go button but after running the first piece through i was hooked and got straight into resewing some Silky Oak and Beefwood for pen boxes. I did over a dozen cuts with 100mm high boards and the saw handled it with ease and the cuts were clean and only needing a touch up with 120 grit paper. It's been a long time coming but this saw is going to save me so much time not having to set up the table saw and in thicknesing and sanding and not to mention the waste i was producing.