Thread: Carbatec Bandsaws - How do they compare with other makes?

Just because a BS has a gap of 300 mm under the throat doesn't necessarily mean it will cut that depth of timber easily or even at all.
You need to bear in mind that generic BS assume the timber being cut will be relatively soft Northern Hemisphere varieties.
There is a world of difference between cutting pine and stringy bark and while a 2HP saw might cut 300 mm pine it will really struggle to cut 300 mm of stringy bark.
For something like stringy bark I'd be looking at a 4HP BS.

I'm not sure what length of logs you intend to mill but I reckon a 14" BS will be just too flimsy for anything longer than about 500 mm.

The members here that have tackled logs with their BS have built substantial jigs and rigs and feed in and out tables around a large BS.

My experience with milling logs on a BS is that it is nowhere near as easy as it sounds.
Just handling logs of any length on a BS is right PITA and can be quite dangerous.
I have a 19" Carbatec BS an modified it to run at variable speeds using a 3 Phase 3HP motor and a VFD.
I found using the fence was next to useless and so to mill logs up to 750mm long and 290 mm in diameter I built a dedicated log sled that relies on the BS table being a certain size and sturdiness. See Bandsaw log cutting sled
Any logs longer than 750 mm are really hard work unless feed in and feed out tables are used.

To tackle your logs you might be better off splitting the logs in half or quarters using a small chainsaw mill and then flattening the sawn face on a jointer- this will substantial reduces the weight of what you lift up to the BS

Our local Woodwork Club has a 2HP 19(?)" bandsaw - not sure which brand, but think it could be Jet.

With a semi good resaw blade, I cannot cut 220mm wide merbau.

For what it is worth, go for as much power as you can get.

Hi Ozcroz,

I recently purchased the Powermatic 14 from Carbatec, and so far am very happy with it. Powermatic have been around for a log time making fairly solid equipment. I think around 1999-2000 they sold out to Jet.

I have no experience of the Carbatec BS.

Mine also came with the riser block taking it up to 12" which was quite easy to fit (as long as you have a lifting device to hold the top in the air while it's fitted). It has a quick tension lever and a light which is a nice feature (though no globe).

It comes in 3 boxes so a little putting it together is required but the manual is in real English with easy step-by step instructions. I also found a quite useful video on YouTube that showed it being put together. So between the video and the manual it was a piece of cake.

It came with a 10mm blade, I also purchased a 6mm and a 3mm. The 3mm is quite good for scroll saw work. Blade changing is pretty straight forward. I also made a circle cutting jig as I do wood turning.

I have yet to try ripping down (re-sawing) a large log into slabs, but I think as long as you take your time, and secure the log into a suitable jig you could probably cut tall wood with care, though I'd bear in mind the previous warning regarding tall hard wood.

I have added a few pictures of an old olive log I was recently given. It ripped in half using the 6mm with very little effort. I then put it on my circle cutting jig and again it did the job with no effort.

Overall, I am happy, have no complaints, and would recommend it.

I did also consider the Jet 14" but it was around $2500, whereas the Powermatic 14 cost me around $1650 in Dec 2017 when it was on Special from the previous $1950.


Turning - Old Olive Log Bowl - QCBA3930.jpgTurning - Old Olive Log Bowl - QCBA3932.jpgTurning - Old Olive Log Bowl - QCBA3936.jpg

Yep cutting up logs in a bandsaw is not as easy and straight forward as one would assume.

When i first got my 16" bandsaw, my neighbor was throwing out some reasonably sized logs of olive wood during the annual green bulk rubbish. I thought ahh perfect opportunity to test out my bandsaw/ripping blade.

Each of the logs were obviously green and about 40cm long and probably around 10-12" thick. After about 45 mins of bogging down the 2hp motor, and frustration I managed to cut about 20cm and thought I'd better do more research on proper bandsaw safety and technique. Glad I did because i'm pretty certain that if i kept at it i'd probably would have either broken something or lost an appendage.

I cut up short bits of logs on my 2hp saw usually for turning blanks. It only has a 10'' depth of cut but it will cut that in hard dry wood. I made a small sled that will hold about a 2 foot log. More than that i could not lift anyhow and I dont think the table would take the weight either. I figure that more than I can lift is too much for the table to take. Would I use it as a sawmill to cut long heavy logs on a regular basis then no. The motor would likely not like it long term. You would need a sled(to stop log wanting to roll over when being cut) for whatever length of log you want to cut and that in itself will be heavy plus loose you some depth of cut. For regular sawmilling you will need to be in the expensive higher end range saws.
A 2hp unit is a good mid range saw for most home woodworking jobs but they do have limits.
Last item is avoid cutting really green wood on a bandsaw. The sap can really gunk up the blade and tyres. A real pain in the rump to clean off.
Regards
John
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=b...w=1081&bih=502

Originally Posted by BobL

Just because a BS has a gap of 300 mm under the throat doesn't necessarily mean it will cut that depth of timber easily or even at all.
You need to bear in mind that generic BS assume the timber being cut will be relatively soft Northern Hemisphere varieties.
There is a world of difference between cutting pine and stringy bark and while a 2HP saw might cut 300 mm pine it will really struggle to cut 300 mm of stringy bark.
For something like stringy bark I'd be looking at a 4HP BS.

I'm not sure what length of logs you intend to mill but I reckon a 14" BS will be just too flimsy for anything longer than about 500 mm.

The members here that have tackled logs with their BS have built substantial jigs and rigs and feed in and out tables around a large BS.

My experience with milling logs on a BS is that it is nowhere near as easy as it sounds.
Just handling logs of any length on a BS is right PITA and can be quite dangerous.
I have a 19" Carbatec BS an modified it to run at variable speeds using a 3 Phase 3HP motor and a VFD.
I found using the fence was next to useless and so to mill logs up to 750mm long and 290 mm in diameter I built a dedicated log sled that relies on the BS table being a certain size and sturdiness. See Bandsaw log cutting sled
Any logs longer than 750 mm are really hard work unless feed in and feed out tables are used.

To tackle your logs you might be better off splitting the logs in half or quarters using a small chainsaw mill and then flattening the sawn face on a jointer- this will substantial reduces the weight of what you lift up to the BS

Thanks BobL for your advice. I obviously haven’t thought through the details of cutting logs on a bandsaw. This was brought home to me by reading your referenced article on the impressive band saw log cutting sled you made. I can see why the 14” saw I can afford will not “cut it” 😀. As you say the logs get heavier and more difficult to handle the longer they are. I know about this as I cut trees (usually fallen or already dead or both) on my land for fire wood each year.

I can see that getting the log into the gap between table and saw head is no guarantee that the saw will have the power to cut it in reasonable time, if at all. In this regard Carbatec do do a 3HP version of the 14” saw for an additional $300. I know that this too will still have its limitations; but the next 3HP model is a 21” and way out of my budget at an additional $1000 on top of that!

So I will have to reign in my expectations and buy the smaller saw for the “run of the mill” jobs 🙄; or wait until I can save for and justify the larger model. Your suggestion to split logs on a chainsaw mill into more handle-able pieces makes sense. This would also help me get more wood out of a log by reducing the overall wood lost, when compared with using the chainsaw mill for the entire planking process.

I obviously need to do some homework before I rush in. I really appreciate you taking the time to help. Thanks, ozcroz.

Thanks DAL1957 for your interesting reply complete with pictures. You certainly are having success with your 14” BS cutting an olive log.

As I was advised in the previous post by BobL, I need to realise the limitations of the 14” BS in size and power rating. If you read my reply to BobL you will understand my current thinking. However you have shown how good work can be done on a smaller BS as long as its limitations are known and care is applied - as with all such potentially dangerous cutting machines.

I know how hard stringybark wood is when it is dry. I have found by experience that it will not accept nails except by drilling a hole first, so that bolts are better used when building structures with it. So any cutting will be much easier done in the “green” condition. Then, of course, drying produces distortion so that finishing on a Jointer and Thicknesser will be nessary.

Therefore if I attempt to plank smaller pieces of wood on a BS I will probably exclude stringybark and focus on pine, at least to start with. As you say, using a suitable jig and limiting the size of the log in length and section should yield positive results. BobL’s suggestion of using a chainsaw mill to prepare logs into more handle-able sections is a good one.

I really appreciate your input. Thanks, ozcroz.

PS Love your dog!

Originally Posted by ozcroz

So I will have to reign in my expectations and buy the smaller saw for the “run of the mill” jobs ; or wait until I can save for and justify the larger model. Your suggestion to split logs on a chainsaw mill into more handle-able pieces makes sense. This would also help me get more wood out of a log by reducing the overall wood lost, when compared with using the chainsaw mill for the entire planking process. .

If you split the log with a Chainsaw mill with some care it is possible to generate a flat enough surface to readily resaw half or quarter of a log with a 2HP BS. You could even do this with a 14" 2HP machine.

Hi tonzeyd.

Thanks for your post. You found out the hard way that cutting logs on a BS is harder than it would first appear! I’m glad too that both you and I sought help and guidance on this attractive way of cutting our own wood. The attraction is tempered by realisation of the difficulty and dangers inherent in milling wood using novel methods. I am so glad that members like you provide information to newcomers on the knowledge and experience you have gained.

Thanks, ozcroz.

Hi orraloon.

Thanks John for your advice and experience in using a BS for milling wood logs. You have understood what I am coming to realise about the difficulties inherent in this process. You have chosen to do this sensibly using wood pieces limited in size and weight to those you can handle without difficulty.

It is certainly a good rule of thumb to limit the sizes you use in this way; and to think about the relationship of these limitations to what your BS can handle.

Still a well designed and constructed jig is nessary to process the wood competently and in safety. Thanks for the reference to jigs already designed. There are certainly enough of them to choose from! Do you favour any one or other of these designs?

Your advice regarding the limitations of smaller BS’s is well taken and echoed by other members, as you most likely have read. I guess the old adage applies - “horses for courses”.

I appreciate your input to the discussion. Thanks, ozcroz.

Originally Posted by BobL

If you split the log with a Chainsaw mill with some care it is possible to generate a flat enough surface to readily resaw half or quarter of a log with a 2HP BS. You could even do this with a 14" 2HP machine.

Hi BobL.

Thanks for your advice. It is encouraging to know that the 14” 2HP BS should be capable of this. Knowing this helps me to decide which way I should go. I guess that based on most replies more power is better but cost is always an important factor. In this regard, I just went to the Carbatec web site and the BS’s have returned to their pre-sale prices so that may inhibit my foray into these machines for the time being.

I appreciate your helpful advice. Thank you, ozcroz.

Originally Posted by cava

Our local Woodwork Club has a 2HP 19(?)" bandsaw - not sure which brand, but think it could be Jet.

With a semi good resaw blade, I cannot cut 220mm wide merbau.

For what it is worth, go for as much power as you can get.

Hi cava.

Thanks for your input. That’s certainly worth knowing. I have learned to appreciate from this thread that high expectations are often grounded when reality kicks in! The advice I am taking is that limitations in size, weight and hardness of logs need to be addressed. In addition more power and larger BS’s are capable of doing more; but even these have their limitations. So I am going to give all of this my consideration and look at what I can realistically expect for a certain number of dollars spent.

I appreciate your input. Thank you, ozcroz.