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Hi All, am looking to buy a band saw and would appreciate some advice in relation to size and power.
Do all of my major cutting and ripping on my panel saw and really will only use for creating curved legs and features for tables and the like, work exclusively with recycled Australian hardwoods and would need a machine that could handle say 30mm recycled iron bark which is what I am currently building a table with.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Cheers,
Rudy
Any decent 14" or larger band saw should easily perform those tasks with quality blades.
I would be placing a high priority on decent roller guides, though there is nothing wrong with other guides if they are well setup and maintained. Band saws are finicky creatures with each model, even machine, having its own idiosyncrasies. Well worth the time and effort to learn to setup and use correctly. So many band saw "faults" are really operator error.
For years I tolerated the "Euro" guides on my Woodfast BS500, they worked - just! Totally transformed it's performance with a set of Carter roller guides and some great blades.
Second Mobyturns view,
Look for any bandsaw >14" with a solid column.
Good sharp blades are key, and guides set up correctly will reduce/eliminate drift. HP isn't that important, and most bandsaws will be spec'ed for its cutting capacity, if it does bog down, you'll need to cut slower or get a lower TPI blade for the saw.
If you're working with thick/long boards i find running the lengths on a table saw and finishing off the cut off on the bandsaw helpful.
Blade quality and fit for purpose is more important than the saw brand. Adjustable roller guides are a must. Keep the saw in tune. Even an expensive saw will perform poorly if these issues are not addressed.
Thanks for the feedback all, am now in the market for a second hand 14 inch band saw.