Bandsaw shopping, £600 budget

[OscarG]

Cheers for reply. I was intending to use a dust extractor but I take your points! I was concerned about that brush, but having scanned the instructions, they do have one on the lower wheel.

I'm having cold feet about this machine now! £600 is a lot of dough for something not tip-top!

Thing is I don't need an industrial quality machine, I'm a weekend warrior and 90% of the time this machine will be cutting bits of 12mm mdf/ply. I would however like the option on rare occasions of cutting out 2 inch thick hardwood for guitar bodies, cutting a scarf joint on say 3 - 4 inch thick stock or if possible a veneer on a 6 inch bit of hardwood so I can make my own bookmatched guitar caps.

I was actually toying with getting 2 bandsaws, a good powerful one for the occasional guitar stuff, and a real cheapo 2nd hand tiny benchtop one for cutting small bits. Save me changing blades, or dulling a good blade, cutting crappy bits of MDF etc!

Hmmm, might have to rethink this!

 

[sunnybob]

I think you missed the main point...
£600 is NOT a lot of money for something tip top. It really isnt.

But from what you describe as the normal workload, you dont need a 2 grand machine.

From your list the item that will sort the men from the boys is the 6" wide bookmatch veneer.

But I can do that on mine (with a good tuffsaws blade), so its not impossible.

As long as you go in with your eyes WIDE open, knowing the faults, buy the best machine you can afford, and just expect to do some remedial work

 

[Yojevol]

In your position, Oscar, I would be really tempted to have a look at https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Elektra-Beck ... Swm8NbDVu6 It's being sold by a chap in Ashford who has sold quite a bit of woodworking kit to satisfied buyers and looks to be an honest guy. He's even given his mob number so you can have a chat. Replacing the motor capacitor would be an easy job. This could be a real bargain.
Brian

 

[E-wan]

The criteria I have set myself for my imminent bandsaw Purchase are slightly different

I'm looking for something as heavy And over built as possible but still need to be able to move it small distances. Usually only pulling it forward a couple of Feet from the wall to allow me to saw longer pices .

I have been looking at the record power sabre 14 or 18" as they Advertiser small set of trolly wheels. Would be happy to consider startrite or other reputable manufacturer but haven't seen similar machines advertised with wheels.

Can't currently envisage needed to cut anything more than 200mm deep.

Am I likely to gain much by looking at a heavier machine for up to 2k or is something like the saber 14 likely to cut smaller pieces just as well as a large machine.

Also for dust extraction is more powerful helpful or do you just need it to be good enough for the machine you intend to use it with.

Thanks

Ewan





Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[sunnybob]

we've done most of that to death, but extraction is vital on a bandsaw, it makes a LOT of mess. Every machine has a rated extraction figure in the specs. You need to be close to that or dont bother at all.
If theres a 4" dust port on it theres no point in putting a domestic hose to it.

 

[loftyhermes]

I can resaw 8" Oak with a 1/2" Tuffsaw Supertuff Fastcut blade on my second hand Charnwood W730 no problem either.

How long have you had the machine? You happy with quality of it?

Oscar,
I've had it 2 years now, no idea how long the previous owner had it, or how much fettling he'd done, but I fitted new guide bearings for peace of mind. The top guides where stuck up at the top and still haven't got round to sorting that out. I wouldn't say the quality is the best but it's never missed a beat, once set up doesn't move and it'll cut anything I can get under the guides and to me that's all that matters.
Steve

 

[OscarG]

I can resaw 8" Oak with a 1/2" Tuffsaw Supertuff Fastcut blade on my second hand Charnwood W730 no problem either.

How long have you had the machine? You happy with quality of it?

Oscar,
I've had it 2 years now, no idea how long the previous owner had it, or how much fettling he'd done, but I fitted new guide bearings for peace of mind. The top guides where stuck up at the top and still haven't got round to sorting that out. I wouldn't say the quality is the best but it's never missed a beat, once set up doesn't move and it'll cut anything I can get under the guides and to me that's all that matters.
Steve

That's what I wanted to hear! Thank you.

I was originally drawn to this Charnwood machine because one of my fave YouTubers (Rag'n'Bone Brown) did a video on one. Having revisited the video and looked at replies to comments, 2 years later he still seems very happy with it.

Just looking at other brands, Fox for example, seems to be same machine as the Charnwood predecessor to my machine.

https://www.poolewood.co.uk/product/cha ... dsaw-w730/
https://www.poolewood.co.uk/product/fox ... -f28-194b/

Wondering if it's worth driving myself nuts over brand's quality if they share the same basic build?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The problem being that it's the parts that aren't shared that are the important ones.

 

[loftyhermes]

I've never heard a good word said about the Fox brand, so I would avoid that one.
Steve

 

[OscarG]

I've never heard a good word said about the Fox brand, so I would avoid that one.
Steve

Ha...cheers, will do!

It seems Clarke have a clone of this Charnwood B350 too!

I've just contacted Charnwood to see if their wheels are iron or alloy.

 

[sunnybob]

plus one for giving fox the finger.

 

[loftyhermes]

Mine are alloy.
Steve

 

[memzey]

Seriously- I know I’ve said it before but for the kind of money that you are looking to spend I doubt that you are going to get a better machine than a used Startrite 352. Well designed, well made (in England) from high quality components and plentiful in the second hand market. What’s not to like?

 

[E-wan]

Seriously- I know I’ve said it before but for the kind of money that you are looking to spend I doubt that you are going to get a better machine than a used Startrite 352. Well designed, well made (in England) from high quality components and plentiful in the second hand market. What’s not to like?

So what might people be replacing their Startrite 352 with if there regularly seem to be some of these going second hand

Ewan

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[thick_mike]

Seriously- I know I’ve said it before but for the kind of money that you are looking to spend I doubt that you are going to get a better machine than a used Startrite 352. Well designed, well made (in England) from high quality components and plentiful in the second hand market. What’s not to like?

So what might people be replacing their Startrite 352 with if there regularly seem to be some of these going second hand

Ewan

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Businesses close, old blokes become infirm or die, young blokes have kids or get divorced. It’s the circle of life ;-)

 

[custard]

So what might people be replacing their Startrite 352 with if there regularly seem to be some of these going second hand

They're not replacing them with anything. The 352 was the standard machine for school workshops, now that schools are abandoning woodwork and selling off the kit there's a glut of them, same story with Record 05 bench planes.

Tragic really.

 

[OscarG]

Mine are alloy.
Steve

Yeah just had it confirmed by Charnwood. They did say they were balanced though.

I asked about possibility extending the warranty but they don't do that, they do offer a large spares and engineer advice thing.

I've read a load of reviews and youtube comments. I'm yet to see someone have any concerning problems with their versions of this machine. I know I flip-flop like a voting voter but I'm leaning strongly towards it again now.

I've looked on ebay but machines are either too far away, too heavy, phase 3. I haven't really been tempted by anything secondhand yet.

 

[dynax]

if i'm in an indecisive situation, i will do the heads or tails coin toss to decide,

 

[loftyhermes]

Mine are alloy.
Steve

Yeah just had it confirmed by Charnwood. They did say they were balanced though.

I asked about possibility extending the warranty but they don't do that, they do offer a large spares and engineer advice thing.

I've read a load of reviews and youtube comments. I'm yet to see someone have any concerning problems with their versions of this machine. I know I flip-flop like a voting voter but I'm leaning strongly towards it again now.

I've looked on ebay but machines are either too far away, too heavy, phase 3. I haven't really been tempted by anything secondhand yet.

Yes I know what you mean. I was looking at getting a Record but this Charnwood came up local at the price I'd have been a fool to turn it down and as it turns out it was a good investment.
Steve

 

[memzey]

Seriously- I know I’ve said it before but for the kind of money that you are looking to spend I doubt that you are going to get a better machine than a used Startrite 352. Well designed, well made (in England) from high quality components and plentiful in the second hand market. What’s not to like?

So what might people be replacing their Startrite 352 with if there regularly seem to be some of these going second hand

Ewan

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Others have already answered so I won’t be adding further other than to note that their continued availability and stable prices in the second hand market bear testament to their longevity. If they were poorly made tat then you’d have to assume that they’d all have been scrapped rather than passed on. I don’t have an interest in the OP’s bandsaw choice to be clear - in case the suspicion is that I’m selling them on eBay or something! I’m just sharing the benefit of my experiences when I was faced the same decision and the same budget a couple of years ago. I wish him good luck whatever he chooses.