Grizzly G0513X2 Bandsaw

[SpiderDave]

Dave

 
Saw blade width and changing blades.   On the Grizzly, the slot in the table is perpendicular to the blade, which means that I start to put on the blade by standing to the side of the saw furthest from the spine of the BS, and the blade is in a circle where the teeth are pointing towards me - again away from the spine or back of the saw.   As I move the blade in the slot towards the cutout, I start to rotate the part of the blade that is to my left ( and will eventually go into the spine )  90 degrees clockwise - which causes the part that is closest to the cutout in the table to start to turn.  That is where things get a little tricky because I am trying to get the blade to rotate to the side and change its orientation so the teeth will face the front of the table, and get the rest of the blade into the body of the saw - and eventually get it in place in between the blade guides top and bottom as well.   The narrower the blade, the easier for me to do that dance.  Even when I opened the guides and set them all the way back, I found a wider blade would get caught somewhere, and I was always afraid I would kink the blade, or bend a tooth.  To me, it is much easier with a 3/4 inch to 1/2 inch blade to get it on and off without hitting things.  

Width of blade and tension.    While there is a lot of discussion, and various points of view, about tension for BS blades, there is general agreement that if the blade is not given enough, the cut will suffer.  When the tension is way too low, you will actually get a barrel cut.  ( The disagreement is what is enough tension and can it be measured accurately ,  most agree that the tension chart on the BS is a best a rough guide )   As square inches ( width and thickness of blade) increases, so does the force required to apply that tension.  http://www.finewoodworking.com/2012/11/0...de-tension   I haven't checked his math, but the article gives this example   For example, it takes approximately 200 lb. of force pulling on a 1/4-in.-wide by 0.025-in.-thick blade to create 25,000 psi of tension. Conversely, a 3/4-in.-wide by 0.032-in.-thick blade will require approximately 800 lb. of force to create the same 25,000 psi of tension.

By design, a BS has a spine end and an open end, and as you increase the tension on the blade, the open end of the BS is forced downward towards the table.  The more rigid the frame, the more it can resist the bending force, and so there are some that suggest that wider blades are better for very heavy duty machines, and home BS should try to use narrower blades, that they are better suited to be able to handle the pressure required to tension the blade.   

Hope this answered your questions.

Barry, That makes complete and total sense. Thanks for taking the time to explain that so well. I'm 'really' enjoying everything I'm learning here from everyone. Sooo glad I joined woodnet.

[F. E. B. III]

Right now you are my hero! That's what it was. The G0513X2BF instead of the G0513X2, which is what I originally wanted but couldn't afford blades if I did. It went through and has been ordered! Woohoo! Thank you so much!! I owe yuh one.

I was on phone with Grizzly for maybe 20 plus mins. They were frustrated with me, but trying hard and patient. Walker10 code didn't exist and nobody ever heard of it. And said mine was from summer of 2017 even though I just bought the Feb 2018 Tool Guide Issue on the 16th of this month for the coupon. I have to say they were really nice about it, for the record so was I. ha! I was trying to make the gal laugh and know that it wasn't the end of the world, but she was taking it pretty serious & even handing me over to management - also nice. I could tell there was some frustration & concern. Ordering the wrong saw was throwing them off on the walker code - totally my own fault for not noticing. Getting screen blindness from all the reading I've been doing. And the other code they said it's possible that Tool Guide is printing an expired coupon and they'll have to speak with them on it. All I know is my saw's coming soon. Thanks again for your unexpectedly and timely response, That's what made it all work out. Might not have even noticed it if not for that.  Thank You!!

Glad to hear it all work out!  That's a really nice saw.  Take it easy.

[SpiderDave]

I buy all my bs blades from suffuck machinary, they make them any size, and at a very good price, size should not be an issue.

Thanks wing nut. Also, I tried to look up that mod on the fence issue when you wrote:  While the fence is quite good, one minor quibble is that if you are using the tall fence, the handle is located on the near side of the fence, and if you have your stock on the table, you can't fully release the handle because it has to go about the table.  Years ago someone suggested an easy fix, which is to tap and relocate the handle on another face of the cam, and I did that .

Is there a key word to use to find that thread, or was it on another site? I was hoping to check that out but couldn't find it. If you don't recall, then no biggie. I'll keep lookin'. 

Since you have the G0513x2, do you know how tall the base platform on your machine is? On the specs I found footprint to be 27" x 17 3/4",  does that sound right? I ordered mine today, but I didn't get the dolly for it. Being a metal guy, I figured I'd make one instead. Looking at the photos of the machine it's platform has a thickness that the dolly would need to be below, as the machine sits into the craddle of the dolly. I'm assuming it'll need to be low enough for the pulley door to swing open properly. Hope that makes sense? Do you by chance know the height of that base platform piece? Or, is that asking too much? Figured it was worth a shot. Hoping to get it built before it arrives but don't want to mess up.  

[barryvabeach]

There are two ways to address the handle lock for the fence  ( note that if you use the tall fence in the low position, there is no problem, but if you use the fence with the tall fence in the high position, or leave it off entirely, which I do a lot, when the fence is unlocked, the handle points upward, above the table, which makes is tough to line up a cut line on your lumber with the blade, since the wood will keep the handle from coming up and releasing the fence.


The first method is pretty easy to see from this photo.  He has moved the handle back so it is even with the main body of the fence - that way it can go up and down without hitting the stock.  

   


The second option, which another user suggested, and I followed, was to tap another hole on the cam that the handle screws into, and tap that hole on the next face of the cam that is facing down.  That way, the handle points level when the fence can be moved, and points towards the ground when the fence is locked.  If you need a photo of the way I did mine, let me know.

[SpiderDave]

There are two ways to address the handle lock for the fence  ( note that if you use the tall fence in the low position, there is no problem, but if you use the fence with the tall fence in the high position, or leave it off entirely, which I do a lot, when the fence is unlocked, the handle points upward, above the table, which makes is tough to line up a cut line on your lumber with the blade, since the wood will keep the handle from coming up and releasing the fence.


The first method is pretty easy to see from this photo.  He has moved the handle back so it is even with the main body of the fence - that way it can go up and down without hitting the stock.  


The second option, which another user suggested, and I followed, was to tap another hole on the cam that the handle screws into, and tap that hole on the next face of the cam that is facing down.  That way, the handle points level when the fence can be moved, and points towards the ground when the fence is locked.  If you need a photo of the way I did mine, let me know.

Oh I see, thanks! I can see now, how that would be annoying having it there pointing upwards while working. The second method sounds like the most practical, probably the method I will go with. Though the other one in the photo was nicely done.  Photo's probably not necessary but I do appreciate the offer. Thanks for saving me some future headaches.

[barryvabeach]

Oh I see, thanks! I can see now, how that would be annoying having it there pointing upwards while working. The second method sounds like the most practical, probably the method I will go with. Though the other one in the photo was nicely done.  Photo's probably not necessary but I do appreciate the offer. Thanks for saving me some future headaches.

Dave, yes, the original poster did a really nice job, then the next guy realized that tapping a hole in the part of the cam that points down is much easier.

[Arlin Eastman]

Dave

It might be to late now but I really like this one from Grizzly which has the guides like the Laguna

http://www.grizzly.com/products/17-Bandsaw-2-HP/G0513

And a great price to.

[Arlin Eastman]

Barry, That makes complete and total sense. Thanks for taking the time to explain that so well. I'm 'really' enjoying everything I'm learning here from everyone. Sooo glad I joined woodnet.

We are glad you are here to.

[SpiderDave]

Dave

It might be to late now but I really like this one from Grizzly which has the guides like the Laguna

http://www.grizzly.com/products/17-Bandsaw-2-HP/G0513

And a great price to.

Never too late to chiime in. That's a nice one, also the one I was after. I ended up getting that same saw in the deluxe, with the foot brake etc. (G0513X2BF) Hasn't come yet though. Hopin' by the end of the week.

[mdhills]

Dave

It might be to late now but I really like this one from Grizzly which has the guides like the Laguna

http://www.grizzly.com/products/17-Bandsaw-2-HP/G0513

And a great price to.

I thought these guides are the european-style disc guides (not ceramic and with different support structure than the lagunas):


The Laguna-style guides have a pair of ceramic blocks on each side:


Some of the Grizzly bandsaws come with roller bearings:

I think any of them can work, although there are some differences for how easy each is to adjust, what blade widths each can accommodate, how each wears, and what the final support structure is...

If you really want a ceramic surface on your guides, Space-age ceramics makes some pieces that can be used to retrofit existing guides.

Matt