Tools for HARDWOOD

[yonygg]

Hello to all you woodworkers out there!

I'm still starting my way in woodworking and I'm just starting a project of setting up my 1st basement workshop, and I'm still gathering tools for that.

My dad has some old Craftsman powertools from the early 80's that he's not using anymore (but all working): 1HP tablesaw, 0.5 HP bandsaw, a jointer (I forgot to check the HP rating on it), and some more

He always told me that his saws and jointer are only good for softwoods.

The catch here is that I only like working with hardwoods, and I couldn't find an informative article about what tools are required for working with hardwoods.

Any tippers about what tools I should aim at when it comes to hardwoods?

Thanks

Jony

[Rick LoDico]

I'd go ahead and try out that TS and jointer and see how they fare. Nothing to lose there. The bS probably won't resaw very well but it will cut curves. Replace them as you grow in experience and need.

[Beechwood Chip]

He always told me that his saws and jointer are only good for softwoods.

The catch here is that I only like working with hardwoods

I think the only problem is that the tools could have more horsepower. Just make sure that your blades are sharp and clean, and don't try to cut thick pieces of wood, and you should be fine. I like to use a thin kerf blade with a less powerful table saw, to reduce the load on the motor.

[wilburpan]

There aren't really any machines that are specific for hardwoods or softwoods, to my knowledge.

I agree with the recommendation to make sure the blades for the machines are sharp, or even better, replace them with new ones, especially in the case of the bandsaw.

As far as the HP issue goes, sharp blades can go a long way in making up for HP. Back in the day, bandsaws in the 14" size routinely came with 1/2 HP motors, and the woodworkers back then used them for resawing.

[nateswoodworks]

One thing to remember is that tool makers have always played the horse power game, relationship between speed and torque is what HP actually is and for a long time nobody watched over them. Because of this manufactures could use either stalled or sustained toque ratings; and because of this you can get two very different numbers. The reason I say this is don't let the number of HP control your thinking, like Beachwood said slap a thin kerf saw blade (the blade is thinner and removes less stock so it uses less power) and you can go with a lower tooth count as well, it will cut a little rougher but your jointer should take care of that. As for the bandsaw like Wilbur said they all used to have smaller motors, when I bought my old Rockwell used it had a 1/2hp motor on it. I don't know what was originally on it but I completely rebuilt it and put a 1 1/2 hp on and I wouldn't trade it for anything. One last thing, the very best tool that is not tuned properly will work like junk. Take your time and tune them up, it will make them work better but even more importantly you will get to know your machines better. Marc has a section of video's "tool setup" that should get you in thr right direction. Good luck,

Nate

[russjohnson]

I've not been doing woodworking long and agree with the advice above but I would add a couple of suggested tools:

Set of Chisels

Flush Cutting saw

Random Orbiting Sander

Circular Saw

I've found all of these useful doing different tasks in the shop especially mine where I don't have a lot of space.

[yonygg]

I like to use a thin kerf blade with a less powerful table saw, to reduce the load on the motor.

What would be considered as a thin kerf blade for the TS? I mean in inches. ?

[yonygg]

and you can go with a lower tooth count as well, it will cut a little rougher but your jointer should take care of that.

As for the bandsaw like Wilbur said they all used to have smaller motors, when I bought my old Rockwell used it had a 1/2hp motor on it. I don't know what was originally on it but I completely rebuilt it and put a 1 1/2 hp on and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

What tooth count would you recommend?

And in general, how is blade selection being done? (what tooth count and what kerf should one choose for every purpose? Are there any rules of thumb for that? is that shear experience?) maybe I should open up a new thread just for that?

And another thread I should open is - tools rebuilding.

I was actually thinking of that and even asked Marc about it and he said he'd never done it. How is replacing a motor for your powertool being done?

[yonygg]

I've not been doing woodworking long and agree with the advice above but I would add a couple of suggested tools:

Set of Chisels

Flush Cutting saw

Random Orbiting Sander

Circular Saw

I've found all of these useful doing different tasks in the shop especially mine where I don't have a lot of space.

I actually have all except for the Flush Cutting saw which I don't know what it is exactly... :-)

[Beechwood Chip]

What would be considered as a thin kerf blade for the TS? I mean in inches. ?

I think anything less than 1/8" is considered thin kerf. Usually they advertise themselves as "thin kerf".

I liked my "Freud LU83R010 10-Inch 50 Tooth ATB Thin Kerf Combination Saw Blade with 5/8-Inch Arbor" when I had a portable, low powered saw. I still use it now that I have a contractor saw.

[wilburpan]

What tooth count would you recommend?

And in general, how is blade selection being done? (what tooth count and what kerf should one choose for every purpose? Are there any rules of thumb for that? is that shear experience?) maybe I should open up a new thread just for that?

Bandsaw blade selection really isn't that hard. There are only two things you need to keep in mind.

First, for long straight cuts, you'll want a wider blade. I'm assuming that you have a typical 14" bandsaw. That type of bandsaw should be able to handle a 1/2" blade, which most would say is as wide as you can go.

Second, the thinner the wood, the more TPI you want, and the thicker the wood, the less TPI. That's why for resawing, a 3 or even 2 TPI blade will work well. But for making basic cuts in 4/4 stock, a 6 TPI blade will work better. A good rule of thumb is to try to have 4-6 teeth in the thickness of the board, which is why scroll saw blades have such fine teeth.

If I picked out my three most commonly used blades, it would be a 3/4" 2-3 variable TPI blade for resawing (my bandsaw is a larger one capable of dealing with a 3/4" blade), a 1/4" 6 TPI blade for tighter curves in boards 1" thick or less, and a 1/2" 6 TPI for long straight cuts in boards 1" thick or less. Out of these, the 3/4" 2-3 variable TPI blade gets used the most by far, as I wind up using it for long straight cuts in boards 1" thick or less anyway, because it's too much trouble to change the blade for me, and if it's a straight cut, I'm going to be hitting the edge with a hand plane to clean it up anyway, so the smoothness of the cut doesn't matter much to me anymore.

In your case, a good start would be a 1/2" 3 TPI blade, since a 14" bandsaw won't be able to deal with a 3/4" blade. This willtake care of resawing and straight cuts. Add on a 1/4" 6 TPI blade and maybe a 1/2" 6 TPI blade, and you'll be able to cut anything unless you are making very tight curves (then get an even narrower blade), or stock thinner than 1/2" or so (in which case you need a blade with a higher TPI).

Don't worry about the kerf issue for now, except that I'll say thinner is better for the most part. Unless you are trying to resaw veneers in very expensive wood and need to conserve every last bit, the kerf won't matter too much.

[russjohnson]

I actually have all except for the Flush Cutting saw which I don't know what it is exactly... :-)

I have two that I purchased from HF however I can only recommend the Japanese Flush Cut saw (http://www.harborfreight.com/japanese-flush-cut-saw-39273.html). You can find higher quality and more expensive ones at woodworking stores and online.

[LordLQQK]

What would be considered as a thin kerf blade for the TS? I mean in inches. ?

Thin kerf is usually 3/32nd of an inch. Full kerf is 1/8th.

LQQK

[Jim Rimmer]

To add to the previous answers:

1. I have a Freud Glue Line Thin Kerf Rip blade for my TS. Not too pricey and a good blade to start with while you learn.

2. Tune up the machines - everything tight, fence square to blade, blade square to table, etc.

3. No such thing as power tools made for softwoods vs hardwoods.

4. Check this site for BS blades and info - http://www.suffolkmachinery.com/default.asp They make Timberwolf blades.

When you're ready to order, cll them and they will work with you to get the right blade for what you are going to do.

[yonygg]

I'm assuming that you have a typical 14" bandsaw. That type of bandsaw should be able to handle a 1/2" blade, which most would say is as wide as you can go.

No, unfortunately I only have a 12" BS (an old 12" Craftsman bandsaw from the early 80's).

Will a 1/2" blade still be the widest I should be able to use on it?

[wilburpan]

You still should be good with a 1/2" blade.

Suffolk Machinery is a very good place to get bandsaw blades, as has been mentioned. They have a very good chart of what blades are good for which purpose here. But the best thing to do would be to call them, tell them you have a Craftsman 12" bandsaw, and that you want a bandsaw blade for resawing/cutting 4/4 stock/cutting 8/4 stock/making curved cuts/whatever, and they'll give you a good recommendation as to what you should get.

[DeanJackson]

What tooth count would you recommend?

And in general, how is blade selection being done? (what tooth count and what kerf should one choose for every purpose? Are there any rules of thumb for that? is that shear experience?) maybe I should open up a new thread just for that?

A thin kerf for a 10" blade is usually 0.1". A normal kerf for a 10" blade is 1/8" (0.125"). If you use a thin kerf blade, a dampener/stiffener might help; otherwise, the blade might wobble a bit.

A blade with lots of teeth (60+) is usually only used for crosscuts; cutting across a 2x4", for example. It will give a smooth, smooth cut.

A blade with very few teeth (24ish) is usually only used for ripping; cutting along the length of a 2x4. It will give a decent cut.

Blades with more (80) or fewer (12?) are very special purpose; save the money.

A decent combination blade (30-40 teeth) does both ripping and crosscutting pretty darn well; get a combination blade first.

After that blade starts to get dull, you might think about separate blades for separate tasks, but the combo blade will cover 99% of jobs well enough.

Low horsepower shouldn't stop you. You'll just need to take shallower cuts; cutting through 2" of hard maple on a small tablesaw will cause the cut to move slowly, and the wood will burn. Cutting through 1/2" of maple shouldn't be any problem. Having these new tools will enable you to do more anyways, so you're already winning.

[yonygg]

Thanks everyone.

The info, tips and links are very helpfull.

I would love to hear more tips for blades selection if you have any, and I'm sure all the other newbies like me will.

Cheers!