Stabilizing the bandsaw and 1" blade

[Scooby]

Howdy,

So I pulled the trigger for the Harvey Ambassadr C-14 bandsaw and have a couple of questions. I am also new to woodworking and this is my first bandsaw.

• The bandsaw is almost 400lb, 71" height but the base is only 24" x 15-3/4". I'm afraid it will tip easily once I put it on a mobile base. I heard people say bandsaw is top-heavy but it doesn't make sense to me. I'm thinking of bolting the base to a wider foot, say 2 pieces 3/4" x 28" x 20" plywood glued together, before putting the saw on the mobile base. Do you think it will help to stabilize the saw?
• They say the saw can accept 1" wide blade but I cannot find any 1" blade on the market except the crazy expensive 125" x 1" Resaw King from Laguna. For cutting the curve, I will buy the 125" x 1/4" 6tpi blade from Timber Wolf. What's your suggestion?

[RichardA]

There are many place online to buy bandsaw blades.  I haven't bought one in a couple of years.  There's Rockler, Acme tool, and a dozen more.  One of the guys will get you hooked up probably before the evening is up.

[B1rdhunter]

The Harvey is the same saw as my Laguna 14SUV , when you get done mounting the motor on the bottom you will more than likely lose your fear of it being tippy. Laguna Makes a 125x3/4 3 tpi for 39.99 and they have lots of different widths.

[wtnhighlander]

I concur with @B1rdhunter, the motor is the greatest mass in a bandsaw, and is usually mounted well below the centerline. The only case I see it tipping is if you drop a caster into a pothole while rolling it. It will be plenty stable while on feet, even with the original footprint.

[gee-dub]

My bandsaw weighs 345 lbs and the motor is only 24 lbs of that(?).  The cast iron wheels, guide post assembly and heavy table are all above my waistline.  Despite all that mass above the half-height mark it is not tippy at all but I don't move it far. The base has steel wheels which make it pretty stable when sitting still but it is only designed to move enough to allow clearance or access.  A base designed for rolling across the shop on a regular basis would do better for more regular moving around if that is required.  I did bolt my bandsaw through a double layer of 3/4" plywood that is about an inch larger than the bandsaw's base in every direction and then on through into the mobile base (door clearance). 

[Coop]

I bought the mobile base for mine and have moved it only 2’ in either direction, only for cleaning, 2-3 times in the last 5 years. I know, says little about my house keeping. You should be good. 

[Chestnut]

Unless you have a drastic need for a 1" blade you'll likely get better results with a 3/4" blade. At some point the saw's stiffness can't handle the larger blade.

I know it is really easy to tip my Laguna 14bx or 14|12 side to side but I wouldn't call them tippy even on the mobile base. The Harvey could be different though so idk. If the base makes you more comfortable go for it. Just don't make it so big that standing at the saw becomes awkward.

[Mark J]

I agree with Chestnut, et.al.  I bought a 3/4" RSK for my BS, but when it comes time to replace it I will step down to 5/8.   I have my saw on the Bora 3500 base, move it seldom, and when I do I push from a low point on the saw.  

[Scooby]

Thanks everyone for your tips. I wonder if the Timber Wolf Bandsaw Blade and Sawblade.com are good brands.

I kind of understand the TPI but not very clear the difference between flex back vs hard back character of the saw blade. Is it true that flex back is preferred for cutting curve/plastic while the hardback is better for resaw?

[Chet]

Highland Woodworking has a nice selection of bandsaw blades https://www.highlandwoodworking.com/bandsaw-blades-accessories.aspx

There wood slicer is a nice blade for re-sawing and other straight work.

[gee-dub]

Another agreement with Chestnut.  I run 3/4" Timberwolf blades as my general duty blades.  They wear out like most blades but I definitely get my $30 or $40 out of them.  When I run out I will probably not buy anything over a 1/2" going forward.  With the saw properly tuned up a 1/2" blade gives me 1/16" veneer any time I want it.  I keep a couple of 1/2" Wood slicers around for when I need a thin kerf cut.  My ReSaw King stays on the saw most of the time for . .. well . . . resaw ;-).  I don't see it offered in 1/2" anymore which tells you how long I've had it ;-)

[pkinneb]

My go to is the 1/2" Woodslicer blades from Highland Woodworking approx $35  blade.

[Chestnut]

I also use 1/2" wood slicers and they seem to perform just as well as the 3/4" resaw king i have if not better. I don't think my saw can tension the resaw king enough but can easily tension the wood slicer and that's the difference.

I use the wood slicer for veneer. I like the resaw king for day to day tasks, ripping, joinery, low risk resaw, etc. I run carbide blades because I'd go through too many $35 blades and they'd get expensive fast. It only took me 18 months to dull my RK. In the past i was dulling standard blades in 3-4 months. I figure the resaw king will be at break even at it's first sharpening and save me money from there out.

[Jonathan McCully]

Sounds like most of you are recommending 1/2" blades and the Wood Slicer from Highland as your go-to everyday use blade. Am I understanding this correctly? If I can get away with a $45 blade to do most of my tasks rather than spending $180 on a RSK, I may go that direction. Planning to buy my first BS in the near future and trying to understand what the blades I'd need to purchase would be. Seems like every tool is something new to learn.