UglySteve Posted September 7, 2010 Report Share Posted September 7, 2010 Hello, I've got about $1200 to spend on a shop upgrade and I have a couple things in mind that I need, but I want to spend all the money on one item so i can get a little nicer item than the 600 each models. What I need currently are: A good bandsaw and a drum sander. I was looking at the Powermatic PWBS-14CS and the Jet JWBS-16B. For drum sanders I was looking at the JET Model 16-32 Plus Package and the Delta Model 31-260X. A few projects I have coming up are a new Bed for my wife and myself as well as an audio cabinet for blue-ray, Reciever, PS3, etc..., 2 desks for the kids and a few other odds and ends. I have made a few chessboards for people and have opted to pay the local hardwood store $25/15min to run them through the drum sander. I'd rather do it myself, but a good bandsaw would also be nice. I currently have a wobbly craftsman 12" bandsaw which is good for nothing. Any help is appreciated. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renzo Posted September 7, 2010 Report Share Posted September 7, 2010 My advice is while a drum sander is great there are other ways to accomplish the same task (planer, belt sander, handplane etc), a good bandsaw is indispensible. That being said I am also lusting after a drum sander Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Trace Posted September 7, 2010 Report Share Posted September 7, 2010 I haven't a clue about the drum sander, however, I have a Craftsman12" band saw. If you are having "wobbling" problems, there are several posibilities. 1. The bearing for the top wheel is bad, or 2. the top wheel is not properly aligned and tightened enough. 3. The blade guides are worn or misaligned. I had the same problem with the one given to me. I also replaced the tires on both wheels. The saw actually works very well, but it is not the top grade saw available. It requires a sharp blade of the right kind for the type sawing being done. I'm probably not telling you anything you don't already know, but attention to each of these items turned a junker into an adequet saw for me. I also have a bench top Delta that is good for the small pieces I make. Good luck with your search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpLev Posted September 7, 2010 Report Share Posted September 7, 2010 you'd be better off complaining that you don't have a drum sander to sand all those curved parts you've just bandsawed, then complaining that you don't have any parts to sand in your spanking new drum sander but that's just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowchaser Posted September 7, 2010 Report Share Posted September 7, 2010 I may be different, and believe me i would love all the goodies and best, but... I would rather spend money for 1 of each and be able to do it all then do it 1/2 way and have to wait for the other half. HOWEVER.. I am at a crossroads of do I buy a lunchbox planer right now or a jointer. Would love an 8 inch, but electrictiy wise I can only get a 6 inch, but I am fine with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMarcel Posted September 7, 2010 Report Share Posted September 7, 2010 Maybe consider which tool you'll need first. If you are doing more chess boards, you could use the drum sander first (I have the Jet Performax 16-32 and like it; can't speak for the Delta). Your entertainment center likely will be more flat work or minimal curved work the existing bandsaw can (painfully!) handle. On the other hand, if you're cutting Christmas ornaments , you'll want a decent bandsaw first. Another consideration: between now and New Years the woodworking dealers are going to have more and more sales. I often see very good bandsaws on excellent sale; in fact I bought mine on a very good sale in a December. I can't say I see drum sanders on sale often if at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin57 Posted September 7, 2010 Report Share Posted September 7, 2010 I'm not sure which one would help you the most right now but I will offer this advice. Be sure you'll be happy with "just" a 16/32 sander. I bought the Jet 16/32 a couple of years ago and now I'm trying to sell it and get the 22/44 oscillating. I really thought it would be all I needed but now I'm building larger sized furniture and I really can use the larger model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Slack Posted September 7, 2010 Report Share Posted September 7, 2010 I will tell you what I tell my clients "you know the answer". So in your mind you said that is better to buy one item instead of splitting. Second your job, your application and projects decide which one of the items is more important. Third, you know where you are and where you are going. Then make your decision. Good luck and Paul said something very good, wait until the December sales come, wait and then get some more mula stacked you may be able to get both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UglySteve Posted September 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2010 Thanks for the replies. My craftsman bandsaw has been collecting dust and spiderwebs in the corner for the past several months so I finally took it to storage yesterday. My primary use for the bandsaw would probably be more for cutting veneers than for curves. Veneers 3" or less I can cut on the table saw but anything over that will be an issue. the bandsaw would probably be more "useful" but the sander would be so NICE to have as a time saver luxury than as a utilitarian machine. Perhaps I can wrangle up the money for the second machine and tell my wife it was a 2 for 1 special. Two items for double the price of one! By the way...the delta sander is an 18 x 36. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iSawitFirst Posted September 7, 2010 Report Share Posted September 7, 2010 I have the Grizzley G055 bandsaw with the riser block and think its a great value. Its on sale here. I have the Jet 16-32 and am mostly pleased with it. Getting the drum parallel to the table was tough and I still don't have it exact, but its good enough for what I use it for. If I had to choose which one to get I'd definitely go with the band saw. While the drum sander is indispensable in some cases, I use the bandsaw 50 times more frequently. You'll also want to get an oscillating spindle sander for sanding curved shapes. I just bought the Triton OSS from Woodcraft and love it (I've seen too many negative reviews of the Delta so beware). Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmaichel Posted September 8, 2010 Report Share Posted September 8, 2010 I don't currently own a band saw or a drum sander but if I were in the market for one I would go with the Grizzly G0513P that is currently on sale for 698+ shipping. This is a 2hp 17" saw with a 12" resaw capacity without requiring a riser block and is worth consideration at that price. The same model in green has gotten great reviews and from what I hear grizzly has excellent customer service. 700 bones for a 17" band saw seems like a great deal. http://www.grizzly.com/products/17-2-HP-Bandsaw-Polar-Bear-Series/G0513P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted September 8, 2010 Report Share Posted September 8, 2010 Hello, I've got about $1200 to spend on a shop upgrade and I have a couple things in mind that I need, but I want to spend all the money on one item so i can get a little nicer item than the 600 each models. What I need currently are: A good bandsaw and a drum sander. I was looking at the Powermatic PWBS-14CS and the Jet JWBS-16B. For drum sanders I was looking at the JET Model 16-32 Plus Package and the Delta Model 31-260X. A few projects I have coming up are a new Bed for my wife and myself as well as an audio cabinet for blue-ray, Reciever, PS3, etc..., 2 desks for the kids and a few other odds and ends. I have made a few chessboards for people and have opted to pay the local hardwood store $25/15min to run them through the drum sander. I'd rather do it myself, but a good bandsaw would also be nice. I currently have a wobbly craftsman 12" bandsaw which is good for nothing. Any help is appreciated. Steve Steve, I don't have the exact Delta drum sander you referenced, but I looked at it and the same engineering problem exists. The table moves instead of the drum head. This is a constant PITA! Since I have what I have, it will be a long time before I can upgrade to a Performax 22/44. The engineering problem causes you to constantly have to adjust the infeed and outfeed support. It's INSANE!! I really wish I would've known more when I bought this, because I would have chosen the Performax 16/32 instead. Then you set up the infeed and outfeed support once and you're DONE! Just some food for thought. Vic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drallred Posted September 8, 2010 Report Share Posted September 8, 2010 I have both a 14" Powermatic band saw and a Jet 16-32 drum sander, I love them both and use them constantly. When I run a board through the planer and get snip, I set the drum sander and take off just enough to smooth the board, The only problem I have is it took a while to learn how much to sand off, kept burning the board and messing up the sand paper. I am now working to install a Wixey planer height gauge to the unit to give me better control. The band saw, I use to cut curves, small pieces of wood, templates and a lot of other things, I have the extension block but have not installed it, don't really need it at this time. If I had to pick one it would be the band saw and then a spindle sander to smooth the curves, which I also have. Choose wisely! David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renzo Posted September 8, 2010 Report Share Posted September 8, 2010 I take back what I said.. This drum sander seems like a steal.... Anyone have any experience with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Slack Posted September 8, 2010 Report Share Posted September 8, 2010 I don't use a drum sander at all for solid wood. I use my planer, glue up pieces, then use my Lie-Nielsen Nbr 7, then a 4-1/2 smoother and now I just got my scrapers. Lightly sand and you are done. So my approach from a power tool guy is different. My sanders are the Festool rotex models. The original post was about the upgrade and I think that having a bandsaw will give your shop much more versatility, you can do a whole bunch of stuff like curves. There you have my $ 0.02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UglySteve Posted September 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2010 Well, here's an update...again thanks for all the responses. That grizzly stuff looks like it may be worth a look. I walked into a pawn shop today to sell an old Delta Miter saw. While there, I did a double take, as sitting right next to the tool room of the pawn shop rested a drum sander. And not just any drum sander, but a Jet 22-44 Plus which as you know, retails for $1500 at woodcraft. It also had the $132 casters installed as well as the $109 infeed/outfeed tables. They didn't know what they had and I got it for $200 out the door, tax included. It's in excellent shape and looks to be very lightly used. They said they bought it off a woman who was cleaning house after a bad divorce. I talked them down from $500. I know how to read some pawn shop codes to know how much $ they have in their inventory. They only had $150 in it. Then I said, "Look, that thing is huge and taking up valuable floor space...$200 out the door and I'll take it right now." Manager was called and said yes. Additionally, the business two doors down from mine is a home theater business specializing in high dollar installations of cabinetry and entertainment systems. I was talking to the owner and found that he has a powermatic 14" bandsaw that he's wanting to sell. It's also in excellent condition and is currently gathering dust in the corner. I don't have an asking price yet, but i think i'll probably be interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanJackson Posted September 13, 2010 Report Share Posted September 13, 2010 Hello, I've got about $1200 to spend on a shop upgrade and I have a couple things in mind that I need, but I want to spend all the money on one item so i can get a little nicer item than the 600 each models. What I need currently are: A good bandsaw and a drum sander. I was looking at the Powermatic PWBS-14CS and the Jet JWBS-16B. For drum sanders I was looking at the JET Model 16-32 Plus Package and the Delta Model 31-260X. A few projects I have coming up are a new Bed for my wife and myself as well as an audio cabinet for blue-ray, Reciever, PS3, etc..., 2 desks for the kids and a few other odds and ends. I have made a few chessboards for people and have opted to pay the local hardwood store $25/15min to run them through the drum sander. I'd rather do it myself, but a good bandsaw would also be nice. I currently have a wobbly craftsman 12" bandsaw which is good for nothing. Any help is appreciated. Steve I spend <$500 on a Grizzly 14" bandsaw, and love it. Unless I was doing *huge* resaw jobs - full slabs from large trees, maybe? - I can't see needing more myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yaakov763 Posted September 13, 2010 Report Share Posted September 13, 2010 Get the biggest best bandsaw first. You can use the bandsaw for so many more thans. That being said, I have the Jet Drum sander 16-32 and use it primarly to make veneer. It is a good piece of equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgdaniel Posted September 13, 2010 Report Share Posted September 13, 2010 Since you already have an avenue for getting pieces drum sanded, I'd say you've answered your own question... it seems to me it would be way harder, or just not possible or practical at all, to "outsource" your band saw work... so many things you can do on a band saw... pretty much just the one thing on a drum sander... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaissanceWW Posted September 13, 2010 Report Share Posted September 13, 2010 I think the majority here is to go with the bandsaw and I can't say I disagree. I would love a drum sander too, but I don't think I would use it even 1% the amount I use my bandsaw. Like some of the points above say, you don't have to spend a fortune on a saw. I have a $500 Grizzly and it suits me really well. I wish I had some more power to do wider resaws but that is the only thing it is lacking. However, you really need a chunk of change to get a decent drum sander. You could be fine getting a good saw and banking what's leftover or investing in high quality blades. Regarding the chess boards. Are you making end grain chessboards? If not then a planer or hand plane will surface those just fine and no need for a drum sander. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sawdustislife Posted September 13, 2010 Report Share Posted September 13, 2010 I'd have to agree with a lot of the other folks here. Best band-saw you can get with that budget and then get the drum sander later. I went through this same quandary about a year ago. I went with the band-saw first (Grizzly 17" 2hp) and I'm currently saving up for the drum sander. For me at least, that was the right move. I've used that band-saw far more than I originally thought I would. In fact I sometimes wonder how I made it as long as I did without a band-saw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteJr Posted September 14, 2010 Report Share Posted September 14, 2010 Get the Powermatic PWBS-14CS and you can saw & resaw, scroll, cross cut and rip to your hearts content. It's the most versatile tool in my shop next to the drill press. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UglySteve Posted September 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2010 If you'll look a few posts back, you'll see that I found a fantastic deal on a drum sander (jet 22-44 plus with stand, casters and tables) and i"m now working on getting a bandsaw. I've been thinking about the powermatic, but I'm a little concerned about only having 6" resaw capacity. has this been a problem for anyone? I may find myself needing to cut veneers of 8-10". also, how does it rate with power? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UglySteve Posted September 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2010 I'm also looking at the Grizzly G0514X2 19" Extreme Bandsaw-3HP, Single Phase which i can have delivered to my door for $1400. Does anyone have experience with this machine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMarcel Posted September 15, 2010 Report Share Posted September 15, 2010 I have a Rikon 14" bandsaw. There are a few things I'd change about it in a perfect world, but otherwise quite good. Not to sway you to it, but it has 12" (and a hair) resaw capacity and I've exceeded 6" many many times. I wouldn't want one with only 6" capacity. Even if you were just making drawer sides and wanted thinner stock, you wouldn't want to be limited to 6" sides (cuz nobody wants to later glue-up thin stock for sides). There's another thread called "18" Bandsaw" that will have more info you'll be interested to read. Also I'm not a fan of riser blocks; to me they seem like an afterthought of the manufacturer to compete against other higher-capacity saws. "Afterthoughts" are rarely well engineered or trouble-free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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