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They’re all the rage. But are they ready to resaw?
By David Thiel
Pages: 40-44
From the November 2006 issue #158
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You might be asking yourself, “Why are they testing such a specific saw category?” Good question. The general consensus is that steel-framed saws are more rigid than traditional cast-iron saws and allow more tension to be loaded on the blade. There are cast-iron saws that can stand the tension, but they usually are of a much older design or larger throat capacity. High tension is a good thing when you’re using your band saw for resawing. The tension offers a cleaner, straighter cut – important for waste reduction when working with expensive lumber.
We anticipated that all of these band saws would be good machines for general curves and joinery work – and they are. Our greater question was whether these steel-frame 14″ band saws actually lived up to the potential of operating as resawing machines – or whether they just looked cool. And that’s why we decided to put them to the test.
From the November 2006 issue #158
Buy this issue now
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