Hate to rehash some things that I know have been discussed in general, but I’ve got some questions and am eyeballing a couple specific models for guitar building, Grizzly G0555 and G0555x. Grizzly seems to offer a good value for capable bandsaws. I have regretted purchasing “Good enough for now”.
“Basically the standard and correct answer I think is you want some form of a well built Delta or Delta style 14” bandsaw. The older the Delta saw, probably the better, as long as the motor is good. It’s really handy, I have the Delta in my dustroom and the little sears can sit on my bench when I need it, with the little blade it’s very good for cutting curves.
There are many uses for a table saw in guitar building. “A joiner is used to put a straight edge on a piece of wood. This can be especially helpful if the piece of wood is three feet long or more. It is also used to flatten one face of a board before putting through the planer. If you buy rough cut lumber both faces are bump and far from smooth. One face will need to be flattened before it goes in the planer or there will be trouble. For guitar building an 8” model will suffice. “For guitar building a 12” table top model will suffice.
As others have stated, what bandsaw to get depends on what you want to cut and what you want to spend on the saw. I’ve cut 9″ deep rosewood and cedar on it, amongst many other things. With the 6″ riser installed, there is a lot of “bounce” in the upper wheel reducing cut quality: unless the riser is needed for capacity, I use the saw without the riser.
Bandsaws are one of the most important tools that luthiers use in order to cut guitar fingerboards, shaping guitar bodies, necks, and other pieces repeatedly with little to no deviation from the intended measurements. Hand cutting movement isn’t as precise as the bandsaw’s, and also the blades will heat up more, which eventually leads to breaking and losing their cutting edge. While bandsaws are excellent for building guitars, they also enable you to optimize and repurpose wood, cut curves for molds, cut 2 or more pieces in a consistent way together on top of each other, book matching that beautiful piece of wood, and building totally unrelated objects that will be useful nonetheless.
Now the next step was the get a decent band saw with a rip fence to cut the sites, neck, etc. I was close to getting a 9inch from Harbor Freight yesterday, but no rip fence stopped me. Now I could always get a Kreg Rip Fence but at the point I’m close the price of a Grizzly 12 inch, with rip fence.
It’s a fast and safe way to move the big machines. The same machine was posted again for $300! And I actually had a little bit of spare money. It’s amazing how much pounding and vibration a machine gets in a 40 mile trip up the California freeways.
best bandsaw for guitar building Related Question:
What size band saw for guitar?
A band saw is very versatile and will perform any number of tasks such as cutting out shapes, re-sawing, and even joinery. Any 14″ band saw should be adequate to the guitar making tasks since the wood we use in guitar making is relatively small.
How do I choose a bandsaw for woodworking?
The two main things to consider when choosing a band saw are the depth of cut and the throat. The saw’s depth of cut is the distance from the table to the upper blade guides. Many band saws are marketed on this feature alone, which tells the prospective buyer how thick of stock can be cut using the band saw.
What machines are used to make guitars?
Handcrafting guitars is a time and labor-intensive method of production. Some common tools used by luthiers today are a Band saw, Drill Press, Table Saw, Stationary Sander, Jointer, C Clamps, Sanding Board, Column Sander, Power Planer, Dovetail Saw, Scraper blades, Hand Files, Router, and Sand Paper.
What does a 14 inch bandsaw mean?
Rob Johnstone: Band saw sizes are derived from the diameter of the wheels in the saw. So a 14-inch band saw will have wheels that are 14-inches in diameter. There is another measure that indicates how wide a board you can resaw.
How much HP does a bandsaw need?
A 3/4 or 1 HP bandsaw is pefectly adequate for re-sawing stock at home….
How thick can a 9 band saw cut?
There are several $99, 9 inch band saws on the market in my area (Ryobi, Skill). The are able to cut a thickness of 2 ½ inches.
How high can a bandsaw cut?
The resaw capacity is the maximum height (thickness) that can be cut. For the small shop furniture maker, go with 14″ as the minimum for a bandsaw, though 16″ is better. Those doing larger work might even want 18″ or 20″ machines. Just make sure you have a minimum resaw height of 12″ for versatility.
How long does it take to make a guitar by hand?
At Martin, it can take between three and six weeks to build each instrument; more complex guitars can take up to six months. And during peak production, the factory can put out more than 250 guitars each day. But there’s still a bit of uncertainty — trees are living things, so each piece of wood is different.
What kind of wood is used to make guitars?
Guitar bodies use a combination or southern and northern wood. Northern wood is often used for the top of the body, while southern wood is often used for the sides and back. The top is particularly important, so the excellent resonant qualities of spruce (a kind of pine) make it an ideal material.
What does resaw mean on a bandsaw?
A resaw is a large band saw optimized for cutting timber along the grain to reduce larger sections into smaller sections or veneers. Resawing veneers requires a wide blade – commonly 2 to 3 inches (52–78 mm) – with a small kerf to minimize waste.
What is a horizontal bandsaw?
Horizontal band saws utilize a thin metal “ribbon like” loop with hardened teeth moving in a generally horizontal plane to cut metallic objects. The moving blade sweeps an arc thru a fixed cutting plane to produce repeatable fixed angle cuts. Only straight cuts at a fixed angle can be made on the horizontal band saw.
How thick can a bandsaw cut?
Band saws are the undisputed champ when it comes to cutting curves and slicing through thick material. Many small band saws can slice though lumber a full four inches thick, and bigger saws handle six-inch cuts.
Can a band saw cut curves?
Whether it’s a tight curve or a closed opening, you can cut it on your band saw with a couple of easy tricks. Cutting on the band saw can be the same thing. The narrower the blade, the tighter the spots you can cut; in fact, some band saw blades rival a scroll saw for cutting tight curves.
What is the difference between a band saw and a scroll saw?
Now, one of the really big differences is that the scroll saw’s blade moves up and down, whereas the band saw’s blade moves in a continuous downward motion. Band saws also differ in the thickness and size of materials which they can handle.
How much power does a bandsaw use?
For ordinary work, cutting through no more than 1.5″ (4 cm) of wood, at speeds below 2000 fpm, 1/3 HP is adequate. If you want to do a lot of resawing, and run the saw at high speeds, you may want up to 1.5 hp. A sharp blade will use less than half the power of a dull blade.