The blade guard operates on a rack and pinion whereby winding a knob up/down raises/lowers the guard. It casts a shadow of the blade and upper blade guide assembly onto your work so you can’t really see what you’re cutting, so I never use it. The blade guide assemblies use bearings which is good.
The BP-255 bandsaw though small in structure but quality is still evident as it includes ball bearing blade guides to ensure smooth blade rotation & accuracy. Ball bearing blade guides to ensure smooth operation. Hinged top & bottom blade guard doors enables quick blade replacement.
6th September 2015, 03:57 PM.I agree – a 2nd hand bandsaw would be the way to go if you want to wait long enough for one to come on the market at the right price!! However, I imagine that a 14″ bandsaw isn’t something quickly upgraded – and only sold if someone is quitting woodworking or because the machine no longer is performing adequately. Anyway TrickinWood, my thoughts would be that the 10″ budget/hobby bandsaws around the $350 price tag are much of a muchness. “Of the ones you have listed within your price range, I would lean towards stretching that little bit more for the BP-305 if in your situation.With a 1HP motor, advertised cutting depths of 175mm/widths of 310mm … and only $522 – seems like the perfect fit for your needs. For mind this would be the perfect compromise – if you can’t find a good 2nd hand 14″ bandsaw within your timeframes, and can’t/don’t want to drop $800 – $1100 on a new 14” bandsaw.
“The middle size of a range of three saws, this machine has been designed and appointed to suit the home user, and considering the price range, it has some handy features. Supplied for testing with a Starrett 1/2”, 6tpi blade, this machine required very little tuning to perform some clean and effortless cuts in hard and softwoods up to 75mm thick. Adjustment on the guides was not quite tool-less, with an allen key required for the lateral adjustment of the wheels. All adjustments are easy to make, with a quick-release tension lever, hi-low rip fence on a rail with ruler, solid rack-and- pinion table tilt, quick-release adjustment of the pulley for changing between the two available speeds, smooth and lockable post height adjustment and a lockable wheel for blade tracking.
The BP-255 bandsaw though small in structure but quality is still evident as it includes ball bearing blade guides to ensure smooth blade rotation & accuracy. These provide optimum blade support and are almost impossible to wear out. For your convenience, a rack and pinion system adjusts the upper blade guide height to suit your timber.
bp-255 – wood band saw review Related Question:
Is Hafco any good?
The Hafco Air Cleaner is great, and a few bucks cheaper than other identical models with the same features. Scheppach CS55 track saw has it’s downfalls, but very good for 1/3 of the price of other models on the market. Both items were shipped to me within days which was awesome!
Is a band saw good for cutting wood?
With the correct blade, a band saw can cut wood or metal, in either curves or straight lines. Blades come in a variety of widths and tooth counts. Narrower blades are good for tighter curves, while wider blades are better at straight cuts.
How thick of wood 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.
What size bandsaw is best?
For a hobbyist, a 12″-14″ bandsaw is the ideal size. This size saw will provide plenty of power and a good deal of resawing capability. A professional will be better served with an 18″ bandsaw for a larger resawing capability. Choosing a 14″ band saw would provide plenty of power in a smaller footprint.
What materials can a bandsaw cut?
Most bandsaws have two wheels rotating in the same plane, one of which is powered. The blade itself can come in a variety of sizes and tooth pitch (teeth per inch, or TPI) which enables the machine to be highly versatile and able to cut a wide variety of materials including wood, metal and plastic.
What is a band saw used for in woodwork?
A band saw can be used to cut curves, even in thick lumber, such as in creating cabriole legs, to rip lumber and to crosscut short pieces. The most common use for the band saw, however, is in cutting irregular shapes. The second most common use is in resawing or ripping lumber into thinner slabs.
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.
What is the difference between a metal cutting band saw and a wood cutting band saw?
A metal cutting bandsaw is typically built more solidly than a saw designed for cutting wood, so there are no issues with the machine itself. As for the blade, the wood fibers could clog the metal blade’s teeth more quickly, and the blade will probably cut through the wood more slowly.
Can you cut metal with a wood band saw?
Band saws are not suitable for cutting very thin sheet metal; a rule of thumb suggests the metal to be cut should be thicker than the depth of 3 band saw blade teeth, however they are excellent for cutting thin walled profiles such as box and angle.
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 inch bandsaw 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.
Why is my bandsaw burning the wood?
A majority of issues with wood burning is because of a dull saw blade. These blades may not be sharp enough to efficiently cut the wood, and thus create enough friction to heat and burn the wood. What is this? Dull blades make it more challenging to cut, which causes friction as you pass the wood through.
What kind of band saw blade should I use?
Use coarse tooth blades (2 or 3 TPI) for re-sawing and cutting thicker materials. For general wood cutting duties in typical 3/4″ material, use a 4 TPI blade for coarse, fast cutting and a 14 TPI blade for slower, smoother cutting. A blade in the 6 to 8 TPI range provides good general-purpose performance.
What is the difference between a band saw and a table saw?
Instead of the solid, circular plate of steel with carbide teeth on a table saw, the blade of the band saw is exactly that—a narrow, flexible band of steel with teeth formed along one edge. The band saw blade is stretched and driven between two or three wheels.
What does bandsaw size 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.