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At first, i was looking at my EIR billets and thinking there's not much savings in what I bought. After doing more research on other types of wood, I'm now thinking i could save a ton on things like curly maple or quartesawn sycamore and many others.

Now, im really excited about getting my own saw. I still may not recoup my money in guitar builds, but it sure would be fun doing it.

I've seen a lot of used sub $1000 saws that have 1 1/2 to 2 hp motors. I'll be shooting for the most hp I can find, but i don't really want any more than 2hp due to 20A limitation in my basement. I've already sold off $300 dollars worth of unused stuff to go towards this purchase.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

Whether it's a hobby or a side business often times friends or friends of friends find some old hunk of wood grand dad had in the basement and just give it to you. Or sometimes you find a steal on Craigslist. It's good to have a resaw. I got this puppy used for $500 bucks with a 3HP motor. Power is good for resawing.

It’s not too hard to add a 220v circuit if you can get to your electric box. I tend to think that whatever saw you buy, you’ll wish you bought a better one, so don’t purposely limit your search.

Wiring a motor for 220 will drop the current at the panel by 1/2.
A 220VAC circuit will also reduce voltage drops during high load (V drop is in the wire from the panel).
I wired the motor in my table saw to 220V and it eliminated brown outs and under power/ power sags when making heavy cuts (3" Ash in my case). My lil' PowerMatic PBWS 14 has never had a power problem resawing.

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Measure Twice,

Karl Borum

Holy crap, look at that blade! Yowza

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

Yeah, i can easily add a 220 circuit.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

It's been my experience that if you do some serious shopping for billets you can usually get somewhere between 2-3 sets for the price of one dimensioned by someone else. SO, just as an example if you are cutting sets that would retail for $100 you'd need to cut 30-40 to pay for a $2K saw.

If you've spent a lifetime collecting nice wood and get into building guitars it doesn't take much to justify a new tool.

Then there is the almost free wood from old furniture, doors, etc. you can now cut up for guitars.

One of my bros in Florida had a tree cut down in his yard, some kind of rosewood. He has cut a bunch of fingerboards and bridge blanks and has some set aside for sets. It's beautiful stuff and will easily pay for his new saw.

Then there are the rare finds in 2x10s at home depot for tops.

You will never be disappointed with a new or used bandsaw upgrade. Check craigslist.

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Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED

I've looked at home stores in 4-states for 15-years and never found anything suitable for tops, unless you're good with 4-6 piece tops. I resawed some good looking cedar posts, but it's just not worth the work when a AAA cedar top is $30. Brace wood, on the other hand, abounds.

Back and sides wood is reasonably easy to find, so long as you're happy with domestics and "alternative" exotics. Mahogany is still out there, but actual rosewood is hard to get ahold of in sizes suitable for backs. Stuff like african mahogany, sapele, walnut, quartersawn oak, and bubinga is a lot easier to put your hands on.

On the question of "Paying for your saw..." That assumes you'll sell sets. That was always my plan, I just never got past the "Hoard" phase.

My opinions:

We're all tool freaks/addicts at some level. BUT...A resawing-capable bandsaw takes a cash investment, wiring (220v?), and the trouble of installing it and its looming presence in the shop. If I was a working luthier, I'd be able to amortize its use. As an amateur, if I made more than two a year, I'd be sleeping in the shop and wouldn't recognize my long-suffering family. That monster bandsaw can easily be a one-trick pony. I already have a general-use bandsaw that does a zillion jobs. I wouldn't be spending all I mentioned above on a tool that turns up two b/s sets a year, max.

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Peter Havriluk

And we have the voice of reason.

Yeah, i keep thinking about how many sets i can buy before it equals the price of the saw. That's using logic that i dont like to apply to my beloved hobby. In this case, it may be the right move. Depending on the price. I'm not going to spend thousands. Im looking for a used saw capable of the occasional resaw like a Rikon 14 or anything i can find for $600 to $800. I have no desire to cut sets for a living, so if the saw i get struggles a little with some woods, im ok with that. I used under powered tablesaws all my life and never cared that it took a little longer to make my cuts. Sharp usually takes care of that and blade selection.


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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

How many slices of back pieces should i expect from a 2" thick board? Im having a friend do it on a very large industrial saw. He's thinking 7 slices.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

If you get too greedy, you waste wood. The minimum slice I would try to cut would be .2”. Allow .1” for kerf, that’s .3 per slice or 6+ slices assuming everything goes well. Test the first slice with a piece of scrap. Things don’t always go well and the slices can come out uneven. If you’re lucky and you’re getting even slices, then you can reduce the thickness a bit. It’s a lot easier to sand the board thinner than it is to put wood back on a too thin edge.

Sides, being not as wide, are easier to cut and easier to cut thinner.

I have Imbuia floor boards that are 3/4in thick and I get 4 pieces out of one of them to make 4 piece backs. I totally agree with Bob though and greed creates waste but I have no option with the floor boards and have been able to pull it off. Each one when finish sanded is 3/32in. But it is VERY close. On that board I would easily get 7 pieces too.

That still brings a smile when I read that quote, from an old 2010 post, around the time when everybody was getting a new 18 or 20" Rikon.
I had only discovered forums, mainly this place, and living in a townhouse, digesting everything I could from the free wifi at the window.
viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=27887&hilit=I+could+resaw+in+my+sleep

A new 20" machine was next on my list of tools to be acquired, what turned out to be quite the rabbit hole of sorts.
Long story short, the new budget machine had issues, which neither the shopkeeper nor the company rep succeeded to sort.
Got a refund in the end, which wasn't easy, not a nice experience, with the last rub from the shopkeeper stating there was basically no alternative, well perhaps in that price range, which I sort'a took up as a challenge!...

Whilst around that time I started to visit another UK forum, and through reading that I gained the knowledge of
using VFD's /inverters to power up three phase equipment, as there were buy and sell type websites becoming quite popular.

I ended up finding an oldish Italian saw from Novellara for 500 quid, (half the price of the new 20" saw I had, though battered it was.)
ACM who make saws for Laguna, strictly with the LT series, and likewise Felders premium line of older FB saws,
is probably the best blueprint to study in regards to knowing what to look for, because there's plenty of corners cut on some newer saws made today.
These Italian saws have been the same design since the late 80's, with very little changed, a time tested recipe.
Not to forget some other Italian brands like Centauro or Meber, some particular ones from those two being very nearly the only fully adjustable
bandsaws ever made.! i.e a guaranteed or foolproof design.

I've spent some time Centaurolizing my machine, as it has had a non adjustable motor in it's past life.
Point being, every saw made today features a non adjustable motor, so hence the suggestion to study the Italian saws made in the late 80's to present.
Reliable cast iron, not questionable alloy, i.e wheels, table, trunnion, tension assembly.
Hefty sized wheel shafts, bearings, of which being standard, likewise with v belts, readily available locally.
No odd alloy bits bolted onto the wheels like on some of the Taiwanese saws,
and a fully adjustable lower wheel, which has been the norm for a long time...(going back to the blueprint, if you like)
with a hub surrounding the lower wheel shaft, with 4 bolts pressing on the shaft to tilt the wheel.
That important feature is missing from the above, whilst on some Chinese saws, not even pretend adjustability.

So my advice might be to consider 3 phase, my 600mm/24" wheeled saw...(bigger than I was looking for but very comfortable)
has a 3hp motor, and I can run it from my household plug, using the VFD with it's motor taming soft starting
compared to the previous single phase 2hp machine, which I wouldn't have been able to run in this renter,
without getting an upgrade to the supply.

Chances are an older example of one of these machines will have tires needing re profiling again,
so will run terribly until dressed, vulcanized rubber, and not snap on rubber bands offered, means the likelyhood of someone
getting replacements might very well be lessened, hence you might get one of these for a song.

Just make sure the wheel bores are sound, either by hands on or by listening for groans or thunks.

I'd never buy a new bandsaw again, as I'd want to make sure it stood the best chance of longevity,
which would mean cutting a big hole to allow the motor to pass through the frame, in order for a no compromise setup
regarding wheel and motor alignment.
As things stand now, it's a bit of a joke, so my fair warning to anyone going new being to make sure it's not too much bother to send back.


All the best
Tom

If things are cutting well you should be able to get 5 slices per inch, depending on the kerf of the blade…

Just to finish up my suggestion, since there hasn't been too many bandsaw threads here in a long time...
Here's some of the oldest Italian machines without any wheel adjustability!
It's the next line of these saws which are worth studying, just so it's noteworthy of what one should be looking for,
as things have been practically unchanged since then, and which are the ingredients to look for regarding the copies of these saws
built in the far east.
Some making a better copy than others, so it's worth looking at the details, and not the brand name.

To start off with I suppose it would have to be the leaders of the pack, a highly regarded company from Modena
(all these companies, of say around a dozen being only a few miles from each other, look up Eric Loza's posts on the Creek, or indeed their website Centauro SPA for that)
This NL what became the CO doesn't feature the hub which tilts the wheel, (I'll get onto the next one later)


Next I suppose is the one which I would guess you might have seen sometime,
a Meber P400, of which Laguna branded, also without lower wheel adjustability


Here's an old ACM from 1983 built much the same as above


Those being the big three, but there are/were a few others too making saws sized from anything like 400mm and upwards.
I mentioned the Centauro first, and the Meber second, in no particular order...
though just not ACM before them, as that will round things up.
(and posting the larger of the saws so you can see things better)

Here's a piccy of a more recent, but old Centauro CO, (might have been some little changes made before the important ones)
which is a foolproof design, not only the wheel being fully adjustable, but the motor aswell.
Italian's leading the industry by now, for good reason.


The Meber saws from this era have equally the same guaranteed design


But ACM never decided to go that route for some reason.
A lot less of a footprint this 440mm wheeled saw takes up, due to the small table.
A good shot of the hub you should be able to see, i.e actually ability to tilt the wheel.


Most Italian machines being very similar these days, with no corners cut regarding the components,
i.e belt hub cast into the wheel, and not some questionable alloy plate bolted onto the wheel to drive it


No need post the cornercutters, just look at the back of the saw and see for yourself.
Could mention plenty more things nicer on the Italian saws, like guides but that's not so important, well not compared to the rest of the parts.

That should be enough to inspire someone to seek out something decent, as by now it might be becoming clear why there's a high likelihood
of finding something out there that's affordable, and not being bothered if it doesn't run nicely.
Doesn't have to be from Italy, just that I'd sooner work on something nice, though some copies are catching up with the Italians, not quite yet though.

All the best
Tom

Let me just say that these industrial type machines will not go down my basement stairs. For that reason, I'll be focusing on a used jet, rikon, and whatever sub 400 lb machine i can find. If i had a walk-in shop, then anything goes. Plus, i see a lot of these with all the upgrades.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

Grizzly's website has a very good website, should you wish to study the differences of quality,
that is, after one gets used to seeing the standard.

The 400 and 440mm and 450mm wheeled saws the Italian's has made in the past, i.e not the new SCM/Minimax saws made in Novellara,
ain't much different in weight to the saws you mention.
The Italian's didn't get to be the leaders by doing unnecessary things, so what your getting is well designed components
the bare minimum if you like.

Perhaps a side by side shot of something smaller might give a better idea, should you not wish to see ACM's 440 promo on youtube.


That, or the 500mm wheeled saws (which I read is too big) was kinda what I was suggesting.
These go for cheap often due to the tires not being a replaceable snap on type, like on the Minimax saws,
so if you happen to find an old one like below, might be worth considering.



Here are some corners cut on some newer saws, just to be aware of when looking at the used copies

A lot different to my wheel hub, and those building the good copies


Merely pretend adjustability from the looks of things on some saws being built today


Not even trying on some other machines


That's the reason of posting the other machines, just so yourself and others can see the difference.
The 400mm saws from Italy are built the same as the larger ones, so you won't see any of that malarkey above,
so with that said, should be enough info to be able to spot a diamond in the rough, or however much you wish to spend,
and perhaps be optimistic about finding a bargain, rather than seeking a new machine for the same or more cost.

All the best
Tom

You can do a lot of work with a quality 14" saw. Sure, they won't handle a dedicated 2" band, but does it really matter when you're only cutting for yourself? I've got an older Rikon 14-325. Yes, I'm no doubt losing yield vs a proper resaw.... But so what? I use if for other stuff as well. There is a learning curve, though. Don't start on precious high dollar stuff. Cut your teeth on more common and less expensive things. Learn the lessons on that stuff and work your way up.

You mentioned that you have a friend who offered to resaw your rosewood. Why not buy him a couple new bands and go that direction? My only caution would be to try it out on something hard, but a lot less precious - say some 4/4, 8" wide Jatoba or Bubinga. A lot of cabinet guys have cut down poplar, aspen, and ash for carcass work, but this is a different animal. If he does a nice job on that, he's got the skills and setup to do well on the rosewood.

We all have our opinions. My own take on the idea of resawing guitar parts: I only resaw things like neck blanks and blocks, stuff in the 3-4" wide range. I own/use a 14" bandsaw with a riser. It works great, but I am not comfortable using it for wider boards unless I leave a lot of room for thickness sanding. I figure I could tweak it to resaw wider things, but there are better tools for this job than the one I own, so I rely on outfits with those tools to do that job. I've watched Appalachian Tonewood run their horizontal resaw bandsaw, and it is really slick. I would rather let the professionals do that and buy the sets afterward. To each their own.

Guys, I sold a couple of items and got 600 to put towards a bandsaw. I can't do it. I'm going to make a fence for cutting the 7" boards on my table saw, I really can't concern myself with kerf loss. I just ordered a new Freud thin kerf 24tooth rip saw. I plan on cutting any remaining wood in the middle with a handsaw. I'm sure I'll get some good material out of it. Maybe not as much, but I prefer to do it on my own in my own time so here we go. The blade will arrive tomorrow and I'll stop and pick up a 3/4"x2'x4' piece of MDF to make the fence. This will leave me with money for top wood and other things.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

Let us know how it works out for you.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Whew - getting whiplash

Best of luck!!


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Yeah, it's how i roll.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

I bought a Delta 14" cast iron frame and a riser block back in the 1970s, and can resaw up to 12". The widest I ever cut was a couple of 9" sets in case I want to do a rosewood J-200. I'm lucky I've had no issues with drift.It moved with me a number of times, including Jamaica for most of the 1990s, and back. Those cast iron bandsaws are built strong.I've cut everything from Spruce to lignum vitae.