Finally, a gloat! Now, what else should I buy...

[Kris Koenig]

This weekend I picked up a Ridgid 1400 bandsaw from a seller on Craigslist. It wasn't exactly the saw I wanted, but for $160 I can work with it. It is one of the grey models, and it seemed very lightly used. The motor runs fine and the bearings seem to be in great shape.

I had been planning and saving for a Grizzly G0555x, so I have another 400 to 500 dollars now to spend for accessories and upgrades. Here are the things I am about to order:

Urethane tires
Grizzly riser block
Kreg bandsaw fence w/ micro-adjust and resaw fence
Blades (Suggestions?)

Now, with this being my first bandsaw, I am not sure what is necessary, and what is luxury. I would also like to get these (eventually):

Carter Quick Release
Upgrade to 1.5HP motor

Please feel free to make suggestions for other possible upgrades or to convince me that I don't need Some of the ones listed here.

For general flat work with .75 to 1.5 inch hardwoods, which tpi is best? What about for resawing 8" or so?

Oh, for the $160, he also threw in a Delta benchtop drill press and a copy of The Bandsaw Book by Lonnie Bird. It is possible that some of my questions, especially about the blades, would be answered in the book, I just neeed to sit down and go through it.

I will post pictures tonight when I get back home to the camera, just to prove it did happen.

Kris

[Rod Sheridan]

Sounds like a deal Kris, congratulations.

I'm not familiar with your saw, however I find that I use a 1/4" 6 tooth per inch and 1/2 inch 2/3 tooth per inch the most on my saw.

I also use a 3/4" 2/3 tooth for resaw sometimes, although the 1/2 inch works well.

Regards, Rod.

[Kris Koenig]

Thanks. That is exactly what I was looking for.

[Mike Cruz]

Kris, I got that same saw for $150 3-4 weeks ago (sans the drill press...). Yup, the Grizzly riser block is a good idea. You may want to make a sturdy base for it. Or at least really shore up the factory base with plywood (there is another thread on here that talks about how to do it). Get the Carter guides...they are SO worth the money. Here is a link to a site that I found that sells them for the cheapest I could find. Order the Jet model...it is the same as the Ridgid...I called Carter to make sure and they said yes...and it fit perfectly. The only thing you will have to modify is the guard...you will have to drill a hole in it for one of the screws...you'll see what I mean. You can use your new drill press.

http://www.thebestthings.com/newtools/carter.htm

I purchased a 1.5 HP motor for upgrade as well. Am looking forward to using it. I ordered the Power Twist belt and am waiting for that to show up before hooking up the motor to it.

Have fun!

[Kris Koenig]

THAT is what I forgot to mention. I am planning on building a stand for it and get a link belt. I need to raise it a few inches. They don't make these things for those of us who are 6'9".

I will definitely look at the Carter guides. I wasn't sure how much of a difference they would make to someone who didn't know better. I saw your thread on upgrading the motor. I want to try to find one for less than the $200 from Grizzly before I do that. If not, then I can always pick that one up later.

Kris

[David Hostetler]

This weekend I picked up a Ridgid 1400 bandsaw from a seller on Craigslist. It wasn't exactly the saw I wanted, but for $160 I can work with it. It is one of the grey models, and it seemed very lightly used. The motor runs fine and the bearings seem to be in great shape.

Congrats. That older gray Ridgid stuff was before the complaints of vibration from the BS1400 came about. That should be a good unit.

I had been planning and saving for a Grizzly G0555x, so I have another 400 to 500 dollars now to spend for accessories and upgrades. Here are the things I am about to order:

You have a good list here.

Urethane tires

Go with the Carter tires. Woodcraft has them.

Grizzly riser block

Kreg bandsaw fence w/ micro-adjust and resaw fence

No experience with the Kreg personally, but have seen them at the Woodworking show. They look NICE... I went cheap and am using a Craftsman Professional Universal Band Saw fence with resawing guide. It works okay. Not great...

Blades (Suggestions?)

Timberwolf silicone steel blades work crazy kind of good. Woodslicers have a good reputation for resaw blades too.

You will also want Cool Blocks for the guides, and if you are willing to do it, I would go with the parts from Grizzly for the GO555 tension release. There is a thread on BT3 Central regarding this issue. You can PM me there for the link. It's about $35.00 in parts. Oh, and you will want an Iturra Tension Spring. The OE springs on these 14" saws and riser blocks don't mix well.

The upgrade to a 1.5HP motor would be impressive. I haven't seen that yet.

Dust collection improvements are in order too. I am researching this problem myself.

[Mike Cruz]

Here is the thread for a Grizzly motor. $179

http://www.grizzlytools.com/products...10V-220V/G2534

[Mike Cruz]

Oh, and when you make your base, make sure to make the base plenty big (large foot print) especially it you are going to add 4 swivel wheels. Don't forget that swivel wheels make the footprint smaller.

[Bill Huber]

Urethane tires
Grizzly riser block
Kreg bandsaw fence w/ micro-adjust and resaw fence
Blades (Suggestions?)

I guess I don't understand, if you are going to spend all the money in these upgrades you could have just bought a new Grizzly to start with and come out cheaper.
Then if you add Carter Quick Release and upgrade to 1.5HP motor you have a very high dollar 14 inch band saw.

[Kris Koenig]

I guess I don't understand, if you are going to spend all the money in these upgrades you could have just bought a new Grizzly to start with and come out cheaper.
Then if you add Carter Quick Release and upgrade to 1.5HP motor you have a very high dollar 14 inch band saw.

Actually, the upgrades you copied are upgrades that would need to be added to the Grizzly, too. Except for the fence, but I have been rethinking that anyway. I have a copy of Shopnotes with plans for an auxiliary table and fence that look pretty good. There are also plans out there for quick tension release setups.

Upgrading the motor would add a couple of hundred to the $160 I payed, so make it $400. The 1.5 HP Grizzly would cost $669 plus tax to get to my house.

Any of the other upgrades that have been mentioned can be purchased as needed, if needed. When you start adding accesories, any tool you have can quickly become high dollar. I am just looking at starting from an acceptable, lower price base unit because one was available.

[Mike Cruz]

Kris, when/if you upgrade the motor, if you decide to run the motor on 220, you will need to buy a new on/off switch. I called Ridgid to ask them if the stock switch is 110/220 compatible and they were unsure because your (and mine, too) saw was made by Emerson, for Ridgid. Today's Ridgid is unfamiliar with what Emerson installed on their equipment. Oddly enough, if you call Emerson, they patch you through to the tool department, which goes right back to Ridgid. Yes, very frustrating, but true.

Also, oddly enough, if you look at your parts manual, you can find the part number for your switch. It is the exact same number for the new switch...Ridgid is just unsure of whether what Emerson used for their switches. Since the motor on our saws is 110 only (the new ones are 110/220), they are reccomending that a new switch is ordered IF you are going to run on 220. They are only a couple of bucks, so no big deal...but you have to wait for it to ship to you .

[Mike Cruz]

Kris, I found the PERFECT motor for you to upgrade your band saw.

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/tls/1269542957.html

[Bill Houghton]

Got one; love it.

[Kris Koenig]

Kris, I found the PERFECT motor for you to upgrade your band saw.

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/tls/1269542957.html

Hmmm, I am thinking that would work pretty well with a Dremel flex shaft hooked up to it.