Stone-walled by Grizzly!

[Bill Arnold]

Following a discussion on this Forum a few weeks ago about bandsaw blades, I submitted a request to Grizzly Tech Support for information on the beam strength of the G0513 bandsaw. So far, I have received no response to repeated requests and referral to my original document requesting assistance.

Does anyone on the Forum have a direct contact with someone at Grzzly who knows something?

Is someone from Grizzly a member of the Forum?

I'm very satisfied with the bandsaw, just disappointed with support from Grizzly. This will certainly affect future purchase decisions.

[Tim Morton]

pick up the phone and give them a call. I have never had a problem getting techical help.

[Herb Blair]

Papagrizzly is on woodnet forum.

[Keith Outten]

Bill Crofutt is the Quality Control Manager at Grizzly and is a member of SawMill Creek.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/member.php?u=1014

[Charlie Plesums]

Bill, could your question be stated in a different way? As an engineer I have a pretty good idea what you probably mean by beam strength. If my thought matches your question, then the designer of the bandsaw would be very concerned about the beam strength (even though the designer of the Grizzly saws may not have spoken English, thus may have used a different phrase). Although I haven't looked for it, I don't recall ever seeing "beam strength" on a spec sheet or manual that someone on a help desk might have access to.

Are you looking for the maximum tension you can put on the blade? The consequences of changing to a stronger tension spring? Maybe the good folks at Grizzly could answer those questions

[Bill Arnold]

... Are you looking for the maximum tension you can put on the blade? The consequences of changing to a stronger tension spring? Maybe the good folks at Grizzly could answer those questions

That is exactly the form of the question I submitted. I was assured the question would be submitted to an engineer. That was weeks ago. To date, no response.

[Steven Wilson]

Why would you think that they would know what the beam strength of their bandsaws are? And if that was a design spec they come up with and gave a factory wouldn't it be proprietary? So why would they give it to you?

[Lars Thomas]

Steven, perhaps you are right - it could be proprietary. However, it would be appropriate (in my mind) to respond to that affect rather then ignoring the inquiry.

[Norman Hitt]

Why would you think that they would know what the beam strength of their bandsaws are? And if that was a design spec they come up with and gave a factory wouldn't it be proprietary? So why would they give it to you?

OK, assuming that is a problem, then they should have no problem answering the question if it was worded as follows;

I am considering using a (brand xyz 1" blade) on my Griz Bandsaw, but the blade requires 30,000 psi tension. My question is if my Griz model----- BS has enough beam strength, bearing and shaft load capacity to support the use of this blade without damaging my saw.

A yes or no answer (without any numbers even), should not affect any proprietary information, (which is theirs to give out as they see fit anyway), and this answer should be available to anyone that has paid for one of their machines, in order to get proper useage from it. Any mfr that would not provide an answer about a set of operating parameters for their machine would certainly be remiss IMHO.

[Bill Crofutt]

In discussing bandsaw blade tension, a few key points to remember are:
1. Blade tension is a function of the blade width and thickness; the wider
and thicker the blade, the more force is required to achieve a given
tension.
2. Blade force and blade tension are not the same thing. Force is measured
in pounds and does not depend on the blade. Tension is measured in pounds
per square inch and varies inversely with the cross sectional area of the
blade.
4. Higher quality bi-metal band material like that found in the Lenox
blades that Grizzly sells is stronger and can be tensioned higher than
traditional carbon steel bands. This does not mean it needs to be tensioned
higher, only that it is capable of being tensioned higher. I have discussed
this fact with Lenox reps in the past and they agree completely on this
point. Unless you are using a horizontal resaw designed specifically for
resawing, you will not be able to achieve the 15-30,000 psi. tension that
you mention. In fact, our Lenox rep told us he knew of no vertical consumer
bandsaw on the market that can achieve 30,000 psi blade tension with a
1" blade. Lenox suggested adding about 20% additional tension over a
standard blade but ONLY if required.

Our bandsaws, including the G0513, are built of heavy gauge materials and
thoroughly tested for performance. They are fully featured and, when
equipped with the proper blade, suitable for everything from intricate
scroll work to resawing. That said, when resawing you do want to use a
wider and thicker blade and a relatively high tension in order to achieve a
straight cut and satisfactory results.
The G0513 bandsaw is capable of properly tensioning all the blades we carry
for it, including the Lenox. We have many satisfied customers using this
machine, including for resawing with the Lenox blades, and we stand behind
it 100%.

And finally, sorry it took as much time as it did to get you a clearer answer.
I see the previous ones we supplied were not what you were looking for. I hope
this clears it up for you.

[John Bailey]

That's a nice answer, but I'm not sure the question is answered. How much tension can a GO513 put on a one inch blade? If it can't put 30,000 psi on a 1", can it put that much on a 3/4".

John

[Steven Wilson]

That's a nice answer, but I'm not sure the question is answered. How much tension can a GO513 put on a one inch blade? If it can't put 30,000 psi on a 1", can it put that much on a 3/4".

You have to include a specific blade material and thickness if you want to know the answer. For example, it's very easy for me to tension a 1" wide Olson or Timberwolf blade on my MiniMax MM20 (fairly thin carbon steel blade) to 20000psi. It takes a few more cranks to tension a 1" wide Lennox Trimaster to the same 20000psi. The main difference between the blades is the thickness of the band

[Bill Arnold]

In discussing bandsaw blade tension, a few key points to remember are: ... I hope this clears it up for you.

Bill,

Your explanation is clear and exactly what I already understand about bandsaw and blade operation. The reason I requested the information from Grizzly regarding the overall capability of the G0513 is that people on this Forum said it was not strong enough to properly tension a Lenox carbide blade. They pointed out that their MM16's or Laguna's are much more capable of supplying the correct tension. Based on the input from these experienced and knowledgeable follks, I wanted to know the designed tensioning capability of the G0513 before paying the price for a Lenox blade. They insist that they routinely apply 15,000 to 30,000 pounds of tension on their vertical bandsaws in order to operate the system properly. While I'm not a novice at woodworking, I'm still learning things about some of my tools.

Let me say that, since owning my G0513 for several months, I have found it to be a sound machine and has done everything I asked of it. I have resawed up to 12" Honduran mahogany and cherry, and have had no issue with the saw. It has become my primary saw for ripping because of the reduced waste. After seeing my G0513, a neighbor who had bought a competing saw (painted white) says he wishes he had known more about Grizzly machines before making his purchase.

I did not intend this to be a rant by posting on the Forum. The e-mails I posted are only a portion of the total correspondence. The fact that you responded shows that Grizzly has people qualified to respond to customer issues. Tech support folks cannot be expected to have all the knowledge necessary to answer customer's questions. They must have the initiative to follow through and get the answers.

Thank you for taking time to respond.

[Bill Arnold]

You have to include a specific blade material and thickness if you want to know the answer.

Not if I want to know the maximum designed tensioning capability of a machine. Perhaps the tensioning capability of a machine should be expressed by ranges and materials of blades. In any case, the machine (whatever type of machine it may be) is designed with various forces factored into the equation. If that information is proprietary, then so state. Don't stonewall a customer.

[Alan Turner]

I run the 1" carbide Lennox Trimaster, and was told by Louis Iturra that Lennox recommends 30,000 psi of tension on that blade. My Aggazani gives me that tension, on that blade, and is vertical. I measure the tension with the Iturra tension guage.
Bill -- I think you are entitled to an answer on the question you asked, and I am not sure that you got one.