Bandsaw Table Size Consideration for New Purchase

[Mike Shields]

I'm in the market for a bandsaw that will not see resawing as the primary use. Browsing the specs from various manufactures shows significant difference in bandsaw table sizes, where table saws all seem to be the same.

Examples:

Grizzly 14" 20" x 14"
Grizzly 17" 23" x 17"
Grizzly 19" 26" x 19"

Laguna 14" 19" x 15"
Laguna 18" 20" x 20"

So what drives the size of table that manufactures place on their bandsaws? Larger tables for resawing?

Is table size something that should be considered when purchasing a BS primarily for non-resaw use?

Is it difficult to add an extension to a BS table, whether it's the outfeed or right side of the blade?

Thanks.

[Allen Grenz]

Personally I would want as big a table as I could get.. I just got a Grizzly 19" that you referenced and its pretty good size but I wouldn't mind another couple inches on each side...

I would think the size of the trunions would somewhat dictate or should I say be a limiting factor in the size of the table.. Cast iron is heavy and then think of the weight of stuff leaning way out on the edge of the table and the force that would put on the trunion assembly..

[Mike Cutler]

Probably just economics for the manufacturer in determining table size. The 14" bandsaw is based on the original Delta metal bandsaw design and has largely remained unchanged. The larger ones?????

My personal opinion is to get the largest table size you can, whether for resawing, or not. There are a myriad of jigs and fixtures you will come up with and being able to clamp them, or have them at hand is valuable.

It's very easy to add extension tables to a bandsaw, and there are many, many, home designs out there. You first have to overcome the phobia of drilling holes into your bandsaw. After that, it's what ever your mind can create.
I had a piece of 1/4" aluminum plate on my Jet 14" for a long time. It was much larger than the original table. It had a runner to align it in the miter slot and I drilled, tapped, and countersunk, four machine screws into it and the table to hold it in place.
It doesn't take much to make a machine "yours".

[Curt Harms]

If 'resaw' height is not an issue, you can make any size table you want from plywood, melamine or similar. Look at various bandsaw circle cutting jigs for mounting ideas.

[Julie Moriarty]

The one thing I wish I had with my bandsaw was more resaw capacity. Mine can go to just shy of 10" and there have been many times I had to redesign or abandon an idea because of that. If I ever replace what I have, I'd go for a 16" resaw capacity. Table size would be a secondary consideration.

[Jeff Duncan]

My first priority is quality of saw, then follow that with re-saw height, then power, then maybe table size…..which really isn't all that big a deal for me. I do a fair amount of re-sawing and it actually requires very little table surface. What does help immensely is having in-feed and out-feed tables for long work. It's curved work that can benefit from a larger table in my experience. As Curt said though, making an auxiliary table is pretty straightforward.

good luck,
JeffD

[Kirk Poore]

I've found a large table makes sawing large pieces much easier. So does a low table. My 30" saw has a table about 30"x 34" and it's about 4" lower than my 14" saw's table. It's much, much easier to use. I routinely saw curved pieces out 2 x 16 stock that's 40" long and the work stays fully support for almost the entire cut.

Kirk

[Tom Clark FL]

On this 20" bandsaw the table was extended roughly 18 years ago to handle large pieces that I was cutting curves and angles on. It is just a piece of 3/4 ply with a laminate covering. The large table made it possible for me to handle the large pieces by myself. Super simple to do. I clamped the table in place, and drilled and countersunk and tapped some 10-32 holes flush with the top. It served my purpose quite well without messing up the bandsaw's regular use.

Cutting up hundreds of 8' long curved pieces for an observatory would have been very difficult without the large table.

[Henry Kramer]

If re-sawing is not an issue why don't you watch Craig's list for a used Delta without a lift kit? I may get many that disagree but I feel that the quality of the older Deltas is far superior to the chiwanese bandsaws made today. They can be picked up for $200-$300, and parts will be available forever.

[Alan Lightstone]

I built a larger table for mine. It does work significantly better than the original (though I'm now hitting myself on the head and saying, "Doh!!) for not bolting on pieces outside the original table to make blade changes far easier instead of building a table that sits on top of the present table.).

Band-Saw-table-1.jpgFinished-Band-Saw-Table-1-Web.jpgFinished-Band-Saw-Table-with-Resaw-Jig-Web.jpg

That being said, I'd love to see my saw and have a larger table. I'd do it in a heartbeat. No question that the larger table makes certain functions far easier.