New bandsaw

[wm460]

The only one on that site I would be interested in is this one.

http://www.snaintonwoodworking.com/index.php/machinery/band-saws/record-bs400-bandsaw.html

 

[Pierre]

The only one on that site I would be interested in is this one.

http://www.snaintonwoodworking.com/index.php/machinery/band-saws/record-bs400-bandsaw.html

Yes but are you going to lend me £999 interest free? I would have to sell a lot more pens to justify that!!

PG

 

[Pierre]

Call me a cynic, but did you say Charnwood? I thought you were looking for a reasonable bandsaw.

Well I am looking for something that will cut straight blanks and not bendy ones and I don't know the machine or quality hence the question.

PG

PS are you back home yet?

 

[Phil Dart]

Well I am looking for something that will cut straight blanks and not bendy ones and I don't know the machine or quality hence the question.

PG

PS are you back home yet?

Yes I'm back home.

I don't know the exact Charnwood machine you mention, but for myself, I tend to avoid the brand altogether, and would always look for something of better quality. This is a public forum so it wouldn't be appropriate to say more than that, but feel free to interpret it how you like.

 

[rayf6604]

I would second that about Charnwood. I bought their 10in bandsaw last year and it's a pile of shite, very poor Chinese build quality. Having said that, I spoke to a bloke on the Charnwood stand at Harrogate and their supplier of the saw I bought went bust and they now get their machines from elsewhere now.

Sent from my SM-G928F using Tapatalk

 

[Walter]

My experience of Charnwood machines is not good either and as far as the bandsaw is concerned I would opt for the Axminster.

That said I was looking at table saws at Harrogate and the reverse applied, the Charnwood seemed much more robust than the Axminster.

 

[Grump]

Well I have nothing but good to say about Charnwood, having had Axminster, and Record lathes and saws aswell, I have found them all to be much of a muchness init?
A lot of grunt for your buck with Charnwood the same as the rest but a darn site cheaper.
I am using an old Charnwood W812 as my main lathe at the moment, paid £40 for it secondhand, put SKF bearing in and got a belt from the local motor factors, sound as pound init?

What do you need it to do? Spin a lump of wood and be level and keep on doing it, mine does.
As for cutting straight blanks, any bloody saw will do that if you set it up properly, I have never had a problem with any saw I have ever had in that respect.
I am using old Emco for my bandsaw now, fantastic little thing for small blanks, I got rid of the Axminster bandsaw yes I used it a lot but don't miss it, for the stuff the Emco won't cope with I grab a handsaw or chainsaw, no problems init?
You lot wanna listen to yourselves sometimes, bloody load of snobs, I bet you all drive Bentleys too, I got an old van that still gets where it's gotta go.

Sit's back and waits for the flack.

 

[Walter]

Sit's back and waits for the flack.

Can't be arsed to waste my energy.

 

[Pierre]

You lot wanna listen to yourselves sometimes, bloody load of snobs, I bet you all drive Bentleys too, I got an old van that still gets where it's gotta go.

Sit's back and waits for the flack.

I have to listen to myself you are too far away!! and I don't drive a Bentley I drive a tractor!! And I worked hard to become a snob that's why I want a new bandsaw and am asking you the questions, at least I am getting the answers. :untroubled:

There was that flack enough Brian? :yo:



PG

 

[Phil Dart]

You lot wanna listen to yourselves sometimes, bloody load of snobs, I bet you all drive Bentleys too.

I sold my Bentley - it needed washing and the clock was too noisy. And I would rather saw by hand than buy a Charnwood. You may be a lucky owner Brian, but lets be frank guys, new Charnwoods are shite.

Are you seeing a pattern emerging here Pierre?

 

[Grump]

They are very probably all made in the same factory by the same method to the same standard in the same country and sold with a different badge and paintwork.
I don't know, don't care they will all still be heaps of crap when we brown bread init?

 

[Penpal]

Pierre what saws do they use at the centre you go to mate talking with Richard Raffan recently he said France is by way of the centre of true turning where they are taught so well. I must say his saws did more work, heavy work that is cutting large rounds etc than most saws I have ever seen. I also believe firms lined up to have him critique use and comment on such equipment. What does he say in his books videos etc worthy of a gaze mate. Bear in mind he is an Englishman who learned and earned in the UK and has the most International experience of ten woodturners as a production turner where minutes count and gear has to pay its way.

Anyhow good luck mate I went the very old and strange route but at no time did I depend for my future and made time to modify, change upgrade and work a huge meat saw a 36 inch C frame and a few others I have the larger many named Carba Tec 3 hp motor unit that has as many faults as most but it has cut the equivalent of a small forest of tough as Teak Aussie Burl I try to use a hardened steel blade, replace the guide bearings re route the suction places and keep it lined up. Seen and used heaps of understated band saws with quite some success. Wish you success as well. One time I took a trailer load of burl to my mate I spoke of just now we cut everything on the 3/4 ton load in half. Now I know Burl grows on trees but it does not throw itself on my trailer is hard won and paid for from up to thousands of miles from here the one long term favourite you may have guessed is Brown Mallee mine from South Australia.no good luck there either but intelligent burl gatherers who make their living cutting and preparing. All Burl sold for the great overseas market has to be free of bark or animals, ever tried to separate the bark mate its horrible.

Enough Pierre have success mate.

Peter.
Peter.

 

[wm460]

They are very probably all made in the same factory by the same method to the same standard in the same country and sold with a different badge and paintwork.

So true Brian, the only difference is the price they charge and the freight.

 

[Phil Dart]

They are very probably all made in the same factory by the same method to the same standard in the same country and sold with a different badge and paintwork.
I don't know, don't care they will all still be heaps of crap when we brown bread init?

You are undoubtedly right Brian. We always agree in the end

Which means there's at lot of other shite out there too!!

 

[Pierre]

Pierre what saws do they use at the centre you go to mate .


All Burl sold for the great overseas market has to be free of bark or animals, ever tried to separate the bark mate its horrible.


Peter.
Peter.

While France might use the old apprentice journeyman master system still and their woodworking training is better than I have seen elsewhere, their woodturning has lagged behind until recently when people like Jean-Francois Escoulen and Yann Marot (to name but 2 out of a possible 20) have now revived the turning skills and there is now money in the system for training. However that only really counts for artistic woodturning, the old production turning is now mainly given over to copy machines and CNC. There are a few old diehards but even they now have to resort to making spinning tops in the markets to cover slack times. Sadly however there are very few turning clubs around France mainly because so many hate giving away their secrets, just take a look at the AFTAB site http://www.aftab-asso.fr/fr/forum/index and see how few posts there are by comparison to The UK USA or Australia.

As far as removing bark goes well here are a couple of Australian burls that I turned:









But I note none of the French turners nor I have got a Bentley must be barking up the wrong gum tree.

PG

 

[Penpal]

Like them mate did you remove the bark? I see my favourite Brown Mallee. and a Red Mallee? Red is now fading with overselling less of it dearer etc. Thanks for showing the bowls mate love them.

Peter.

 

[Walter]

They are very probably all made in the same factory by the same method to the same standard in the same country and sold with a different badge and paintwork

This is the misconception that lies at the root of many of these arguments. They are not all made in the same factory. What happens is someone designs a decent machine and has it manufactured to an acceptable standard by one of the better factories in Taiwan or China. A load of cheapskates then get another factory or factories to churn out copies that look the same but are in fact shite. There may be lots that are made in the same factory but if you can find the one that is the original then you will get a decent machine. Finding out which was the original design is a different matter and may require the investigative skills of Hercule Poirot.

Furthermore, made in the same factory, does not necessarily mean made to the same tolerances, you only have to look at the difference in quality between Axminster's own Hobby and Trade ranges. they are doubtless made in the same factory but quality wise they are chalk and cheese.

The only reliable way is to take a good long look at the machines in your budget and decide for yourself which is made to the better standards. This of course pre-supposes that you can tell the difference between quality and shite. (This is not to suggest that anyone taking part in this debate cannot do so)

As I said in my earlier post, whilst my experience with Charnwood machines is not good, (poor finishing, badly fitted components, tailstock that sticks on the bed in places, etc.) not all Charnwood machines are shite. I compared several brands of table saw at Harrogate and the Charnwood blew the Axminster Hobby series out of the water in terms of quality, epecially when it came to the amount of play in the sliding table.

It is not black and white. they are not all the same but neither are all Charnwood machines rubbish. You need to look carefully at the individual machine you are buying. As far as band saws in this price range are concerned my choice would still be Axminster over Charnwood but personally I would wait until I could afford better then either.

Oh and I don't have a Bentley and my Mercedes is now 15 years old and rusty.

 

[Lons]

Hi Pierre

I'm not going to enter the crap machinery debate though I agree with much of what was said. In general you get what you pay for and if the price is cheap then cheap is exactly what you get. Having said that, there are always lucky people who get a half decent one and will swear by the make. It's a bit like saying "smoking doesn't kill 'cos I know someone who chain smokes but lived to 100"

I understand your reasons for wanting shiny new paintwork as I'm the same, but and it's a big but, if you can source one of the solid old machines you'll get a much better bandsaw for your money. I wouldn't swap my 30 odd year old Startrite 352 for any of the ones you're considering and it was half the cost.

BTW, I used to sell Kity machines in the early 80s and though their bandsaw wasn't a volume seller for us as we had Startrite also, I don't recall any problems or dissatisfied customers for the ones we sold. Certainly no issues with the guides.

 

[Doug]

The only thing I would add to Walters excellent appraisal is that it is not only the cheapskates copying a well regarded product, often the supplier of that well regarded product will move their production to a cheaper factory, the result being that the older product is the better choice.

 

[Pierre]

Thanks all for the input so far Bentley or no Bentley (mind you I wouldn't refuse one if Brian offered it). I do appreciate you get what you pay for and so far I am having to go for the more expensive of the 2 hobby Axminsters simply because the cheaper one which will do the job adequately has the 2 faults found by one of the buyer who then had to modify it. I don't fancy having to pay a premium price plus postage simply then to have to modify the machine subsequently. (HMMMM perhaps the kids will contribute) .

PG