Best 14’’ BS for doing Curvy Work/ Not Re-sawing

Check with Carter to make sure their Blade stabilizer kit will fit the band saw you are thinking about buying. They have a video which spells out band saw requirements too.

If going to use ¼” or less blades think any 14” bandsaw with block guides not ball bearing blade guides will work. I like cool blocks better than metal blocks that come with most band saws. Cool blocks real inexpensive upgrade.

If looking for smaller saw 10 or 12 inch think same applies, other than watch horse power some of those saws underpowered.

-- Bill

General 490 would be a good choice.

Loren, General 490…great saw hard to find!

Rikon 10-325

-- USAF Ret. 2006

The General 490 is too expensive for me. +1 for Rikon. Rikons are great saws.

-- "someone has to be wounded for others to be saved, someone has to sacrifice for others to feel happiness, someone has to die so others could live"

the difference between curvy work and resawing is down to the blade choice a wider blade will cut curves less well than narrower blade and vice versa. Alistair buy as big a bandsaw as you can accomodate /afford.

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

Pick up a used INCA 340 if you can tolerate the search
and its 10” wheels. They are fine machines and some
have a direct drive motor setup making them portable.

They were made in Switzerland and later in France.

Its not the saw, it’s the blade. Any saw will work with a 1/4 blade. I can even resaw with mine.

-- Failure does not stop me, it makes me try harder..... because I'm crazy.

I agree with Russell. It’s the blade works and the hands do the magic! And variety of cutting techniques! Good luck.

-- "someone has to be wounded for others to be saved, someone has to sacrifice for others to feel happiness, someone has to die so others could live"

One thing to look for is a saw that puts the lower guides
right up tight under the throat plate.

The 14 that I have came from Sears, was made by Rikon, has 8” cut capacity, and full ball bearing blade guides.
The blade rides against the edge of the ball bearing ( Like the Carter kits do ) instead of the side like most bandsaws.
I had one of the side bearings fail, so I replaced all of the originals( chinese) with bearings made in the US.
I use blades made by Timberwolf.
The downside of this saw is it uses a blade that is 99 inches, and has to be bought at Sears, or ordered from the aftermarket. So if you break one you can’t run to the hardware store and get one.
I’m well pleased with the saw..

-- Some people have a shop so they can build things, the rest of us build things so we can have a shop...

Can’t help much with the band saw choice as everyone will have a different opinion on that however I may be able to help make things easier with your scroll work since I do quite a bit of that daily with a 14” Delta using a technique I devised after watching the Carter video (I couldn’t see paying a hundred bucks for a small piece of aluminum with a wheel attached). First thing I do is smooth/slightly round the back edges of the blade using a small fine file (I do this CAREFULLY with the saw running which may not be the safest thing to do so proceed at your own risk!). Next I back the bottom guide completely off as they do with the Carter, set the top guide “normally” (I use Cool Blocks) and raise it about the height shown on the Carter video. This lets the blade easily pivot while staying on the wheels and I can now use a heavier 1/4” blade to cut a tighter radius than the 3/16” blades I was using without constantly breaking them.

I have a lead on a use Rikon 10-325 for a good price that is in mint condition so I may just get it…

ANY BANDSAW WITH CARTER STABILIZER

-- Stevo, work in tha city woodshop in the country

THE CARTER STABILIZER IS THE CREAM OF THE PIE ENOUGH SAID

-- Stevo, work in tha city woodshop in the country