DO CAST IRON WHEELS MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Anytime you add mass to a flywheel it will give you some extra oomph but if a 1.5hp is underpowered for you then I can’t imagine a 2hp is going to make you happy.

-- Rick M, http://thewoodknack.blogspot.com/

I can’t agree with Rick, you’ll find there is a considerable difference between 1 1/2 & 2HP motors, providing it is a like for like motor of course. Also bear in mind, it is after all bandsaw, with the extra power even more noticeable when driving the thin blade.

It’s more important that the wheels are balanced, you can of course do this yourself quite easily using small self adhesive magnets placed strategically on the wheel rim. (There is an abundance of info on the net on how to do this.)

Good luck

David

-- No one plans to fail, they just, just fail to plan

I’ve resawed 6” on a 3/4 HP motor, and while it wasn’t fast, it worked.

The advantage of cast iron wheels is stability, from what i understand. But I’m sure there’s enough mass in 17” cast aluminum wheels to be plenty stable.

-- ian | "You can't stop what's coming. It ain't all waiting on you. That's vanity."

I’m arranging a setup similar to yours (one resaw and one detail) and have just ordered an 18” Rikon from my local Woodcraft at their sale price of $1050. Might be worth considering if it’s near enough to your budget. 2.5 HP, 12” resaw capacity, cast iron wheels.

Cast iron wheels, being heavier are able to maintain blade speed better, but if you feed too agressively, the speed will drop and you risk breaking the blade before doing any damage to the wheels whether they be CI or aluminum.

It’s either cast iron or bags of power, either one will keep you smiling, as the CI simply stores and smooths power till needed with lighter motors.. Change your pulley and move on up to 5000 SFPM and you’ll be real happy. Speed counts, big time.

-- gene@toronto.ontario.canada : dovetail free since '53, critiques always welcome.

If you are actually serious about having a dedicated resaw,
look for a used Hitachi, Makita, Ryobi or Lobo. They pop
up on ebay.

They run 3” wide blades.

I don’t want to mess with your head, but my opinion is
the wider the blade the better the resaw performance.
Blades under 1.5” wide definitely start to lead as the
tips dull.

The important thing when resawing is blade tension. A lightly tensioned blade will twist easily. The typical 14” BS can’t be tensioned enough for 1/2” blades unless you change the tension spring. Doing so, may distort the BS’s frame or cause blade breakage. A 3” blade will resaw nicely, but they need a lot of tension. Some people resaw successfully with 1/4” blades because it can be tensioned higher. The resaws that use 3” blades have a small throat (distance between the blade and the frame). That makes for a very rigid frame that can withstand a lot of tension. I remember seeing a new Ryobi resaw machine over 30 years ago that cost $500. I haven’t seen any since.

Woodcraft has their 18” 2 1/2 HP saw on sale for $1050. Cast iron wheels, blade release and 12” resaw capability. It looks like it meets my spec plus a half HP more. Any one have this saw? Comments?

-- Ken

I’ve looked for old iron for a few months. No luck. When it comes to new it looks like the 18” Rikon meets my requirements. I can’t see any way (without a long patient wait) to get a wider blade and/or more HP machine within my budget of $1,000. Do any of you have this saw? what is your assessment of it? Is it a good buy for my needs and budget?

-- Ken

I have it but I only got it this weekend and haven’t used it yet. I am getting my woodslicer blades this week and should have some use of it before next weekend if parenting duties permit me the shop time!

its logical to buy something that will last when I first started woodworking I purchased crapsman saws and I finally learned to take my time and buy good equipment the heavier the better now when I want to work I just push a button and Im ready to go so what Im sayin is go heavy so you wont be cussin later cause your tools wont cut the mustard

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

Good advice! Straightbowed, I’ve got a few weeks left on the sale. If you do get the blades and get to play with your new toy, I’d love to hear about it.

-- Ken

There are thousands of G0555’s out there with aluminum wheels and happy owners. In fact I had one, I Couldn’t resaw with it, so I bought an 18” Recon and Woodslicer blade. Still can’t resaw. I’m convinced the world did not intend for all of us to resaw. (The world would be over-run with re-sawers)(spelling?) I make rocking chairs, so it’s no big deal. p.s. Good luck Elizabeth.

-- Jim from Doniphan

I’ve heard people refer to less than adequate tools as boat anchors. Actually a cheap lightweight tool does not make a good boat anchor.