# Just another offshore replica?



## charlton

One thing I forgot to mention was that in order to get the pulleys coplanar, I actually had to shim the motor mount:










Running a piece of string showed a gap between the two inner rims which shouldn't ever happen (ideally).


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## patron

wonderfull review ,
and im glad i dont need a new saw .
ive got 6 bandsaws already !


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## Splinterman

Great review Charlton…....but sad that the new saw turned out to be such a hassel.


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## Boomr99

A thorough (if not overly nit-picky) review.
It is apparent that you got a lemon, something very uncommon for Steel City. Why you haven't returned the saw to Steel City to deal with all these issues under warranty is beyond me. The saw has a great 5 year warranty and 10 yrs on granite parts. Instead you've tryed to fix everything yourself, likely voiding the warranty.
I own the same saw and have NONE of the issues you have with the upper bearings/guide/wheel alignment/balance/vibration etc.
The only point that my saw also has is the cheap plastic left blade guard on the left. Yes the blade rubs it. Yes it could have been better. But a simple shim holds it in place and now the saw runs perfectly. Cuts like a dream.

Boom


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## Rileysdad

Thanks Charlton for a great review. You just saved me from a really bad purchase. Now, please buy a Grizzly GO457 and let us know what you think.


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## PurpLev

yikes!

thanks for the review. well put, lots of info, and in a very enjoyable manner.

sorry you had to go through so much pain and misfortune. this really shouldn't be how things work.

PS. if you position the work light UNDER the table - you'll take care of 2 things - 1. light won't interfere with quick release lever, and 2. you'll have ample light at the lower blade guides…


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## a1Jim

great review


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## DaleM

While I have only the model 50100 with riser kit which this review started with, and not the 50130, I also believe as someone else stated above that you possibly got a lemon. I would think it possible that I got lucky in getting a good saw, but since I haven't seen any other bad reviews, I have to believe for now that my good experience is the norm. I can't speak for the newer model, but I have almost no vibration in my saw. Some of the features are common to both saws, such as the roller bearings. I find the bearings easy to see and easy to adjust (for me) and have not had the problem with the alignment being out of the range of the adjustment. I would highly recommend the 50100 to anyone, and they are still available.


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## charlton

Boomr99, this is the second saw that's exhibiting gross vibration. I actually made SteelCity aware these issues…they were the ones that recommended a new belt. They also recommended new tires from R&D bandsaw telling me that their tires are the best. I even mentioned that I would consider swapping the pulleys/belts and there was never any indication that doing so would void the warranty. In my last correspondance with them, I reiterated that the upper wheel was grossly out of balance to which I go the reply, "Thanks for keeping me updated. I'll pass this information along to engineering."

I do think I got a lemon because another member has the 50130 and he thinks it's perfect. Part of the reason I went down this whole rabbit hole is because when you get two lemons in a row, you start to think that maybe it's your ability to set things up (granted the only thing to really set up is the belt).

DaleM, I believe SteelCity has received complaints about excessive vibration when the riser kit is installed. In one case, they replaced the person's saw with the 16" saw (since the 50130 wasn't available). I don't recall whether the knob blocks the view of the lower guide assembly on the 50100…the trunnion is a bit different to accommodate the weight of the granite table.

Rileysdad, I would love to try a G0457 but as I mentioned, you can't get them here in Canada and the Canadian equivalent (Busy Bee) just doesn't have the same selection and quality that Grizzly seems to have.


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## DaleM

Thanks Charlton. I do have the riser kit installed. It sounds like a quality control problem since it appears some of these saws never should have made it to the buyers. I'm glad I got one of the good ones, because when it works the way it's supposed to, it's a good saw. Sorry to hear you weren't so fortunate.


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## charlton

No worries, Dale. The vibration is bearable now and as long as I can get the saw to cut well, the guide issue can be overlooked.


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## Tim_456

Thanks for the review, when I'm in the market for one of these, I'll definately think twice about this brand.


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## woodfly

Thanks for the review. I liked the detail, and I can tell you, I feel your pain. I bought a SC granite TS. (posted a review a few weeks ago) and my experience with SC customer service was much like yours. They seemed helpfull initially but after the first couple of conversations, they became non responsive and would not follow up on their promises. If you get lucky and get a good piece of SC equipment from the beginning you need to consider yourself foutunate. I do not see a bright future, if any future, for Steel City.


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## ropedog

very indepth review, i am glad i just bought thr rikon, no problems so far, knock on wood.


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## Karson

Great review of your experiences. Sorry for your problems.


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## closetguy

I have the same saw, non-granite, that I bought a little over a year ago. I have not experienced any of these problems. The bearings are square with the blade and the top thrust bearing is positioned so that the blade doesn't come close to the inner raceway. It's interesting that they have windows on the blade guard because mine doesn't have them. My only complaint is that every adjustment on the saw has a knob or thumb screw except for the blade guard. Every time I change blades, I have to go get a phillips screw driver which is real inconvenient. I guess SC is like everyone else in that their product quality is not consistent. I still think it's the best 14" bandsaw for the price.


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## Durnik150

Great review. Sorry you are going through all these silly little problems that add up to big ones. It points out things anyone in the market for this size saw to keep an eye open for.

Thanks for taking the time to write it all up and good luck getting everything running well.


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## wfrs21

Charlton,

If you were to buy all over again…what would you buy? I'm in the market for a bandsaw in this price range and size.


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## charlton

It's a tough call. In Canada, there aren't that many choices. If I wanted to get one on the cheap, I'd probably go with a King bandsaw. If I was in the States, I'd almost certainly look at Grizzly.

Otherwise, I'd probably go all out and just buy a Laguna/Hammer bandsaw. It's substantially more expensive but after this experience, I think the bandsaw is the one machine that has enough mechanical linkage to make it worthwhile to get truly quality components for. But vibration is only half the picture…some of the usability issues I've stated in my review make me shy away from recommending it.


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## KAZman

Charlton:
I am BRAND new to this site and I came here specifically to find input on Steel City's Deluxe Bandsaw--THANK YOU!!!
I've emailed them numerous times asking for any customer inputs or reviews - nothing but "we'll get back to you". Went through their archives to find another access point (like their president Scott Box) and had ALL emails returned undeliverable. I even went to WoodCraft's team asking for input--nobody had anything until I ran into your review. THANK YOU, again!!!
I'm ready to buy a new bandsaw and loved the features and price of the SC unit - especially for resawing and am glad I didn't order it. My sense is they may not be a long term player.
This is my first post but I will post, elsewhere, a plea for a recommendation for a viable and respectable bandsaw with reasonable resaw capacity….. If anyone has a recommendation - PLEASE help!!!
Again, THANK YOU CHARLTON!!!

Kaz


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## rodman

Charlton, thank you for such an in depth report. I am new here and new to band saws. After doing my research I decided on and purchased the 50130.It seemed like a good bang for the buck. Now after spending the last three frustrating days trying to get it set up and properly adjusted, I thought I'd visit a few forums to see if there were other saws out there that were, like mine, proving to be difficult to use. After reading your report, I know now that the problem is not just with my saw, as every single one of the issues you had, I am also dealing with. Some issues are a result of terrible design, and others are a result of what can only be terrible quality control at the factory. In other words, this Steel City product is just another offshore POS. I am curious to know how your saw actually cuts wood, now that you have spent the time and $$$ to get it set up to an acceptable level. I am planning to use this saw for some resawing and veneering - nothing too large but I do need accurate, repeatable cuts. Thanks again for a great post and I hope to hear back from you


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## charlton

Hey Rodman,

Even though the thing still vibrates a fair amount and setting up the adjustments is a pain (it *could* be so much better), the saw cuts acceptably well which is pretty much the reason I haven't sold the thing off. I'm using a Little Ripper blade and, so far, the cuts have been at least reasonably straight. Obviously the resawed surface needs cleanup (and I suspect a little more so than veneers sawn off other bandsaws) but the cleanup isn't too bad since the surface is almost like it's been treated with a toothing plane.

One of these days, I may upgrade to a better saw but for now, this thing is going to have to suffice, warts and all.

Good luck!

Cheers,
Charlton


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## rodman

Hey Charlton!
Thanks for the reply.
I guess the question, then, is this…..Considering the price point, and what else is available for the same $$$$ and features,if you could, would you return the saw and buy something else?
Again thanks for your imput
Jerry


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## charlton

Hey Jerry,

Yes, I would. Since you're probably in the States, I'd look at the Rikon 10-325 or one of the steel Grizzly's. I wouldn't consider another one of the 14" cast iron bandsaws.

Cheers,
Charlton


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## rodman

OK and thanks again Carlton,
Actually I am north of the 49th….looks like I'll continue shopping. Well taken advice regarding the cast iron units also….
Jerry


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## chrisnj

I just received my Steel City 50130 from Woodcraft after a four month wait for it on backorder. I have not tested it extensively, but so far it does not appear to have any of the issues reported in either the main review or in the follow up comments.

The only "issue" so far is the very minimal clearance between the front rail and the bottom door, as
described by charlton. It is annoying more than really problematic.

A few test cuts yielded very good results, and a fairly quiet and smooth running saw.

Chris


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## rodman

Glad to hear that Chris, it sounds like you have received a good one. After discovering all of the "issues" I had with my saw, and especially after seeing that someone else had the exact same issues with the saw they received (Carlton), well needless to say I was a little discouraged. But I do need to acknowledge the excellent service I received from the Steel City area representative, after describing some of the problems I was encountering. He acknowledged having heard some of the complaints before, and offered some suggestions for a fix. As an example, to reduce or get rid of the vibration, he suggested to adjust the tensioning bolt that tightens the drive belt pulley, as well as to position the belt on the pulleys so that the saw runs at the lower rpm. And much to his credit, (and probably a testament to Steel City's commitment to customer service) when I asked him how to adjust the rip fence to allow for blade drift he replied that on that fence there is no adjustment, and if that was an important function to me, then it was the wrong saw for me, furthered by the fact, as he explained it, the aftermarket fences that are adjustable do not fit on the SC granite table. So even though I had made a slight alteration to the saw, he authorized me to return it to the vendor for a full refund. 
So, I was unlucky , and got a lemon. But my hat is off to Steel City for the excellent customer service I received. 
Chris you have the best of both worlds - you have a good tool AND great customer service if you ever need it.

*UPDATE*
So as it turns out,maybe I wasn't so "unlucky" after all…...after returning the SC50130, I did lots of homework to select a replacement, and now I am waiting for my Laguna LT16HD, driftmaster fence, and resaw king blade…...I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas morning!!!

Jerry

PS as a newcomer to this site,I would like to say thanks to the so many people who welcomed me to the site - Thanks to all…...


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## charlton

It's good to hear that the saw is acceptable for some. Some people on other forums have already relayed positive experiences with the saw so it could be that I just got a lemon (or two) but Jerry's experience certainly seems to indicate, to me at least, that there is at least some QC problems.

I would be super happy if SC was willing to authorize a full refund but that isn't going to happen now.

Enjoy the LT16HD, Jerry. You have me filled with envy.


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## wfrs21

Hey Charlton,

Responded almost a year ago to this….bought a Grizzly 4057 bandsaw….awesome. Going to be getting my next big tool (upgrade to an 8" jointer from a 6") from them as well. Fit out of the box was excellent….great saw

Scott


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## CraigR1

Thanks for the great review. I wish I had seen it 2 years ago when I bought my unit or I would have looked further. I found it on sale at woodcraft and purchased it knowing I was not going to get to use it for a while due to medical issues. So it sat for a year I start using it and have had many of your issues some. The hinge for blade center adjustment has now broken four times since January 2011. the slider sticks and will not allow for proper adjustment. Now for the fair side Terry has sent me parts with no issue and this time he is sending parts and a technician to set it up and see what is happening. the real down side is Highlands woodslicer blade is $40.00 each time plus shipping so at this point I am out $200 for blades too. Hopefully they will fix it but at this point I am discouraged with the unit. I would not recommend this tool. The customer service from Terry is great


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## charlton

Hi Craig,

I feel for you. I ended up selling the saw at a substantial loss but I'm happy that it's gone. Frankly, I would not look at getting another saw of this type at all (cast iron) unless it's one of the massive older saws. Buying a new saw of a design from the 50's without the manufacturing precision of the 50's makes little sense. The cast iron is great for some things but when it limits your ability to do any sort of adjustments, it doesn't make any sense. Yes, Terry was very good to me as well so that's a plus but at the end of the day, short of sending you a new saw (which they did in my case), they can send dozens of replacement parts that don't end up making things any better.

If it's financially feasible, I'd sell the saw post haste and try a different saw (like the Grizzly G0457 or something bigger if you can afford the minimal space increase and capital outlay).

All the best and I hope things work out for you. It would be good if you post back with your progress.

Take care,
Charlton


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## Howie

I bought a Grizz GO555X over four years ago and I use it almost everyday. No problems to date.
Nothing like buying something and it turns out to be a lemon, always a sinking feeling. I had a Ford Thunderbird like that, couldn't drive it around the block without something going wrong. Bought it new and kept it 11 months and couldn't wait to get rid of it.


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## grumpy749

Charlton, i read your review with great intrest. I also bought a new SC 18 inch about two years ago. I bought for the resaw capacity and the'' great price'' The resaw capacity is there but the power isn't. only a two hp. hence the great price. I experienced many of the same issues you have had. I feal your pain bro. I am a fellow canadian. northern alberta. I have three steel city units in my shop, the afor mentioned band saw, a 1 hp dust collecter [good name for it] and an 89 in.by 6 in. belt sander. All units are problematic. But nothing like the band saw.All bought with price being the major consideration.Never again. Right now i am considering a table saw upgrade but defenitly not a SC. There are on my no buy list .Once again thanks for the great read. grumpy.


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## torpidihummer

I'm new to this site, but the articles on the Steel City Deluxe Band Saw model 50130 caught my eye. I just received my SC Deluxe Band Saw last Friday, but due to other commitments I haven't completed putting it together. I had the older SC Band Saw but not enough power to serve my purpose, so I decided to up grade and the SC 50130, now after reading Charleston's article, I'm wondering if I made a mistake. Thanks for all of the reviews.
Oscar


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## torpidihummer

Hi Charlton, you did a great job on your review, I purchased a model 50130 two months ago and haven't had a chance to use it until yesterday, however I did find the Instruction Manual very confusing and yes installing the
unit was a bear. The big problem I have with the unit is with the blade tensioning Cam Lever, I have to loosing the
blade tightening knob completely before I can turn the lever counter clock wise, also there is no red dot that
indicates how much one should tighten the blade for a given size of course that's no biggie. However the quick
release of the blade tightness is a great concept if it works. I have contacted Steel City's support staff and all
I get is "someone will get back to you".
As I mentioned before I carve birds of prey from blocks of Tupelo Gum wood and I mostly use my band saw 
for cutting my projects' forms before I start my carvings. Any suggestions on my problem?
Thanks Oscar


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## charlton

Hey Oscar,

Unfortunately, I have no solution to your problem. I do remember that when I changed from the cast iron bandsaw to the granite one, the tensioning mechanism was one of the things that changed and it seemed to be worse probably in the manner that you speak of. I don't know why this was changed but here is the relevant excerpt from my email exchange with SCTW (their response is all caps):

7. The quick-release mechanism seems different from the last saw. In 
the last saw, I could release the tensioner and the blade would be 
loose enough to change out. On the new saw, the blade is still under 
tension even when the quick release is disengaged and to remove the 
blade I have to release the tensioner almost all the way. THERE HAS BEEN AN
EXTRA PART ADDED TO THE TENSION RELEASE, ref #33a, IT INCREASES THE
ECCENTRIC

It seems that this is "by design."


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## torpidihummer

Thanks a lot for the information regarding my question regarding the 
Tension Release mechanism, since Steel City has not bothered to answer
my request for information, I will ask them for that extrs psrt you mentioned.
Oscar


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## chavafv

Hello Charlton, I'm sorry to bother you with this topic so many years later…
I'm from Mexico, and i bought a new bandsaw from URREA (mex brand), i noticed it is exactly the same saw you described in your review… exactly the same! but mine is all black painted. 
After installing my new bandsaw I had to make some minor adjustments at but the saw seemed pretty good. No vibration, easy to adjust etc… But then I realised I put the belt for only 1500 sfpm after changing to 3000 sfpm CRAZY VIBRATION started!
The vibration is not constant, it has a rythm to it, it calms down slowly, and slowly vibrates hard again. It is a constant cycle. When it is at the peak vibration its very difficult to make a cut, everything moves violently, it seems even dangerous. But the movement seems to be more up and down than side to side. The throat of the bandsaw flex a lot and I am only using the supplied 1/4" blade at its normal tension. 
I am waiting for an engineer from the selling brand to contact me but in the mean time…

Can you please tell me at least 2 things?
1) From all the things you did to your saw, what do you think was the most crucial to minimise vibration?
2) Did the vibration of your bandsaw (when it was at its worse) was like a cycle or constant vibration?

Thanks a lot

-Salvador Flores


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## charlton

Hi Salvador,

I don't think mine had any sort of cyclic pattern to it. It was just shaking wildly. You can see a video of it here:






1. I think having that level of vibration on my saw definitely would affect some work. You'd never really feel save taking your hands off the work to reposition because the shaking could cause the workpiece to move. Either way, with these little saws, there might be some minor level of vibration but mine was excessive.

2. Don't think it was excessive.

I would just contact the company and have them possibly replace it. There's no point throwing money on a machine that you don't enjoy using and that you might curse every time you turn it on.

Hope things work out. Please keep us posted.

Cheers,
Charlton


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## chavafv

Thanks for your reply, and the video. Why the table in the video is not granite ?
I don't plan to invest any money on the saw, (at least not to correct the vibration) i want them to take care of it, but i don't want to waste time neither. 
On one hand, I do like the saw, it is compact, a good price and there are no other saws at this price that can cut 12" or so, if a want a better saw i would have to move directly to the 18" realm, and that costs about double this saw. And i will probably do that but not in the next year or two.

When i run the at the low speed (1500 sfpm) there's no vibration, its a really quiet, stable saw and cuts pretty well too, very accurate. 
But the vibration increase you get by moving to 3000 sfpm seems way too much to think it is normal. 
I checked the upper wheel and seems a little unbalanced, but not too much. 
The motor runs very smooth, the motor band and the pulleys make almost no noise no matter what speed set is on, they are well aligned. So I discard this from being a real factor to the vibration.
I also run the saw without blade, at both speeds there is no noise, no vibration. This only means that the granite wheel is well balanced (but does not say it is concentric and it isnt).

That leaves me with some possibilities left:
1) Unbalanced upper wheel. (maybe at 3000 sfpm the whole structure plus the unbalanced wheel is too close to resonance frequency and hence the cyclic vibration instead of constant vibration)
2) Eccentric wheels. One or both wheels are bad in the channel for the urethane tire, and again, entering the 3000 fpm the whole thing starts to resonate.
3) Bad blade. For now i only have the supplied 1/4" 6 tpi blade. It looks ok, I can't notice any twist or anything strange. New blades are on its way, that will be the real closure of this as a factor of vibration.

I really don't bother working only at 1500 fpm, it does not seem too slow to me compared to the 3000 fpm, but, when I bought the new blades (timber wolf) I read that they are supposed to run at a minimum speed of 2400 fpm. I don't know why yet, but thats the only real reason to try to run at 3000.

When running the saw at 3000 fpm and the quiet part of the vibration cycle comes its so quiet, almost as if it was turned off for maybe 20 or 30 seconds. Thats what I want and I think its possible. Then it goes crazy again.

I am also willed to realign the pulleys so that i get a speed of around 2500 fpm. If that does not fix the issue or anything that the brand provides to me under warranty I will ask for a full refund.

I will post anything new.

Good week everyone!


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## charlton

Hi Salvador,

I mention in my review that I actually started off with the 50100 saw which was the regular version of the saw. The vibration was bad enough even after living with the vibration for a while that they agreed to replace it with the 50130 which has 12" resaw and the granite appointments.

Just as you are experiencing, my saw had no issues running at low speeds but that really doesn't say much because at low speeds, imbalances in the wheels probably don't really manifest themselves nearly as badly. Everything that you have tried, I tried as well. With pulley, without pulley, with blade, etc. I tested for balance as well and, like yours, there was maybe a slight balance issue (which is why I took the wheels off to examine them). I shimmed the saw to make sure it was perfectly level and "tight" on all four corners, too. I even replaced the tires because there was clear "lifting" of the tires off the wheel. After investing time and money in tires, blades, link belts, etc. I just got tired of spending time tinkering with the thing to try to get it to work so I sold it off.

It sounds like your saw is suffering from some harmonic issue…as if the phase of the spinning wheels relative to each other start to impart a shake that maybe hits the resonant frequency or something. But that's odd because the top and bottom wheels should be "in lock step" unless one of the tires is slipping.

In my opinion, none of these newer cast iron-based 14" saws is really worth it. I'd either look for an old model (like a Rockwell/Beaver/Delta) or else I'd go with a steel framed 14"er (like from Grizzly or Rikon). It's more money but at some point you have to realize that time is money. One can always try to earn more money but once the time is spent, it's gone for good.

Cheers,
Charlton

I don't think the blade would really be causing that much vibration to be honest.


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## chavafv

> [...]
> It sounds like your saw is suffering from some harmonic issue…as if the phase of the spinning wheels relative to each other start to impart a shake that maybe hits the resonant frequency or something. But that s odd because the top and bottom wheels should be "in lock step" unless one of the tires is slipping.
> [...]
> Cheers,
> Charlton


I do think that as a possibility. But the tires are tight against the wheels, not easy to turn on them. I will take a closer look at this, the relative phase between wheels.

And yes, i red completely your review, just thought the video was about the 10130.

And, as I live in Mexico, I don't have Rikons or Grizzleys available. All the medium and low pricing saws are crap. The only good saws are the expensive ones. There's the Hammer 4400 for example, which I really like. If I don't keep this one I would get that one. And i hope i will know the answer of this by the end of this month.

Thanks for your time and words Charlton.


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## charlton

The best way to detect tire slippage, IMO, is just to mark the tire and the wheel with a marker. If you turn the saw on and off, then see if the registration tick marks are still aligned that will give you a good indication if there was slippage.

The video was actually a private video that I just made unlisted now for you. I used it to show the vibration problem to SteelCity so it's a really old video now. 

I know your pain although things have gotten MUCH better here in Canada. Both Rikon and Grizzly's are available.

The N4400 is certainly a much nicer saw. Of that I have absolutely no doubt. For something a little more comparable in size to this little 14er, you could consider the N3800. I don't know what the price difference is but if cost is a concern then that's certainly another option. If you do splurge for the Hammer, I bet you'll be happy and all your bandsaw woes will be behind you. 

All the best!

Charlton


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## chavafv

The N3800 is not available in Mexico, only the N4400… and this costs more than double of the current 14" PLUS extra shipping. In addition I would have to make a nice 220V installation. And all this is going to happen, but not right now, I'm in the process of making a bigger workshop. That means take down some walls, building up a new wall, electric installation, lights, etc… a mess. Dealing with a more expensive saw like the hammer is better for the long run but right now it would be painful. As painful as a crazy 14" saw? who knows! 

I never though getting a tool would be something this difficult.

Cheers!


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## charlton

The N4400 would definitely be better than the N3800 so maybe having no choice is a good thing. 

Getting a lemon is always a pain no matter what brand it is but I suspect that the likelihood of getting a lemon is substantially higher with these saws than it is for, say, a Hammer or Felder.

Anyway, having a bigger shop is always nicer. I wish I had more room.

Cheers,
Charlton


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## chavafv

Charlton,
I checked the relative phase between both upper and lower wheels and yes, they are not locked together. But not due to tire slippage, but because the fact that both wheels are not the same diameter. The granite wheel is exactly 14" counting the tire, and the upper wheel is maybe 3/16" under 14". 
Now knowing this I think it is very likely that MOST of the ugly vibration is caused by untrue wheels.

Every time the biggest radius of the upper wheel is pointing up and the biggest radius of the bottom wheel points down, the blade tension is high, pulling down the neck of iron of the structure of the saw. As the rotation continues they reverse and the blade tension goes down, making the neck body of the saw to go up again. That's why at 3000 sfpm it is a mess.
Then, as both wheels eccentricities offset they reach a moment when the bigger radius of a wheel compensates the other and so the tension over the blade is rather constant, and so, the iron body of the saw stops stretching and vibrating. This explains the variable vibration and the very quiet 30 second periods that are just lovely.

All this makes me think that the saw has a great potential for the price if it just was supplied with really true concentric wheels. (At least this particular unit)

Are they going to be able to provide me with really true (or better) wheels ?

Who knows…


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