# Make your own Band Saw Riser Block?



## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

Like a lot of you, I enjoy the challenge of creating a solution rather than buying one. Well, I have a 14" band saw that needs a riser block. Why spend $100+ when I could make one? Any ideas on how to do it?

First of all, I don't weld well, so iron plate is out. And hiring a machine shop is out, I may as well just buy a commercial one if I'm going to do that. What about wood?

And what about the extended bar for the blade guides? a piece of pipe would be perfect, but it fits loosely in the cast iron hole. Any ideas on that? I know I can get 7/8" steel rod stock, but it's very hard to find around here and PRICEY. If I can take the wobble out of the pipe…

Anybody make their own Carter style bearing guides?


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## dkirtley (Mar 11, 2010)

You could make a riser block out of wood. It would be a bad idea. Wood and cast iron both move. That is fine. The problem is that they move differently. It would work part of the time and the rest of the time, it would get out of alignment. Also, the cast iron and wood transmit force differently. The change in materials would make for really bad differences in stress transmission and would break things at inconvenient times.

You can order drill rod at the right size. Online Metals as an example.

You could make the guides. Pretty basic machine shop drilling and tapping.

If you are going to go to all this trouble, it would be more interesting to make one. www.woodgears.ca has some plans for making a really nice saw. I bought the plans and they look real easy to build from. Of course if I could get my other projects out of the way, I would get to them.


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

I built the Woodgears bandsaw, it's a great design. getting the bearings aligned on the wheels is a HUGE challenge, it's not as simple as it looks and it has to be perfect or the wheels will wobble.

If you can buld an entire bandsaw out of wood and not have trouble with it being out of alignment when the wood moves, why would a riser block out of wood not work. Especially if the grain rins straight up and down so any movement will be slight swelling in the diameter and not length?

Also, don't miss the point. The idea is to do it with as much wood as possible because we are woodworkers. It's the fun of the challenge! I could buy one, or I could machine guides out of metal (If I had a machine shop, which I don't), but that defeats the purpose.

I believe it CAN be done, mostly our of wood. The bar for the blade gaurds has to be super stiff, so it must be metal. A pipe is slightly smaller than 7/8", so it would require modification. (Any ideas?) But the block assembly that holds the bearings can be made out of wood. Carter makes theirs out of a simple block of aluminum. Why not cut the same shap froma block of super dense wood?


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

If you fully tension a wider blade (1/2" or more) you are putting a LOT of stress on the frame of a bandsaw.

I've been hesitant about using regular riser blocks because I theorize that a frame built explicitly for the height would be stronger than one modified for the height. That's why I bought an 18" bandsaw instead of a 14" with riser blocks.

I would be even more reluctant to try some kind of rigged up riser blocks, especially made of wood.

Just my opinion.


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## Pop (Aug 6, 2007)

Hey Stumpy, You missed David's point. Your wood bandsaw works because it's ALL wood. When you mix wood and cast iron you run into stress, humidity & temperature problems. The iron moves with temperature and the wood doesn't. The wood moves with humidity and the iron doesn't. The stress differences between cast iron & wood is big, If you use a 3/8 or 1/2 inch blade and tension it right the wood may hold it but IMPO not for long. Buying a riser block will save you pain & sorrow.

Pop


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

I can see your point, Pop. But is this theory or does it really happen in practice? I mean, if wood moves contrary to iron enough to be noticeable (assuming the block is straight grained, running in the same direction as the cast iron frame), why wouldn't a purely wood frame which has grain running in several directions, or a purely cast iron frame also move enough to throw itself off? My understanding of wood movement is it swells along the grain, so the block would get slightly thicker, but not twist, bend or otherwise distort the frame any more than iron would.

Or am I wrong?


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

bentlyj- You miss the point. If I had to turn down a "$500 job" to "put food on the table" in order to find time to make my own bandsaw riser block, I'd agree. But some people have some "TV time" they'd rather spend tinkering in the shop, and they joy making their own tools. I realize you are not one of those people, but telling me not to waste my time is only valid if I consider it a waste of time- which I don't.

I suppose it also ticks me off that they charge as much for a hunk of cheaply cast metal as they do for a lot of much more complex tools. So I see this as my little protest…


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## dlmckirdy (Oct 27, 2009)

StumpyNubs (that's a cool handle) If they can build bridges, airplanes, multi-story buildings, etc. out of wood, why can't you build a bandsaw extension block out of it? It would just be a matter of finding a piece of wood that has similar expansion/tension characteristics as cast iron. The blade guide shaft is only made out of cold rolled steel, so a dowel of a stiff, hard wood should work there also. As for the actual carraige for the blade guides, use the same wood as the extension block, and mill it to fit the bearing holders.

One point, though, the guide bar is a metric size, about .007" smaller than 7/8". I had to have one milled for the guide slot, and it was easier/cheaper to use 7/8" stock and drill (ream) the hole in the frame to 7/8". Interestingly, the cup in the guide carraige was about 1" with a long set screw.

If you decide to buy the kit, check out Harbor Freight. Theirs absolutely matched PM's except for the color (my machinist compared my HF parts to his PM parts - Same-same. Mine was about $75, his was about $130.


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

bentlyj- I was referring to the end where you told me to "Go spend the 130 bucks on a kit and use the time it would have taken you to make your own to make 500 bucks on a project that would pay for the new riser and put some dinner on the table."

Sounded like you were telling me not to waste my time. And since I consider the project a good use of my time, I pointed that out.


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## MikeGager (Jun 15, 2009)

i think a chunk of aluminum would be a better material but i dont see why it wouldnt work with a really dense hard wood


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

What you've dug up in that photo from my old shop layout (which isn't on LJ's anymore) is a bandsaw with a piece of 3" iron pipe inserted as a temporary solution. Problem with the pipe is there isn't much surface on the top and bottom so it won't hold the frame parts flat and tight at the seams.


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

Just having a little fun, Bentlyj, nothing personal.


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## bunkie (Oct 13, 2009)

Sounds like this is an opportunity to learn how to weld. Some flanges on that iron pipe should do it…

BTW, Grizzley sells the riser kit for around $65 and, I'm told, it fits most of the 14" saws out there.


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## dkirtley (Mar 11, 2010)

StumpyNubs:

Normally i would be all for saying wood is strong enough for most stuff. In this case, you are already getting way close to the "bad things happening" kind of stresses. I have a riser block on mine. I already have trouble keeping the blade tensioned enough with a cast iron riser block. I had to switch to a stronger spring. Some people start getting things like stripped tensioners and cracked frames.It does not track as well as it did without the riser. I will probably take it out once I run out of the 105" blades.

When you have mixed materials with differing properties, you get weird stress concentrations that make things break well under their theoretical maximum strength.


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## BigTiny (Jun 29, 2010)

If you're determined to do this, might I suggest Lignum Vitae? No worries there about humidity changes.


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

StumpyNubs , I'd hate to see your nickname become fact while trying to save a hundred bucks : (
Were you also going to make a wooden bolt and nuts and blade guards to go along with the riser block and bearing holders ?


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

Dusty, thanks for your concern.  I think the issue is not really a safety one. I would never use the saw with out blade gaurds, so I would have to make those. I assume you were joking about making a wooden bolt and nut? I really don't think a hardwood block secured with a bolt will explode.

I'm also not trying to "save a hundred bucks" really. It's more about the challange, and the ability to make something myself. If I had a welder capable of doing it, I would use steel. (My welder is a small flux core system which is more of a metal glue gun than a welder.)

HOWEVER, I am beginning to rethink the idea of a riser block altogether because I question if I can get proper blade tension- even with a commercial one. I use this saw with a wide blade for resawing exclusively. I already broke one tension mechanism trying to get proper tension with the temporary riser I have in there. That wasn't cheap to replace, let me tell you!


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

Jim, I've seen that wooden bandsaw frame in several of your posts. Did you ever finish that and use it? I ask because I bought the plans last fall and was planning to start working on my own taller modified version this spring. If you did finish it, why are you wanting to put a riser block on a 14" saw? Did the 16" wood saw not work well?


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

Yes , I was teasing you about the bolt and nuts : )
I'm not sure how wide a blade you're using to resaw with , but Both Timberwolf and Carter advised me against using a blade more than 1/2" wide on my 14" bandsaw due to tensioning issues and premature wear on the bearings and tires.


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

Crank49- I built most of it, but there were a lot of problems with the plans, especially the measurements for the frame layers. I got past that and was working on the wheels when I quit. I just couldn't get the wheels to spin flat. The problem is you have a bearing on each side of the wheel hub. Those have to be PERFECTLY aligned or the wheel will wobble. Even a tiny offset causes vibration. The designer's solution was to mount the bearings in wooden flanges and glue them on each side of the wheel, then while they're still wet, put an axel through and spin in in the edge of a bench, tapping with a hammer to try and true it. It is a very crude way to do it, and I was unsuccessful. I suppose I could figure it out with some more time, but I had other pressing projects.

Yesterday I was considering digging the frame back out and mounting a set of 12" wheels I have from an old saw on it. I always intended on having TWO saws anyway, one with a large resaw capacity, and the other with a large throat capacity for curves. I hate changing baldes. After thinking about the problems with a riser block, I may use this homemade saw with the small wheels for resaw (it is solid, no riser and it has a very strong spring mechanism made from wood). Then I may just leave the riser idea out of the Delta 14" saw I have and use it for curves. It's throat depth is less than I'd like, but I'll manage.


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

Bentlyj, I have three saws, actually. One is a Delta clone which I have a temporary riser in for resawing made of steel pipe. It doesn't work for a riser as I said above. I have a second 12" saw that I bought from an estate sale. It was a "Kit" saw- homemade using Gil-Bilt parts and wood. It is too small for me. And I was building a third saw from the Woodgears.ca plans but abandoned it for a while.

I'm thinking of taking that project back up, as I just told Crank above.


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

Dusty, I'm beginning to think that a riser in my Delta clone is a bad idea for that very reason. I use a 1/2" blade, but it still resaws poorly. A LOT of vibration and parallel cuts are extremely difficult. I think the tensioning mechanism is just not up to the task. I broke the original one! I replaced the spring, but it isn't doing the job.


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## DaveTPilot (May 15, 2009)

I know this is a VERY old thread but I read through it in its entirety and I just have to say that you guys crack me up!


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

I also just happened to run across this. And I'm wondering what the outcome was.

Did Stumpy make a riser out of wood?
Did he rehash the 3" pipe and use it instead?
Or did he ever get around to finishing up the wooden band saw?

Stay tuned kids. Same bat time, same bat channel.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

Stumpy, I think you could make a riser block with a glue up of Baltic Birch plywood.


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## Kirk (Apr 20, 2007)

Stumpy,

Have you noticed that there are some companies that offer two bandsaw blades at different lengths? 105" and 105 1/2".

Most of the companies have sizes that go from 93 1/2" to 105". So what happened to that 1/2" with a 5" riser block?

I wielded my riser and formed sheet aluminum for the guard. As for the top saw guide rod, I haven't made up my mind if I need a longer rod or not. Since I do a lot of resawing, stuff over 6". And I would love to have a wider blade than the 3/4" that I use.

Probably the most irritating thing was the difference methods of bolts used to fasten the guard.


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

That extra 1/2" is for the oddball brands. I have a Craftsman 14" saw that uses a blade like that. I think 101 1/2". I also have an off brand that uses a 92" blade.

If you want a wider blade, make sure your saw can handle the extra tension you'll need. I broke the top wheel mount on a saw once!


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## Lazy_K (May 27, 2012)

did you finally do this? I have seen wood block risers on several bandsaws over the years, I am planning on making one for my 18" bandsaw soon.. use the hardest wood you have I have a white oak block that I am saving for this.
.. but also I have seen it done with a doug fir 4×4


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## Kirk (Apr 20, 2007)

> did you finally do this? I have seen wood block risers on several bandsaws over the years, I am planning on making one for my 18" bandsaw soon.. use the hardest wood you have I have a white oak block that I am saving for this.
> .. but also I have seen it done with a doug fir 4×4
> 
> - Lazy_K


I can't say that wood would be an answer, but it has been used in the past. But remember that wood is still alive and swells and shrinks.

What I do foresee is there's twist action at this point. In mine, there were locating pins to hold it square. I did have a machine shop square up the block.

But anything goes to get your resawing requirements you need.

Good luck.

W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

Wow, this is an old one… I never did the wood thing. Instead I found someone who had a short chunk of 4" steel pipe. A scrap yard or even a plumber may have one. Just make sure the ends are cut straight. Worked like a charm until I got rid of that saw.


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