Hey all,
My single goal in wood working is to create bows (as in bow and arrow). I have several black cherry trees on my property which I have split and quartered. I really only need about a 2"x1 1/2"x80" section from the logs. My question is, will a table top 9" bandsaw take a quartered log, which is less than 9" in height, and be capable of processing that? In particular I am looking at the 9" band saw from Harbor Freight.
Thanks in advance.
Hello Yarborg,
Great question. I believe that it will make this cut for you on an occasional basis, but it will be slow going. The better question is how long will the motor last if you use it commonly for this purpose? I believe that if you use this saw for that purpose on a regular basis, it will not hold up. My father recently destroyed the motor on a 9" band saw by regularly cutting thick hardwoods (not nearly as thick as what you are planning). You would be much better off buying yourself a 14" band saw for this purpose. These units are belt driven, have much more powerful motors, and are built to hold up to that kind of use for a long period of time.
If you decide to buy the 9" unit anyway, I suggest that you get yourself a good 3 tpi low tension steel blade, such as Timberwolf, and really take your time as you move through the cut. If you put too much load on the motor, it won't last long.
Good luck with your decision, and with your project. Sounds fun!
I came across a great resource for you if you have not already come across this. Scott Phillips has an episode of his show in which he makes a bow. It is episode #1705, and is found here: http://www.wbgu.org/americanwoodshop/episodes.html.
You must Log In to post.
