Downsides of the Old School Delta-style 14" Bandsaw?

[onocoffee]

I've got the small, benchtop 9" Delta bandsaw - you know, the Shopmaster one. It was given to me by a friend and has been fine for small cuts here and there. But I've been thinking about resawing lately and that I might get a larger bandsaw. In this vein, I found a local guy who's selling a Bridgewood BW-14BS bandsaw for $150, which seems like a reasonable price. The table has a bit of rust but the saw looks in overall good shape from the pics.

From what I've been able to glean on the internet, this saw is a clone of the 1940s - 1950s era Delta and has been widely proliferated. And while I realize that the new products from Rikon, Laguna or Powermatic are quite nice, they're at least ten times this much.

But interested to know what you think and if it worth picking up for resawing? Thanks!

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

It depends on how patient you are.

My understanding is that the Delta clones you're referencing have a cast iron frame which may struggle to properly tension a blade for resawing. Yes-yes-yes, any saw can resaw with an appropriate blade with sharp teeth, properly tuned, and proper setup, but on a tall, dense board you might be sawing for a long time.

Most of my colleagues who still have a Delta (or clone) are using it with a narrow blade for quick cuts, or for radius work.

What kind of resawing are you hoping/planning to do? Thickness, length, wood species, frequency, etc.....

I had a Laguna LT14SUV, which was a steel-framed 14" saw which could handle a 1" Resaw King pretty well. Currently using a much larger saw, but that's beside the point here....

I'd suggest keeping your eye out for a 14" or (preferably) a 16" or 18" saw with a European-style steel frame on the used market. They do come up pretty regularly, at a decent price, and will likely be much better suited to resawing. That being said, there's nothing wrong with starting with the Delta clone, I'd just be very careful about managing expectations....

 

[rst]

The Bridgewoods were decent machines made in Taiwan.  The 12” Powermatic planer I have was bought directly from Bridgwood headquarters in York, PA in 81 I think. 

 

[Cheese]

The major issues you fight with a Delta or Delta clone for resawing are:
1. The lack of stiffness in a cast iron frame.
2. Most saws came with 3/4 HP or smaller motors.
3. The saw blade guides need to be changed.
4. Inability to properly tension the blade.
5. Bandsaw hinge bending when attempting to properly tension the blade.

I have a Delta 28-303 that I purchased new in the early 90's. It does a good job of resawing but I needed to address & fix each of the above issues before it became good at resawing.
The only trouble spot I couldn't circumvent was the cast iron frame. I did a work-around on that issue by a combination of ALWAYS using a very sharp blade, having a MINIMUM of a 1 HP motor and taking the time when resawing to let the machine do the work at its own pace. Be prepared for your arms to get tired.  [smile]

If you're serious about tuning up an older Delta, call up Iturra Design and ask them for a bandsaw catalog. They offer hundreds of replacement parts and tune-up suggestions. The catalog is 249 pages thin.

[attachimg=1]

Here's the bent blade hinge I pulled out of mine.

[attachimg=2]

Here's a stack of aromatic cedar I resawed for a drawer project. Aromatic cedar has the equivalent Janka hardness of maple or cherry.

[attachimg=3]

 

[Crazyraceguy]

The common 14" cast iron machines are basically the same. There may be some creature comfort differences by brand, but close enough. Mine is a RIGID, with a 6" riser block. I never put a blade wider than 3/4" blades on it and it does ok. I upgraded it with Carter blade guides and fence, at one of the local woodworking shows, about 20 years ago.
It is not the greatest thing, but it does work for my needs.

If you can get ahold of one cheap enough, why not? Even if you decide you need more, you could keep it as a curve cutter and not have to swap blades on your bigger saw, when you need to cut curves.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

It depends on how patient you are.

My understanding is that the Delta clones you're referencing have a cast iron frame which may struggle to properly tension a blade for resawing. Yes-yes-yes, any saw can resaw with an appropriate blade with sharp teeth, properly tuned, and proper setup, but on a tall, dense board you might be sawing for a long time.

Most of my colleagues who still have a Delta (or clone) are using it with a narrow blade for quick cuts, or for radius work.

What kind of resawing are you hoping/planning to do? Thickness, length, wood species, frequency, etc.....

I had a Laguna LT14SUV, which was a steel-framed 14" saw which could handle a 1" Resaw King pretty well. Currently using a much larger saw, but that's beside the point here....

I'd suggest keeping your eye out for a 14" or (preferably) a 16" or 18" saw with a European-style steel frame on the used market. They do come up pretty regularly, at a decent price, and will likely be much better suited to resawing. That being said, there's nothing wrong with starting with the Delta clone, I'd just be very careful about managing expectations....

Cast iron frame is a disadvantage? 

My wadkin PBR resaw is steel frame, it's kind of pathetic compared to a cast frame resaw.

My greenlee 410 is the best BS I've owned and I've owned almost every 36" saw made.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Hi Warner,

I should have been more specific to say the cast iron frame on the 14” machines will struggle to properly tension a resaw blade. As you point out, the larger industrial machines were built to a different standard. Beautiful machines, by the way!  8)

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Hi Warner,

I should have been more specific to say the cast iron frame on the 14” machines will struggle to properly tension a resaw blade. As you point out, the larger industrial machines were built to a different standard. Beautiful machines, by the way!  8)

I often resaw with nothing more than a 3/8" 3tpi blade.  The 14" delta style saw can tension a blade like that with no issue.  The issue comes down to HP for the most part and the fact that the wheel mass is lighter. 

Those 14" deltas are great, but they have limitations for sure. 

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

 

[Michael Kellough]

I have an old Rockwell/Delta 14” bandsaw with the 6” riser. It has a 1-1/2 hp 220 volt motor and I have been using a 3/4” blade to resaw but I wonder if the blade is really getting that blade tight enough. I’ll probably go back to 1/2 or 3/8.

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Hi Warner,

I should have been more specific to say the cast iron frame on the 14” machines will struggle to properly tension a resaw blade. As you point out, the larger industrial machines were built to a different standard. Beautiful machines, by the way!  8)

I often resaw with nothing more than a 3/8" 3tpi blade.  The 14" delta style saw can tension a blade like that with no issue.  The issue comes down to HP for the most part and the fact that the wheel mass is lighter. 

Those 14" deltas are great, but they have limitations for sure. 

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

I should say the I don't have direct experience with the 14" Deltas (and clones), just an accumulation of second-hand feedback from other users. I've definitely heard that folks can get nice results resawing with a 3/8" blade, but again it would seem to boil down to how long you're willing to spend on a given cut. My colleagues who do own the 14" cast iron machines love them as a saw they can just make a quick cut, versus waiting for a larger machine to get up to speed. If I had more space I would have kept my Laguna LT14SUV for the same purpose, but, alas, small shop dictates only the one larger saw...

 

[Cheese]

I have an old Rockwell/Delta 14” bandsaw with the 6” riser. It has a 1-1/2 hp 220 volt motor and I have been using a 3/4” blade to resaw but I wonder if the blade is really getting that blade tight enough. I’ll probably go back to 1/2 or 3/8.

I also have the 1-1/2 hp motor that I will reconfigure to 220v when I move the saw to the garage...hopefully this summer.  [smile]

I'm running a DoAll 1/2" wide, 3 tooth, M42, TiN coated blade and it's kept its edge extremely well. Very happy with that. However, I had to put in heavier springs to adequately tension the blade.

I'm interested in trying Darcy's suggestion and installing a 3/8" wide 3 tooth blade.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I'll add a bit more I fo on band stock. 

I typically use regular old high carbon steel, think my saw shop has moorse bulk stock.

Most blade I buy are between 14 and 19 feet long and always under 20 bucks. 

If you want a more longer lasting blade, try a bi-metal.  Usually not quite 2x price. 

I won't spend money on a carbide tipped bandsaw blade as they aren't worth the expense to me and they tend to fracture if you cut a curve. 

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

 

[leakyroof]

Onocoffee, just be prepared for some rebuilding or tune up on that $150 bandsaw. You might find things like worn guides, bearings, etc. But as noted, there are some stellar upgrade parts made to fit the Delta and its clones for overcoming worn parts and original short comings. That's been the beauty of the Delta clones generally, you start with a base, and build from there if you want to.
Bandsaws are one machine tool that many people 'live' with something not right on it, since they don't know how to correct the issue. Or, parts get worn and out of tolerance on the machine, and they're just not aware of how much better things would be if they took the time, and some money, to correct the issue.

 

[Mini Me]

I'll add a bit more I fo on band stock. 

I typically use regular old high carbon steel, think my saw shop has moorse bulk stock.

Most blade I buy are between 14 and 19 feet long and always under 20 bucks. 

If you want a more longer lasting blade, try a bi-metal.  Usually not quite 2x price. 

I won't spend money on a carbide tipped bandsaw blade as they aren't worth the expense to me and they tend to fracture if you cut a curve. 

Small saws break blades due to the diameter of the wheels, there is no way around that. I put a Carbide blade on my 18"saw about 7 years ago and it is still there and has never been re-sharpened.