Official Luthiers Forum!

You the right thing! When I bought the laguna 20 in bs from our neighbour it was already 15 yrs old an older model with 15 in of resaw.The euro motor was dead . I got a lot of help from Laguna and a brand new 5 hp leeson motor plus I bought a woodmaster ct and laguna blades .Soon after some mods new pully
and belt and installing the new motor , which was a bear .It took 2 of us to do it.All told . I paid $500 for the BS and another $ 800 for the motor and resaw blades plus some time. IMHO the newer better 20 in models are at least $4500 us. Only by examining whats involved, can you make a good decision, The deal of the century comes by at least once a week. IMHO

A few more thoughts for you, Mark:

Think about this extreme example. If you could just barely afford the world’s nicest bandsaw, but it literally would leave you with no budget for buying a router, or a decent block plane, or small machinists squares (all of which are absolutely essential to me as a builder), could you build guitars right away? Nope. You would have to wait until your budget allowed for the purchase of more essentials. But if you bought a benchtop bandsaw, and used the money you saved to buy the rest of the essentials, you could start building right away.

Now,here’s the rub: might you be tempted later on to buy a better bandsaw? Sure you will. And you will go ahead and do that, if you stick with this hobby or some other type of woodworking. A better bandsaw helps you do better work.

That propensity to “trade up” can lead to spending more in the long run than if you had bought high quality at the beginning. But who has perfect clairvoyance? You don’t know at the beginning if you will still be doing this in a few years. Plus, waiting to start building until you can afford the best of everything essential means a long period of not learning the craft by engaging in it. That, in my view, is the best way to learn just about every aspect of building a guitar: trying it, failing a little along the way, trying it again, getting better, and eventually becoming pretty good at most everything.

So, I vote for buying at least a minimum level of respectable quality, but maybe not the biggest or best, unless you get a super great deal on something that is high quality. Don’t buy junk, but save some money and buy less than the biggest and best. Get started building, even if some of your tools are not ideal. Then, over time, as opportunities arise and the budget allows, trade up.

I would just hate to see a thread from you that you bought a $10,000 wide belt sander, and as a result, can’t afford wood to run through it. Not that you would be that imprudent, but if someone was willing to sell you that wide belt sander for $3,000, there would be a temptation to buy it, because it is a great deal. But you don’t need something as nice as a wide belt sander; you can build guitars with something smaller, and you need that money for other things. My advice is to avoid the temptation to blow your budget on something too advanced, merely because it is a great bargain. At this stage in your building, you will be better off letting it be a great bargain for someone else.

Buy it twice if you can. That's a steal of a deal.

Depending on the crack situation, I probably would have offered him $500. That would strictly be a resaw for me. You can pretty much do everything else you need with a little 9" benchtop or 14".

New username, same Pat Mac

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Pat

Before spending a whole lot on a bandsaw, and vital tools are still to be bought, I suggest OP buy a 10-inch Rikon and see what it can do for him. The price is a fraction of what he was willing to pay for the 'Laguna' saw, and it will serve him very well until he runs up against its limitations, should that ever occur. And besides, an inexpensive table saw can be found to complement the bandsaw, both for less than the price of the rejected saw alone.

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Peter Havriluk

Thank for the detailed follow up Mark. One simple thought, just rest assured you made the right decision - for you. Another opportunity will surely arise.

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Thank You and Best To All

Ah I didn't read the context. I'd agree to go with a 10" saw if this would leave you broke. Maybe have a look at the Grizzly 10" as well as it's only $150 and will get the job done. I don't know how it stacks up with the Rikon but I've been eyeing one myself for finer work.

None of those little 9-10"saws are going to be doing any "precision" work, but they are very useful and you can always find used ones for $50-75.

New username, same Pat Mac

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Pat

Sometimes you can find the two wheel 12" craftsman bandsaws for less than $100. They have plastic covers and are lightly built but actually work fine. I still have one that I can pick up and carry outdoors when I want to work "al Fresco". I have put a metal cutting blade on it and cut thin metals, so there are uses for it after you find a better saw.

Assuming you could find a good welder, you could probably get the table repaired for around $100 or possibly less.

On the other hand, if you're patient, you can probably find a 14" Delta or equivalent for less than $500, at least that's what it's like in Ohio where I live. You can also keep your eye out for school auctions or sales. Most wood shop classes were ended a long time ago but some schools still have some machines floating around like in their maintenance department.

I'd also suggest you check Old Woodworking Machinery owwm.org. Lots of great people there who love the old machines like I do and can guide you if you find something the looks good. They also have a classifieds section. I think you made the right decision too considering all the other factors involved.

Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

Check out Jet CPO. Free shipping too (not sure how they do that)

http://www.ebaystores.com/CPO-Outlets/_ ... =118556856

Mike