|
Post by kap on Sept 16, 2007 21:18:41 GMT -5
I am thinking about getting a small band saw. Inland has one with the diamond blade for around $200 does anyone had any info on them? Do y'all have any suggestions on another type. I will use it for trimming. Keith
|
|
|
Post by LCARS on Sept 16, 2007 21:36:22 GMT -5
One word: " Workforce" The $70 tile saw from Home Depot with a 7" blade that just keeps on giving.
|
|
|
Post by kap on Sept 16, 2007 21:38:56 GMT -5
I have tile and rock saws but was looking at band saws. Keith
|
|
billcotton
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2007
Posts: 9
|
Post by billcotton on Sept 16, 2007 22:17:28 GMT -5
I don't know about the Inland band saw.
My wife works in stained glass and uses a Gemini Taurus 2 diamond saw and a Gryphon saw, that is a similar principle to the picture I saw on the Inland web site. We tried trimming rocks on it a couple of times and it worked but dulled the blade fairly quickly. Actually broke a blade once. It works well on glass which is much softer than rock.
My suggestion is stick with a trim saw and maybe get a lapidary blade for it.
Regards Bill
|
|
|
Post by johnjsgems on Sept 16, 2007 22:26:09 GMT -5
Kap, they are actually pretty good. The blade is flat and plated on the front edge only giving you a thin kerf. They were made for glass and could use more power for cutting agate. I have a demo model I let people play with at the outdoor shows I do. No one has managed to destroy it yet. One nice feature is the blade pulleys have no front rim. If the blade gets jammed it gets thrown off saving the blade. It sails through soft material and handles hard material a little slower. And, if you break a blade or have the diamond strip off Inland wants the blade back for inspection. I know two people that received free blades in return. You can spend a lot more and get more power but for the money it is a pretty nice unit. You can also buy wood and metal blades for the unit. I have sold several to silversmiths that use them to cut silver stock. They have a two year warramty too.
John at JS Gems
|
|
|
Post by akansan on Sept 16, 2007 23:59:27 GMT -5
Kap, one of the previous people on the board had one - the blade is a non-standard size, so the only place you buy replacement blades is from Inland. He had complaints about the whole swap-top rig, but that was his main complaint about the band saw portion.
|
|
|
Post by stoner on Sept 17, 2007 0:06:52 GMT -5
Hey Keith. I have a Gryphon band saw that I want to sell. I bought it used, made a new table top for it, bought a new blade and used it once or twice. It works great on softer materials up to 1/4" thick and agates up to 1/8" thick. Send me a PM if you're interested.
|
|