Carter Bandsaw Stabilizer

Has anyone have experience with the Carter Blade Stabilizer?

I know there is an old saying about why shut the gate after the cows get out, well maybe I should have asked this question BEFORE I bought the stabilizer!

I have a 17" Grizzly, and I'm a little confused and unhappy about the way this fits. It could be me, but I'm hoping to get someones view on the product..

Thanks
Jiggs Elphison
 
Interesting. A new thing to me. Looks like it decreases the throat height by an inch or more. And, the sample photo in the ad has the wood going backwards. :rofl:
My first blush is that properly adjusted guides do just fine without spending $80.00.
 
Which 17" Griz do you have. I was told by Carter via email a few weeks ago that there was not a stabilizer offered for my G0513X.
 
Jiggs just a return to normallity here, i watch the video on woodcraft and after looking at all the other bits and pieces offered by carter to tune up the blade the thought occurred to me as to how much more i would spend to supposedly tune up my Delta bandsaw that has done me no harm todate.

Can i ask you what is it that you are experiencing as a problem that led you to wanting to put these accessories onto your saw in the first place?

Maybe there is more than one way to tackle the problem.
 
There IS about half an inch of reduction is sawable height, and the stabilizer is intended only for use with 1/16" ~ 3/16" blades.

You install it it place of the upper guides. It slides into the guide mounting hole, just like the OEM guides, and is adjusted to put a small forward thrust on the blade. You open the bottom guides up so that they don't touch the blade at all.

This makes the end result a blade that's very slightly forward of vertical - the cut at the top of the workpiece begins maybe 3/32" before it contacts the bottom of an 8/4 piece. Supposedly, it make 'scroll-type' work easier. (See my tag line, below)

I've had one of these for my 14" saw for probably ten years. While it doesn't make the saw cut any worse, it doesn't - for me, at least - seem to provide any significant improvement, either.

I very seldom use mine. In fact, if somebody wants one badly, I'll sell mine for half the going price. It the one made for Jet/Tai-Chi 14" saws.
 
Carter Band Saw Stablizer

Rob Keeble asked me "Why did I think I needed it?"

I have to shamefully admit I am a habitual GADGET or GIMMICK buyer. I may die broke, but you'll be able to open a museum with all the useless gimmicks I've purchased over the years.

If I were to stay off the internet I'd be better off. I see something new or something that is suppose to be easier and better than what I have I have to try it. 90% of what I get is JUNK!! or I find that it's not as good as what I have.

I'm trying to make bandsaw boxes. On the forum that didn't want me to join because of my name, I saw a post where someone was using it and a half a dozen comments that were all favorable of how great the stabilizer was.

I checked it out on the internet, and you know the rest of the story.

Anyway I did install it. Does it work? I guess but I really think I could live without. On my saw it's time consuming to install it.

Jiggs Elphison
 
It replaces the other guides, so I suspect there's no loss in throat height. As I understand things, it's essentially a guide for thin blades.

That is correct. The guys that do the wacky reindeer cutouts while they're blabbing away use them at the shows. They push forward on the blade enough to keep the rear edge in the groove but not so much that the blade moves forward on the tires. Primarily for really tight curves with really narrow blades.
 
Jiggs just a return to normallity here, i watch the video on woodcraft and after looking at all the other bits and pieces offered by carter to tune up the blade the thought occurred to me as to how much more i would spend to supposedly tune up my Delta bandsaw that has done me no harm todate.

Can i ask you what is it that you are experiencing as a problem that led you to wanting to put these accessories onto your saw in the first place?

Maybe there is more than one way to tackle the problem.

I'm with you Rob... Yes you have to re-adjust you saw every time you replace a blade , but Geeze! How difficult is that? and 5 minutes at best.
 
Jiggs just a return to normallity here, i watch the video on woodcraft and after looking at all the other bits and pieces offered by carter to tune up the blade the thought occurred to me as to how much more i would spend to supposedly tune up my Delta bandsaw that has done me no harm todate.

Can i ask you what is it that you are experiencing as a problem that led you to wanting to put these accessories onto your saw in the first place?

Maybe there is more than one way to tackle the problem.

I'm with you Rob... Yes you have to re-adjust you saw every time you replace a blade , but Geeze! How difficult is that? and 5 minutes at best.

Nothing negative toward the Gismo Gadgit guys but half the fun of WWing is playing with the tools. :thumb:
 
Hey Jiggs ....now I can relate to your need. I have similar problems, but with the aid of the posts on this forum, i found my way back from the edge of the gadget gimick vortex and re discovered the wonderful world of making your own tools. I used to dabble way back making my own toys on my dads machine. It was fantastic. Now since people like Stu, Glenn, Vaughn, Mike Henderson and so many others have posted and reminded us how much reward there is in making something as simple as a hammer I am off the buying spree. Trouble is now i need the hardware such as steel and bits and pieces.

Just think how priceless that BBQ smoker is that Stu has been making for his hunter friend. In my opinion no gadget or gimmick has anything like that in it for a reward. :)

Good luck to kicking the habit. :D:thumb:

Oh and part of what cured me was growing up in the tech sector. How many of us bought frame grabber cards that never grabbed frames in sequence or software that needed a workover before it worked. :rofl::rofl:
 
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