Riser Block for a 14" BS?

Al Launier

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Bedford, NH
This past Christmas the LOML bought me a Grizzly GO555LX 14" BS. At the time I didn't anticipate ever re-sawing anything larger than what the 6" height would allow, despite recommendations from some FWW pros to get the riser block. However, during the year I've tried re-sawing a couple of firewood logs from trees taken down behind the house. It was kinda fun & I wished that I'd opted for the 6" riser block at the time, as the saw is limited to small logs that yield very little usable wood due to size & drying cracks. I've kinda had my eye on a fairly straight 9" Black Cherry tree that might(???) avoid hitting my utility shed if I'm careful cutting it down :doh:. Getting the riser block back then would have saved me re-assembly time, as well as getting a dozen 93 1/2" blades, most of which are still new & most of them were given to me by my next door neighbor who works for Simonds Saw - maybe I could sell them???

Anyway, now I'm wondering if I made a mistake. How many of you actually use the capacity provided by a 12" cut height? What portion of your work really requires this capacity? I'm not anticipating getting into furniture level woodworking, primarily repair/replace projects with some hobbyist level projects mixed in. I probably have answered my own question, but I'd still be interested in your experience(s).
 
I have a Laguna 16" saw (whole different animal!), and resaw stuff over 6" high all the time. 12" resaw is much better! I seldome go much over 8~10", though, mainly because that's the more common size of stock I usually find. Having the extra capacity is always good, though.
 
I have a G0513 17" bandsaw that I bought to have the 12" plus resaw capacity. I've had it since about 2001 and have done quite a bit of resaw. Most of it was on 8-10" material but I have done 12" with no problem. Most recently, I had to resaw some mahogany that was 11" wide.
 
Like you Al, I bought the same saw, without the riser block. One of my concerns was if you add a riser block, would I just wish I had a bigger saw with more power. I have to stop somewhere, so I guess I just will stay out of the larger resaw category. It is fun though, like opening an unknown treasure chest finding our what is inside that log.
 
I have the Shop Fox 14" version of your Grizzly, and I do have the riser block. Since most of my bandsaw cutting involves cutting turning blanks, and since I like to turn large-ish pieces, I'd say I use the extra 6" at least as often as not. There also have been a few flatwork projects that would have been very difficult - if not impossible - without the riser block.

I'd say get one, and sell the 93 1/2" blades to offset the cost of the 105" blades you'll be needing. ;)
 
I have an older Grizzly 14" band-saw with a riser block. Also keep all parts you remove to install the riser block. Especially the short blade guard because it will slide up into the top saw cover just that little bit more that you may need. I had mine stored away & had to remember which plastic drawer it was in.
 
I bought the riser block for my G0555 about three years ago. It is still sitting on the floor next to the bs in it's box. It has never given me any trouble. That wasn't really helpful, was it? :rolleyes:
 
I have the G0555 band saw and routinely resaw wood that is just over 8" wide without a riser block. So far I haven't had a need for any more re saw height than that.
 
I'm guessing Al may have removed or modified the blade guard & changed over to guide blocks rather than using the Grizzly guide bearings. Saw a video on this, but can't recall where I saw it.

I think it was by Matthias Wandel. This http://woodgears.ca/bandsaw/resaw_guide.html is what I'd seen.

Actually I totally removed the upper blade guide and bearings. I also had to notch the bottom of the access door to the upper wheel to get the clearance I needed.

I have resawn the walnut for the bed I made, cedar for the current project I'm working on, Acoya for some doors I just built and a few other projects.
 
If you have a Western Tool around you here is a cheaper ($30) alternative for the riser block kit with everything you need. I'm getting one for my older C-Frame from my local store http://www.westerntool.com/pioneer-14-inch-bandsaw-riser-block.html

pioneer-bandsaw-riser-block.jpg
 
Nice tip Ron, The cream color makes a nice "accent" piece! This may just be worth getting to "store under the bandsaw" :rofl: just in case an important project comes up. The riser upgrade appears to be a very quick & simple installation. I wonder though how Grizzly would treat this regarding their warranty??? :huh: Actually, how would they know??? :thumb:
Also, I think Grizzly has decent pricing on their products, so I'm wondering if Pioneer's $30 price vs. Grizzly's $85 (-$30/Amazon Visa card promotion), or Amazon $84 & free shipping, is a reflection of lesser quality, i.e casting quality, etc. Sure wouldn't want it to go bad at the wrong time. Has Pioneer been around for a while?:huh: This could be simply a case of being presented with a great deal, then being suspicious of it. :doh:Wish there was a local store that carried this product.

As an added note: I noticed that Grizzly offers various 6" riser blocks to suit different model G0555 bandsaws (Reference http://www.grizzly.com/search/search?q=riser block&cachebuster=2409756325650960). So, one should check to see if the Pioneer riser block is compatible with the model Grizzly BS you have.
 
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