WTB Riser Block for Delta/Rockwell 14"Bandsaw

Don't know if this response is appropriate, but I've seen this one advertised as fitting the Delta & Grizzly 14" band saws ( http://www.westerntool.com/pioneer-14-inch-bandsaw-riser-block.html ). I have no idea of the quality, functionality, or appropriateness of this riser block kit for any band saw.

I was tempted at one time to get one to provide a 12" cutting capacity for re-saw, or whatever, on my GO555XL, but couldn't get myself to do it as I didn't know enough about it, other than it had been made in China & read where it was a knock-off. Frankly, I have my concerns about how well the riser block would be able to properly tension a 105" blade vs. the original 93 1/2" blade. Also, if cutting a 12" thick piece of hardwood, would the HP be adequate? These are questions that I don't have answers to, perhaps have better, first hand knowledge of this product,

Buying a riser block at this price is not much of a risk in itself, but the risk to your safety & work should be considered. Frankly, I would be more comfortable with a riser block kit from the same manufacturer as the bans saw itself. The quality of the casting, on a product this cheaply priced, is critical & the quality of process, materials & inspections may, or may not be up to acceptable standards.

PS This was discussed previously on FWW ( http://familywoodworking.org/forums...or-a-14-quot-BS&highlight=pioneer+riser+block ).
 
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mike my take on this would be that the casting from western tool probably came from one of the same companies that made many of the name brand saws now days.. that bolt is what holds it together and the bigger the bolt the better support you would have on the wider surface of the two other castings your connecting. i helped put one on a saw for a friend and that one had a larger bolt than this one shows.. from western tool.. but i think it would work fine as is..
 
Mike, I agree with Larry. I'll bet a steak dinner that all of the 6" riser blocks for the typical Asian 14" bandsaw are coming out of the same foundry. I would have no qualms about using a different brand on my Shop Fox 14" saw. (Although I bought the Shop Fox riser because my local dealer had a great price on it.) And also as Larry said, the strength is in the bolt, not the block. If the bolt from Western Tool seems borderline, it shouldn't be too hard to find a beefier replacement at a good bolt supply shop.

Al, the tension on a 105" blade is no different than the tension on a 93" blade. Your 555LX could easily handle a riser block. The 1 hp motor isn't going to cut through 11" or 12" of material as quickly as it does 3" or 4", but it's still capable of doing it. Granted, a larger, more powerful saw will resaw more accurately, but I've cut a LOT of stuff on my bandsaw that was taller than 6". Most of it has been turning blanks where accuracy was not critical, but I've also cut some square stuff where it was.

Cutting 2 600.jpg Cutting 4 600.jpg
 
Mike, I agree with Larry. I'll bet a steak dinner that all of the 6" riser blocks for the typical Asian 14" bandsaw are coming out of the same foundry. I would have no qualms about using a different brand on my Shop Fox 14" saw. (Although I bought the Shop Fox riser because my local dealer had a great price on it.) And also as Larry said, the strength is in the bolt, not the block. If the bolt from Western Tool seems borderline, it shouldn't be too hard to find a beefier replacement at a good bolt supply shop.

Al, the tension on a 105" blade is no different than the tension on a 93" blade. Your 555LX could easily handle a riser block. The 1 hp motor isn't going to cut through 11" or 12" of material as quickly as it does 3" or 4", but it's still capable of doing it. Granted, a larger, more powerful saw will resaw more accurately, but I've cut a LOT of stuff on my band saw that was taller than 6". Most of it has been turning blanks where accuracy was not critical, but I've also cut some square stuff where it was.


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Glad you answered my questions & concerns Vaughn. Yet, I believe the longer blade would have more stretch & I was wondering if if there was enough adjustment to properly stretch & therefore tension the blade, especially the narrower blades. As for the HP, I agree it would be a slower cut. Anyway, I've now moved the riser block option from the "No" pile to the "Maybe" pile of things to do to improve my work shop & my project options. However, I still question whether "all" cast riser blocks are made from the same factory in China, plus China's quality control is still very suspect in my mind. Frankly, I'd prefer a Grizzly riser to a knock-off, especially when considering my satisfaction with the Grizzly BS & customer service.

Now to your pictures. Great idea to make double thick & then cut into halves. That's a beautiful design & impressive piece of work. I'm assuming you planed them together after sawing them. Gotta put something similar on my to-do list. Maybe to justify a riser block? :rofl:
 
...I'm assuming you planed them together after sawing them...

Since it was all end grain, I didn't want to risk running them though my planer and blowing them up. I also didn't have a hand plane capable of doing it, so I used a router bridge, followed by a fair amount of quality time with a belt sander. I only needed to flatten the outsides of the initial block. The side that was cut by the bandsaw was smooth enough I was able to just sand it without planing first.

Here's the router bridge:

HPIM2619 800.jpg

It was a fun project, but very challenging. The angles and dimensions had to be absolutely perfect to get everything to fit without gaps. I actually made three quilt boards, the two you see in the photos, and the first one, which cracked badly because I had the inside part oriented as end grain but did the frame around it with face grain material. Two or three weeks after it was done, it started to crack due to differential in the wood movement. That's why the next two were done in all end grain orientation. As far as I know, they have both held up fine for a number of years now.
 
Al even grizzley makes there products in china or aisa, so from my experience in pouring iron for ten years, there really isnt much stress on the casting in this case its just a spacer in reality.
 
Larry brings up a good point. Because the riser block is inserted into an existing joint in the saw, it is experiencing only compressive forces. (And even cheap cast iron has huge compressive strength...80,000+ psi.) The flexural forces that could actually affect the saw's performance are all being carried by the upper and lower halves of the saw frame, particularly the flanges where the two parts bolt together. The addition of the riser block doesn't change where the bolt seats on the upper and lower flanges, so the flex forces are just moved 6" apart from their original location.
 
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