Grizzly band saw

[Blake Dixon]

Hi does anyone own the grizzly GO514X 19 or GO514X2 19 in 3 hp extreme series? I am hoping to get your comments on your experience with this saw doing some resawing of fairly heavy material such as walnut or other hardwoods. Is this saw a good choice for resawing. I am looking at upgrading from my 14 inch with extension. Any comments please

Thanks

Blake

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Blake,
I don't own one, but my wife's uncle does, one of the 19" saws with 3hp motor, and I have used it to resaw a billet of Santos Mahogany and got 5 sets from it, which is as dense as some rosewoods...went through it like butter. The finish was a little rough, but was easily cleaned up in my drum sander. We put a new Timberwolf blade on it, 1 1/8" wide. I know he has resawn pecan, walnut, mahogany, purpleheart, oak...no problems.
Hope this helps.

Kevin

[Blake Dixon]

Thanks so much what kind of a setup for resawing did you us? Do you have any photos of the saw in action you could share with all of us?

Blake

[tippie53]

I have one and use the ceramic guides and lennox woodmaster blade. It does the job ok

[Blake Dixon]

What setup do you use for resawing? Any photos?

[tippie53]

When I bought mine it came with the grizzly set up. The only up grade I added was the ceramic guides. A high fence add on was included with the saw. I think I have a thread here somewhere.

[cooltouch]

I've been getting by with a Home Depot 14" with extension, ceramic guides, and a tall fence. I've found that the quality of the blade seems to be the most important aspect for resaw work. The most important thing, other than having a fresh blade, of course, is just to take your time. Most hardwoods, as well as cedar and redwood, will resaw easily with my setup. (I have probably close to a hundred sets of tops and backs in my wood stash that I've resawn from quartersawn lumber.) But spruce? Fuggedaboudit. I've even tried resawing on a friend's big 20" professional bandsaw with a brand new blade, and the blade didn't even last through half the billet. It was sitka. I actually had to change the blade twice just to finish resawing a 3" thick billet. I think that perhaps a carbide-tipped blade would have been the best way to go, but they are rather spendy for a 105" blade.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

There is a picture somewhere, I'll try and find it. It is the standard guides and the tall auxillary fence that comes with it. This worked out fine.
I have a 14" Steel City saw with 12" capacity and 1 1/2hp motor that I'll be trying out soon with a Woodslicer blade (1/2") on a billet of Ribbon Sapele. I'm going to make two tall fences and feed the billet between the two.....saw this being done in ah, I think Popular Woodworking. I like the concept so I'm going to try it.
Okay, found the pics. I'm the Goliath.

Kevin