ripsaw on ebay

[aquan8tor]

The bands are 3/4" by 90" long, and either 2 or 3 TPI. The "standard" band that fits most 14" bandsaws is 93 or 105" long. I personally have a Rigid 14" (I'm going to retrofit it with a 1.5-2HP motor sometime so I can resaw; factory 3/4HP is puny). without the riser block it takes a 93, with it, 105. I've checked a bunch of different sources, the only thing that comes close is ordering from a custom shop that does bandsaw blades. I was told by the guy I bought it from that he'd tried that and broken every single band. Either the ripsaw puts an unusual amount of tension on the band or the shop's welder was having a bad day.
Going with a custom shop means chosing a blade type, which I really have NO IDEA about. There's hard edge--the teeth are hardened, hard back, where the whole thing is hardened steel, bimetal, and various other grades of blade material, all in ascending price range....

 

[North Wood]

this is the secont time around for that ripsaw he had it posted last week it ended without a bid starting at 899.00 i suspect the shipping would be the killer if one of you is in the aera go offer him 700 ill bet he would take it

 

[MikeInParadise]

this is the secont time around for that ripsaw he had it posted last week it ended without a bid starting at 899.00 i suspect the shipping would be the killer if one of you is in the aera go offer him 700 ill bet he would take it

You know I am such a skeptic but look at the one bid now. To me, and I fully admit I may be wrong, but those two Id's look like they could be the same person starting with jt . Also the fact that they were registered with 3 weeks of each other 6 years ago is a big co-incidence.

jtandkb8i4y 26-12-00
jtmikits 18-Jan-01

Again I fully admit I may be completely out to lunch on this but this just sets off my spidey senses.

 

[aquan8tor]

that is curious. Its still a good deal, even if the seller is artificially inflating the price. Why not report it. Worst that can happen is that you're wrong, and nothing happens. If you're right, and the IP addess is the same, they find a scammer. Just my .02

 

[woodshop]

Woodshop; have you had any luck resetting the teeth? Seems like as they are sharpened, they lose the set. I know there was a thread about this sometime back, but I wanted to ask someone with lots of run-time. I saw a hand-setter for $80.00 from Hudson Forest equipment. Anyone used it?? It's a non-adjustable one that sets every third tooth?...
just wanted to hear other people's experiences with them. $20 a band is a lot if you can only sharpen it once.(I'm back in school again, so I'm poor right now....).

No... never tried to set the teeth. Just sharpen once and use. Once in a while try to sharpen twice, with SOME success. You are right though, when you sharpen it does lose a little set (depending on how much you sharpen) and thus doesn't cut as well. However... you really only need to sharpen that thing a very very light touch. I hold that diamond stone on there for only a second, maybe tad longer, but not even 2 full seconds, or it will take too much off, and a light touch at that. All you want to do is clean up the end of that tooth where it tends to round over. Another thing I found was that you need to really clean that blade first. I soak mine in kerosene for months, just throw the used blades in there and some have been sitting in that bucket for two years. But that helps dissolve the sap and gunk around the gullet, so you pull them out of the bucket, let them drip dry, wipe them clean, maybe a little nylon brush if necessary, and then sharpen. If you try and sharpen a dirty blade you just gunk up your stone, and it still doesn't cut right even after your attempted sharpening. As for that setting tool, most of them are made for the larger "standard" bandsaw mill blades. The blades on the Ripsaw are a little smaller, thinner.

 

[aquan8tor]

I hadn't thought about the cleanliness of the blades as an issue. I've got tons of buckets around too. Now I have to twist back up the blades.......I uncoiled them to hang them in the shed; cut the Sh*% out of myself when one flopped open a LOT harder than I anticipated. Got myself right in the kisser. I think the moustache got in the way of it a bit. Otherwise, my saxophone playing skills might have been permanently compromised.

I emailed Hudson to ask about the thickness of the bands.

As for sharpening, do you use a jig, or just try to keep the dremel perpendicular to the band? I can't seem to adapt my Oregon file guide to accept a dremel, and I'm not going to buy another one! (if it comes to it, I'll just rubberband the damn thing.)

 

[woodshop]

As for sharpening, do you use a jig, or just try to keep the dremel perpendicular to the band?

If you're directing that question to me, the answer is a jig of course. (one can never have too many jigs or chainsaws... remember?). However, a simple one this time, just a flat piece of plywood with wooden guides near the front on top to hold the blade. I pull it through the wooden guides couple inches at a time and sharpen few teeth, pull again and sharpen etc etc till all the way around. The wooden guides kindof hold the blade steady and in right spot. The plywood just keeps the blade horizontal as I pull it around. I clamp the whole thing to my table which is big enough to hold the whole blade uncoiled.

As an aside... I have never figured out a way to SAFELY uncoil a bandsaw blade. Even wearing gloves, and trying to do it slowly and carefully, it always seems to get away from me at some point and I end up jerking my head out of the way as I let it fly. When milling out in the woods, I simply hold one of the three rings and give it a flip, kindof throwing it into the brush and letting it uncoil where it may. If you try and do it slow and controlled, you almost need three hands. Getting it INTO a coil is piece of cake, step on band with foot and just twist twice. Any body have any ideas on how to uncoil those babies slowly?

 

[flht01]

..... I saw a hand-setter for $80.00 from Hudson Forest equipment. Anyone used it?? It's a non-adjustable one that sets every third tooth?...

Just getting back in town and catching up on the new post's. I bought the Hudson handsetter and had to send it back, wouldn't work on 3 tpi (assuming it's the same model your looking at)

Kevin