The Rexon is an unusual machine, with a couple of features rarely found on a bandsaw. It’s a nicely-styled machine which sits securely on its widely-splayed base. A floor stand is available as an accessory. The main body is steel, with a plastic access door. On the top is a simple blade tension knob, with the tracking adjustment on the back panel.
The bright, white JWBS9 is another machine with some useful features. It has an alloy frame with a one piece plastic access door. Alloy wheels are used for the blade, and there’s a simple tensioning and adjusting system. The edge of the top casing has a useful viewing window for visual checking of the blade tracking.
Every woodworking project involves cutting up timber, from initial conversion through to fi nal dimensioning and jointmaking. In larger workshops, the table saw generally takes the lion’s share of the work. However, the bandsaw is often a viable alternative for the home user.
Bandsaws generally have a larger depth of cut compared to an equivalent circular saw, and they also cut a far thinner kerf. They can cut both shaped and straight…
If, like me, you use traditional hand tools you know how important it is to sharpen them. The more work you do using your own motive force and wits the more you become aware of the value of a sharp chisel or saw.
The Titan is the cheapest
machine on test. It has
a steel body with a onepiece
opening front door. The
table is made from fairly rough
alloy, and is supplied with a
rip fence and a sliding plastic
mitre fence.
The blade runs on a fairly
small pair of alloy wheels,
though it isn’t a problem to
make it track properly and
also to apply a fair amount of
tension.
The Ryobi is an attractive
piece of equipment
which has been carefully
designed, and it incorporates
some useful features. The alloy
body is well braced with a
one-piece blade access door;
somewhat surprisingly, there
are no safety interlocks on it,
so the machine will run with
the door open.
The blade runs on a pair
of fairly substantial cast alloy
wheels, and there’s a good
blade tensioning system with a
quick-release…
In the UK, Startrite’s bandsaws have long
been seen as something of a benchmark: the
old UK-built models seem to go on forever,
and are still to be found in workshops up and
down the country. Startrite’s bandsaws are now
made in Italy, but they enjoy the same build
quality, and the 401E is absolutely rock solid.
At 390mm, the Startrite’s throat capacity is
the smallest on test, but its depth of cut is a
huge 400mm, which is a…
