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Dave Polaschek
1773 posts
and
43 followers
in about 2 years
in about 2 years
Grizzly G0948 10” bandsaw
Well, this continues to be a handy little bandsaw, but this weekend I discovered a few things I would (and probably will) change.
The saw blade guides are all bearings. That’s great, in my opinion. The problem with them is that many of them are sealed-one-side. That is, rather than a 626ZZ (or 2Z) bearing below the table, the saw came with 626Z (single Z) bearings below the table. In 26 months of use, the bearings had gotten completely packed with sawdust and quit turning. This caused me all sorts of problems with trying to saw straight lines, and I ruined one of my last two pieces of citrus wood (and Charles seems to have closed up Sonora Woodworks) when the saw blade wandered out the side of the 3/4 inch piece of wood I was trying to saw in half (because one of the guide bearings quit spinning, and then was rubbing the blade, which heated up one side of the blade more than the other, and also abraded away the set on that side of the blade… not ideal for straight lines).
The bearings are all different sizes, too. There are three bearings below the table. Two are 626Zs, and the one behind the blade is a 607Z (I think). On the blade guide above the table, the two on the sides are yet another bearing size, and the one behind the blade is a fourth different size. Would’ve been nice if Grizzly had designed things so all the bearings were the same size, so I could order a dozen and have two complete sets of six. As it is, I had to order four dozen bearings to be able to change them all out, and now have a multiple-lifetime supply.
The next gripe is miscellaneous fasteners. Most of them are Allen-head screws, but for the screws under the table, where the screw socket faces up, they get packed full of sawdust in just a couple minutes of use, which makes it hard to get an Allen wrench into the screw so you can adjust things. Standard hex heads would be a lot better choice, and there are only three of them that would need to be changed (I’ll be buying new bolts at the hardware store this week). Of course, the three screws are two different sizes, as well. I may end up drilling out and retapping one of the holes in the frame so those three screws at least will all be the same.
Finally, there’s the light. It’s on one of this flexible goose-neck things, but it comes out of the back of the bandsaw top case, so no matter how you aim it, it’s reflecting off the table and work piece right into your eyes. Much better would be to have it coming out the front of the saw so that it’s pointing away from your eyes. I’ll probably rewire that at some point this summer.
The saw blade guides are all bearings. That’s great, in my opinion. The problem with them is that many of them are sealed-one-side. That is, rather than a 626ZZ (or 2Z) bearing below the table, the saw came with 626Z (single Z) bearings below the table. In 26 months of use, the bearings had gotten completely packed with sawdust and quit turning. This caused me all sorts of problems with trying to saw straight lines, and I ruined one of my last two pieces of citrus wood (and Charles seems to have closed up Sonora Woodworks) when the saw blade wandered out the side of the 3/4 inch piece of wood I was trying to saw in half (because one of the guide bearings quit spinning, and then was rubbing the blade, which heated up one side of the blade more than the other, and also abraded away the set on that side of the blade… not ideal for straight lines).
The bearings are all different sizes, too. There are three bearings below the table. Two are 626Zs, and the one behind the blade is a 607Z (I think). On the blade guide above the table, the two on the sides are yet another bearing size, and the one behind the blade is a fourth different size. Would’ve been nice if Grizzly had designed things so all the bearings were the same size, so I could order a dozen and have two complete sets of six. As it is, I had to order four dozen bearings to be able to change them all out, and now have a multiple-lifetime supply.
The next gripe is miscellaneous fasteners. Most of them are Allen-head screws, but for the screws under the table, where the screw socket faces up, they get packed full of sawdust in just a couple minutes of use, which makes it hard to get an Allen wrench into the screw so you can adjust things. Standard hex heads would be a lot better choice, and there are only three of them that would need to be changed (I’ll be buying new bolts at the hardware store this week). Of course, the three screws are two different sizes, as well. I may end up drilling out and retapping one of the holes in the frame so those three screws at least will all be the same.
Finally, there’s the light. It’s on one of this flexible goose-neck things, but it comes out of the back of the bandsaw top case, so no matter how you aim it, it’s reflecting off the table and work piece right into your eyes. Much better would be to have it coming out the front of the saw so that it’s pointing away from your eyes. I’ll probably rewire that at some point this summer.
May you have the day you deserve!
9 Replies
I swapped out the bearings on my 10” for blocks a long ways back for the same reason and have never had an issue. Honestly, I’m not convinced you need rear bearings anyway…as long as the blade is sharp, you should be leaning against that bearing anyway, right? Small bandsaw’s seems to be plagued with ‘works fine when it’s new (and clean) issues’. Guess that’s the nature of the beast!
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
I changed all the bearings on my Grizzly 14” to double sealed a while ago. They last a LOT longer.
i agree what i have in my little one i could have bought a rikon and been pleased
*TONY ** Reinholds* ALWAYS REMEMBER TO HAVE FUN
Magnet mount lights abound on Amazoo, and most other sellers sites. I look for an LED, and so far I've gotten 3 different ones for different uses, and ALL of them have kicked battery operated cell stuff to the curb.
Currently I have a large 18" Rikon, I'm planning to keep, it resaws well enough for me. I also have a HF 14" Delta clone, and it is paid for, works great, but for just curves, it's a bit LARGE. I've thought of a 10", and when I look, the Rikon keeps winning, but spending $ on tools I ain't using is silly, so my health pattern needs a change before $$$$ is spent.
Currently I have a large 18" Rikon, I'm planning to keep, it resaws well enough for me. I also have a HF 14" Delta clone, and it is paid for, works great, but for just curves, it's a bit LARGE. I've thought of a 10", and when I look, the Rikon keeps winning, but spending $ on tools I ain't using is silly, so my health pattern needs a change before $$$$ is spent.
Yeah, Kenny. I’m sure they saved a couple bucks using the single-sealed bearings, but when they quit working, it makes the saw much less happy.
Ryan, I end up using dull blades more often than I should. Especially my resaw blades, which work great on the little 10”. I’m half-tempted to get another bandsaw just so I’m not changing blades so much, especially since I’m working on a project now where I’m cutting curves with it between resawing stuff. And the curves are getting cut in 3”x3” pieces of walnut, so I’m using a 4 tpi blade.
I’m generally pretty pleased with Grizzly, Tony. For me, cost wasn’t so much of a deal as having someplace that would deliver it to my door, rather than freight-dropping it in the street, especially since the back surgery. Don’t need to mess up my back AGAIN.
Ryan, I end up using dull blades more often than I should. Especially my resaw blades, which work great on the little 10”. I’m half-tempted to get another bandsaw just so I’m not changing blades so much, especially since I’m working on a project now where I’m cutting curves with it between resawing stuff. And the curves are getting cut in 3”x3” pieces of walnut, so I’m using a 4 tpi blade.
I’m generally pretty pleased with Grizzly, Tony. For me, cost wasn’t so much of a deal as having someplace that would deliver it to my door, rather than freight-dropping it in the street, especially since the back surgery. Don’t need to mess up my back AGAIN.
May you have the day you deserve!
Yes, Dave. Buy some same sized bearings with a full seal on both sides!!
Cheers, Jim ........................ Variety is the spice of life...............Learn something new every day
I started with a 10” Rikon, which I still use all the time. But, my big saw is a pre-war (during-war?) 16” WT that I inherited from my FIL. Weighs about 450# and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I do need a new blade for it though…maybe I’ll break down and get a carbide tipped resaw blade this time since that’s about all I use it for?
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
I started with a 14” delta, which one of my neighbors has now, in exchange for some help fixing a couple things around the house. I never did manage to get it resawing reliably, and after almost a decade of fighting it, just got it out of my life. I can’t tackle as big of jobs with the 10” Grizzly, but until the bearings stopped turning, it would at least cut a straight line.
May you have the day you deserve!
10” saws are great, but they need sharp blades to keep cutting straight (in my experience), since they usually have narrow blades that want to flex without much pressure. If they’re sharp, they cut where they’re aimed…when they’re dull, not so much.
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
