Nice setup, Sarge. Your ingenuity with the DC hoses is impressive. I, too was impressed by the Steel City saw I examined, but I'm not sure I can go the extra cost. Gwyneth's point is well taken that a couple of hundred saved will buy a lot of spare blades and a mobile base. Still a little conflicted, so might think about it a while longer. Thanks for sharing.
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Hey Cracker,
Like Bruce and Mike said, the Rikon 14" Deluxe is fantastic. I've resawed 12" dia. short logs and the Rikon didn't act like it knew it was cutting. I made a sled that rides in the miter slot and slice veneers to consistant thickness without a problem. I recently picked up a bunch of 4" x 4" x 8' White Cedar and resawed them into 4/4 stock. With a Blade Runner (Iturra's name for Woodslicer) the cut was so smooth a couple of friends couldn't believe they hadn't had a run through the planer. 2 light passes through the planer and the boards were ready to use.
Rikon's support is among the best I have seen.
The Deluxe comes with a quick release, a nice dial type tension indicator, bearing guides, a window in front on the upper wheel (heavy cast iron wheels) for viewing tracking, and other unique features.
You won't see a DC port below the table, it is built in to the saw in the lower wheel compartment and the DC as a whole works great.
Can you tell I like the Rikon? :-)
Good luck with your choice whatever it is.
kComment
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Morning Ken...
If you have a pic of the sled you could post, it would be much appreciated. If not... not a biggie. I will second your suggestion on the Ittura blade if it it the same as the Wood-slicer from Highland Woodworking.
I have been running the Wood-slicer for years and for re-saw it can't be beat, IMO. And that was the 1/2" blade. They now have a 3/4" that I use on the 18" BS, even though the 1/2" has gotten it done for years for all that use it.
I have not tried the Ittura spin-off from Jesse yet as I have back-up blades on hand, but I will give them a shot as I have heard through the grape-vine they are a copy of the Wood-slicer at a cheaper price.
Regards...Comment
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Thanks Ken for your informative review. I'm sure you've put the Rikon through a tougher test than I ever will. It also looks like you've found the right blade to match, and I know how important that is. That will save me much legwork if I get one of these.Comment
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I don't seem to have a pic of the jig naked, John. Here are a couple with it clothed in a 10"+ chunk of Cherry. The jig rides in the BS miter slot and the bed of the jig rides in a miter slot in the base piece of the jig (for adjusting the thickness of the slice.. The jig comes apart and the top piece can be used as a high resaw fence. Here is a link to a ,wmv video of the jig in use, mms://st11g1.services.att-idns.net/v1/724/2223/wood/netshow/Resawing%20found_bb.wmv
The jig was in the may 2007 issue of Wood, is available here, http://woodstore.net/fiyoownwoand.html
The folks at Iturra say their blade is the exact same as the Woodslicer, and ~$10 less. I'm now using the 5/8" wide one.
Last edited by Ken Massingale; 07-10-2007, 08:50 AM.Comment
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Afternoon Ken...
Thanks for the pictures.. post and links. I could have used that little fella when I took the 22" diameter sweet-gum down out front. Still got a 24" that needs to come down before winter, so...
I think I might build one if a spare moment arises. Off to work...
Regards...Comment
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My wo'ing buddy got a GriZZ 17" Extrekme on our last trip to their PA store. Other than severalk others that are pretty much the same, I'd hit on GiZZ for their customer service. His saw had a problem with the resaw fence not fitting right. One phone call to them and a whole new unit was at the shop within a week. No questions asked, didn't even want the ole one back!RuffSawn
Nothin' smells better than fresh sawdust!Comment
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Well, yesterday I took the leap and brought home the Rikon. Got a sweet deal from the local Woodcraft store. I know I'm gonna have fun with this saw, and thanks again to all who chimed in on this one. This is the stuff that makes this forum a really top-notch place to hang out. Thanks again!Comment
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Well, congrats on the Rikon, Cracker. I know you will be happy with it. Better call Iturra and get those Blade Runner blades on the way, or if you're near Jacksonville drive over and meet the folks.
I would suggest a call to Rikon support and ask to speak to Rod. Introduce yourself as a new 10-325 owner and he will fill you up with excellent suggestions on tension, tracking, etc. of the Rikon to get you off to a happy start.Comment
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Thanks, Ken. I talked to Rod the other day when I called to ask about a mobile base. He was very helpful. I'm not near Jax, but I will definitely give Iturra a call and get some blades and a catalog ordered. It is curious that they do not have a web presence, even e-mail, but sometimes I long for those days myself.
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When I could afford it, I always bought a tool larger than I thought I would need. My first bandsaw was a 14" Sprunger. That saw gave me flawless service. I think that company is now OOB. I went to an 18" Laguna, which I did not regret. It might be a matter of saving up for what you would really like, or maybe buy used. I posted a thread about the Agazzani bandsaw, could be an interesting read for you.
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I bought the Grizzly G0514X a couple months ago and LOVE it. It is currently on sale for $1095 which is only a few clams more than the 17" Grizzly Extreme. The G0514X has a 3hp motor, larger table (which was a major selling factor for me), nice blade tension, a GREAT fence including a re-saw assembly that goes on it. Running a 3/4" Iturra Woodslicer there is no drift to adjust for in the fence to blade parallel. Bearing adjustment was very easy.
The only negative I have ever heard cited on this saw is the trunnions which are steel instead of cast iron. I admit I would rather see nice beefy trunnions under the table, but I have re-sawn some nice sized 5/4 QSWO material about 11" wide and 6 feet long with no visible deflection.
I notice in the photo on the Grizzly website they do not show that the G0514X actually has a magnetic switch.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0514X
One question on the Rikon . . . what size blade is optium considering the size of the wheels?
Edit: Oops, I see you have already pulled the trigger. Well good deal! I will give an additional recommendation for the Iturra Woodslicer. Just an absolutely awesome blade for resaw at an excellent price! I got two of them along with another blade for about half of Highlands.Last edited by Jeffrey Schronce; 07-12-2007, 10:11 PM.Comment
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Yeah, Jeff I did. The 14" Rikon was probably the better choice for me, as I can really use a more compact saw that still has the same fat resaw capability as the 17's and 18's I was looking at. But thanks for the collaborating testimony on the Iturra blades. I'm still trying to get past a busy signal on their phone, and wish they had web capability, but the best things are worth a little effort. Thanks again.
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Morning Uncle Cracker...
Jesse is kind of a "hold-out" for modern technology as myself. I ordered a catalog about 6 months ago and haven't got it yet. From what I understand from others is that it might be another 6 months before I do. He only has catalogs run once a year is the inside "skinny".
But.. patience on getting him on the phone will result in a good product. Like planting a tomato bush today.. don't expect to have plump, sparkling tomatoes tomorrow morning. But.. when ya do get them, they shore are gooooood! ha.. ha...
Regards...Comment
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Finally got Iturra on the phone just now... You're right, Sarge... Patience pays off. And frankly, I'd rather they spent their resources producing a good product that good WW's like you and Ken will vouch for, rather than fancy marketing that dupes a person into buying crap.Comment
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