bandsaw recommendation

[Ron Nossaman]

> If your Sears saw has served you well enough to have rebulit/rebearing it 
>once what is wrong with doing it again?  After all you have admitted that the 
>*Oliver* object of your lust might need to be rebuilt.


Good points, Jim. Perhaps I should have been more specific about what I
find lacking in the old Sears saw.

I don't much like the blade guides, and would prefer bearings over blocks.
I could build new guides, but for the time spent re-engineering the old
saw, as well as replacing bearings, a new one was starting to look like a
viable alternative. Also, I would like a little more height capacity
(throat depth is not bad, but 14" would be better than 12"), and the
ability to accept at least 3/4" blades, although 1" would be better, for
resawing. I long ago replaced the 1/2hp motor with a 3/4hp in order to make
it at least reasonably useful. I never did understand why anyone would put
a 1/2hp motor on a 12" bandsaw unless they never considered it more than a
toy in the first place. Generally, it's also just too light weight for the
abuse I heap on it.

Ron N