I have never owned a bandsaw but I am considering the Wen 9 inch. I would like to try making boxes from 3 1/2 inch hardwoods. Will I find this this saw undwerpowered?
Is Wen 9 inch bandsaw a good choice for box making??
- Thread starter tomcoleman
- Start date
I don’t think that would be the best option.
I had a 9” ryobi and with a new 1/8” blade it did ok for reasonable curves, but I never cut anything harder than yellow pine. I think 3/8” blade is widest it can handle which makes resawing a challenge, this would be akin to cutting the back and front off box blank so you can cut out the center portions then glue back on and use the front to cut out the drawer fronts. I suspect hardwoods can be done slowly. I had to taper a pressure treated 2x4 and it was a tedious process, required a lot of hand planing to even it off, not nearly as easy compared to tapering cherry bedposts on my old delta 14”. I’d guess the 9” wen is probably similar to the ryobi and probably ok for a once in while thing. But to do them regularly, especially hardwoods, you’ll want something with more power and wider blade capacity for slicing the fronts and backs - imho. FWIW, I ran into a used 14” grizzly at a great price so recently upgraded and it’s a major improvement.
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I have one I use for tight cuts in thin wood. Over 3/4" it's going to struggle. I had a 10" Craftsman when they first came out with the box frame design, it was a little more robust but not what you need. I would look for a used 14". Either a newer box frame design or one of the Delta clones. The new Bauer from Harbor Freight is getting some decent reviews. I had a Delta 28 276 I sold when I bought my Rikon to get more resaw capacity, it was a great saw.
My advice would be to look at how powerful the motor is on any sized saw you're looking at, doing thicker material will need more power to cut with any speed and without burning up a small underpowered motor. Like others have said, I'd go with a Rikon or similar, but check the power of the motor for a first comparison. I bought an underpowered table saw years ago and it only took me about a month to burn it up.
I have found the WEN tools to typically be more powerful that most of the other brands in the category the tool is in. WEN tools have been very reliable for me and have served me quite well, I have their 10" bandsaw and it consistently outperformed name brands in the 10" category in tests. With 9-10" bandsaws you typically go from around 1/3HP to 1/2HP and it does matter.
So yes, the 9" WEN would work fine for small boxes. It will not struggle with cuts anymore than any other brand but it a a fraction of the cost. I would only recommend getting higher quality blades as those enhance the power and function of bandsaws. Timberwolf blades would be an affordable one to go with. If you can afford the 10" WEN and have space, I would recommend that over the 9" which tends to limit you quite a bit on material thickness.
So yes, the 9" WEN would work fine for small boxes. It will not struggle with cuts anymore than any other brand but it a a fraction of the cost. I would only recommend getting higher quality blades as those enhance the power and function of bandsaws. Timberwolf blades would be an affordable one to go with. If you can afford the 10" WEN and have space, I would recommend that over the 9" which tends to limit you quite a bit on material thickness.
I recently got the 10" floor-standing Wen from Amazon when it was on sale for 40% off. I've used it a few times so far and have not had any issues. My only basis for comparison, however, would be whatever ancient bandsaw we had in my 7th grade shop class circa 1994, so I'm definitely not the best judge.
I assume you're cutting 3 1/2" thick hardwoods. If this is the case, you're asking an underpowered band saw to cut heavy loads. If you burn up your new Wen 9" and have to replace it, there goes your savings when you bought the Wen. It's better suited for cutting 4/4 +/- lumber, not heavy post-thick hardwood.
Just an opinion…..After years of woodworking, my biggest regret was purchasing tools based on my current interest as opposed to long term investments. I started with a 10” band saw, then upgraded to a 14” and as my skills progressed, these no longer met my needs so I upgraded to 18”. Buying smaller new then reselling to upgrade… cost more than just going used, larger and a premium brand the first. Long term you will spend less money and as your skills increase and interests change you have tools for a lifetime.
I now use this philosophy and keep using a lunchbox planer until I have the space for a 16” Hammer jointer planer combo.
I now use this philosophy and keep using a lunchbox planer until I have the space for a 16” Hammer jointer planer combo.
What kind of box do you want to make? The accuracy and straightness of the cuts becomes very important when making boxes. Deviations in one side become nightmares on the opposite side. If you wish to make what they call "band saw boxes the smallest blade size will allow the best curves, but bandsaw boxes require a lot of sanding to remove the tooth marks in the cuts..
I have made a lot of boxes, mostly nice accurate tightly joined designs and all cube shaped in varying sizes. The kind of box you want to make determines the kind and size of tools needed.
If making what is called "Bandsaw Boxes", you will need some idea about the largest and smallest size you want to make, as the bandsaw size is determined by the size of your project size range.
Most little whimsical band sawn boxes involve cutting the outline iof the desired box n a thick piece of wood. The next step involved cutting a thin layer off the thick piece of wood. It will become the back of the cut out box to keep the drawers from pushing through after you cut and remove each of the drawer blanks. You should also cut and temporarily remove a thin slice off the face side of the work and then temporarily glue it back on. Something like double sided tape will hold it in place..Then with the facing side reattached, mark and cut the shapes of each drawer in the workpiece. and keep track of each drawer face piece as you cut them free. It helps to number the piece as well as the core. Once they have been cut and removed, you can then glue the back piece back on. If there are any irregularities in the cut when you cut off the back, gluing it back on in it's original orientation will make the seam almost invisible. Then you can cut the inside shape of each box blank, both sides and bottom must remain uncut and only the center piece and top removed. from each of the box blanks.
Now it's reassembly time. Glue the drawer facs to the mating box sides and bottom. You will need to make thin backs or inserts to close up the back end of the drawers. You can un-attach the box face frame piece, since it now has holes in it for the drawers, and using care, glue it back on with permanent glue as you did with the back.
Expect considerable sanding at this point, but you can't remove too much or the drawers will fit too loose. Be sure to match the drawer face to the correct drawer box sides/bottoms. The drawers won't have backs, so making some thin backs of the outside profile of the drawer sides and bottom will be needed. You can then glue each of them together. If each is a slightly different size/shape it will be easier to keep the correct pieces together.
You will likely cut several boxes before you master the cutting and assembly process. If I remember correctly, I made three before I made on that I was happy with. Small/tiny versions can becut on a scroll saw, but considerable patience is needed both in cutting and assembly. Large versions may exceed the capability of the saw size, so a larger saw would do the job better. Tight curves require smaller blades. To cut out the drawers from the blank, you will need to make a single cut from one drawer hole to the next that gets later glued back together. Careful planning is required to position these cuts where the lost wood from the cuts will still allow a tight joint at re-assembly.
There is a lot of complexity involved in making small bandsaw boxes. You will get better with experience. I haven't made on in over 50 years, so I would likely need to start over in the learning cycle.
Charley
I have made a lot of boxes, mostly nice accurate tightly joined designs and all cube shaped in varying sizes. The kind of box you want to make determines the kind and size of tools needed.
If making what is called "Bandsaw Boxes", you will need some idea about the largest and smallest size you want to make, as the bandsaw size is determined by the size of your project size range.
Most little whimsical band sawn boxes involve cutting the outline iof the desired box n a thick piece of wood. The next step involved cutting a thin layer off the thick piece of wood. It will become the back of the cut out box to keep the drawers from pushing through after you cut and remove each of the drawer blanks. You should also cut and temporarily remove a thin slice off the face side of the work and then temporarily glue it back on. Something like double sided tape will hold it in place..Then with the facing side reattached, mark and cut the shapes of each drawer in the workpiece. and keep track of each drawer face piece as you cut them free. It helps to number the piece as well as the core. Once they have been cut and removed, you can then glue the back piece back on. If there are any irregularities in the cut when you cut off the back, gluing it back on in it's original orientation will make the seam almost invisible. Then you can cut the inside shape of each box blank, both sides and bottom must remain uncut and only the center piece and top removed. from each of the box blanks.
Now it's reassembly time. Glue the drawer facs to the mating box sides and bottom. You will need to make thin backs or inserts to close up the back end of the drawers. You can un-attach the box face frame piece, since it now has holes in it for the drawers, and using care, glue it back on with permanent glue as you did with the back.
Expect considerable sanding at this point, but you can't remove too much or the drawers will fit too loose. Be sure to match the drawer face to the correct drawer box sides/bottoms. The drawers won't have backs, so making some thin backs of the outside profile of the drawer sides and bottom will be needed. You can then glue each of them together. If each is a slightly different size/shape it will be easier to keep the correct pieces together.
You will likely cut several boxes before you master the cutting and assembly process. If I remember correctly, I made three before I made on that I was happy with. Small/tiny versions can becut on a scroll saw, but considerable patience is needed both in cutting and assembly. Large versions may exceed the capability of the saw size, so a larger saw would do the job better. Tight curves require smaller blades. To cut out the drawers from the blank, you will need to make a single cut from one drawer hole to the next that gets later glued back together. Careful planning is required to position these cuts where the lost wood from the cuts will still allow a tight joint at re-assembly.
There is a lot of complexity involved in making small bandsaw boxes. You will get better with experience. I haven't made on in over 50 years, so I would likely need to start over in the learning cycle.
Charley
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One key aspect that helps considerably, especially for band saw boxes is the guides. Many of the smaller saws use the block style guides which work great but require a lot of finesse and patience to adjust. Bearing guides are far easier to adjust. I bought my Jet 18” saw before Rikon was available. Jet bearing guides are crap and so are the tires! I replaced with Carter bearing guides and tires. The Rikon come with bearing guides and the reviews are excellent out of the box. The Euro guides also work well but are generally only available on the higher end Italian saws. These also have a brake which is a nice upgrade. Laguna also used Euro guides but recent reviews suggest these saws and guides are not the same quality as the 20 year old versions. 2hp is plenty of power unless you do a lot of resawing of wide stock. Anything than 1.5 hp less is slightly underpowered for thicker material, especially in tight turns. Above 2 hp requires 220v but honestly, my saw is overkill for my needs in terms of power if using a good sharp blade with the optimal tooth design for the application. Another great to have feature is easy tension release.
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