David Paule
Well Known Member
This is for the 10-326 model. I bought it at Woodcraft, where it was in stock. They loaded it into my pickup and took my money. I also bought the mobility base.
Unloading
The crate weighs about 285 pounds. I used a come along to get it to the tailgate, and then an engine hoist and rope to let that end, the heavier end, down. With a helper, the other end wasn?t too hard.
Unpacking
The manual had nothing about this. The bandsaw comes with assembly tools but I didn?t find them until later in the assembly. They are hidden on the side with the base but about in the middle of the box with the fence.
I removed the box for the base assembly.
Assembly
The plans cover this in adequate detail. Some of the parts were oily or greasy and had to be cleaned. Alcohol worked well and did no damage. The metric bolts happily fit a 1/2? wrench. Everything fit but some things needed to be figured out a bit. Nothing an RV builder would have any trouble with.
The manual would be improved with better pictures and descriptions. The Laguna 1412 bandsaw manual is so much better. Still, though, the Rikon manual is adequate.
Once the base was done, I installed the mobility base. This was easy. It?s a simple design and reasonably well made.
Putting the base on the saw assembly was interesting. I did it with the saw laying on it?s left side, which is the way it was packed in its crate. I rocked the saw to one side, slid a block under that side, and repeated for the other side. No problem screwing the saw to the base, but getting it on its feet, well, that was something else. There?s no place to grip the saw on the top, and it slipped out of my hands twice before I got smarter and used the engine hoist to lift it. Trying to do it by hand, it tried to move around; the base?s wheels didn?t have brakes. With the hoist, there was no problem and up it came.
Once erect, the rest was easy. I didn?t install the fence because I?m not cutting wood or ripping anything. For the RV-3B parts, no fence is better.
The manual says to use a helper for the table. I didn't find that necessary, but the table is heavy, no argument. But it's manageable.
Tuning
This bandsaw is especially designed to make it easy to adjust. And so it proved. It was mostly in adjustment right out of the box. It came with a 5/8? by 4 tpi blade which I used to trim a 2x4 as a check, and then removed. I installed a 1/4? by 6 tpi blade for my aluminum work and cut out the right-hand drill guide for the landing gear bolt. I left the saw on the higher speed setting and that worked okay.
Changing the blade
Easy to do. The adjustments are unusually straight-forward and well designed. Once nice touch is that there?s a window in the right side so that you can see the blade tracking with the doors safely closed.
Cutting
Ah, this thing is a brute. It?s quiet and powerful and tracks well. But without the 4? dust port hooked up, sawdust gets into the lower wheel compartment. Aside from that, it cuts quite nicely. And even with the sawdust, the lower wheel has a built-in wheel brush.
The switch is a bit stiff. Don?t know if it?ll work in and get easier or not.
Bottom line
More than ample for my needs. The saw is practically an industrial saw. The mobility base is recommended as it makes it easy to move around. The table is large and there?s plenty of room to work. The more commonly used accessories either have built-in holders or fit into the base, which has a shelf and a door.
For me, and I?d expect for any RV builder, this bandsaw is more than we need. If you?re on a tight budget or if you have very limited shop space, this is too much. But it?s sure a nice tool, though. My old bandsaw had been cantankerous and annoying for over 30 years. It did the job, barely, and was hard to maintain in adjustment. Then it finally broke. For me, this is a welcome upgrade. I wish I?d gotten something like this ten years ago.
Dave
Unloading
The crate weighs about 285 pounds. I used a come along to get it to the tailgate, and then an engine hoist and rope to let that end, the heavier end, down. With a helper, the other end wasn?t too hard.
Unpacking
The manual had nothing about this. The bandsaw comes with assembly tools but I didn?t find them until later in the assembly. They are hidden on the side with the base but about in the middle of the box with the fence.
I removed the box for the base assembly.
Assembly
The plans cover this in adequate detail. Some of the parts were oily or greasy and had to be cleaned. Alcohol worked well and did no damage. The metric bolts happily fit a 1/2? wrench. Everything fit but some things needed to be figured out a bit. Nothing an RV builder would have any trouble with.
The manual would be improved with better pictures and descriptions. The Laguna 1412 bandsaw manual is so much better. Still, though, the Rikon manual is adequate.
Once the base was done, I installed the mobility base. This was easy. It?s a simple design and reasonably well made.
Putting the base on the saw assembly was interesting. I did it with the saw laying on it?s left side, which is the way it was packed in its crate. I rocked the saw to one side, slid a block under that side, and repeated for the other side. No problem screwing the saw to the base, but getting it on its feet, well, that was something else. There?s no place to grip the saw on the top, and it slipped out of my hands twice before I got smarter and used the engine hoist to lift it. Trying to do it by hand, it tried to move around; the base?s wheels didn?t have brakes. With the hoist, there was no problem and up it came.
Once erect, the rest was easy. I didn?t install the fence because I?m not cutting wood or ripping anything. For the RV-3B parts, no fence is better.
The manual says to use a helper for the table. I didn't find that necessary, but the table is heavy, no argument. But it's manageable.
Tuning
This bandsaw is especially designed to make it easy to adjust. And so it proved. It was mostly in adjustment right out of the box. It came with a 5/8? by 4 tpi blade which I used to trim a 2x4 as a check, and then removed. I installed a 1/4? by 6 tpi blade for my aluminum work and cut out the right-hand drill guide for the landing gear bolt. I left the saw on the higher speed setting and that worked okay.
Changing the blade
Easy to do. The adjustments are unusually straight-forward and well designed. Once nice touch is that there?s a window in the right side so that you can see the blade tracking with the doors safely closed.
Cutting
Ah, this thing is a brute. It?s quiet and powerful and tracks well. But without the 4? dust port hooked up, sawdust gets into the lower wheel compartment. Aside from that, it cuts quite nicely. And even with the sawdust, the lower wheel has a built-in wheel brush.
The switch is a bit stiff. Don?t know if it?ll work in and get easier or not.
Bottom line
More than ample for my needs. The saw is practically an industrial saw. The mobility base is recommended as it makes it easy to move around. The table is large and there?s plenty of room to work. The more commonly used accessories either have built-in holders or fit into the base, which has a shelf and a door.
For me, and I?d expect for any RV builder, this bandsaw is more than we need. If you?re on a tight budget or if you have very limited shop space, this is too much. But it?s sure a nice tool, though. My old bandsaw had been cantankerous and annoying for over 30 years. It did the job, barely, and was hard to maintain in adjustment. Then it finally broke. For me, this is a welcome upgrade. I wish I?d gotten something like this ten years ago.
Dave
