I was excited to try making shop sawn veneer with this saw. The shop I work out of had recently gotten a Laguna BX18 bandsaw. A project came up that veneer was the best choice, a drop leaf table with internal slides. I was really excited with how the doors came out and wanted to do more shop sawn veneer work. It was not the first time I had used shop sawn veneer on a set of doors, but it was the first time I did it well and did it correctly. This summer I was at Center for Furniture Craftsmanship for a class and sawed veneer for a set of doors for the first time. The adjustments are simple and rock-solid. I do think that is why it has held up so well. The saw is overbuilt for its size and capacity. I really love how well everything is made. I’ve been taking it apart and replacing the bearings and tires. He was moving and didn’t want to deal with the hassle of moving it.

Two months ago, a client called me and asked if I’d be interested in an old Powermatic bandsaw saw. They are easy to adjust and once adjusted hold true. It’s a solid machine but not extraordinary. I’ve had the Delta/Rockwell for almost 10 years now and never did too much to it to get it running. Both are 14” and one is a Delta/Rockwell and the other a Powermatic. I have two bandsaws that are both 40 or 50 years old.

And maybe there was just as much junk on the market 50 years ago but what we see today is what has held up. Maybe the antique tools we see are the market have just withstood the test of time. Why aren’t tools makers able to build a good product today and it seems like there are a ton of good options on the used tool market from 50 years ago or more. It’s an odd thing to reconcile if you think about it. Yeah, they don’t make them like they used to, right? This statement seems easy to apply to power tools on today’s market.

Powermatic 141 bandsaw specs