Taurus 3 ringsaw v bandsaw

Started by Pam, April 20, 2009, 08:15:41 PM

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Pam

Firstly does anyone have any of these and if so do you think its a tool you wouldn't be without.
Up to now I have only hand cut all my glass for fusing, I've been pondering over a power tool for cutting fused glass for some time but have been put off by the cost.
Would just appreciate your thoughts, etc before taking a big leap.

julieHB

Hi Pam,

I have a Taurus ringsaw, and it is a beautiful piece of equipment. Like you I was pondering forth and back a long time before I decided. As it was I was coming up to 40 and I told anyone who asked that the only thing I wished for was money so I could buy a ring saw, and funded it that way (my DH has resigned to the fact that there is always some or the other tool I'm lusting for) ;D

What you choose depends of the use, as always. Normally a band saw will cut thinner (although you can get a very thin special blade for the ring saw), but it can only cut forwards, which means if you want to cut a sharp curve you have to go forth and back a bit (my daisy ring cabs f.ex. would have been a bit more fiddly on a band saw). I believe the parts for a band saw are cheaper to replace, and you can get a good band saw much cheaper than the ring saw. Although my sister has a ring saw she only roughly cut it on the saw, and then fine tunes the shapes with a grinder. After I got the ring saw I hardly use the grinder at all.

You can buy the taurus ring saw quite a lot cheaper from the US, but you need a transformer from 110v to 220v. I got mine from Tempsford Glass, as I reckoned it would be a lot easier with any guarantee or repair issues.

Hmm, that wasn't much help, was it? It all comes down to what you want to use it for, and how much you are going to use it, and how much money you have to spend....
Julie xx

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Pam

Hi Julie, thanks for your reply,it was a great help as I didn't realise the bandsaw only cuts in one direction.
I make dichroic pendants and I have been put off by all the cutting of individual pieces to make my designs, now I am thinking of making one slab of dichroic design and cut some more interesting shapes. I have cut hearts by hand but have never been that happy but they are frequently asked for. I use a grinder if I want perfect circles but again i would prefer to cut them out of one sheet (3 layers fused).
I am sure it will make my life a lot easier and I watched the demo on the tempsford site a couple of weeks ago which made it look really easy, but then again advertising always does. i know replacement blades are about £60-£70 but have you found the need to buy an alternative to the one supplied?

As far as spending money-I hate that bit but I guess you need to speculate in order to accumulate :-\

julieHB

I have not had to buy any replacement parts yet, but my saw hasn't been used that much. Since last year when I was at Manda's meet and saw bead-making for the first time I have wasted spent most of my shed time on melting blobs of glass  ;D

As for cutting 3-4 fused layers of glass: It's not quite as smooth as running a knife through butter, but it won't take you long to get a hang of. Make sure you use a proper fire polishing schedule, though, you find one at the Warmglass website. I have adapted that to my use and kiln, depending on how rounded I want the final piece to be.
Julie xx

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Stacy

HI Pam,

I have a Ring Saw and I love it.. I would go on but would just be reiterating what Julie said. It did take me a while to get used to it, but I did all my carved pendants on it.

You can see them here about half way down the page:
http://www.marionandmaud.com/page4.htm

I made some fused squares and then cut the shapes out. I also use it for cutting stained glass pieces. I find that it is great for the tiny tiny peices that I can't cut very well by hand. Also its great for saving glass. Whereas if cutting by hand you need to go from one side to another with the sw you can get many pieces on a single sheet of glass.

You are more than welcome to come over to have a play before you buy just to make sure you are happy with it first if you like.

kerensky

I have a Ring Saw too, it is a wonderful piece of equipment and I have used it for over 6 years now, I have also used it for cutting and shaping tiles (porcelain) and it does this to perfection..... I have not had to replace the blade yet either.

Why don't you ask the supplier to throw you in a spare blade with your purchase, or they may offer you a discount off one with the initial purchase?

Mine is from the US and I have a transformer for it, I suppose you would have to factor in the cost of the transformer and shipping/customs to see if it is worth the cost saving if you buy it from the US,  but I am sure you have thought of that.

Good luck - you are going to love it...