[SML] Band Saws

[Jared Fortney]

That's really tragic! Was this done as a surplus sale or a
disappearance? It's hard enough to finance show production at the high
school level.  Having to replace that much equipment for petty reasons
is really disappointing.  It might be worthwhile to reach out to your
local Woodcraft store.  I believe they are all franchise operations,
so the ownership should be a little more local and possibly more
willing to support your efforts.  They often have machines in their
in-store classrooms that get sold and replaced periodically.  They
might also know who in the area is selling an old saw that was
recently upgraded.  With the exception of some really cheap models and
brands, almost any band saw can me made to work well enough for a
scene shop.  In fact, picking up a few used machines might allow you
to keep different machines set up for different operations/blade
configurations.  For reference, my Delta 14" bandsaw cost me about
US$350 on Craigslist.

As Jerry mentioned, if the school electricians are willing to wire a
phase converter/ VFD for your equipment, a 3 phase saw isn't out of
the questions.  You probably have a better chance at having
appropriate wiring than the home woodworker.  For extra excitement,
you can even run the saw backwards :)

-Jared