While the majority of what you probably need to cut on a band saw is wood or sheet goods, wouldn’t it be handy to be able to slice through metal as well? Unfortunately, woodcutting band saws spin the blade too fast for that task. But with the DAKE/Laguna 14|CX Bandsaw, ferrous metals such as steel, iron, stainless steel and more are fair game because this machine’s blade speed can be set to as low as 60 surface feet per minute (SFPM).
The saw’s two-step pulley system provides a mechanical high speed range for wood and low speed range for metal, which are easy to switch between by shifting the saw’s poly-groove drive belt from one step to the other. Then, just twist a variable-speed control knob on the saw’s column to increase or decrease the blade speed incrementally and on the fly. A digital readout below the knob reports the blade speed in real time.
Laguna provides electronic speed control by way of a pulse width modulation (PWM) system. It uses an inverter to control the output to the machine’s 1-3/4hp DC motor. PWM offers the added advantage of quickly stopping the cutting action when the saw is turned off.
Ready for Resawing
Blade momentum is crucial for demanding woodcutting operations such as resawing. And to help ensure it, Laguna outfits this saw with heavy, precision-balanced cast-iron flywheels. It offers an impressive 13″ of resaw capacity and can be outfitted with 115″ blades up to 3/4″ wide; a 1/2″ bi-metal 10/14 variable TPI blade is included. In the event that a quick stop is needed, just step on a foot pedal to engage an oversized disc brake in the saw’s lower flywheel housing. When the time comes to switch blades or de-tension them between uses, a quickrelease lever makes the job easier. Other Noteworthy Features For many years, Laguna has outfitted its band saws with long-wearing, cooler-operating ceramic blade guides, and you’ll find them on the 14|CX. They off er a total of 10 contact points above and below the workpiece for precise blade tracking.
This saw has a generous 16″ x 21-1/2″ cast-iron table with a conventionally sized miter slot. The table tilts 7 degrees left and 45 degrees right. It’s mounted on a heavy-duty cast-iron trunnion. The rip fence is also beefy, with a 5-1/2″-tall aluminum beam that moves on a gear-driven crank; this 18″-long fence beam can be set either to a high position for thick cuts and resawing or tipped over to a low position for cutting thin materials.
To mitigate sawdust, two 4″-diameter dust ports — one just below the table and a second near the saw’s base — help to keep the machine’s interior clean.
For shops with space constraints or poor lighting, Laguna off ers a three-wheel mobility kit and an industrial work light as optional accessories.
Laguna 14|CX Bandsaw
Motor: 1-3/4hp, 110-volt
Speeds: 160-4,400 (High) / 60-1,600 (Low) SFPM
Resaw Capacity / Throat Depth: 13″ / 13-5/8″
Blade Length / Widths: 115″ / 1/8″-3/4″
Blade Guides: Laguna ceramic
Weight: 258 lbs
