Customer Reviews

Grizzly H3051 Riser Block Kit for G0555

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Easy installation and perfect fit in a 14" Craftsman bandsaw. It is not, however, color matched, except probably to a green Grizzly bandsaw, but does anyone really care? This riser block will probably fit other Taiwan imports. Well packed and shipped immediately by Grizzly. If you need to bump up the resaw capacity to 12" this is the perfect solution for not a whole lot of money. Best to buy this before stocking up on additional blades as this modification will make the original 93 1/2" ones obsolete, requiring 105" blades instead. This kit does ship with one OEM quality blade to get you started.

I purchased the Grizzly kit for use on a Ridgid BS1400. Yes, these 14" saws all tend to be very similar. Works great and was one third the price of a Ridgid kit.

I purchased this riser block kit at the same time as the saw (Grizzly threw in the shipping on the riser block for free). It shipped quickly and installation could not have been simpler. Though I was able to install it without help, it would definitely be easier with a helper if you have one. All of the necessary parts are included and it took maybe 10 minutes to install. I have made a few 12" resaw cuts and the Grizzly saw handled them well, so this block is definitely well worth adding to your G0555 saw.

I looked at the casting on my Grizzly G0555 bandsaw and was suprised it was identical to the older Jet 14" saw. Don't get me wrong, I am very pleased with my Grizzly, and will use it for most of my work. The Jet is set up for dedicated resaw work. This extension is well worth the money. As you can see by the pictures, it is compatible with other saws.
KHOP

I bought this block as an alternative to the HIGHLY overpriced ridgid block. It is a direct replacement--fits perfectly with no modification. The blade is junk--just a normal spring steel blade that dulls very quickly. I'm very happy with the riser. As far as the ridgid saw is concerned, I replaced the 3/4HP motor with a 1 1/2HP one to get the power for big resawing. Great item!!

Grizzly H3051 6" Extension Block Kit It installs, with some adjustment and "persuasion". Like my father-in-law used to say, "if it doesn't fit, don't force it, just get a larger hammer."

The tabs were oversized for the tab holes on the block. A little reaming, a little block and mallet and it went on. Then when tightening the nut it all compressed and straightened nicely. The nut, by the way is an odd, and largish, 21 mm nut, the riser settled in nicely. But better have small wrenches of proper sized box end wrench because the bottom nut clearance is quite tight.

The installations instructions are approximate one learns. The instruction sheet is not complete; not all steps are included. Intuition guides, but I'd advise walking the process before diving right in. For instance if you follow what it says to do, after unbolting the original riser bolt and try to lift the head you are in for a surprise. the instructions do not say to remove the blade guide in the head which connects to the body below. Opps! I'd recommend getting very familiar with pages 18-19 and 33 of the saws users manual.

Watch out on adding the new blade. The new blade was too small even after loosening the tensions apparatus as much as possible. I had to go through gymnastics to finally loosen the wheel to get the new blade on. Then the fun began is readjusting all the tensioning options, and blade tracking. It was a multiple try iterative process. All other guides then needed, both top and the bottom, factory-set guide wheels. And after all this for some reason every time I'd start the saw, the blade would reposition itself even after the whole routing of re-tension, check tracking set back guide wheels and then the side guide wheels.

The biggest annoyance is that the whisper quiet saw I initially knew is no longer. The noise and vibration was unbelievable. I could not let it stand. I spent 1 1/2 hours readjusting and This was the fine tuning that took the most time. It is now better and tolerable, but even so there is more squeak and vibration than pre-riser block addition.

The good news if however that I have a full 12.25" of clearance for resawing and an old friend back on line. It is worth the hassle and $60. It is a great saw that will be made much better when I add composite guide block vs the guide wheels and upgraded blades. (Check Highland Hardware)

For this and for all other wood shop additions I HIGHLY RECOMMEND reading Bill Pentz's site on shop dust collection and all extant dust collection systems--the health hazards to the dust, the false security of shop dust collections systems (perpetuated by ALL the vendors of dust collection produces) and Bill's designs to make it safer to enjoy our work/hobby in the wood shop. Bill is an engineer, a very smart designer and an responsive and introspective fellow. [...]

Check it out soon.

What more can I say? It installed in about 1 hour. The only difficult part was balancing the top wheel assembly on the riser with one hand while I tried to guide the main bolt through the hole and get the thread started with the other hand. Kind of a balancing act. While I'd highly recommend having a second person balance the top section while I threaded the bolt (or the other way around) it's actually doable with one person.

Don't forget to buy the bigger blades when you buy this. Look for the "wood slicer" by Highland Woodworking, they're excellent at resawing without leaving much tool marking.

Realigning the saw with the new blade was a snap, since I'd just gone though it a week or two earlier. I started cutting some 2" x 12" x 28" spalted maple into 3/8" thick sections for door panel inlays. The cuts look beautiful.

It's hard to really evaluate a hunk of metal that makes your bandsaw capacity a little better, but in this case, the fact that it went so smoothly to install and I was cutting wood with the new blade in just about an hour, suggests they did everything right.

After reading some of the reviews on this Extension Block Kit, I bought one for my Rigid bandsaw. I followed the directions and had the kit installed in about an hour. Every thing went well and the fit was good. After installation everything lined up well and I installed my 105" Wood Slicer blade. Made a few cuts length wise through a 4x4, some hard rock maple will be next. Rich

Grizzly H3051 6" Extension Block Kit

My friendly UPS man delivered this item about 2:00pm, and by 3:30pm my saw was back together. I have a Ridgid saw, and everything fit to a tee. I rigged a strap over a garage door track to hold up the upper half of the saw after it was loose from the bottom. I got the riser block in and the top half aligned and needed two more steadying hands which the LOML provided. Like another reviewer, I repainted the block gray so it matches.

The bolt head and the nut are an odd size. I used a large adjustable wrench on the head end and a 15/16 wrench on the nut. That was definitely the largest challenge.

I lowered the upper wheel as low as it would go to install the new blade (6TPI +/-). I carefully tensioned the blade and set the tilt so that the blade tracked correctly. Turned it on, and cut a test piece. Everything works well, with low noise and vibration, same as before. A+ to Grizzly.

I purchased a Ridgid 14" Bandsaw and wanted to have the capabilities of Resawing larger wood. I researched the internet and found that Grizzlies would fit my saw. I ordered it and had it with-in 5 days. After removing from the box I had it on and back running in a matter of 30 minutes.Everything fit as though it was made for my saw. I recommend this to anyone wanting to expand their saw. Thanks Grizzly

JMG (gallman woodworking)