Many 14-inch bandsaws with a cast-iron frame can be fitted with a riser block: a casting bolted into the column between the lower and upper halves of the frame. It raises the upper wheel and the upper blade guide, so the saw can cut taller stock, typically doubling the depth of cut from about 6 in to about 12 in. It also changes the blade the saw needs.
Why the blade gets 12 inches longer.
A blade runs half round each wheel and straight between them twice, so its length is π × D + 2 × C, where D is the wheel diameter and C the distance between the wheel centres (measuring a blade or belt explains it). A 6 in riser block adds 6 in to C, and the blade gets twice that, 12 in, longer. On a saw that takes a 93-1/2 in blade as standard, that points to about 105-1/2 in.
What the manufacturers say.
The manuals for these saws list 105 in for the raised saw, a little under the arithmetic:
- JET. The instructions for fitting the frame riser to the J-8201K say: “Install a new 105-inch blade.” JET’s JRB-14 riser block kit for the JWBS-14CS is listed with a 105 in blade and a 12 in depth of cut.
- King Canada. The manual for the KC-1401HD says the saw “uses a standard 93-1/2" blade, although it will take a maximum of 94" and a minimum of 91-1/2"”. With its riser block, the manual says, “the saw then uses 105" long blades” and accepts any blade from 103-1/2 in to 106 in.
King Canada’s figures show what the tensioner does: on that saw it covers a range of about 2-1/2 in. That is why a 105 in blade works on a raised saw although the geometry says 105-1/2. Other saws have other ranges, so use the length your manual gives.
Is a riser block fitted to your saw?
Look at the column between the table and the upper wheel housing. A riser block shows as an extra casting with a joint above and below it, and the upper guide post is longer, reaching up to about 12 in above the table. If you bought the saw second-hand, check before you order: a 93-1/2 in blade won’t reach round the wheels of a raised saw, and a 105 in blade can’t be tensioned on a standard one.
How BenchRefill shows it.
A saw with a riser block is a different configuration, so it is a separate record with its own source, as on the JET and King Canada pages linked above. A riser configuration never borrows the standard blade length: if no manufacturer source gives the length for the raised version, we show it as unknown. On a machine page, choose the configuration that matches your saw before you read the size.
Other changes that alter the length.
Anything that moves the wheels apart changes the blade length: a riser block, a different upper arm, or aftermarket wheels of another size. If your saw has been modified, treat its blade length as unknown until you have measured it or confirmed it with the manufacturer.
Find your saw and its configuration ↗︎