Bandsaw recomendations

[mjncad]

I have a restored workshop belt drive, a Heavy 10 and a benchtop shaper. I use the workshop regularly for modelmaking. Has a 3c handwheel closer and a QC box. The 10 and the shaper are eye candy.

I told my wife when I pass, there will be one heck of a sale and someone is going to get some nice American made machinery. Gee, I even have Lincoln (Euclid, Ohio) welders in TIG and MIG.

Lets not forget about the vintage Atlas floor lathe in pristine condition in the corner, completely tooled, even a toolpost grinder thats never been used and a complete set of Williams toolholders in the original case.....
I won't get into all the Starrett and Brown and Sharpe tools I have or the Gerstner boxes they get stored in.....

Without pics, it didn't happen. :laughing:

 

[ultrarunner]

I've been running my 3-phase equipment... a Bridgeport and an old Devilbiss Compressor with home brew converters for 30 years... nothing more than a 3-phase motor set up as an idler to produce power... 1 hp for the Bridgeport and 3 hp for the compressor.

 

[5030]

I've been running my 3-phase equipment... a Bridgeport and an old Devilbiss Compressor with home brew converters for 30 years... nothing more than a 3-phase motor set up as an idler to produce power... 1 hp for the Bridgeport and 3 hp for the compressor.

You remind me of a fellow I know that uses a three phase idler and gets the idler going with a rope wrapped around the pulley on the end. Crude but effective.

I don't have 3 phase either. I do have a Gerhardt-Werner 5 horsepower rotary convertor because the LeBlond and the Kent 6-18 Toolroom grinder both are frequency drive and require 60hz 3 phase continually.

My other machines that are 3 phase, I'll piggyback off each other after starting one on the rotary. Nice thing about Delta wound 3 phase motors is their ability to produce current on the T3 leg by themselves. When doing that, one must remember to reduce the starting output of a successive motor by 30%, in other words, if your initial start is 10 horsepower, the next start can't be more than 8, however, as the motors stack, so does the startability.

If you have a 10 and the 8 at operating RPM you can start 14, within the limits of your witing of course because inrush starting amps on any motor is 3 or more times running amps, depending on configuration.

That, in essence is how a static convertor works. It excites the T3 leg though discharging a series of capacitors to get the motor up to rated rpm at which time the motor no longer needs to be externally excited. The drawback is, that when the motor is self excited, useable horsepower/torque drop off by 30% or so. Something to keep in mind on a heavily loaded motor like a lathe drive.

 

[deereman75]

all this lathe talk is making me want one more... And I dont think my vintage beaver wood lathe counts. If only I had the space and cash for my dream lathe, a 1950s south bend 9x24.

 

[5030]

all this lathe talk is making me want one more... And I dont think my vintage beaver wood lathe counts. If only I had the space and cash for my dream lathe, a 1950s south bend 9x24.

Problem is (with an old vintage South Bend) or any older used machine is it was likely abused. South Bend machines used insert bearings in the headstocks and non hardened cast iron bedways so the bed will probably be wallowed out from lack of way lubricant and the headstock bearings sloppy from lack of lubricant as well.

headstock bearings are next to impossible to replace because they are cast in and line bored and bed ways need to be levelled and scraped, basically a lost art. I know of one company north of here that still reworks bed ways and milling machine tables, for a price of course.

You are better off in the long view with a modern (flame hardened/induction hardened) bed machine with roller bearings in the headstock and oil bath lubrication plus a modern machine with come with a camlock spindle and Aloris style toolpost, both light years ahead of the old threaded spindle and rocker toolpost.

Finally, most modern machines come with integral gearboxes that cut a variety of threads with no change gears, a big plus.

FleaBay is loaded with old South Bend stuff, most is shot from abuse. You can pick and choose but it's still a very time consuming task getting one to hold any tolerance.

I spent 4 years (and lots of money) getting my benchtop rebuilt and accurate. Like an antique tractor, the original cost is nothing compared to the rebuild cost.

If yo do it yourself, you need to have the knowledge beforehand. Cutting gears, line boring, cutting keyways and machining parts takes machine tools to rebuild a machine tool.

Like I said previously, get a modern used (or new) machine and then think about a vintage machine. You'll be farther ahead and much less grief.

There are lots of machines out there that meet that criteria

 

[ultrarunner]

I'm embarrassed to say I use the rope pull method on my converter... never did build one of the over-running clutch gizmo.

I think my 1 hp converter and the 1 hp Bridgeport motor work well together is because the mill has little load on starting... it is basically just spinning.

At this point, doesn't look like a bigger lathe is in my future... I actually may be getting displaced...

30 years ago, a neighbor, who was a machinist for many years and then switched professions when the plant closed built a shop... when I bought my mill, he offered to let me set it up there... shortly after he had a heart attack and passed away...

The last 28 years the widow has allowed me to come and go and was happy to have someone taking care of things...

Her son recently took-over the home and has asked me about moving my stuff... his 88 year old mom got word and said not as long as she is alive... we all get along well.

It is time to make a move... just don't have anywhere to have a turn-key operation...

 

[5030]

I'm embarrassed to say I use the rope pull method on my converter... never did build one of the over-running clutch gizmo.....

Certainly nothing to be embarassed about. Every lawnmower engine has a recoil start.........

No over running gizmo. A rotary convertor is nothing more than a single phase motor wirh secondary windings to produce the T3 voltage and switching capacitors to smoot the transition.

I just went commercial rotary because I need very clean 3 phase power for the frequency drives.

My GW outwardly looks like a large ODP motor with no shaft sticking out the end and a large electrical box on one side. 220/1 in and 220/3 out.

Habitually, I'll start a 3phase motor on the rotary and then shut the rotary off and allow the idling 3 phase motor to excite another so long as the initial motor is larger than the next one.

I do notice a longer spool up time when stacking motors than if I leave the T3 leg excited by the rotary but it's not a problem in my application.

 

[Short Game]

Here's my $50 garage sale Enco cutting a miter. I feel lucky to have it.

 

[ultrarunner]

Here's my $50 garage sale Enco cutting a miter. I feel lucky to have it.

Want to double your money?

 

[Short Game]

Want to double your money?

I'll have to repaint if for you first. And you're in luck, I just bought two new blades. You won't mind waiting until I'm finished with it, eh?