Bandsaw recomendations

[ultrarunner]

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?

I like the patina just the way it is... extra blades are always good.

For a long time I used a power hack saw at work... the short blades with higher tension allowed for very accurate cuts and never a blade to weld...

Don't see many power hack saws much anymore.

I have been seeing tons of old equipment going to the scrapper... seems many are cashing in...

One of these days I will have to get with the program to post pictures...

My band-saw looks like any other saw... except it is made from plywood...

A casual glance and you wouldn't know it was made from wood painted gray.

 

[Short Game]

I like the patina just the way it is... extra blades are always good.

For a long time I used a power hack saw at work... the short blades with higher tension allowed for very accurate cuts and never a blade to weld...

Don't see many power hack saws much anymore.

Last one I saw was in high school metal shop class in 1962.

 

[5030]

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

Interesting. I have the same saw, which gets used more than the Roll-In by the way. Mine is grey but just as ratty.

I see you smoked the original motor as well. One of my employees stank up the shop a year or so ago. The blade stalled and he didn't catch it until the motor smoked..... about 30 seconds.

Mine now has a nice Dayton 3 horse ODP, capacitor start. I believe the motor was more than the saw which has cut tons of structural and bar stock.

The weakest point (besides the chi-com weinie motor) is the front bandwheel. It needs a ball bearing in the hub instead of the plain bearing. Other than that, it's a fine, ugly saw.

Mine IS NOT for sale.

 

[HCJtractor]

How about the Steelmax saws? I just bought the 9" version that looks like a Skil saw on steroids. Man, I cut 3" (3/16) angle like cutting a 2 x 4 pine stud. It cuts 1/2" plate like cutting plywood. I am pretty impressed with it. It leaves a very clean cut with no burrs and is cool to the touch. I have not used it much but it seems very impressive. They make a chop saw version also. I also have the cheap Jet bandsaw. It works well but cutting the same angle takes a couple of minutes. Check out the demo video on their website.

 

[Short Game]

I see you smoked the original motor as well.

I quit smoking before I bought it. That's the motor it had.

Dang it, you made me go out and look at it. Judging from the cheap thin sticker on the motor case, I'd say it's the original motor. I then checked the Enco plaque and it's so old it was made by the Chi-Nats, the good guys of Chiang Kai-shek, our old pals in Taiwan.

I wonder how much I could have scored a new one for in Kaohsiung in 1967? I bought a pirate copy of Motor's Auto Repair Manual when I was there.

 

[deereman75]

Mine IS NOT for sale.

Hey if you sold it, you would get them using the rollin more. :laughing:

 

[5030]

Hey if you sold it, you would get them using the rollin more. :laughing:

Hard to believe the original motor is still running. Mine made no power to speak of, you had to be real careful not to stall it. The newer Dayton will start the cut with the blade resting on the material. The old chi-com motor would just hum....

Of course the Roll-In is a much better saw in many ways but it's also much larger and cumbersome plus you can't move it around, the work has to come to it.

The Roll-In excells at ripping (metal) of all things. It has unlimited throat so ripping die plate is a snap. I just ripped a couple blocks of 6061 T6 aluminum in 3" x 6" x 15" in to two equal wedge shapes for his boat, for what use , I have no idea.

About the largest dimension the little saw can do is 6" on a 90 degree cut and it better not be any length of 6" solid material because the weight would collapse the sheet metal legs.

It's great for structural shapes, especially in full stick length which is how we get it in, typically 21 feet long. One end in the saw and the other on a plate roller stand. I add a Kool-Mist atomizing coolant nozzle if we cut a lot to keep things under control at the point of cut

The Alro driver get s charge out of me unloading his semi with my M9 and the forks on the front. I've considered a hi-lo but the tractor is multi use. A hi-lo isn't.

 

[mjncad]

Hey if you sold it, you would get them using the rollin more. :laughing:

+1 :thumbsup:

 

[Short Game]

My Enco has three speed settings. I have it in the middle. What's the general rule on how fast to run it?

 

[5030]

My Enco has three speed settings. I have it in the middle. What's the general rule on how fast to run it?

Same as mine. 3 different sized sheaves on the pulley's.

With the old chi-com motor, I ran it on the slowest speed (and the most power). With the Dayton motor, It's on the highest speed sheaves.

I've been running Lennox vari-pitch bi metal baldes for a long time now.