How Nice is a Metal Band Saw?

[mjncad]

mjncad, You are welcome. This forum is so cool. Out there, somewhere, someone has fixed every tool that has ever broken.
Remember that motorcycle building show. The teams had 2weeks, or something, to build their scooters?
I had fixed my saw where it would cut reliably and I saw Billy Lane take a sledge hammer to his 'cause the blade came off repeatedly. This guy could build a beautiful motorcycle and wouldn't take the time to fix his saw? Ironic. (ah! nostalgia) Guess my long term memory is still OK. It's the short term memory that....? What was I going to say?

Yeah, I remember Biker Build Off, and how their slapdash creations always broke-down on the road because they were in a hurry to build them for a ridiculous deadline. I'm surprised none of the contestants got maimed or killed as a result.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I finally got around to looking into this band saw in more detail.

First off, it's a Duracraft model 21348. The idler pulley had a wobble. I pulled the pulley and pressed the bushing out. I hope it's just a bushing that it needs. Now I'm going to go looking for parts online.

Everyone have a Merry Christmas!

 

[GE222]

Get the best horizontal band saw you can afford. Get it dialed in, and use a good quality bi-metal blade. And you won't be disappointed.

The are quite a few decent quality used machines out there, eBay, Craig's list, etc.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I had a very dissapointing day today shopping for the bushing for this band saw. I haven't found any kind of parts supply site online for this saw, so I hit the local repair shops.

I went to two bearing shops, a tool store, and a tool repair shop. No one had the bushing. Looks like I'm on my own. Maybe rather than looking for the parts list for the band saw I ought to mic out the bushing and look for a comparable replacement from McMaster Carr or some such.

 

[Gary Sweat]

I had a very dissapointing day today shopping for the bushing for this band saw. I haven't found any kind of parts supply site online for this saw, so I hit the local repair shops.

I went to two bearing shops, a tool store, and a tool repair shop. No one had the bushing. Looks like I'm on my own. Maybe rather than looking for the parts list for the band saw I ought to mic out the bushing and look for a comparable replacement from McMaster Carr or some such.

If there is a machine shop in your area they can make you a bushing in less time than it takes to eat lunch. Take the old bushing and the shaft so they can get the diameters. Takes very little to make a bushing on a lathe.

 

[Ford tractor]

If there is a machine shop in your area they can make you a bushing in less time than it takes to eat lunch. Take the old bushing and the shaft so they can get the diameters. Takes very little to make a bushing on a lathe.

Just be sure to get a quote up front. Some shops don't deal with little piddling stuff and charge a "set up" fee. I've been bent over before by well respected machine shops that charged a normal amount for work, but $150 set up fee. Nothing like finding out your $30 bargain part costs 180 bucks to take home, especially when you can buy a new one for 125....

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Just be sure to get a quote up front. Some shops don't deal with little piddling stuff and charge a "set up" fee. I've been bent over before by well respected machine shops that charged a normal amount for work, but $150 set up fee. Nothing like finding out your $30 bargain part costs 180 bucks to take home, especially when you can buy a new one for 125....

Yeah, most of the shops around here have a 1 hour minimum. I think the rates are about $60 to $70/hr. There's a shop that I've gone to before that my employer does business with. Depending on the day and what mood the guy is in he'll sometimes wave the minimum, but I never know until after the work is done.

 

[yankeerider]

Iplayfarmer were you successful finding the bushing you needed from McMaster Carr? If not, do you know any hobbyist machinists? I have a metal lathe, and know of 3 other guys where I work that have lathes, and would likely turn one at no charge just for the satisfaction of helping a friend.

 

[Rio_Grande]

I have a royal, horizantal uses 105 in I think blades,,, The ONLY regret I have is it does not have the ability to work vertical,,, So I am looking for a vertical now to take care of some quick thin sawing.

Often Mcmaster Carr carries bushing stock in standard prices.

If not I think you are on the right track to getting it fixed, 60.00 is nothing to have a bandsaw running.
I dont know how I got along without mine before i got it.

 

[jmc]

Can you post a picture of the parts? If it's just an oilite bushing (porous bronze), they probably used a standard size you could pick up for a few dollars at McMaster Carr or any good bearing store.