Brought my big bandsaw home!

[nedL]

I was given this bandsaw by the owner of a boat yard in Seabright NJ in 1977 :D Finally, two weeks ago I was able to bring it home & set it up. -Used a motor I had picked up the previous week that someone was throwing out in the trash on a 14" rip saw smile.gif -- I picked up some nice 8/4 Jersey white cedar too :D that I will be resawing on this. So now I have a cir. 1900, 500+ lb portable (it's on wheels- yea right,,, portable :rolleyes: )26" bandsaw that will resaw up to 11.5" wide stock! http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid128/p67c080d3e89df12451fd9686d64946c7/f7e39285.jpg
OK, so the springs weren't quite bottomed out with 120bd ft of cedar & the bandsaw.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid129/p876e51ffc9901d0f6c18492436d59033/f7c76b51.jpg
Now maybe I can get back to working on the boat!! smile.gif

[ 07-20-2004, 12:57 PM: Message edited by: nedL ]

[Dave Fleming]

Advice...

First thing make some covers for those wheels!
The first time a blade comes off from binding in the cut or you turning too sharp a curve or not enough tension you will know what I mean.

Was manning the table crank on a 36 inch machine when the blade came off the top wheel and broke.
End of blade came whipping around right at me. I threw up my left hand and LUCKILY VERY LUCKILY, the back of the blade struck my ring finger. Still have scar there.

Telescoping blade guard would be nice too.

[Wiley Baggins]

Originally posted by nedL:
Now maybe I can get back to working on the boat!! smile.gif And stop tormenting us! ;) Very nice!

[Ken Hutchins]

What Dave said, and don't even THINK of turning it on until the covers are made and installed.

[TimH]

Absolutely Beautiful!!!! :D :D
Here is my 36" Eby:
http://www.owwm.com/PhotoIndex/Images/826-A.jpg
:D :D

[nedL]

Oh yes, the guards will be coming before any use, especially considering I'm going to be using a 1 1/4" wide 1.3TPI blade for resawing (Kind of looks like a shark with its mouth wide open! :eek: ) Oh yes, the saw was made by "C.E. Wright" in New Orange NJ, before 1907 best I've been able to find out so far.
Very nice Tim, 'big brother' to mine, almost the same color also. ;)

[ 07-20-2004, 01:32 PM: Message edited by: nedL ]

[Dale R. Hamilton]

GOOD GOD Nedl- you mean the guy gave you the saw 30 YEARS AGO- and you are just now getting around to picking it up? whadaya nuts? Most of us would be on that thing like a duck on a junebug.

I think a saw like that deserves a new- and bigger motor. Suggest consider a 3 hp Baldour- or better 5 hp if you can manage the expense. --or, sell it to me?

[Fretz]

What could you possibly need a saw that big for to get your boat back in the water? I thought my excuses were bad!

Have you found more problems with the old skiff than you originally thought?

I found a guy who remembers my skiff! Says it was built by bird stevenson in the 60's. Stevenson built 4-6 skiffs but none raced. One even had a volvo outdrive. He is looking for pictures of his skiff which was built to the same mold as mine but entirely of plywood.

Progress has been slow... make that 0 progress. I did clean the shop the other day though and the sailing has been great this year. I hope to start working again on the skiff in the fall.

Chris

[Fretz]

What could you possibly need a saw that big for to get your boat back in the water? I thought my excuses were bad!

Have you found more problems with the old skiff than you originally thought?

I found a guy who remembers my skiff! Says it was built by bird stevenson in the 60's. Stevenson built 4-6 skiffs but none raced. One even had a volvo outdrive. He is looking for pictures of his skiff which was built to the same mold as mine but entirely of plywood.

Progress has been slow... make that 0 progress. I did clean the shop the other day though and the sailing has been great this year. I hope to start working again on the skiff in the fall.

Chris

[nedL]

Dale, I guess I should clarify things a bit there. Yes, it was given to me in '77, and I took it home then, It's been in 'storage' at my family's home down there since (I moved to CT in '87). I just haven't had room for it (my 'shop' is only 9.5' x 9.5'. A bit tight to say the least(!), and this is a bit big to carry up & down the basement stairs when I need to use it ;) )
I would LOVE a new 3-5hp Baldor motor for it!! :D not even close to being in the budget though :( , so I will limp along on this cir. 1930, 75lb 3/4 hp one for now. The guy at Timberwolf (where I ordered the blade from) says I should be able to do what I need to with that motor if I keep the feed rate down. He said that the old 'repulsion' motors have a lot more torque than the new cap. start motors, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. (Of course I could take up a collection :D )

Chris, Good to hear from you!! I was going to email you now that I have something I can talk about (for the first time in months). Yes, as I've been looking over my skiff's bottom I decided there are about 8 planks I really need to replace. I don't need this saw directly for working on the skiff, but when I was picking out the cedar at the sawmill out in the middle of the pine barrens we got to these 2"x11"x12' planks that are almost 100% clear straight grain & I knew I'd be kicking myself for years to come if I left them behind. I don't need all the cedar for the skiff (esp. now that I can resaw it & get three planks out of one), but it was too nice to leave behind. Besides I also have a small 10' lapstrake dinghy that was built in the 20's or so that needs a bunch of new planks some day. Great news on finding out some history about your skiff, it would be great if he could come up with those pictures!

[Dave Fleming]

Ned that fellow is correct.
Older motors were rated more conservatively than present day motors.

Duty Cycles and HP ratings were understated by todays standards.

If it is an old 'squirrel cage' design make sure you keep it free of sawdust on a daily basis of use. Also chances are it has oil cups on the bearings. Use a good grade of non-detergent oil in lubricating them. I have always like Lubriplate products by Fiske Bros Refining for all my tool lubrication needs.

Lubriplate Product (http://www.lubriplate.com/)

[ 07-20-2004, 07:08 PM: Message edited by: Dave Fleming ]

[PeterSibley]

Dave , re the motors.I have 2 1/4 hp on my 12" thicknesser...its ancient and weighs probably 120 lb.Its very powerful or do I mean torqueful ,much more so than the newer motors I run .The most interesting thing though is that it doesn't get hot (as the others do ) on my low voltage supply.I'm at the end of a long rural line.

[Dave Fleming]

that it doesn't get hot (as the others do ) on my low voltage supply.I'm at the end of a long rural line. More windings, thicker copper wire could be some reasons for it running cooler and tolerating some voltage drop.

Old motors had, I think, better ventilation even TEFC ones. Also the oldies had Cast Iron end bells much sturdier than the pressed steel cases of today.

Cherish those oldies, have a good motor shop in mind and cultivate a dialogue with the owner/worksman. They can be rebuilt and new bearings installed etc...

[TimH]

Originally posted by Dale R. Hamilton:
GOOD GOD Nedl- you mean the guy gave you the saw 30 YEARS AGO- and you are just now getting around to picking it up? whadaya nuts? Most of us would be on that thing like a duck on a junebug.

I got mine 10 years ago and it sits in a garage in Michigan and I live in Washington. Its a saw thing...you just gotta understand.......... :D

[Bill Hendrickson]

Hey, Ned.
And I thought my fifties-vintage Grob was cool. Good luck with your new wood-sawing deity status.

[Paul Griffin]

Ned

What kind of a system are you going to set up for resawing? I need some ideas for my 36" bandsaw.

Paul

[Mrleft8]

A thought on resawing, especially since your saw is probably a bit underpowered.... Use a 1/2" or 5/8" blade instead of the 1 1/4" one you mentioned. There is no need to haul that much blade around, and it'll have a thicker kerf than the narrower ones. As long as you determine the drift of your saw you won't need that extra blade width to help you cut straight. A wider blade with a thicker kerf will create more friction. Friction = heat. Heat dulls a blade almost as fast as a rock. I use a 1/2" 3 tpi blade for most of my resawing, and I have no trouble cutting 12" maple laminations.

[nedL]

Doug, I guess I may be wishing I did a bit of consulting here before buying a blade as I've already got that new blade sitting at home. (Oh well, I'll try it anyways.) - I do also have the three blades that were given to me with the saw one 3/8" & two 5/8" I believe,(but they have certainly seen better days!). The Timberwolf literature talks about lubricating the blade while cutting to greatly reduce friction (maybe that will help).
I spent almost as much time going over the motor as I have on the saw. I totally disassembled it (lots of sawdust & a good stash of nuts, seeds, & twigs). The grease in the bearings was pretty well dried up, washed the bearings all out (they seem fine), repacked them with new grease, and reassembled it. I think the 'reservoir' at each bearing holds a good couple of tablespoons of grease. I have also wired it for 220 volts to help it stay cooler.
I've got some ideas as to what I'll do for a fence for the resawing. I'll post some pictures when I get that together.

[Dave Fleming]

'reservoir' at each The type that screw down to inject more grease into the bearings?

Just What grease did you use?