My bandsaw has a one-piece steel frame. I’ve read somewhere that it’s considerably more rigid than the two-piece cast-iron frames. IIRC, it required nearly twice as much tension on the blade for the same amount of deflection. Can anyone confirm my memory?
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Replies
It was my recollection that the cast iron was more ridgid but heavier and more costly to produce. I think as a practical matter unless you want your grandkids to inherit the saw that a properly designed and gusseted welded steel saw should serve you just as well.
And it's a good thing too, as I do not think my floor would take kindly to an 18 inch Tannewitz (much as I would like to have one).
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It would indeed be a tragedy if the history of the human race proved to be nothing more than the story of an ape playing with a box of matches on a petrol dump. ~David Ormsby Gore
The fabricated steel frames are very sensitive to the thickness of the steel used, the way it is folded, and the quality of the welding and reinforcements added. Two steel frames can look identical but one can be much weaker than the other. I have seen this proved a number of times with Asian copies of European machines.
A cast iron frame is far less likely to be compromised by the manufacturer although bad casting practice and poor machining can also produce an inferior product. In theory a two piece cast iron frame is weaker than a one piece frame but in reality the difference in strength is negligible.
John White
OK, thanks. I wish I could remember where I saw the article.ne sutor ultra crepidam
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