Another string for a born-again BS user:
The aged Taiwan 14″er that I’ve just bought for peanuts is a plain vanilla machine. It’s a sweetie, and sound as a bell, cast iron with a good stiff cast iron table – but with pretty basic guides, no provision for a fence, and a square-section slot but nothing to slide in it.
Where’s the 5 minute guide to aftermarket add-ons? Can I buy and retrofit a fence mechanism (if all else fails I’ll make my own)? I notice Suffolk advertising some smart looking lubricating guides, but at a high price, and are they just for mills (> 16″)?
What else is available that adds weekend woodie value?
Great advice so far, by the way!
Replies
I know just who you need to talk to -- Iturra Design! The owner, Louis Iturra, is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to old and new band saws. They offer, by my count, 4 different options for guides, and I'm sure he could make a recommendation. The catalog is a must-have. 1-888-722-7078.
PS, I'd expect the Duginske fence would fit the saw, perhaps the Rockler one would too. I have 2 or 3 plans for BS fences too. Another thing you could treat your new saw to would be a new tension spring. But...you said it had never been used, so you might not need one.
forestgirl Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 2/23/2004 12:51:29 AM ET by forestgirl
No dramas there Mac.
These machines can be improved upon, but they still work well as is (our work one is an Australian built bottom of the range - fence is a bit of 2x4 when we need it, blade guides are a bit of brass strip approx 3mm thick). This thing still cuts pretty straight.
I think that carbatec Auckland carry some of the aftermarket stuff for bandsaws.
Hope that the floods have missed you - send some of the rain our way if you don't mind.
Cheers,
eddie
Edited 2/23/2004 2:28:50 AM ET by eddie (aust)
Thanks FG, and thanks eddie.
The floods are up the other end of the country eddie - hasn't even rained here! Where I live, 12" is a good amount of rain - for a year! Last year it was about 10". Dry as.
Any other suggestions (and suppliers) gratefully accepted.
I am in New Zealand tho, so calling the US is a bit of a luxury (except when it's to the boy, who is doing a PhD at Ohio State ... in philosophy).
Edited 2/23/2004 4:39:45 AM ET by kiwimac
Mac,
You do know that Telecom does a deal to the US and England right?
Nights and weekends..............2 hours talking for $8. I do it on a pretty regular basis to friends in the US.
Everything, 100% of it, depends on how you look at it.
DW
Mac
I bought David Charlesworth's first book a couple of weeks ago and lent it to my dad at the weekend so I can't check the details. In the book David covers the restoration of a Robinson Cadet bandsaw. His machine was also missing a fence and blade guides. For blade guides, David uses lignum vitae and reports they work fine and can be tuned flat using a disk sander. I don't precisely remember what he did for a fence, but think it was shop made from timber, 3/4 ply or MDF
enjoy the saw
Ian
Lignum Vitae guide blocks!! Big result without the big$$$! If we can get a few others to mention it, maybe it will catch on. Enjoy!!
Mack
I've used maple or bubinga for guide blocks. Any hardwood will work, just have to adjust them in more often.
mike
Mike,
The old guy that recommended Lignum Vitae to me said that it had natural oil that actually made it superior to other species for this purpose. He told me that they made stern bearing for ships/boats out of the stuff and that a properly fitted set of LV stern bearings would outlast a diesel engine!! I thought that was pretty impressive!
I just do hobby wood work but I've had that set of LV blocks on my BS since the mid 80's with no sign of wear of deterioration.
Enjoy!
Mack
"I've had that set of LV blocks on my BS since the mid 80's with no sign of wear "
No wonder you don't see much about them - no profit in that!!
U boats in WWII had lignum vitae bearings on the propellor shafts because LV was self-oiled and absorbed vibration and was thus quieter than any metal bearings on the market.
Fortunately, adolph still lost the war and we were able to muddle on.
That's an interesting bit for the Lignum Vitae data bank! I was not aware of the vibration dampening effect but it makes sense that it would be more quiet than metal bearings. Thanks for sharing!
Mack"WISH IN ONE HAND, S--T IN THE OTHER AND SEE WHICH FILLS UP FIRST"
In the gallery or tools list, about 4 months ago, there's a picture of a small block plane that I made from lignum vitae
I inhereted a good sized lump from an ailing woodworker in Wales about 20 years ago, and finally decided I was getting sick of the sight of it.
Nice to work - almost like soapstone - if you stay away from the faces with reversed grain. Great for a plane.
This may be a dumb question...I don't know any ailing or aging Welsh woodwookers who could provide some LV. What are some alternate sources? I had another thread going regarding BS blades for resawing and Forestgirl asked whether I was lubricating the blade, which I am not. Would LV blocks help by automatically oiling the blade for me?
LV grows in Florida.
A lot of it is for sale on teh internet
Thank you, George.
Just so you know, I did some research and learned that there are a couple of other uses for lignum vitae other than as bandsaw blocks...check it out.
http://www.st-barths.com/flowers/treegaiac.html
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