I’ve grown tired of the euro guides on my LT16. I like the looks of the Carter guides, don’t like the price. Decided to try making my own. Spent about $70 at McMaster-Carr for 6200 series bearings, shoulder bolts and shims. Used scrap aluminum and spare T-track hardware I had on hand. Here’s my first crack at the upper set.
My question is, what distance do you set your Carter guides from the side of the blade? Dollar bill, just touching, a little friendly or spinning like mad?
-Toby
Replies
http://www.carterproducts.com/support/2000series.pdf
If you are copying them just use their technical set up data. I bet your guides actually cost more than the Carter guides.
>I bet your guides actually cost more than the Carter guides.The Euro 5 kit is $229. I paid $70 to have bearings, bolts & shims delivered to my door. The rest is stuff I already had. On top of that, it's fun to do. I see a win all around.Thanks for the pdf link.-Toby
What do you mean by you have "grown tired" of your Euro Guides?
Doesn't the LT16 come with ceramic guides? I haven't heard of anyone having problems with this technology. I just added these to my bandsaw. They work like a charm.
Congratulations on experimenting on your own. You may not have saved any money, but it will surely be more fun using your bandsaw. Maybe Carter has new competition on the horizon.
This is a great engineering model. Now see how you can improve on the design. I'll bet you can decrease the size of the bar so that it doesn't protrude so far out from the blade.
Greg
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Exo 35:30-35
This is the older model, before they came out with ceramic guides. As for the size, yeah it looks huge but doesn't seem to get in the way. Haven't done any serious test cuts yet. I've an idea to make it shorter and may need only one t-bolt instead of two.The blade now can twist very little if any at all. I could never get that with the old guides no matter how close I adjusted them. DOn't know if that's inherent with euro guides or maybe it was just a manufacturing flaw.Thanks for the kudos. I'm fairly proud on how it's come out so far.-Toby
Too bad your Euro guides gave you trouble. In general, the simplest kind of guides are the best and even simple hardwood blocks or "cool guides" on a properly-adjusted saw will do everything that's needed.I have the roller bearing style guides because that's what came with my machine. They really offer no advantage, but they do the job. Adjust them 0.001". You can use a feeler gauge, or just eye ball it. The tiniest sliver of light you can see between the bearing and the blade is one thou. Adjust with the machine running. (Be careful!) In practical use, that's close enough that the tolerance of the blade itself and minute vibrations will result in one or the other bearings trying to spin just a little with no load on the blade. Go back and forth a few times setting them as close as you can. The tolerance of the bearings' eccentric shafts will be the limiting factor in the fineness of your adjustment.The upper guides account for almost all the control of the blade. You probably will not need to replace the lower set.Rich
Toby.
How many hours do you have invested in your new set up? By the way it does look good, I hope it works as good as it looks,
Good Luck!,
Taigert
Haven't kept track of the time I've put into it. I've worked on it off/on over the span of about a month from initial thought to takings pictures. The majority of the time was spent thinking/measuring/researching/drawing. The actual machining/fitting went fairly quick, 2hrs total maybe.Thanks.-Toby
YOU THA' MAN!
I made my bearings from purpleheart. (AS IN WOOD) No pictures.
However, I put 'oilite bushing' that contacts, the surface of the sholder bolt.. THAT HOLDS my makeshift ball bearings, I had to grind to fit. O,K so I had a PRO grind the sholder bolt...
I have used a chunk of purpleheart as guides. I cut a slit for foe my blade and my 'stick' sits on top of the guide..
McMaster Carr is almost my favorite store in the whole world. Right next to my "crack dealer", sawyer Dean and Digikey!
Man with those three places, I think I could make anything in the world.
Rob Kress
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