Axminster 21" Plus Bandsaw

[ivan]

Arrived on Thursday, great help from Axminster's driver to get it in the workshop under rather low door. Thanks!

I'ts quite a beast, taller than I, and blows 13A fuses. Decided to be patient and replaced the supplied mains lead with one long enough to reach a 16A socket on the wall. At last, lift off; seems exceptionally quiet and smooooth to me, (traces of residual vibration only sensed through fingertips)

Made in Taiwan, all the important bits can be properly adjusted spot on, so wheels, guides, table, etc all in proper alignment (by no means easily possible on modestly priced machines) Seems very good value, especially with 10% off in the recent sale. However, the saw is not quite, as our American cousins say, useable straight out of the box.

A pity
* Disconcertingly, the manufacturer's manual gives a different blade spec (1/8" to 1"x165") from Axminster's catalogue (1/4" to 11/4"x152")

* The supplied 3/4" 6tpi blade is not very straight with uneven set so you can't really judge the cut quality.

* The table extension (unajustable) cocks up above the surface of the main table, had to take it off to make saw useable.

* The heavily anodised, otherwise well made ali fence has a twist along it's length ~ 1mm probably within limits for an extrusion, but needs a facing with shimming for any precise cuts

* The dust extraction port doesn't look well designed. Two 4" hoses are virtually sucking on a closed box (containing lower bandwheel). Air gets into the box only via small blade entry/exit slots.

Emailed Axminster about the manual/blade size and table extension, no reply as yet so phoned 'Technical' this evenong, who said "I'll get someone to call you back". Will post more when I've heard back from them and have tried with better blades.

 

[davy_owen_88]

I have the smaller 4300 model and can guarantee you won't be disappointed with it when you get it all set up properly.

I too thought the dust extraction looked very poor but when you connect them both up I find the only dust it doesn't get is the larger stuff left of the table (its better to use 2x 4" hoses to a larger extractor inlet (6") than it is to connect both up to a y-splitter as you get much better airflow)

In regard to the blade sizes the reason axminster don't suggest using a 1/8" blade is because the bearings on the bandsaw are wider than the blade meaning any set in the blade will mangle the bearings. If a 1 1/4" blade will fit then ignore the manual. I would assume it would since its a larger model and the 4300 will accept a 1" blade and the 6300 accepts 1 1/2".

 

[ivan]

I saw that model at Philly's and asked him about it, Like you he's pretty chuffed with his.
The urethane tyre is just about 1 1/4" wide, so it's probably possible if the frame will tension it. Am a bit wary about cranking up the tension contrary to manual without Axminster's say so. I wondered if the mfr. might have changed the spec. or something.
The one I got has what the Americans call european guides - pairs of rotating disks that sit flat on to the blade. Can't see why a small blade won't work. I think yours and the 25" biggy have ball bearings with the outer race rolling against the blade.
Thanks for the hint re extraction, I can manage 4+4 into 6"

 

[ivan]

Axminster just got back to me this morning with a returns number for the table extension.

They seem less than sure about the saw's spec. "If the wheel is wide enough to take a 1 1/4" blade then that must be OK"

 

[Alf]

They seem less than sure about the saw's spec. "If the wheel is wide enough to take a 1 1/4" blade then that must be OK"

:-s Gosh, what about the guides, the frame, the spring...? :shock: Hope that wasn't the tech boys saying that, and if it was the sales folks they should know better than giving advice if they're not sure. Tsk.

Cheers, Alf

 

[davy_owen_88]

Well if the tech guys said it'll take a 1 1/4" blade and the saw breaks - then you have a perfectly valid warranty claim. I know this isn't really that comforting since it will be a massive pita having it replaced but Axminster are the only people who'll know the answer.

Maybe you could try emailing them or phoning at a different time to see if you speak to a different person or you could specifically ask that they find out for definite from the manufacturer.

Hope you get it sorted soon,
Davy

 

[ivan]

Over the course of the last week I've emailed Technical, Customer Service, and Orders, to chivvy things along. I thought it'd be easier for them to get the bloke who knows about their bandsaws to email me back. Apparently not...

I must try again, a bit harder.

 

[Jake]

Well if the tech guys said it'll take a 1 1/4" blade and the saw breaks - then you have a perfectly valid warranty claim. I know this isn't really that comforting since it will be a massive pita having it replaced but Axminster are the only people who'll know the answer.

It is much more likely that any failure would take the form of a slow distortion of the frame over some time than a dramatic snap, so I'm not sure it is as simple as that.

 

[davy_owen_88]

It is much more likely that any failure would take the form of a slow distortion of the frame over some time than a dramatic snap, so I'm not sure it is as simple as that.

True, but one way or the other, if the tech guys give you wrong info which ultimately leads to the saw becoming damaged in some way - wether thats from immediate damage or gradual deformation then he's got a right to a replacement because they told him it would work and it didn't - misleading advertising and so on...

I still think the best thing to do is be quite blunt and tell them to find out for definite and also make it clear (in writing if need be) that if their information is incorrect then the blame will be on them.

 

[ivan]

Nothing like asking the man at the top, so I emailed Ian Styles who sent me a long reply. Here's some interesting quotes:

I am sorry that I was away from the office for the past few days otherwise we could have given you a definitive answer much quicker regarding the blades.

regarding the use of wide blades:

The machine enjoys strong cast iron wheels that are crowned and are supported on a rigid and well fabricated frame that will allow the blades to be tensioned to a suitable level such that 30-32mm blade could be used on the machine.....
With regard to the wider blades 32mm blades are actually quite difficult to fit they have a very set mind of their own and if honest whilst the machine has plenty of capacity to accept them the 25mm blades I think will suffice for most jobs but as I do not know what you have intended for the machine then it's a difficult call. Perhaps if you are going to leave the machine set up for re-saw then leave a 32mm blade on it but don't expect to change it every five minutes to put a smaller one on it will just take up a lot of time but the saw is capable of being used in this manner if needed.

and the manual:

The blade length of the machine is as detailed in our catalogue and I must apologise for the manual (which is in the process of being re-written and trust me these take ages to do)

Some new blades arrived today from Hamiltons. A 1 1/4" hook tooth 3/4" pitch tensioned to the maximum mark is loaded to 8,000-10,000 psi. Despite a careless weld making the blade pulsate back and forward it chewed through some 6" stock as fast as I could feed it, easily managing slices of less than 1mm which varied in thickness by less than 0.1mm. The wide blade showed no sign of lead. A distinct improvement on my old saw.

It seems the saw does accept 1 1/4" blades, but at less than the usually reccomended 15,000psi, but will tension a 1" blade to about this level. Further experience will hopefully show which is best for very deep cuts.

In fairness to Axminster, the saw looks well made, the best constructed Taiwanese machine I've used. It is also a very low price for a 21" saw. It could do with a bit of tweaking to the fence, and the table is not absolutely rigid (probably enough to resist cutting forces) this might affect critical accuracy if joint cutting.

I wrote back to Mr Styles to thank him for his reply and said "I don't want to crank up the tension past the maximum mark to fully tension 1 1/4" blades withoiut your say so". I'll add his reply later if I get one.

 

[Anonymous]

I can't see a 21" plus bandsaw from Axminster on their site. They have a 3-phase 20" and a 3-phase 24". Which model number is it?

 

[ivan]

SBW5300. It has 21" wheels (53cm) the throat is ~20".

The smaller saw is 17" (43cm) and the biggie 6300SBW has 25" wheels. The middle 21" size is available in both 1 & 3 phase, the biggie 3 phase only.

 

[ProShop]

Some new blades arrived today from Hamiltons. Despite a careless weld making the blade pulsate back and forward

Hmmmm, I'm not alone then on the Hamilton blades , had the same problem with the weld on the blades I ordered 3 weeks ago, had to send them back for replacement. A bit miffed as I had to cough up for the return postage :x

 

[Anonymous]

I bought soem Dragon blades after DW promoted them on here.

No complaints at all - easily as good as dure edge, no weld issues and about 1/2 dure-edge prices.

Interestingly, their businsee philospohy is to be commended too. I phoned up and asked for 4 blades (3 wood, 1 metal) and they simply said that they would post them out the same day and I should send a cheque in once I had them.
Blades fantastic - checque in post the day they arrived.

This trust is refreshing and reminds me of the way it was a few years back - an element of trust that was not broken.

 

[Lord Nibbo]

I bought soem Dragon blades after DW promoted them on here.

No complaints at all - easily as good as dure edge, no weld issues and about 1/2 dure-edge prices.

Interestingly, their businsee philospohy is to be commended too. I phoned up and asked for 4 blades (3 wood, 1 metal) and they simply said that they would post them out the same day and I should send a cheque in once I had them.
Blades fantastic - checque in post the day they arrived.

This trust is refreshing and reminds me of the way it was a few years back - an element of trust that was not broken.

You should have bought five Tony, they knock off 10% if five or more are bought. 8) Yes a great company to deal with I'm well pleased.

 

[ivan]

Like many machines from Taiwan, this one is fitted with a very badly made V belt. The belt width varies along the length. This means the belt tension varies as it runs round the pulleys, causing the motor to vibrate, easily visible.

Residual vibration cured by fitting a precision ground / cogged Vbelt.