Modifications to a Startrite bandsaw

[9fingers]

Bob
Re. the aAxminster fence - I looked recently and they don't seem to stock it now.

Having said that I wrote a letter of complaint to Axminster about this fence (which was never replied to !) as the construction of the clamping roller mechanism is quite unadjustable and its efficacy relies purely on the accuracy of the mechanical build.

I have mine on a TS and I couldn't understand why I was having accuracy problems until one day I noticed the fence sliding sideways. The clamping roller system had drifted such that there was inadequate clamping force - and it wasn't so much a mechanical deterioration but inadequate tolerance allowance in the design. The irony is that a single layer of paper over the roller is all that is now required to generate clamping force.

Rob

Seems to be there now Rob.
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Axmi ... 362802.htm
Maybe I've been lucky with mine, the grip has been fine.

Bob

 

[Benchwayze]

Thanks Bob.
I'll go buy some aluminium angle, and a fe bits of thread, and make my own. I hope the Axminster roller-guides will fit!

The guides on the 351 are adequate, but that's about the best that can be said for them!

Thanks again

John

 

[TheTiddles]

The only thing I hate on old Startrite bandsaws which is the same on yours as it is on our (now quarantined) work machine, with the guide down low there's a huge expanse of exposed blade above it!

Aidan

 

[9fingers]

The only thing I hate on old Startrite bandsaws which is the same on yours as it is on our (now quarantined) work machine, with the guide down low there's a huge expanse of exposed blade above it!

Aidan

The guard was not fitted in my picture. Just prior to taking the pictures, I was adjusting the guides and left the guard off.

I can only assume that your saw at work has lost it guard.

Might be a good plan to scrap the saw, buy it from the company and I'll make you a guard. :wink:

Bob

 

[Simon]

I run my Startrite bandsaw on an inverter too. Do you have to kick start yours or does the inverter manage?
The problem being the the sheer mass of the wheels / rotating mass is too great for the inverter, so I just have to help it away from standstill by rotating the pulley a little at start-up.

Like the fence may well try to upgrade my machine

 

[9fingers]

I run my Startrite bandsaw on an inverter too. Do you have to kick start yours or does the inverter manage?
The problem being the the sheer mass of the wheels / rotating mass is too great for the inverter, so I just have to help it away from standstill by rotating the pulley a little at start-up.

Like the fence may well try to upgrade my machine

Hi Simon,

No I do not have that problem. I run many inverters in my workshops without such difficulty.
I would suggest that you investigate the programming. Maybe the max current is set too low or the motor parameters have not been correctly entered. Many modern inverters can be set to measure the motor on start up.

Just a thought, you do mean inverter not converter??
Converters can suffer from this effect.

What make and model of inverter do you have?

Some inverters can be programmed to give extra boost during starting.
Do you get the problem if you start up set to 50Hz?
Maybe you have set the acceleration time to be too long.
I tend to use between 1 and 3 seconds for both the acceleration and deceleration times.

Happy to help if you want

Bob

 

[OldWood]

Bob
re. the fence; just have a look at the construction of the clamping mechanism and consider how it is assembled and how the clamping force is only dependent on the accuracy of the build. If you get one that is a smidgen out of tolerance, the clamping force will not be adequate and cannot be adjusted - you just have to end up packing with a piece of paper, or equivalent, as I have had to do. Mine is not old - old to be out of warranty unfortunatley- and has only had low level hobbyist use.

It is interesting that Axminster are advertising them again, and particularly irritating now that they did not have the courtesy to reply to my complaint. This will be followed up, including the fact that I have given this fence a bad report on this forum !!

Rob

 

[9fingers]

Hi Rob,

I agree that there is no inbuilt adjustment for the fence grip. However my fence achieves full grip with the locking handle horizontal and there is a full further 30 degrees of movement before the mechanism bottoms out.

I feel the lack of response that you have had from Axminster is exceptionally unusual as not many weeks go by on this forum without someone extolling their customer services. Could it simply be that your letter got lost?

I'd suggest a second approach to Axi.

In the event that you don't get it sorted then you maybe able to drill and tap a new position on the cam for the operating lever. There is a total travel of around 60 degrees for the lever which should give you adequate room to do this.

Bob

 

[9fingers]

The only thing I hate on old Startrite bandsaws which is the same on yours as it is on our (now quarantined) work machine, with the guide down low there's a huge expanse of exposed blade above it!

Aidan

Aidan, There really is a guard on my Startrite

Bob

 

[Mike Wingate]

Same guard as mine om the 352. I am tempted to cut away the bottom of my Axminster guard, as it obscures the cutting line, and I am not a tall person. It would probably breach H&S.

 

[9fingers]

Looks like you've put a lot of good work in to this, Bob. I'm sure it will prove to be useful for many, as the years go by. :wink: I like the way you've set the brush so that the whole width is used - on my SIP machine, the tyres have worn away a 'channel' in the bristles where it's been fitted at 90° to the wheel. :x

What is the dust extraction like below the table?

Olly,
Spurred on by your question, I fitted a new seal around the door opening and checked the dust extraction.
With the cyclone switched on, I converted an MDF offcut to as much dust as I could by cutting 'veneers' from it.
There was no visible dust left inside the machine.
Later on I cut a whole load of tenons without the cyclone on. As expected there was dust inside. However switching on the cyclone would not then clear the dust. The problem is that the opening below the table is so large that it spoils the suction and won't pick up dust once settled although it is adequate for airbourne dust during cutting.

Hope this answers your question ok

Bob

 

[OPJ]

Thanks, Bob.

I never would've considered 'draught-proofing' the doors before!

If you have the space below your table, could you consider 'enclosing' the blade for better extraction, as I did recently, here? (It's a variation on something David Charlesworth and others have done and, yes, also, a shameful plug to my own blog... :roll: :wink. It really has made a heck of a difference for me. It doesn't get all the dust from deep-ripping (as some will always end up on the table). You may have a problem using it with your cyclone, depending on the small bore/hose diameter you can get away with?

 

[9fingers]

Cheers Olly,

The door seals are standard on my saw but they had gone hard with age and were missing in places.

Nice idea for the below table collection. On my saw there is a great big hole that the debris just falls through and intot he dust chute.
So far it seem that my dust is under control. The brass brush is doing a good job keeping all the wheels cleaner even though it is only fitted on one of the three.

Bob