Record BS300E Upgrades

[Alexam]

Just seen this Mike. If you need to contact someone, you need to click on the PM button at the bottom and then it's a direct message to the person who is notified on e-mail that a message is waiting. It's quicker that way and I may have missed this.

Back to the stabilizer, as woodpig has made a really good one, then he would know the dimentions of the groove. but the actual groove needs to be the width of the back of the blade and using only a 1/4 or 1/8" blade, you can measure that

However, I doubt if closing up the original guides would work as they are much larger and the blade needs to be put under tension to load correctly. There needs to be some 'forward pressure' to hold the blade in the groove or it could easily jump out.

If you do manage to find another way to do it, then let us all know, but the original Carter Stabilizer works very well provided the bandsaw has been correctly 'tuned' up to keep the blade running vertically.

Malcolm

 

[MikeJhn]

Malcolm

I thought a post would be better so the information would be available to others.

I have just tried closing up the original guides on the BS350 spares that I have and it seems to me it should work, the larger diameter gives support over a greater area, pushing the whole assembly forward supplies the required pressure to prevent the blade from jumping out of the small rounded gap between the rubbing disc's, I must stress that I have only tried this with a large blade in my very small shed, as it has not been possible to get the saw to my workshop yet, maybe in a week or two, will let you know how I get on.

Mike

 

[Alexam]

Do try the small blade if you have one, even a 1/4" would be ok and give you an idea when you try cutting with a sharp turn.

 

[user22161]

Do try the small blade if you have one, even a 1/4" would be ok and give you an idea when you try cutting with a sharp turn.

Tried out a 3/16" blade last week on BS300E, worked OK although a bit fiddly setting up.

 

[woodpig]

In hindsight perhaps I should have got a Warco. It has ordinary bearings and they're all the right way round.

http://www.warco.co.uk/img/pdf/warco-wo ... review.pdf

 

[Neil S]

I am a recent 300e owner and the blade guides are pants in my opinion. They don't run true but wobble from side to side as they rotate. I know the guides are not supposed to contact the blade continuously. But you can't set them accurately if one half of the disc touches the blade but, rotate the discs 180 degrees and there's a great big gap for the blade to flop about in.
I was looking at woodpigs link to the Warco review.
The vertical black square mounting tube that takes the blade guides on the Warco looks the same as the record.
Perhaps we could just buy a set of guide bearings and mounting block from Warco as an upgrade to ball bearing guides.

-Neil

 

[MikeJhn]

These may fit: http://www.axminster.co.uk/bandsaw-blad ... ade-340889 or Yandles make some bearing guides as well.

Mike

 

[woodpig]

The Startrite guides apparently fit the Record Power BS400, maybe they would also fit the 350 and 300 albeit with a little modification?

 

[MikeJhn]

I have those Startrite guides on my RP350, they are OK, but the rear guide is still around the wrong way, they where on the Bandsaw when I bought it second hand from a member on here, good machine though and I love using it.

Mike

 

[omega1]

These look good from Rikon but shipping from the couple of places I've found selling them is costly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG6gdUAY6TA
https://rikontools.com/productpage_10-900.html

 

[woodpig]

Not sure how much these are.

https://youtu.be/seZ2IJfylec

 

[Cret]

Hi all

Sorry for replying to a thread that's been quiet for a while, but I just bought a BS300E the other day while I was in blighty for a couple of days, and while mucking about trying to get the guides set up and the blade position/tension even vaguely where it should be, then I found this topic.

Sadly I can't see any of the pics that you posted Woodpig of your bespoke guide setup for some reason even though I can see all the other pics on here. Is it possible to repost a couple of pics of your setup if it's not too much of a nuisance please? Would be very grateful if it's not too much bother, thanks.
I have a mini-mill and mini-lathe so am happy to have a go trying to make an aftermarket set myself but seeing yours would be a big help of course.

I LOVE the look of the blade tensioner crank! Huge improvement as trying to tension my new saw is not that fun a task and it feels like it will strip the threads. That is an upgrade I would certainly like to do anyway. That said, the tensioner knob feels at least a lot more free to travel than the one on the rear of the machine for the blade tracking! Even with tension reduced, the tracking knob is horrible to turn and I can't see it lasting long at all, so I'm tempted to try and replace that first with a handle before I even mess with the tensioner.

I was under the impression the BS300E had a tension release lever for some reason so was a bit disappointed to find when I unpacked it that it doesn't. Sure I can live without it though, or else fabricate one eventually...

One other question I have if someone could possibly advise is which model of the carter guides fits the BS300E? They seem to be listed only for 14" up saw models but I'm assuming a particular one happens to fit the 12" RP, or maybe needs a fettling before it'll go on.

Many thanks indeed
Jim

 

[user22161]

Sorry I can't help with the guides but, one tip I can give is to nip down to Bearing Man (BML) if you have one near and get a thrust bearing for the tensioner , even without the crank handle it makes a hell of a difference, will then turn easily by hand and well worth the £10 or so it costs.

 

[Cret]

Thanks Graham - I live on a small rock in the middle of the sea so alas there's no bearing man BML nearby!
Nonetheless, just getting a thrust bearing does make sense and I'm sure I can order the ones suitable described in this thread if nothing elise.

Cheers!

 

[user22161]

I know it quite well, used to sail to there regularly. How about target Tools? http://www.isleofman.com/directory/2085 ... -tools-ltd Otherwise, lots on ebay.

 

[MikeJhn]

Have a look at these two threads, they may help: new-bandsaw-guides-from-axminster-t104943-15.html

axminster-hbs350n-bandsaw-advice-t105064-90.html

Mike

 

[Cret]

Thanks Mike - will check them out cheers.

I think I saw a reference on this topic to Axminster ones and had a quick look yesterday but will read through those topics thanks.

Graham - I absolutely love living here to be fair and wouldn't want to be anywhere else but it can be a nuisance at times for certain things!
Yes, target or zenith might have thrust bearings so I can give them a try.
Was nice that I happened to be in the UK this week though in a friend's van with space to visit a tool shop though. I've heard that screwfix are coming to the island, so that'd be useful (albeit not for the local businesses) but would be thrilled to get an axminster and or machine mart!

I assembled the saw properly yesterday and it's an amazing upgrade from the tiny and horrible little B&Q 'performance power' benchtop one that I had before. How great even to have a fence that's solid!