Record Power Sabre 350 bandsaw

[NickN]

A very large and VERY HEAVY (150kg) box arrived today - luckily the pallet delivery driver was a helpful chap and we carried the box, just, into my shed, where it now sits awaiting unwrapping.

I think I'll video it in case anyone is interested? Charging camera batteries up now.

Once I get it unpacked I'll measure the base unit and make a castor trolley before getting it properly set up.

 

[MikeJhn]

I think we are all interested in this new departure for Record Power, they sound as though these should be the new standard for current Bandsaw's.

Keep us informed.

Mike

 

[Roland]

So what do we think about the Sabre 450?

The spec looks good. Yandles Web site says “Available”, although this might mean “to order” rather than “in stock”. I’m tempted to drop in when I drive past Yeovil on Monday.

 

[Peter Sefton]

I took a good look at a Sabre 450 before Christmas and for the price it looks very impressive. I have not used one and the showroom one was not powered up but it has some good features.

I thought the guide bearings looked easy to set up and well thought out both above and below the table. The upper blade guard trunnion was well engineered moving smoothly. The top wheel looked solid with good adjustments for both tension and tracking.
I think my biggest concern was the new fashion of blade guarding and long slots for blade changing, getting a blade on and off the machine may need three hands. The fence easy adjustment for drift would cause problems in a teaching workshop, I just know it would be accidentally be adjusted all the time.

It will be interesting to see how this new bit of kit stands the test of time but things are looking very promising for RP. I feel they have gone through a cheap period of manufacturing but are heading in the right direction. If they can keep upping their game when so many are heading the other way they should do well.

Cheers Peter

 

[siggy_7]

Roland - I was at Yandles last weekend, they had a Sabre 450 on display to have a good look over so would be worth you dropping in I suggest.

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

 

[NickN]

I hadn't planned on posting this until I got the thing up and running, but as getting the castors and wood for my castor platform has taken longer than expected, I may as well put the link here so anyone interested can at least see the build of the Sabre 350 close-up, even if not actually fully assembled or running yet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcTURPMzbnU

So far, impressions very favourable, and that includes the excellent instruction manual which, after years of having got used to badly photographed badly printed manuals with instructions to "Thank you for buy our easy to installation product, we invite you cherish to care it, and to prevent injured, only battery assigns care on the charge", is a breath of fresh air.

 

[Neil S]

Duplicate post

 

[Neil S]

When I bought my 300E the guy in the shop advised that I cut it out of the box as you have done then chock up the bottom of the bandsaw off the floor on blocks. You can then attach the legs/base easily without fully tightening any screws. Once its all assembled you can finish tighten all the base nuts and bolts. It's then a simple matter to just tip the bandsaw up onto its base. This saves assembling the base separately and trying to lift the heavy bandsaw onto the base only to find holes don't line up correctly.
This method worked well for me.

Enjoy your new bandsaw!

HTH

-Neil

 

[johnt64]

Great video on youtube. I am currently looking to upgrade my current bandsaw, so I am following your posts regarding the sabre bandsaw with interest.

 

[NickN]

Well, after a busy few days, Part 2 of my Sabre 350 unboxing and assembly is ready for viewing. The video starts with building of the base cabinet, followed by the custom castor trolley (similar to a New Brit Workshop design) and then assembly of the saw including table fitting, rip fence rail, handles, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjSaueEN3vQ

 

[Peter Sefton]

Good video Nick, the bandsaw looks very promising.

Cheers for posting Peter

 

[NickN]

Well, typical, late on a Friday afternoon...

Been going great with the new bandsaw, cutting perfectly straight, nice thin pieces tried, very happy. Made a third video which I'm busy editing to upload.

Then a loud squealing noise started. Took the blade off and still there (so lower wheel area). Took the drive belt off and no noise from the motor running alone - so at this stage a pure guess is that it might be one of the lower main wheel bearings, or possibly one of the two belt pulleys. And being the weekend now I'll have to wait until Monday to get a reply from Record Power.

At least I'm working two ten hour shifts this weekend so it's not like I'd have much time to do anything in the workshop anyway!

 

[Peter Sefton]

Hopefully just teething problems

 

[MikeJhn]

Try giving each one of the bearings in turn a squirt with WD40 and run the motor after each application to hear which bearing has the problem, WD40 has no lubricating qualities in itself, but it will let you know in the short term which bearing has a problem.

Mike

 

[lurker]

Nick

You are south Yorks
Record are in Chesterfield apparently.

Are they difficult about visiting and looking?

 

[NickN]

I'm in Worcestershire, but I seem to recall being given the option to view the Sabre 350 at Chesterfield if I couldn't have got to Yandles in Somerset which was my only other 'nearest' dealer with one in stock at the time, so if correct there wouldn't seem to be any problem with going there, obviously with prior arrangement I imagine.

 

[lurker]

Sorry!
Got confused with this thread and the similar one by fezman

 

[NickN]

Well, good news:

What I thought was a bearing squealing turned out to be, on much closer and thorough investigation, the front edge of the drive belt rubbing along the back of the larger (lower speed) band wheel shaft - caused by the motor pulley being a little too far forward. A couple of grub screws undone, an adjustment, and screws tightened was all it took to sort the problem in the end! It's odd that it didn't occur immediately, perhaps the belt had some sort of coating initially.

I also posted my third part of the video series for anyone interested, it shows the setting up, adjustments (using the gullet on crown of wheel method) and then finally the first switch on and cut.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4Z3TaBvZhw

My next one will show changing a blade and probably removing the band wheel, drive belt, etc.

 

[fezman]

Hi Nick,
Thanks for these videos - they were a factor in helping me decide to buy one.
Ian

 

[AndrewL]

My Sabre 350 arrived yesterday. Today I screwed it together and made the first cuts. So far very impressed.

The Record Power Sabre 350 seems to be the sister model of Rikon 10-326 Deluxe Bandsaw
In the pictures almost everything seems the same, however resaw height is specified 13" (=330,2mm) for the Rikon. That is 45,2mm more than is in the Sabre 350 specifications. Blade length is the same 111". Did Record Power choose to limit resaw height because 330,2mm would be too much for the motor?