RPBS12 - decent or not?

[Stug]

Hi all
Want a bandsaw!
Want something not too complicated!
Be nice to have something I won't grow out of.
There is a Rob's 12 for sale and seems like a nice machine?
Be great to be able to cut some curves!
Be nice to be able to cut up seasoned branches etc. and see if I can get some nice grains to glue up. Would this do the job?
I think it's a 6 inch max cut?
Thanks
Steve

 

[Stug]

Anyone know they difference between the RPBS12 and the RSBS 12?
Thanks

 

[MikeK]

All of the Record Power RS versions I have seen are blue and might be the last actually made in the UK. The current RB versions are green and are likely made in China. My green Record Power BS350S was made in China and improved in Germany.

 

[Stug]

Thanks.
This one (see pics) is our but RSBS not RPBS. Can't find of there is a difference.

 

[Ttrees]

Looks more than quite similar to the Elektra Beckum bas 315
Graham got one the same recently I think, (face edge woodworking) seems to work surprisingly well
compared to others of that size, and also the one at me folks, which I've not had chance of
inspecting to check for alignment, or bore wear, or possibly other bore error for the matter
Infact could very well be some of the best results from a wee saw you might find.
https://www.google.com/search?q=fac...#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:f3c2d3b3,vid:WzJytO-9GOE
Not really looked at the newer RP small saws either,
do the small ones have cast iron wheels, or some other sorta alloy like the EB also?

Worst fence design ever, not that matters in the slightest, easy to make something much better than what you can buy, i.e the lift off design is unrivaled IMO.
Worst "gallium like" bits of metal you will ever find for the guides, which you could change or whatever.. I reused the rollers and welded up some rusty iron for it.
Still two self tappers holding it on, bit daft of a design and might take some head scratching to improve.
Bedford tool and co sell upgrades which are bit spendy, and wonder if they mount the same...

Frame, if same as EB would be very hefty, compared to new (I guess, not inspected new small saws though), it's thicker sheet than the 20" machine I had prior.
As said checking wheels for bore wear would be wise, can you get the outer race to move about,
previous owner had welded jacking screws on the one at me folks, so guessing he spent some time
trying to sort before getting rid,

So you could get this for cheap by changing a blade, shows up the terrible design for fence,
or inspecting the guides for hairline cracks, which you should not touch under any circumstance,
Checking for bore wear, will need blade de-tensioned,
so you have another possible issue with stripped threaded rod on tensioner,
(which I believe I've seen upgrades regarding that), but that likely isn't a big deal to buy more threadbar if so.
Checking the jacking screws for hints of multiple setup attempts,

Can you get parts, possibly Metabo BAS 318 for something, not bearings or belts which you can get cheaper elsewhere.

Depends on your opinion if that could be called decent,
which would need to be compared to the same size biscuit tin, but with better parts (bar those wheels if not cast) machine made today.

At the very least, the frame won't bend when tension applied, so a good start if willing to fix anything that breaks.
But if paying over the odds, then worth noting it has the same footprint as a compact 20" machine!

 

[Stug]

Thanks for replies.
For £200 is it worth a punt?

 

[Ttrees]

Not without a demo of the machine working IMO.
Perhaps @GSHaydon or @richnfamous which I see has the EB315, might be able to give you
an opinion.
The seller of me dads one which we didn't test with the fence, if even atall,
(the job we had at hand for the machine, was to cut curves)
had a huge beech table with a seemingly soap finish, I commented it was lovely and bright, anyway, he was buying a pit bike with the mula (250 euros, not into haggling)
a big lot of rusty very blunt blades came along for the ride also,
so a few things which might suggest the machine may have had a hard life
and shoulda brought even a nice thin plank or two from a pallet, with a planed edge.

Could even use a panel gauge to make multiple pencil lines for visual aid,
though perhaps not, if the fence isn't on the machine,
or the person wouldn't be happy for someone else using machinery on their property,
or infact someone who might insist on "taking the reigns" and cutting freehand/point fence jig,
in which those lines would lend themselves very much for cutting freehand.

If you're happy with doing that instead of using the fence,
which I think I've explained above, nothing to do with the absolutely pants design,
but the fact you could be getting drift either side of the line.
So that being the major and minor factor,
and the guides the second, (I've not seen much metal like it in me life,
stuff what that can crack like pottery)

So provided its running well, and if you can fabricate guides and make up a fence,
or buy both, (not properly looked at the tensioner design on this, as it works grand for the blades chosen,
but IIRC from some other threads, it was simple enough to replace a bit of threadbar which costs about a pound.)
The difference for moderate usage relative to the machine, that is...
is something which might get the job done, but likely needing better lighting.
requiring constant attention whilst cutting,
compared to simply feeding the timber without having to do much but concentrate on keeping safe, staying cleaner, less effort all around.

Don't know what that ramblings worth to ya.
Could get something much nicer, larger wheels but with the same footprint, for 450-500 but over twice the price, depends what you want to do with it.
Good luck
Tom

 

[richnfamous]

Thanks for replies.
For £200 is it worth a punt?

definitely. it's a good bit of kit which, set up properly, does a good job

I'm very happy with mine, but one thing to be aware of is that it's got wear blocks instead of roller bearings. you can get a replacement kit with rollers - mine cost about £75 a couple of years ago - which improves the performance

some people suggest replacing the tyres with urethane ones but mine works fine without