Startrite TA 1250 parts

[Jimleach]

Hello everyone. Im in the process of setting up a small furniture workshop. I have just purchased a few machines from an old friend, they used to be his dads but he tragically died a few years ago and now his mum needed them moving. I the lot includes a startrirte band saw, a charnwood extractor and a startrite TA 1250 saw. They wanted very little money for them so it was a no brainer.

I picked it all up a couple of nights ago and it all looks in great condition, however it would apear that some of the saw parts are missing, On the face of it it looks like the riving knife, guard and the cast iron table insert are missing, although until i start building it up i wont know if anything else is missing. Does anyone know where I can buy old machine parts from? and does it sound like its worth the effort of sourcing all this bits and building it back up?

Cheers

Jim

 

[tommy]

Hi Jim,

I have the same saw, if you need pics of anything then just PM me.

For spares you can try Startrite direct or http://www.altsawsandspares.co.uk/

I ordered a riving knife from Alt Saw and Spares but it doesn't fit. I'd be interested to see how you get on finding one.

Tommy.

 

[Jimleach]

Cheers Tommy, interesting to know about www.altsawsandspares.co.uk I stumbled across them yesterday. Bad news that it doesnt fit. Did they give you a reason why?
I have just been reading about making a table insert so i might give that a go 1st.

How do you find the saw in general? how hard is it to set it up and get it cutting square?

I think im going to order a manual from either www.altsawsandspares.co.uk/ or scott and seargant before I do anything.

 

[OPJ]

...does it sound like its worth the effort of sourcing all this bits and building it back up?

It's a no-brainer, if you ask me! Especially if you haven't paid a lot of money for them. It's debatable whether even the modern Startrite machines are built to quite the same standard as the old, fully-cast iron stuff. :wink:

Making your own zero-clearance insert is the way to go; no need to try and source a cast iron one. You'll get a cleaner cut underneath and it'll stop little bits of crap from falling or jamming between the blade. :wink: When you do get around to this, make several of them. The only downside is that you'd have to replace them when you want to tilt or change the blade to one with a different kerf (hence the need for spares).

Oh, and before you buy or make a riving knife, check the thickness of the blade(s) you intend to use - the knife should be no thicker than the overall kerf (thickness of a saw cut) of the blade, but slightly more so than the the 'plate' thickness (minus the teeth).

 

[Jimleach]

Thanks for the info Olly

Yes I thought it was a no brainer myself, its why I snapped it all up without really looking at it properly. There is still a slim chance that a box of bits might turn up from when it was originally taken apart and stored, but wont know for a week or 2.

If I do go ahead and make an insert am I best using alluminium or polycarbonate?

Jim

 

[DaveL]

If I do go ahead and make an insert am I best using alluminium or polycarbonate?

I have made inserts out of ply, mdf and the hard slippy plastic that Axminster sell, all of them work OK, in fact I have kept the ply one for use with the dado head on my Wadkin.

 

[9fingers]

TS1250 manual can be downloaded free here

http://www.daltonsmachines.com/uploads/ ... s_List.pdf

Bob

 

[Jimleach]

What a find!!! cheers bob, the manual for the band saw is in there too. Winner

 

[9fingers]

Glad to help Jim.

Which bandsaw do you have? Mine is the 18-s-1 which I have modified and written about here.
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/modi ... 38613.html

Bob

 

[Jimleach]

Well I have finally found some time to build up the TA 1250, and everything seems to be working well, just a couple of questions for you all.
firstly I have decided to make a aluminium table insert, what thickness ali should I use?
Secondly as the saw was in an un assembled state when i collected it I decided to service the sliding mechanism. the brass scrapers for the bearings had got mangled into the bearings and caused scoring on the beam, I have smoothed off the scoring and taken what was left of the scrapers off the bearings. Do these need replacing? i presume they are intended to clean debris away from the bearings? the table seems to slide really well without them.

Cheers

Jim

 

[9fingers]

Not sure of the detail of the manufacturers insert but if you follow that thickness then it should fit.

On my saw (Xcaliber) the depth of the lugs below the table surface define the thickness.
I don't like aluminium for inserts and make mine from plywood. I keep a stock of them so I can cut a slot to suit whatever dado thickness or blade I'm running with.

Scrapers are possibly a bit of nicety for hobby use but the principle of keeping dust out of bearing surfaces is a sound one.

hth

Bob

 

[Jimleach]

I think the pegs on the table are adjustable so it would take a range of thickness's hadnt thought of using ply but i guess its a cheaper alernative, what thickness ply do you use? and how do you cut the slot?

The scrapers are going to cost £14 x 6 to replace was wondering about trying to rig up brushes to do a similar job

Cheers

Jim

 

[9fingers]

Hi Jim,

I use 12mm birch ply with a nice slippy phenolic resin coating - just because I have lots of it in 150mm ish wide strips.
I can send you some if you like?
Four csk woodscrews in the corners give me a height adjustment against fixed lugs.
The way to cut the slot is to remove the riving knife and drop the blade down, fit the insert and slide the fence over the top of the insert just to the side of where the slot will be. Then run the saw and lift the blade to form the slot. Then use a jigsaw or similar to cut for the knife.

I don't use a knife (my personal choice - not advice to anyone else!) and so can simply use the blade to cut a slot.

Brushes or something fashioned out of draught excluder might well serve to reduce the dust problem and cheaper than the spare parts.

cheers

Bob