Emerson Horizontal bandsaw?

[Gunner]

One of my scores this week is a 7" Emerson horizontal bandsaw. Anyone
heard of them?

Its big, fairly beefy, and appears one step up from the usual
Taiwanese import. Ive not cleaned all the spooge off it so havent
found out where it was made. I do see a lable on the leg that says
Reliance Electric under the spooge. Which is a bit odd......and it has
a GE motor on it.

The aluminum step pully on the gear box was flopping loose and
battered out of size, so I chucked it in a 4 jaw, indicated it in,
then bored it out to .750.

Removing the entire chuck and setting it aside, I then put in a 5C
collet and a piece of 1" aluminum stock and turned it to .752 and
over length by several inches.

I then stuck it in the freezer for an hour.
When it was cold, I placed the 4 jaw chuck in my hydraulic press, and
heated the bored pulley with a heat gun, then pressed in the 1"
aluminum stub. Then I put the chuck back on the lathe, parted off the
over length bit of stub, then drilled and bored it to .626 to fit the
gearbox shaft (which badly needed clean up with a file)

( I was surprised on how close the aluminum stub ran, before parting
it off after I reinstalled the chuck and pulley)

Since I dont have a keyway broach, or a boring bar small enough to
slot it on the shaper (making a note), I took a long setscrew, and
turned the end to fit snugly inside the gearbox shaft keyway.
Drilling the old setscrew hole through the new bushing and threading
it, then rolling it 90 degrees and drilling and tapping another
setscrew hole (which will get a brass tipped setscrew) completed the
repair of the pulley.

When I plugged in the saw yesterday...sparks flew and I found the
power cord had been broken and shorted at the entry to the motor
terminal cover, so after I install the repaired pulley here in a
little bit, Ill replace the wiring completely, add a second switch for
the coolant pump and tank <G>, replace all the rotted coolant hose
using hose from my piles of Stuff..and see if this thing will actually
cut, and cut a straight line.

If this thing is good, I may have my
Dayton/Grizzly/Import/Rebadged/Generic 7" horizontal bandsaw
available for someone.

Unless anyone thinks it would be better than the Emerson..in which
case..Ill sell off the Emerson. (but Ill keep the coolant pump and
tank <G>

Though..there is a nice old Kalamazoo horizontal sitting in a corner
of a clients shop thats not been used for many years I might be able
to trade em out of.......

Gunner



"At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child -
miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied,
demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless.
Liberalism is a philosphy of sniveling brats." -- P.J. O'Rourke

[Jerry Martes]

Post by Gunner
One of my scores this week is a 7" Emerson horizontal bandsaw. Anyone
heard of them?
Its big, fairly beefy, and appears one step up from the usual
Taiwanese import. Ive not cleaned all the spooge off it so havent
found out where it was made. I do see a lable on the leg that says
Reliance Electric under the spooge. Which is a bit odd......and it has
a GE motor on it.
The aluminum step pully on the gear box was flopping loose and
battered out of size, so I chucked it in a 4 jaw, indicated it in,
then bored it out to .750.
Removing the entire chuck and setting it aside, I then put in a 5C
collet and a piece of 1" aluminum stock and turned it to .752 and
over length by several inches.
I then stuck it in the freezer for an hour.
When it was cold, I placed the 4 jaw chuck in my hydraulic press, and
heated the bored pulley with a heat gun, then pressed in the 1"
aluminum stub. Then I put the chuck back on the lathe, parted off the
over length bit of stub, then drilled and bored it to .626 to fit the
gearbox shaft (which badly needed clean up with a file)
( I was surprised on how close the aluminum stub ran, before parting
it off after I reinstalled the chuck and pulley)
Since I dont have a keyway broach, or a boring bar small enough to
slot it on the shaper (making a note), I took a long setscrew, and
turned the end to fit snugly inside the gearbox shaft keyway.
Drilling the old setscrew hole through the new bushing and threading
it, then rolling it 90 degrees and drilling and tapping another
setscrew hole (which will get a brass tipped setscrew) completed the
repair of the pulley.
When I plugged in the saw yesterday...sparks flew and I found the
power cord had been broken and shorted at the entry to the motor
terminal cover, so after I install the repaired pulley here in a
little bit, Ill replace the wiring completely, add a second switch for
the coolant pump and tank <G>, replace all the rotted coolant hose
using hose from my piles of Stuff..and see if this thing will actually
cut, and cut a straight line.
If this thing is good, I may have my
Dayton/Grizzly/Import/Rebadged/Generic 7" horizontal bandsaw
available for someone.
Unless anyone thinks it would be better than the Emerson..in which
case..Ill sell off the Emerson. (but Ill keep the coolant pump and
tank <G>
Though..there is a nice old Kalamazoo horizontal sitting in a corner
of a clients shop thats not been used for many years I might be able
to trade em out of.......
Gunner

I asume you already have your keyway problem solved, but, I do have
several keyway broaches. You are welcome to borrow it/them.

Jerry

[Gunner]

On Sun, 24 Apr 2005 18:49:46 GMT, "Jerry Martes"

Post by Jerry Martes

Post by Gunner
One of my scores this week is a 7" Emerson horizontal bandsaw. Anyone
heard of them?
Its big, fairly beefy, and appears one step up from the usual
Taiwanese import. Ive not cleaned all the spooge off it so havent
found out where it was made. I do see a lable on the leg that says
Reliance Electric under the spooge. Which is a bit odd......and it has
a GE motor on it.
The aluminum step pully on the gear box was flopping loose and
battered out of size, so I chucked it in a 4 jaw, indicated it in,
then bored it out to .750.
Removing the entire chuck and setting it aside, I then put in a 5C
collet and a piece of 1" aluminum stock and turned it to .752 and
over length by several inches.
I then stuck it in the freezer for an hour.
When it was cold, I placed the 4 jaw chuck in my hydraulic press, and
heated the bored pulley with a heat gun, then pressed in the 1"
aluminum stub. Then I put the chuck back on the lathe, parted off the
over length bit of stub, then drilled and bored it to .626 to fit the
gearbox shaft (which badly needed clean up with a file)
( I was surprised on how close the aluminum stub ran, before parting
it off after I reinstalled the chuck and pulley)
Since I dont have a keyway broach, or a boring bar small enough to
slot it on the shaper (making a note), I took a long setscrew, and
turned the end to fit snugly inside the gearbox shaft keyway.
Drilling the old setscrew hole through the new bushing and threading
it, then rolling it 90 degrees and drilling and tapping another
setscrew hole (which will get a brass tipped setscrew) completed the
repair of the pulley.
When I plugged in the saw yesterday...sparks flew and I found the
power cord had been broken and shorted at the entry to the motor
terminal cover, so after I install the repaired pulley here in a
little bit, Ill replace the wiring completely, add a second switch for
the coolant pump and tank <G>, replace all the rotted coolant hose
using hose from my piles of Stuff..and see if this thing will actually
cut, and cut a straight line.
If this thing is good, I may have my
Dayton/Grizzly/Import/Rebadged/Generic 7" horizontal bandsaw
available for someone.
Unless anyone thinks it would be better than the Emerson..in which
case..Ill sell off the Emerson. (but Ill keep the coolant pump and
tank <G>
Though..there is a nice old Kalamazoo horizontal sitting in a corner
of a clients shop thats not been used for many years I might be able
to trade em out of.......
Gunner

I asume you already have your keyway problem solved, but, I do have
several keyway broaches. You are welcome to borrow it/them.
Jerry

Many thanks Jerry. I simply turned the head of a setscrew down to
keyway diameter and snugged it in. Shrug..its not a particuarly highly
loaded interface.

Btw..the saw runs nice, though it cuts at a serious angle. I pissed
around with the roller adjustments and got it cutting in the other
direction...sigh. The blade is quite dull, and is something like 18T
per inch..so it needs to be replaced before I can do anything much. I
ran out of 3/4" blade stock (someone borrowed the roll and never
brought it back and now I cant find em).

Anyone need a full box of 1" 10T raker set Nicholson bandsaw blade
(shop worn box)? Ill trade it straight across for a box of 3/4"
6T-14T. Im not proud, though would prefer 10T

Oh..and the saw is marked Made in USA. Pretty well made once I got
the spooge off of it, all sorts of nifty engineering that ya dont see
in the import saws.

Gunner

"At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child -
miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied,
demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless.
Liberalism is a philosphy of sniveling brats." -- P.J. O'Rourke

[Jon Petrzelka]

Post by Gunner
One of my scores this week is a 7" Emerson horizontal bandsaw. Anyone
heard of them?
Its big, fairly beefy, and appears one step up from the usual
Taiwanese import. Ive not cleaned all the spooge off it so havent
found out where it was made. I do see a lable on the leg that says
Reliance Electric under the spooge. Which is a bit odd......and it has
a GE motor on it.
The aluminum step pully on the gear box was flopping loose and
battered out of size, so I chucked it in a 4 jaw, indicated it in,
then bored it out to .750.
Removing the entire chuck and setting it aside, I then put in a 5C
collet and a piece of 1" aluminum stock and turned it to .752 and
over length by several inches.
I then stuck it in the freezer for an hour.
When it was cold, I placed the 4 jaw chuck in my hydraulic press, and
heated the bored pulley with a heat gun, then pressed in the 1"
aluminum stub. Then I put the chuck back on the lathe, parted off the
over length bit of stub, then drilled and bored it to .626 to fit the
gearbox shaft (which badly needed clean up with a file)
( I was surprised on how close the aluminum stub ran, before parting
it off after I reinstalled the chuck and pulley)
Since I dont have a keyway broach, or a boring bar small enough to
slot it on the shaper (making a note), I took a long setscrew, and
turned the end to fit snugly inside the gearbox shaft keyway.
Drilling the old setscrew hole through the new bushing and threading
it, then rolling it 90 degrees and drilling and tapping another
setscrew hole (which will get a brass tipped setscrew) completed the
repair of the pulley.
When I plugged in the saw yesterday...sparks flew and I found the
power cord had been broken and shorted at the entry to the motor
terminal cover, so after I install the repaired pulley here in a
little bit, Ill replace the wiring completely, add a second switch for
the coolant pump and tank <G>, replace all the rotted coolant hose
using hose from my piles of Stuff..and see if this thing will actually
cut, and cut a straight line.
If this thing is good, I may have my
Dayton/Grizzly/Import/Rebadged/Generic 7" horizontal bandsaw
available for someone.
Unless anyone thinks it would be better than the Emerson..in which
case..Ill sell off the Emerson. (but Ill keep the coolant pump and
tank <G>
Though..there is a nice old Kalamazoo horizontal sitting in a corner
of a clients shop thats not been used for many years I might be able
to trade em out of.......
Gunner
"At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child -
miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied,
demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless.
Liberalism is a philosphy of sniveling brats." -- P.J. O'Rourke

We bought one new over 25 years ago, its still a nice little saw, the
old ones, like ours were formed from 1/4 steel plate and had a gear-box
with parallel in and out shafts, the newer ones have a frame from 3/16
plate and a 90 degree gear box, i think they are also good saws but I
can't say from experience. About the only thing we have done is replace
all the bearings a few times, and we added a air vice when it was new,
oh yea we have had a issue with the drive wheel coming loose on the
shaft, but other than that it's held up in an industrial environment
with a lot of use very well.

[Gunner]

On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 04:24:18 GMT, Jon Petrzelka

Post by Jon Petrzelka

Post by Gunner
One of my scores this week is a 7" Emerson horizontal bandsaw. Anyone
heard of them?
Its big, fairly beefy, and appears one step up from the usual
Taiwanese import. Ive not cleaned all the spooge off it so havent
found out where it was made. I do see a lable on the leg that says
Reliance Electric under the spooge. Which is a bit odd......and it has
a GE motor on it.
The aluminum step pully on the gear box was flopping loose and
battered out of size, so I chucked it in a 4 jaw, indicated it in,
then bored it out to .750.
Removing the entire chuck and setting it aside, I then put in a 5C
collet and a piece of 1" aluminum stock and turned it to .752 and
over length by several inches.
I then stuck it in the freezer for an hour.
When it was cold, I placed the 4 jaw chuck in my hydraulic press, and
heated the bored pulley with a heat gun, then pressed in the 1"
aluminum stub. Then I put the chuck back on the lathe, parted off the
over length bit of stub, then drilled and bored it to .626 to fit the
gearbox shaft (which badly needed clean up with a file)
( I was surprised on how close the aluminum stub ran, before parting
it off after I reinstalled the chuck and pulley)
Since I dont have a keyway broach, or a boring bar small enough to
slot it on the shaper (making a note), I took a long setscrew, and
turned the end to fit snugly inside the gearbox shaft keyway.
Drilling the old setscrew hole through the new bushing and threading
it, then rolling it 90 degrees and drilling and tapping another
setscrew hole (which will get a brass tipped setscrew) completed the
repair of the pulley.
When I plugged in the saw yesterday...sparks flew and I found the
power cord had been broken and shorted at the entry to the motor
terminal cover, so after I install the repaired pulley here in a
little bit, Ill replace the wiring completely, add a second switch for
the coolant pump and tank <G>, replace all the rotted coolant hose
using hose from my piles of Stuff..and see if this thing will actually
cut, and cut a straight line.
If this thing is good, I may have my
Dayton/Grizzly/Import/Rebadged/Generic 7" horizontal bandsaw
available for someone.
Unless anyone thinks it would be better than the Emerson..in which
case..Ill sell off the Emerson. (but Ill keep the coolant pump and
tank <G>
Though..there is a nice old Kalamazoo horizontal sitting in a corner
of a clients shop thats not been used for many years I might be able
to trade em out of.......
Gunner

We bought one new over 25 years ago, its still a nice little saw, the
old ones, like ours were formed from 1/4 steel plate and had a gear-box
with parallel in and out shafts, the newer ones have a frame from 3/16
plate and a 90 degree gear box, i think they are also good saws but I
can't say from experience. About the only thing we have done is replace
all the bearings a few times, and we added a air vice when it was new,
oh yea we have had a issue with the drive wheel coming loose on the
shaft, but other than that it's held up in an industrial environment
with a lot of use very well.

This one has at least 1/4" steel plate for body, and bigger for vise
etc, so its probably the same vintage as your first one.

Thanks for the response.

Gunner

"At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child -
miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied,
demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless.
Liberalism is a philosphy of sniveling brats." -- P.J. O'Rourke

[Too_Many_Tools]

Can you post a picture so we can see this saw?

TMT

[unknown]

Post by Too_Many_Tools
Can you post a picture so we can see this saw?
TMT

http://www.buyused.com/q/showdlist/=W,,,,007263,20058924,-1,1,,
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=12586&item=7509414624&rd=1

[Too_Many_Tools]

Thanks for the post.

I suspected that the description of this saw matches one that I have
seen before.

It was sold by Sears years ago and it was also offered under the Skil
brand name.

Good saw.

TMT

[Gunner]

On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 09:35:58 -0700, "Lane" <lane (no spam) at

Post by unknown

Post by Too_Many_Tools
Can you post a picture so we can see this saw?
TMT

http://www.buyused.com/q/showdlist/=W,,,,007263,20058924,-1,1,,
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=12586&item=7509414624&rd=1

Ayup. The ebay one is rigged like mine, with the splash guards and
coolant troughs.

Gunner


"At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child -
miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied,
demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless.
Liberalism is a philosphy of sniveling brats." -- P.J. O'Rourke

[OldManRT]

I bought a 7 x 12 Emerson new in 1982, and still run it. The first 10 years or so, I ran water soluble oil, or water based synthetic. Had to replace all the guide bearing about once a year. Then I cleaned it all up, and switched over to sulfurized cutting oil, and have only replaced bearings one time since. --- Once, had to remove the driver band wheel, and slightly recut it in the lathe, because the band kept popping off. Great machine

[Bob La Londe]

I bought a 7 x 12 Emerson new in 1982, and still run it.  The first 10
years or so, I ran water soluble oil, or water based synthetic.  Had to
replace all the guide bearing about once a year.  Then I cleaned it all
up, and switched over to sulfurized cutting oil, and have only replaced
bearings one time since.  ---  Once, had to remove the driver band
wheel, and slightly recut it in the lathe, because the band kept popping
off.   Great machine.

I honestly don't think you can screw up one of any of these old band
saws unless you are downright abusive. I've had a 7x12 from Harbor
Freight I've been using for years, and before that I had a Harbor
freight 4 x 6 I modified to cut 4 x 8 that I used for years before it
stripped a gear. I fixed the smaller one and I still use both of them
every week. The 7x12 just about every day. Sometimes I find myself
using them both at the same time. I use the little one mostly for
stainless and the bigger one for mild steel and aluminum.

Only problem I have anymore is I don't clean the chips off often enough,
and when the build up to a certain point the saw won't swing down all
the way. LOL.

Nice zombie thread by the way.

[Jim Wilkins]

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message news:vagk30$25f4n$***@dont-email.me...

...I've had a 7x12 from Harbor
Freight I've been using for years, and before that I had a Harbor
freight 4 x 6 I modified to cut 4 x 8 that I used for years before it
stripped a gear. ...
-------------------------------------------
The 4x8 mod I made to my 4x6 is angle iron attached behind the fence, which
was milled parallel on the back edge so that pressing it against the added
angle quickly re-squares it after making angled cuts. Also I drilled extra
holes that let the fence sit closer to the blade when square, to clamp
smaller work, and replaced the small wheels with larger ones on an axle
through the base. Being further apart they somewhat increase its stability
when I roll it outdoors over the door threshold and down the sloping
driveway.

The next pieces I expect to cut on it are 20' long. That job will definitely
happen outdoors , possibly back in the woods where the timbers are stored.

The disadvantage of the 8" mod is loss of clearance for chips to escape the
blade before entering the guide rollers. That doesn't matter as much when
cutting wood. The widest I can clamp on the mill is 6-7/8" in the drill
press vise and a 1" parallel will add chip clearance to cut a steel blank up
to that size on the saw

[Bob La Londe]

Post by Jim Wilkins
...I've had a 7x12 from Harbor
Freight I've been using for years, and before that I had a Harbor
freight 4 x 6 I modified to cut 4 x 8 that I used for years before it
stripped a gear.  ...
-------------------------------------------
The 4x8 mod I made to my 4x6 is angle iron attached behind the fence,
which was milled parallel on the back edge so that pressing it against
the added angle quickly re-squares it after making angled cuts. Also I
drilled extra holes that let the fence sit closer to the blade when
square, to clamp smaller work, and replaced the small wheels with larger
ones on an axle through the base. Being further apart they somewhat
increase its stability when I roll it outdoors over the door threshold
and down the sloping driveway.
The next pieces I expect to cut on it are 20' long. That job will
definitely happen outdoors , possibly back in the woods where the
timbers are stored.
The disadvantage of the 8" mod is loss of clearance for chips to escape
the blade before entering the guide rollers. That doesn't matter as much
when cutting wood. The widest I can clamp on the mill is 6-7/8" in the
drill press vise and a 1" parallel will add chip clearance to cut a
steel blank up to that size on the saw

I moved the original fence to a solid location for 8", and then made a
new fence for the regular position with a tooless screw/handle for angle
cuts. Most of the time I do not use the original fence in its new
locations. Maybe never since I got the 7x12 bandsaw for larger stock.

[Jim Wilkins]

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message news:val753$33ff9$***@dont-email.me...

I moved the original fence to a solid location for 8", and then made a
new fence for the regular position with a tooless screw/handle for angle
cuts. Most of the time I do not use the original fence in its new
locations. Maybe never since I got the 7x12 bandsaw for larger stock.

Bob La Londe

--------------------------------------

That sounds like a better approach. I kept the original fence and changed
only the fasteners, so it's still clumsy to adjust.

I'd buy a 7x12 if I had the space for it. I got the 4x6 for $125 and it's a
Delta with upgraded small parts compared to others I'd tried. With mods and
careful adjustment it has been accurate and large enough for my metal
projects and cuts a 6x6 timber neatly enough to leave the end exposed. My
hoisting gear helps it handle long and heavy stock.

[Bob La Londe]

Post by Bob La Londe
I moved the original fence to a solid location for 8", and then made a
new fence for the regular position with a tooless screw/handle for angle
cuts.  Most of the time I do not use the original fence in its new
locations.  Maybe never since I got the 7x12 bandsaw for larger stock.
Bob La Londe
--------------------------------------
That sounds like a better approach. I kept the original fence and
changed only the fasteners, so it's still clumsy to adjust.
I'd buy a 7x12 if I had the space for it. I got the 4x6 for $125 and
it's a Delta with upgraded small parts compared to others I'd tried.
With mods and careful adjustment it has been accurate and large enough
for my metal projects and cuts a 6x6 timber neatly enough to leave the
end exposed. My hoisting gear helps it handle long and heavy stock.

It occurred to me that I do almost exclusively straight cuts with the
7x12. I may remove the swivel fence and install a fixed fence on it. It
can drift a little from closing forces as I crank a big heavy piece of
metal into alignment with the jaws. No, its not always easy to just lay
it down straight in the first place. The last time I made any
deliberate angled cuts was for brace pieces on a welding table my son
and I built a few years ago. If I do need to make more 45 degree angled
brace pieces (I will I hope) for work benches I can cut those small
pieces on the 4x6-8. It would also be nice to have a small out feed
table with a work stop. Something better than the rod and stop it came
with and I long since misplaced. Maybe a swing a way out feed table so
I don't bark my shins on it when not in use.

Pasks Makes on YouTube did a bunch of "fixes" to his 4x6 in a video with
some great tips a while back. Another useful one for me might be to
make a table that clamps into the vise for using the saw in a vertical
position, and just get rid of my vertical bandsaw that doesn't have
enough torque at steel cutting SFM anyway.

I use the horizontals as verticals regularly, but I only use the
vertical for wood, plastic, and sometimes aluminum. Never for steel.
Well, I have, but its pretty disappointing.

[Jim Wilkins]

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message news:vanrcm$3iv3l$***@dont-email.me...

On 8/27/2024 3:02 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
...
It would also be nice to have a small out feed
table with a work stop. Something better than the rod and stop it came
with and I long since misplaced. Maybe a swing a way out feed table so
I don't bark my shins on it when not in use.
------------------------------

I use my platform stacker as a work support for long stock. Balance the
stock (or a non-sagging proxy) on the saw vise, raise the platform to
contact the end of it, slide the stock out to balance on the platform at saw
vise height.

I'm considering ways to support and cut oak beams up to 20' long and 400+
lbs on the 4x6. I have a hydraulic scissors table and a portable conveyor
track meant to use with a radial arm saw on a construction site.

[James Waldby]

Post by Bob La Londe

Post by Jim Wilkins

Post by Bob La Londe
I moved the original fence to a solid location for 8", and then made a
new fence for the regular position with a tooless screw/handle for angle
cuts.  Most of the time I do not use the original fence in its new
locations.  Maybe never since I got the 7x12 bandsaw for larger stock.

...

Post by Bob La Londe

Post by Jim Wilkins
That sounds like a better approach. I kept the original fence and
changed only the fasteners, so it's still clumsy to adjust.

...

Post by Bob La Londe
It occurred to me that I do almost exclusively straight cuts with the
7x12. I may remove the swivel fence and install a fixed fence on it. It
can drift a little from closing forces [...]

On my 4x6 bandsaw, I replaced both parts of the "vise" (the swivel
fence with one fixed bolt and one bolt in a quarter-circle slot, and
the short screw-driven fence that pivots on one bolt) with taller,
longer pieces of 2x3x1/4" angle, making both pieces the same except
for corner cutouts for clearance for the back blade guide. The extra
inch or so of height helps with tall thin stock, as well as making it
easier to add C-clamps for tighter clamping when needed.

Post by Bob La Londe
Pasks Makes on YouTube did a bunch of "fixes" to his 4x6 in a video with
some great tips a while back. Another useful one for me might be to
make a table that clamps into the vise for using the saw in a vertical
position, and just get rid of my vertical bandsaw that doesn't have
enough torque at steel cutting SFM anyway.

A table that clamps into the vise does sound easy and useful!

When I first got my 4x6 (ca 2001?) I occasionally installed the
"Vertical Cutting Table" but messing around with that changeover soon
got old and I installed a smaller table that stays on all the time,
horizontal or vertical. Important dimensions are table length in
front of the blade, and table extension to the left of the blade. If
either size is too big, the table hits the frame before the saw is all
the way down when horizontal sawing. Anyhow, in 1/8" steel plate* I
drilled and countersunk 3 holes for the mounting screws**, and cut a
slot for blade changing and for blade clearance when sawing.***

*About 84 mm wide, 117 mm long, both of which can be enlarged if
desired. **Two holes each 60 mm from front edge, at 16.3 and 60 from
left edge; one each 103 mm from front edge, 56.5 from left edge. ***
0.7 mm slot parallel to left edge and 36.5 mm from it; running 43 from
front edge, with last 14 mm of slot widened to ~3 mm.

A small table like this also could have one or two holes (threaded or
plain) for supporting an edge of a vise-mounted table as used for
more-accurate work or larger workpieces.

Post by Bob La Londe
I use the horizontals as verticals regularly, but I only use the
vertical for wood, plastic, and sometimes aluminum. Never for steel.
Well, I have, but its pretty disappointing.

[Jim Wilkins]

------------------------

My first attempt at a sawmill was a 10" Sears vertical bandsaw with a coarse
tooth 3/4" wide blade. I removed it from its stand and added wooden feet
that ran on narrow strips of conveyer track mounted on the sides of my
utility trailer. The trailer tongue jack tilted the trailer and track for
gravity feed.

Though it cut a wall's worth of knot-free 5/4" x 9" wide oak boards for
bookshelves the feed rate with the 1/2 HP electric motor was very slow, up
to half an hour per board. The blade cracked in the gullets from bending
around the 10" wheels and cupping up or down became a problem as the blade
dulled.

The idea might be more practical for narrower rip cuts in soft wood, it was
a fairly simple modification without any welding. When a neighbor parted out
a damaged motorcycle I took the wheels to build my current larger bandsaw
mill, which nears its limit with a 20" wide cut in oak. The wheels' only
real disadvantage is that their load rating is well below the recommended
blade tension. I split the difference since they won't hit potholes. The
advantages over trailer wheels are the included drive sprocket and double
ended axles. The simple square tube 'ladder' frame runs straight between the
axles, a sawmill that cuts in from the outside doesn't need the throat depth
of a C frame. The throat depth is still over 12" which allows me to cut two
maximum 12" x 20" beams from one log. I don't think the 6.5HP engine would
allow a longer cut with my 3/4" tooth pitch blades.

I didn't expect the larger trees to ever come down, but a squall blew one
against and dropped another and the neighbor's clearing exposed a third to
the full force of wind so I had it taken down, as it could have fallen on
the house. I slab them narrow enough to fit the saw with the chainsaw
ripping guide that holds the bar at a right angle to a 2x6 plank.

[Jim Wilkins]

Post by James Waldby
I installed a smaller table that stays on all the time,
horizontal or vertical.

Thanks, it's on my to-do list.