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Machine mods, oddities, and fix-ups

108K views 74 replies 35 participants last post by  Loren 
#1 ·
Old Delta 20" Bandsaw

I've had the saw for a long time. It was an unappealing, original but distressed gray
and when I set out to paint it I found some white metal primer laying around
so I used that. I liked the way the white reflected light so I kept the color.

Maybe someday I'll get around to painting it some fancy color, but for now
I like the white.

Gas Machine Wood Electrical supply Composite material


Originally the old girl was wired for 3 phase. I put 22 amp motor on her. It's
115 volts, which is odd. My electrician put in a 30 amp circuit for the saw. If
I had to do it over again I would just wire her for 230 volt. I guess the electrician
thought adding a 30 amp RV outlet would be a good garage improvement. I
also had some 230 volt outlets put in at the same time for other machines.

The tension knob was a real knuckle-buster, so I made an extension for it that
lets me twist is kind of like a gas-tank lid. I usually tension to 6 or 7 half-turns
and then back down again when I'm done. The saw groans when the tension
comes off.

Wood Shade Hardwood Flooring Wood stain


Recently I added my own self-made mobility kit cobbled from stuff I had on hand.
My system is admittedly not perfect but it doesn't increase the footprint of the
saw much and didn't require much metalwork and no welding. If I had a welder
handy I would have made it differently.

Flooring Countertop Floor Gas Plumbing fixture


The saw would be more stable on the wheels if I had made the board longer
but that would have it sticking out to the front and back of the saw. Still, if
you do this yourself, especially on a smaller saw, I recommend making the board
longer and setting the wheels farther out.

Wood Gas Hardwood Flooring Plywood


The third wheel is nestled compactly in the armpit of the saw frame. While this
gets it out of the way nicely, it's movement is restricted as it can only pivot about
100 degrees. Before I added the wooden steering handle assembly the wheel
was very difficult to control as it would cooperate when pushing the saw but
would turn unpredictably when pulling it. The handle allows me to control the
angle of the wheel, which is a pivot caster with a wheel break and a 3/8" axle
I switched out for a longer bolt to attach the handle.

Wood Floor Bumper Gas Automotive exterior


With a bit of practice I've learned to muscle the saw around. Getting it where
I want it is kind of like those old remote control cars that would only go straight
or turn left, forward or backwards. Steering the saw would be much easier with
180 degrees of turning, but that would put the wheel sticking out where I don't
want it. While my design is awkward, it does meet my needs as I don't need to
move the saw often or far. I used to just push it around a few inches at a time
by putting my shoulder into it like a linebacker.
 

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#2 ·
Old Delta 20" Bandsaw

I've had the saw for a long time. It was an unappealing, original but distressed gray
and when I set out to paint it I found some white metal primer laying around
so I used that. I liked the way the white reflected light so I kept the color.

Maybe someday I'll get around to painting it some fancy color, but for now
I like the white.

Gas Machine Wood Electrical supply Composite material


Originally the old girl was wired for 3 phase. I put 22 amp motor on her. It's
115 volts, which is odd. My electrician put in a 30 amp circuit for the saw. If
I had to do it over again I would just wire her for 230 volt. I guess the electrician
thought adding a 30 amp RV outlet would be a good garage improvement. I
also had some 230 volt outlets put in at the same time for other machines.

The tension knob was a real knuckle-buster, so I made an extension for it that
lets me twist is kind of like a gas-tank lid. I usually tension to 6 or 7 half-turns
and then back down again when I'm done. The saw groans when the tension
comes off.

Wood Shade Hardwood Flooring Wood stain


Recently I added my own self-made mobility kit cobbled from stuff I had on hand.
My system is admittedly not perfect but it doesn't increase the footprint of the
saw much and didn't require much metalwork and no welding. If I had a welder
handy I would have made it differently.

Flooring Countertop Floor Gas Plumbing fixture


The saw would be more stable on the wheels if I had made the board longer
but that would have it sticking out to the front and back of the saw. Still, if
you do this yourself, especially on a smaller saw, I recommend making the board
longer and setting the wheels farther out.

Wood Gas Hardwood Flooring Plywood


The third wheel is nestled compactly in the armpit of the saw frame. While this
gets it out of the way nicely, it's movement is restricted as it can only pivot about
100 degrees. Before I added the wooden steering handle assembly the wheel
was very difficult to control as it would cooperate when pushing the saw but
would turn unpredictably when pulling it. The handle allows me to control the
angle of the wheel, which is a pivot caster with a wheel break and a 3/8" axle
I switched out for a longer bolt to attach the handle.

Wood Floor Bumper Gas Automotive exterior


With a bit of practice I've learned to muscle the saw around. Getting it where
I want it is kind of like those old remote control cars that would only go straight
or turn left, forward or backwards. Steering the saw would be much easier with
180 degrees of turning, but that would put the wheel sticking out where I don't
want it. While my design is awkward, it does meet my needs as I don't need to
move the saw often or far. I used to just push it around a few inches at a time
by putting my shoulder into it like a linebacker.
This is going to be really helpful when my saw arrives. I anticipate having to do something with the tensioner. I'm wondering if an aftermarket detensioner will fit this old girl.
 

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#3 ·
Old Delta 20" Bandsaw

I've had the saw for a long time. It was an unappealing, original but distressed gray
and when I set out to paint it I found some white metal primer laying around
so I used that. I liked the way the white reflected light so I kept the color.

Maybe someday I'll get around to painting it some fancy color, but for now
I like the white.

Gas Machine Wood Electrical supply Composite material


Originally the old girl was wired for 3 phase. I put 22 amp motor on her. It's
115 volts, which is odd. My electrician put in a 30 amp circuit for the saw. If
I had to do it over again I would just wire her for 230 volt. I guess the electrician
thought adding a 30 amp RV outlet would be a good garage improvement. I
also had some 230 volt outlets put in at the same time for other machines.

The tension knob was a real knuckle-buster, so I made an extension for it that
lets me twist is kind of like a gas-tank lid. I usually tension to 6 or 7 half-turns
and then back down again when I'm done. The saw groans when the tension
comes off.

Wood Shade Hardwood Flooring Wood stain


Recently I added my own self-made mobility kit cobbled from stuff I had on hand.
My system is admittedly not perfect but it doesn't increase the footprint of the
saw much and didn't require much metalwork and no welding. If I had a welder
handy I would have made it differently.

Flooring Countertop Floor Gas Plumbing fixture


The saw would be more stable on the wheels if I had made the board longer
but that would have it sticking out to the front and back of the saw. Still, if
you do this yourself, especially on a smaller saw, I recommend making the board
longer and setting the wheels farther out.

Wood Gas Hardwood Flooring Plywood


The third wheel is nestled compactly in the armpit of the saw frame. While this
gets it out of the way nicely, it's movement is restricted as it can only pivot about
100 degrees. Before I added the wooden steering handle assembly the wheel
was very difficult to control as it would cooperate when pushing the saw but
would turn unpredictably when pulling it. The handle allows me to control the
angle of the wheel, which is a pivot caster with a wheel break and a 3/8" axle
I switched out for a longer bolt to attach the handle.

Wood Floor Bumper Gas Automotive exterior


With a bit of practice I've learned to muscle the saw around. Getting it where
I want it is kind of like those old remote control cars that would only go straight
or turn left, forward or backwards. Steering the saw would be much easier with
180 degrees of turning, but that would put the wheel sticking out where I don't
want it. While my design is awkward, it does meet my needs as I don't need to
move the saw often or far. I used to just push it around a few inches at a time
by putting my shoulder into it like a linebacker.
Nice looking bandsaw.
 

Attachments

#4 ·
Old Delta 20" Bandsaw

I've had the saw for a long time. It was an unappealing, original but distressed gray
and when I set out to paint it I found some white metal primer laying around
so I used that. I liked the way the white reflected light so I kept the color.

Maybe someday I'll get around to painting it some fancy color, but for now
I like the white.

Gas Machine Wood Electrical supply Composite material


Originally the old girl was wired for 3 phase. I put 22 amp motor on her. It's
115 volts, which is odd. My electrician put in a 30 amp circuit for the saw. If
I had to do it over again I would just wire her for 230 volt. I guess the electrician
thought adding a 30 amp RV outlet would be a good garage improvement. I
also had some 230 volt outlets put in at the same time for other machines.

The tension knob was a real knuckle-buster, so I made an extension for it that
lets me twist is kind of like a gas-tank lid. I usually tension to 6 or 7 half-turns
and then back down again when I'm done. The saw groans when the tension
comes off.

Wood Shade Hardwood Flooring Wood stain


Recently I added my own self-made mobility kit cobbled from stuff I had on hand.
My system is admittedly not perfect but it doesn't increase the footprint of the
saw much and didn't require much metalwork and no welding. If I had a welder
handy I would have made it differently.

Flooring Countertop Floor Gas Plumbing fixture


The saw would be more stable on the wheels if I had made the board longer
but that would have it sticking out to the front and back of the saw. Still, if
you do this yourself, especially on a smaller saw, I recommend making the board
longer and setting the wheels farther out.

Wood Gas Hardwood Flooring Plywood


The third wheel is nestled compactly in the armpit of the saw frame. While this
gets it out of the way nicely, it's movement is restricted as it can only pivot about
100 degrees. Before I added the wooden steering handle assembly the wheel
was very difficult to control as it would cooperate when pushing the saw but
would turn unpredictably when pulling it. The handle allows me to control the
angle of the wheel, which is a pivot caster with a wheel break and a 3/8" axle
I switched out for a longer bolt to attach the handle.

Wood Floor Bumper Gas Automotive exterior


With a bit of practice I've learned to muscle the saw around. Getting it where
I want it is kind of like those old remote control cars that would only go straight
or turn left, forward or backwards. Steering the saw would be much easier with
180 degrees of turning, but that would put the wheel sticking out where I don't
want it. While my design is awkward, it does meet my needs as I don't need to
move the saw often or far. I used to just push it around a few inches at a time
by putting my shoulder into it like a linebacker.
That thing is fantastic!
 

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#5 ·
Belsaw planer dust collection

Belsaw dust collection

The steel chute was salvaged off an instant hot water heater.

Be careful of the swing of the planer handle. If this chute were placed any closer to the centerline of the cutterhead, the Belsaw crank handle would not clear the center port of the chute. You might get away with just making a 4" hole in the top of the planer, perhaps offsetting it in some way to not conflict with the swing of the crank handle.

In any case the chips won't go straight up on their own. The Belsaw has a round steel deflector on the infeed end that throws the chips up and out the outfeed end. Simply putting a dust port on top won't catch anything. An additional deflector is needed.

I used a couple of plywood wedges, a piece of lexan, 6 screws and duct tape to assemble the deflector and attach it to the planer. I made it a little too wide however and it is currently jammed into the planer between two metal parts. I should have made it with a bit more clearance so the planer top can be raised. As it is, I need to take off the deflector and cut it down by about 1/8".

Automotive tire Motor vehicle Bumper Automotive exterior Gas


Gas Wood Auto part Metal Machine
 

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#6 ·
Belsaw planer dust collection

Belsaw dust collection

The steel chute was salvaged off an instant hot water heater.

Be careful of the swing of the planer handle. If this chute were placed any closer to the centerline of the cutterhead, the Belsaw crank handle would not clear the center port of the chute. You might get away with just making a 4" hole in the top of the planer, perhaps offsetting it in some way to not conflict with the swing of the crank handle.

In any case the chips won't go straight up on their own. The Belsaw has a round steel deflector on the infeed end that throws the chips up and out the outfeed end. Simply putting a dust port on top won't catch anything. An additional deflector is needed.

I used a couple of plywood wedges, a piece of lexan, 6 screws and duct tape to assemble the deflector and attach it to the planer. I made it a little too wide however and it is currently jammed into the planer between two metal parts. I should have made it with a bit more clearance so the planer top can be raised. As it is, I need to take off the deflector and cut it down by about 1/8".



Looks great… now all I need is a Bellsaw…
 

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#8 ·
Kity K5 machine

By today's standards in N. American machinery the K5 is not impressive in terms of power or capacity. When these were still available they were priced at around $1400 I think and that was 20-30 years ago. Mine is 1983 vintage.

Now I have some really good machinery and I didn't need the K5 but I had an opportunity to get one at a good price and I am curious about the engineering of European combination machines. I've owned several INCA combo machines and a Robland for awhile.

The Kity has a 5" jointer, a 5" thickness planer, and a x-y slot mortising table that mounts to the planer bed. This is by far the coolest part of the machine and the main reason I bought it. I don't intend to use the mortising table because 1) due to the direction the jointer/planer cutterhead spins it requires left-hand end mills and I have right-hand ones, 2) the chuck is too small to take 1/2" shanks, and 3) I already have a more robust slot mortising machine and 4) I don't have a need to do slot mortising on job sites. Still I should mention that the x-y table on the KITY is very similar to the INCA ones and equally well made. In fact I'd say it's the part of the machine that exudes the most quality and I suspect that's because KITY used it on higher-end machines as well. At some point maybe I'll set it up with a router as the engine.

While I'm writing about INCA I should mention that I believe the French-made INCA machines were made in the same factory as the KITY machines and that KITY borrowed some engineering ideas from INCA. KITY machines use a lot more formed sheet metal parts while INCA machines use mostly Injection Molded Cast Aluminum (which is what "INCA" stands for) for the same sort of parts.

The power unit, 1 HP motor, is mounted to the base of the table saw. The saw is pretty chintzy in terms of how the tilt works and the blade raises and lowers. Very chintzy in fact. There is no positive stop for a 90 degree angle to the table and the "trunions" are just slotted pieces of sheet metal. The design does keep the weight down and the cost of manufacture as well. All the tables are nicely finished anodized cast aluminum, so it's not like the machine is cheap through and through, it just makes a lot of compromises.

The table saw does have some cool things about it though. It takes a riving knife, which mine didn't include. The rails can be slid to the left or right to support cuts and 2 support tables are included. The fence is kind of lame and you have to clamp it at both ends. The saw is certainly not designed for heavy work at all, but I'm actually thrilled because the miter gauge is well made and has this right-angle casting with allows it to be used for cutting tapers.

The shaper is small but well though-out. I didn't test it because using this shaper doesn't interest me. When these machines came out the small spindle moulders (shaper) was what people in Europe used, since handheld routers were expensive and the explosion of supply of 1/2" shank router bits had not occurred yet. These days a 1/2" router inverted in a simple table will outperform this little KITY shaper in many ways at not much cost… so unless you were to acquire a K5 with a whole bunch of cutters for the moulder I would recommend investing your tooling dollars in router cutters instead.

In the past I owned a larger KITY shaper with a 1.5 HP motor and used it for a few jobs. It was a compact and neatly engineered little machine, but underpowered. It had a really cool little sliding table I was sad to part with when I sold it. This shaper appears on a higher end KITY 5-in1 combo models and the sliding table can be moved to the table saw as well. On a later version of the K5 the mortiser runs on its own motor, the jointer/planer is bigger and in fact the whole machine is bigger and more robust.

Now you have to understand that I bought this machine to take it apart and use it as a jobsite tool. I have little use for the shaper so I took everything off the stand and disassembled the stand. I am going to use the jointer/planer and table saw only as a portable unit for installations where a little jointer and planer would be most useful. I mentioned earlier that the saw's miter gauge is usable for cutting tapered filler strips, which are needed often installations and hassle to cut safely on site with most common jobsite power tools. Really, ask anybody who does installations. The ability to cut tapers and manipulate straightness and thickness of small parts on a jobsite are difficult to do quickly and safely without bringing a lot of conventional gear. The table saw and jointer/planer combo however solves that problem in a compact package that is light enough for one person to carry up stairs.
 
#22 ·
Record RPML 300C mini lathe

I've been looking for a used mini lathe on and off for awhile. Just recently I passed on good one with electronic speed control because I didn't feel like making the drive. In my area second-hand mini lathes are not too uncommon, and really I didn't feel like I needed something fancy.

I've owned 4 or 5 wood lathes but since I don't turn much and it is usually small things I want to turn, I've found they didn't earn their keep in terms of the space they require and got rid of them. I really only have the hankering to turn handles and finials and things like that. If I ever want to do something big I can do it on my large Legacy Mill, which isn't the same as a lathe exactly but it's light enough to store overhead with an electric ceiling hoist so the storage problem is nullified.

I was pleased though to find this little gem for sale close to me. I paid $150 which is about fair I reckon. What's cool about it is the fit and finish are quite nice and the little sucker weighs a wopping 90 lbs. with the motor. That's heavier I think than most of the current crop of imported mini-lathes, though of course I am completely out of luck in terms of available OEM accessories like a bed extension. Oh well.

Sitting it on my bench and turning this crude pine test piece there was no noticeable vibration. If you see one available don't be too concerned about making a bad buy… it's a robust little machine and as I said, the fit and finish are quite good.

Nice looking little lathe too.

Blue Wood Engineering Gas Machine
 

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#23 ·
Panel saw flip stop system

I made a bunch of these flip stops for my panel saw. I used 1/4" x 1/2" aluminum bar stock offcuts I bought on ebay from a surplus dealer for very cheap. The brass 1/4-20 thumb nuts were bought from an ebay seller as well. I bought some t-bolts from Woodline USA (like toilet bolts) but these brass thumb nuts don't fit them (regular 1/4-20 nuts do), so I used regular 1/4-20 hex head bolts and they work well, though perhaps sliding in the t-track a little less smoothly.

The t-track was a cool find from Woodline USA because it has 2 tracks in one extrusion and it's not expensive. This setup allows me to have "set-and-forget" flip stops set for common cuts on the upper track and 1 or 2 stops for regular movement on the lower track.

I had to design the stop system to be out of the way in less than 1.5" of depth with the stops flipping to stand proud of the plane the panel to be cut rests on. That plane is delineated by the white melamine support bars.

While such a stop system would not be as useful for crosscut fences on miter saws and table saws, it could be recessed into a working table for drilling applications and things like that…. and of course for a vertical panel saw it solves the problem of a stop system neatly.

###

Making the stops is not difficult but does require some precision in drilling the parts due to their small size. If I started over I might get 5/16" or 3/8" by 1/2" aluminum bar because it would allow the drilling of parts to be a less precise and fussy process. As I did it you can see that the flip-stop is drilled very close to its corner (centered 1/10th inch in from the edge and end) and the profiled sliding part is drilled on its end 1/10" down from its top surface. I misdrilled a few parts as I was figuring the process out. Also the washers are the smallest I have on hand but ones with a smaller OD would be better and make the drilling a little more forgiving.

The end drilled part is tapped for a 6/32 machine screw. I used Loctite, and twist the screw in as hard as I can by hand. The aluminum quickly develops some slop in the fit so making it tight to start prevents floppy flip stops.

Profiling the bar sections to fit in the channel was done on my linotype saw-trimmer in sections about 5" long. The linotype saw has a clamp for holding small pieces of metal so it does this with precision and safety. Lacking such a saw, I would recommend cutting the profiled pieces with a straight bit buried in a straight wood fence on a router table and a work-holding jig with a couple of De-sta-co style clamps to hold the aluminum securely.

After the lengths are profiled I do a little filing and test the length in the track for a good fit. If the "tongue" doesn't engage in the track, then the stop will twist when bumped and right-angle accuracy isn't available.

The profiled section could be made in Delrin or maybe even wood. Wood doesn't hold small tapped threads very well and is prone to splitting so I would recommend the plastic or metal. I didn't look but you can probably find something plastic already made for t-track that would work if you don't want to mess the router jig for profiling the part.

After the parts are profiled and fit it the track, I cut them to length (1-1/8" long), drill a center hole and then work the part some more with a file to get it smooth enough on all edges to slide well in the track.

This aluminum can be cross-cut on a table saw or miter saw, but you should make a jig to hold the parts since they are so short. It is important the ends be square for the flip stop to be accurate.

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Office ruler


Wood Gas Tool Rectangle Office ruler


Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Gas Hardwood


Wood Bumper Machine tool Gas Wood stain


Wood Rectangle Beam Wood stain Plank


Wood Building Floor Shelving Flooring
 

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#24 ·
Panel saw flip stop system

I made a bunch of these flip stops for my panel saw. I used 1/4" x 1/2" aluminum bar stock offcuts I bought on ebay from a surplus dealer for very cheap. The brass 1/4-20 thumb nuts were bought from an ebay seller as well. I bought some t-bolts from Woodline USA (like toilet bolts) but these brass thumb nuts don't fit them (regular 1/4-20 nuts do), so I used regular 1/4-20 hex head bolts and they work well, though perhaps sliding in the t-track a little less smoothly.

The t-track was a cool find from Woodline USA because it has 2 tracks in one extrusion and it's not expensive. This setup allows me to have "set-and-forget" flip stops set for common cuts on the upper track and 1 or 2 stops for regular movement on the lower track.

I had to design the stop system to be out of the way in less than 1.5" of depth with the stops flipping to stand proud of the plane the panel to be cut rests on. That plane is delineated by the white melamine support bars.

While such a stop system would not be as useful for crosscut fences on miter saws and table saws, it could be recessed into a working table for drilling applications and things like that…. and of course for a vertical panel saw it solves the problem of a stop system neatly.

###

Making the stops is not difficult but does require some precision in drilling the parts due to their small size. If I started over I might get 5/16" or 3/8" by 1/2" aluminum bar because it would allow the drilling of parts to be a less precise and fussy process. As I did it you can see that the flip-stop is drilled very close to its corner (centered 1/10th inch in from the edge and end) and the profiled sliding part is drilled on its end 1/10" down from its top surface. I misdrilled a few parts as I was figuring the process out. Also the washers are the smallest I have on hand but ones with a smaller OD would be better and make the drilling a little more forgiving.

The end drilled part is tapped for a 6/32 machine screw. I used Loctite, and twist the screw in as hard as I can by hand. The aluminum quickly develops some slop in the fit so making it tight to start prevents floppy flip stops.

Profiling the bar sections to fit in the channel was done on my linotype saw-trimmer in sections about 5" long. The linotype saw has a clamp for holding small pieces of metal so it does this with precision and safety. Lacking such a saw, I would recommend cutting the profiled pieces with a straight bit buried in a straight wood fence on a router table and a work-holding jig with a couple of De-sta-co style clamps to hold the aluminum securely.

After the lengths are profiled I do a little filing and test the length in the track for a good fit. If the "tongue" doesn't engage in the track, then the stop will twist when bumped and right-angle accuracy isn't available.

The profiled section could be made in Delrin or maybe even wood. Wood doesn't hold small tapped threads very well and is prone to splitting so I would recommend the plastic or metal. I didn't look but you can probably find something plastic already made for t-track that would work if you don't want to mess the router jig for profiling the part.

After the parts are profiled and fit it the track, I cut them to length (1-1/8" long), drill a center hole and then work the part some more with a file to get it smooth enough on all edges to slide well in the track.

This aluminum can be cross-cut on a table saw or miter saw, but you should make a jig to hold the parts since they are so short. It is important the ends be square for the flip stop to be accurate.

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Office ruler


Wood Gas Tool Rectangle Office ruler


Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Gas Hardwood


Wood Bumper Machine tool Gas Wood stain


Wood Rectangle Beam Wood stain Plank


Wood Building Floor Shelving Flooring
That is really slick, Loren!
 

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#35 ·
Hitachi resaw with 3" wide blade

This saw looks pretty bad. Like everything, I got it used. It was originally sold by a dealer in Hawaii so I reckon the humidity did a number on the paint. Then it found its way to the mainland and was owned by at least 2 coastal cabinet makers before I bought it.

The 3" wide blade makes resawing a breeze and setups for cutting 1/8" pieces are a breeze. I used to dread resawing because the setup was so tricky. With the Hitachi, as long as the blade is sharp it's going to cut straight.

The motor is weird, 110 volt universal (brush type) with a gearbox. The saw sounds really weird starting up. Power is not bad though. I haven't used it on any woods that would properly be considered hard. Feed rates can be very quick compared to what I was used to with other resaw blades on general purpose band saws.

Wood Gas Machine Machine tool Hardwood


Wood Floor Table Flooring Machine tool
 

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#36 ·
Hitachi resaw with 3" wide blade

This saw looks pretty bad. Like everything, I got it used. It was originally sold by a dealer in Hawaii so I reckon the humidity did a number on the paint. Then it found its way to the mainland and was owned by at least 2 coastal cabinet makers before I bought it.

The 3" wide blade makes resawing a breeze and setups for cutting 1/8" pieces are a breeze. I used to dread resawing because the setup was so tricky. With the Hitachi, as long as the blade is sharp it's going to cut straight.

The motor is weird, 110 volt universal (brush type) with a gearbox. The saw sounds really weird starting up. Power is not bad though. I haven't used it on any woods that would properly be considered hard. Feed rates can be very quick compared to what I was used to with other resaw blades on general purpose band saws.

Wood Gas Machine Machine tool Hardwood


Wood Floor Table Flooring Machine tool
I had a friend back in my cold molding days at my shipyard who owned one of these. He made a home made power feed for it and could resaw all the 1/4" mahogany for a 36' boat in a day. He used stelite tipped blades. Best of all it was all perfect 1/4".
Great saw.
 

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#39 ·
radial arm thickness sander

In the past I had this old Performax 22/44 sander set up on a Delta turret radial arm saw. I used the motor on the saw for a few years, but it wasn't very satisfactory. I took the sander apart and haven't used it in years but I've decided to get it going again.

I removed the carriage and turret from the Delta RAS (it's a 9" and never had a guard so I never had any interest in using it for its intended purpose - still, it is very well made). I have a 2HP motor I'll rig up to power it this time. I also have the conveyer unit.

Performax started out selling the original 22/44 as a radial arm saw attachment. This sander is made from that original Performax model. The conveyer was sold separately.

These days with used drum sanders not holding value particularly well, I would never mess with cobbling together such a setup… but, you know, I had the parts on hand.

Bicycle tire Tire Tread Fender Automotive tire
 

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#40 ·
radial arm thickness sander

In the past I had this old Performax 22/44 sander set up on a Delta turret radial arm saw. I used the motor on the saw for a few years, but it wasn't very satisfactory. I took the sander apart and haven't used it in years but I've decided to get it going again.

I removed the carriage and turret from the Delta RAS (it's a 9" and never had a guard so I never had any interest in using it for its intended purpose - still, it is very well made). I have a 2HP motor I'll rig up to power it this time. I also have the conveyer unit.

Performax started out selling the original 22/44 as a radial arm saw attachment. This sander is made from that original Performax model. The conveyer was sold separately.

These days with used drum sanders not holding value particularly well, I would never mess with cobbling together such a setup… but, you know, I had the parts on hand.

Bicycle tire Tire Tread Fender Automotive tire
Looks like you might be able to run a bolt from the old pivot arm pivot to the sander arm and really stiffen that thing up. One problem with the open end sander is insufficient rigidity to the arm.
 

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#42 ·
New digital height readout on ugly drum sander

The Delta turret radial arm saw column that serves to move
my drum sander's head up and down has quite a lot of
backlash in the screw - over 1/4 turn. This made adjustment
maddening in the past because (in part) I had a weaker
motor (wimpy 10 amp or something one on the 9" saw
carriage) on it before. It was easy to take too deep a cut
and induce slippage of the belt. The new (well, salvaged)
20 amp motor is much brawnier of course so it can take
a more aggressive cut easily.

The DRO was easy to install. I tapped holes in the sander
arm casting and into the cast iron saw column. I pounded
the bracket to a modified shape on a piece of railroad
track. Installation only took about 40 minutes to
figure out and execute.

Automotive tire Automotive wheel system Gas Motor vehicle Bumper
 

Attachments

#43 ·
Bandsaw blade coil stock

I've started buying coils and soldering my own blades.

This is a Nicholson old stock (no longer made) 5/8 3tpi wood
cutting band coil. It is 100' and I paid $69 shipped for it.

I'll get 11 blades for my 104" bandsaw (INCA 710) at a
price per blade of about $6.25. For comparison, Lee Valley
sells 1/2" x 3tpi welded blades for my saw for $25 each.

I buy the coil stock on ebay… I have yet to see 1/2" x 3tpi
stock at such a nice price.

My saw takes up to 1" wide blades so going with 5/8"
is not a problem.

Cutting, scarfing and soldering a blade takes about 10 minutes.

Table Wood Flooring Floor Publication
 

Attachments

#44 ·
Bandsaw blade coil stock

I've started buying coils and soldering my own blades.

This is a Nicholson old stock (no longer made) 5/8 3tpi wood
cutting band coil. It is 100' and I paid $69 shipped for it.

I'll get 11 blades for my 104" bandsaw (INCA 710) at a
price per blade of about $6.25. For comparison, Lee Valley
sells 1/2" x 3tpi welded blades for my saw for $25 each.

I buy the coil stock on ebay… I have yet to see 1/2" x 3tpi
stock at such a nice price.

My saw takes up to 1" wide blades so going with 5/8"
is not a problem.

Cutting, scarfing and soldering a blade takes about 10 minutes.

Table Wood Flooring Floor Publication
That's quite a saving you are making, I was always under the impression that you needed a specialized machine costing thousands to join the ends together. Nice one.
 

Attachments

#49 ·
Stroke sander

Minimax (SCMI) stroke sander I bought at auction, super
cheap.

The machine must have been a problem for a couple of
owners at least. I bought it as is, and my impression was
the seller had bought it the same way. The motors run
and it works fine.

The problem is the welder who did some of the fabrication
wasn't reading the drawings correctly. The welder used
10mm plates where 15mm plates are needed. The previous
owners has tried bushing these parts with piece of hardwood.
This worked on one side but not the other because the
welder had messed something else up too.

I drilled out a weld to reposition a small part, welded 1/4"
pieces of steel onto the plates, and now the machine
operates as it should.

Wood Road surface Asphalt Gas Composite material
 

Attachments

#50 ·
Stroke sander

Minimax (SCMI) stroke sander I bought at auction, super
cheap.

The machine must have been a problem for a couple of
owners at least. I bought it as is, and my impression was
the seller had bought it the same way. The motors run
and it works fine.

The problem is the welder who did some of the fabrication
wasn't reading the drawings correctly. The welder used
10mm plates where 15mm plates are needed. The previous
owners has tried bushing these parts with piece of hardwood.
This worked on one side but not the other because the
welder had messed something else up too.

I drilled out a weld to reposition a small part, welded 1/4"
pieces of steel onto the plates, and now the machine
operates as it should.

Wood Road surface Asphalt Gas Composite material
nice score looks like a good machine
 

Attachments

#54 ·
Cantilever roof support for outdoor machine

I welded up these cantilever supports and bolted them to
the back of my stroke sander. The sander is about 11'
long. I'll put some corrugated roofing across there
to keep the rain and dirt mostly off the machines.
It doesn't snow in my climate so the almost flat pitch
is okay.

The machine in front of the stroke sander is an
edge banding press. I made the cantilever arms
long enough to support roofing for both.

Wood Plant Gas Motor vehicle Machine
 

Attachments

#55 ·
router mortiser

Quickly made router mortiser using a KITY mortise table from a K5 combination machine.

Range of height adjustment is limited by the arc. The build was simple though and I have other tools for mortising as well - I wanted to make this something I could quickly set up for quick slot mortises since my other slot mortiser is a sort of multi-router type tool and I would rather leave that set up for making tenons. Since I am developing chairs, I don't want to use loose tenons.

Wood Machine tool Gas Engineering Workbench
 

Attachments

#56 ·
Making a replacement extension table for Tannewitz table saw

Tannewitz made these saws with a robust rack and pinion fence
with about a 9" range. In order to cut wider than 9" you have
to re-locate the fence using a series of tapered holes in the
extension table. Without the extension there is only one set of
holes to the left of the blade, severely limiting the fence's usefulness
in working sheet goods.

My recently acquired 1930s-era Tannewitz JS variety saw came
to me lacking the extension table and a few other parts. I contemplated
giving up and selling the fence to install some sort of modern
aftermarket fence, but many fences would have to be modified
anyway to be compatible with the sliding deck to the left of
the blade.

It occurred to me to weld up some doohickey to drill tapered
pin holes into in order to have some additional fence position,
but then it occurred to me that I could salvage the cast iron
table off a trashed Craftsman table saw I had hauled home
a few weeks ago, thinking I could salvage the arbor in order
to cobble up an improved belt-driven head for my panel saw.

I cut the table off with a cut off wheel on an angle grinder.
The iron wasn't too difficult to cut with the wheel.

Wood Gas Auto part Wire Plastic


After I cut it off I spent about 20 minutes trying to make
the remaining rough edges look a little better. For some
reason a previous owner of the Craftsman table saw had
made some dramatic modifications, drilling holes and breaking
out part of the hole in the top, perhaps even putting
two saws together like Frankenstein…. it's quite a bizarre
collection of parts.

Gas Composite material Electrical wiring Wire Cable


Here's the table propped up in position so I can look at it
and consider how to go about drilling matching holes
so I can bolt it to the Tannewitz with a reasonably flush
joint across the top.

Table Wood Machine tool Gas Automotive exterior


Here's what the original OEM extension table would look like:

Wood Gas Bumper Tool Hardwood


Here's my replacement table cleaned-up, bolted in position
and the first pair of tapered holes drilled for mounting the
fence.

Motor vehicle Bumper Gas Machine tool Machine


Here's a view of the set-up for drilling the middle set of holes:

Machine tool Gas Machine Engineering Cylinder
 

Attachments

#57 ·
Making a replacement extension table for Tannewitz table saw

Tannewitz made these saws with a robust rack and pinion fence
with about a 9" range. In order to cut wider than 9" you have
to re-locate the fence using a series of tapered holes in the
extension table. Without the extension there is only one set of
holes to the left of the blade, severely limiting the fence's usefulness
in working sheet goods.

My recently acquired 1930s-era Tannewitz JS variety saw came
to me lacking the extension table and a few other parts. I contemplated
giving up and selling the fence to install some sort of modern
aftermarket fence, but many fences would have to be modified
anyway to be compatible with the sliding deck to the left of
the blade.

It occurred to me to weld up some doohickey to drill tapered
pin holes into in order to have some additional fence position,
but then it occurred to me that I could salvage the cast iron
table off a trashed Craftsman table saw I had hauled home
a few weeks ago, thinking I could salvage the arbor in order
to cobble up an improved belt-driven head for my panel saw.

I cut the table off with a cut off wheel on an angle grinder.
The iron wasn't too difficult to cut with the wheel.

Wood Gas Auto part Wire Plastic


After I cut it off I spent about 20 minutes trying to make
the remaining rough edges look a little better. For some
reason a previous owner of the Craftsman table saw had
made some dramatic modifications, drilling holes and breaking
out part of the hole in the top, perhaps even putting
two saws together like Frankenstein…. it's quite a bizarre
collection of parts.

Gas Composite material Electrical wiring Wire Cable


Here's the table propped up in position so I can look at it
and consider how to go about drilling matching holes
so I can bolt it to the Tannewitz with a reasonably flush
joint across the top.

Table Wood Machine tool Gas Automotive exterior


Here's what the original OEM extension table would look like:

Wood Gas Bumper Tool Hardwood


Here's my replacement table cleaned-up, bolted in position
and the first pair of tapered holes drilled for mounting the
fence.

Motor vehicle Bumper Gas Machine tool Machine


Here's a view of the set-up for drilling the middle set of holes:

Machine tool Gas Machine Engineering Cylinder
Loren
Nice piece of machinery and clever use of cast off parts.
You attention to detail is to be admired.
I searched your saw brand after your first post and has quite a following.
Interesting subject as usual please post a video with sound of it running.
Bob
 

Attachments

#59 ·
Making replacement metal parts for vintage machines

Embedding videos doesn't seem to work on Lumberjocks anymore.

The video is comments on how I went about making some replacement
parts for a Tannewitz JS sliding table saw carriage.

 
#66 ·
You can figure out the clamping force exerted by that piston by multiplying the surface area of the piston by the air pressure… It looks like the bore of the piston might be around 9-10" or so… lets say 10" bore @ 120 PSI..

10in diameter / 2 = 5in radius,
3.14159 x (5Ă—5) = 78.539 square inches surface area of piston
120 pounds per square inch x 78.539 square inches = 9424.68 pounds of force.

I bet if you were doing bent laminations, you could make your 'moulds' in two halves, put the lamination in the middle, chuck it in that press, and go crazy. the 4" stroke might be a limiting factor though but you could crank that wheel to pull the back cheek closer allowing the air cylinder to close it all up.
 
#72 ·
Motor winding connective wires, smoked

Here's part of a European c-face motor with damaged connective
wires coming off the winding. It's rather a proprietary sort of
arrangement powering a slow-speed gearbox, so I have to figure
out how to repair the wires or have the core rewound. Ugh.

Wood Basket Cuisine Circle Tartan
 

Attachments

#73 ·
Motor winding connective wires, smoked

Here's part of a European c-face motor with damaged connective
wires coming off the winding. It's rather a proprietary sort of
arrangement powering a slow-speed gearbox, so I have to figure
out how to repair the wires or have the core rewound. Ugh.

Wood Basket Cuisine Circle Tartan
That's an expensive proposition. You might want to consider just buying a new motor it might be cheaper in the long run.
 

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