The last time I wrote this, my computer decided it was gonna reboot my computer w/o my consent thereby causing me to lose everything I wrote. From now on, I'll use my personal blog and link to it here (blogger automatically saves what you write).
You might consider at least partially discounting the link belt and urethane tires as well. Even if the belt/tires on the Ridgid are in bad shape, those would be upgrades on the Griz.
True, but I think it might be debatable as to what percent I can discount those. In the end there will still be some things the Griz is better at and some that mine will be better at so I'm hoping those will take care of the partial discounts.
Woodcraft is having a sale on their highly rated double locking casters.
Should I go for 2 fixed and 2 swivel or 4 swivel for the bandsaw?
My concern is whether locking only the front two wheels will be steady enough. Since I'll be converting the stand into a sturdier plywood cabinet i'm worried I won't really be able to lock more than 2 wheels at a time anyhow.
get 4 swiveling casters. its more stable than you think. just about all my machines have them. usually the machine is so heavy only 2 wheels being locked is enough to keep it from moving. i dont even bother locking my RAS as its so heavy it doesnt budge under most circumstances.
I'm still unable to remove the lower axle. Banging w/ a 3lb mini sledge hammer either way moves it only 1/4". Looking at the part on e-replacement parts makes it seem like i can bang it either way.
Hi Sarit, the only thing I can suggest is an arbor press which may not be viable if the rest of the saw is assembled. The other option is to cool the shaft/heat the bearings and the temperature difference may do the trick. Good Luck. Sometimes taking it apart may be a headache.
The other question is of course why do you suspect the bearings are shot? They are supposed to last a few decades if they are sealed, which they look to be.
I opened up the panel for the new 1.5hp motor. It looks like its already wired for CCW rotation at 120V which is what I wanted. It looks like they didn't attach the green ground wire to the green ground screw inside. The wiring diagram on the motor makes no mention of ground. Should I connect the ground anyways? Also they used 18 gauge wire for the cord which seems a bit thin for the 17.6 amps the motor is rated for. Should I upgrade the wire also. If so, to what gauge?
If I have to rewire this anyways, should I wire it for 240? Are there any advantages to 240v other than smaller wire gauges?
I bought a few older machines that came with old, non-grounded, brittle wiring. First thing I did was replace the wiring. I think I used 14g. Its tough to answer the grounding question w/o seeing the diagram, but it sounds as if the ground should be connected to the terminal you described.
220v pulls half the amps. Its less taxing on the home's circuit. The power is more consistent, meaning start ups will be smoother and the motor will run better under load. There are other variables though that effect this though, so this is all "in theory". And as a disclaimer, I am not a electrician, so I would urge you to take this info for what its worth. Hopefully someone smarter than me will chime in and confirm what I'm telling you (or raise the BS flag).
Urethane Bandsaw Tires
Nothing too exciting here. Just had to soak them in hot water as the mfg suggested so I could stretch them over the wheels.
Motor Rehab
I got the key stock and pulley from Grainger today. The shaft of the motor was just a smidge too large for the bore of the pulley so I tensioned some sandpaper around the shaft with the motor running and that made a perfect fit.
As I turned the motor shaft by hand, I could hear light metal on metal contact so I decided to take the motor apart to investigate. As I was taking it apart I think I may have broken the plastic centrifugal switch contact plate… Oops! I then tried to track down a replacement switch, even calling an electric motor repair shop. The shop said, they stopped making parts for this motor, but I could buy another used and discontinued one for only $470! Sorry, but no. I ended up epoxying a large washer to the remaining piece of the contact plate (Washer cost=$0.40). I had to buy a gear puller to get the bearing off the shaft. This puts a little bit more pressure on the contact switches, but I think it should be fine. I can hear the switch return back to the start position after the motor shuts off. Unfortunately the metal on metal sound is still there… Oh well. I'll take some more pics when I get the motor mounted.
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