Replies

1. 
   Andrew | Nov 07, 2002 04:26am | #1

   anything like an Oliver, Crecent, Yates, Tannewitz, Northfield were some of the best bandsaws ever built. I don't think they're much more accurate than a modern quality bandsaw, however the cast iron frames dampen the vibration much better than a welded steel frame. If I could do it over again I would have bought an old iron bandsaw instead of a laguna, but mainly because it wouldn't have taken such a huge chunk out of my wallet to get a great machine, and also because I've started to like vintage machines.

   watch out for cracks, machines without wheel guards (a wheel that big spinning without a guard is a scary thing). unless you have 3 phase power look out for 3 phase motors. you'll either have to buy a new one or buy a phase converter. if it's a direct drive motor your only choice is to buy a phase converter, so take that cost into consideration when looking at the price. babbit bearings which can frequently be found on old machines can be a problem if they're worn, as you'll have to have them repoured. you might be able to have ball bearings installed if you're lucky though. and don't let the paint fool you, a dirty machine can still run just fine, and cleaning and repainting isn't that big a deal. just be careful and make a list of all the things you'll need to fix and how much it'll cost you before you buy the machine.

   if your machine is missing parts and your lucky, they'll be standard sizes that you can buy cheaply, and a lot of older machines were made to take off the shelf parts. if they're not then my advice is to move on as having parts custom made is expensive. you can usually fit modern guides on the old saws so don't overlook a saw that's missing its guides, but a saw that's missing a wheel or a table is not worth it unless you can find another parts saw cheap. since your not an experienced "iron hunter" I would make sure you can see the saw running before you buy it. otherwise you could end up paying a lot for a piece of scrap iron. old machines are definitely a good way to go as long as you know what to look for, they're lots of fun to restore, and you'll know your machine inside out.

   good luck hunting

   andrew

   PS a machine that big is very heavy, so make sure you can get it to your shop safely.

1. 
   musick | Nov 08, 2002 02:15am | #2

   Thanks for the response, I was hoping to hear from a few more though. My current shop is small, but accessible through a garage door so I shouldn't have to much trouble getting a saw in, although I might have to use a tractor and loader for the weight.

   I've got a good dust collector (Oneida). How hard is it to fix up these old guys up for decent dust collection? Although a band saw doesn't produce near the fine dust as many other WW machines, so maybe for my use I can just vaccumm around the maching easy enough after use and not really us a dust connection on it.

1. 
   DaveHeinlein | Nov 09, 2002 01:17am | #3

   Andrew said pretty much everything you wanted to hear, but I'll add my 2 cents, if you come across a good machine and you have plenty of room, take it. You may need to remove the top wheel to get it in your door, but that's no big deal. A big bandsaw takes up a good bit of space.

   Here's mine, which I paid $250US for. It needed tires, paint, and a motor. It is quite a pleasure to use.

   
2. 
   Andrew | Nov 09, 2002 04:39am | #4

   I hope you have high ceilings. a 36" bandsaw is around 10' high. i've been around some big resaws that had to have a 2 foot deep pit dug in the floor so that the table could be at a comfortable height. I've never hooked up a dust collector to an old machine so i don't know how easy it is. i don't usually use the dust ports on my laguna even though it has 2 mainly because the dust isn't thrown into the air, and i have to move my dust collector for the hoses to reach (i'd get longer ones, but i have a garage shop and so a longer hose would get in the way too often). i think you'd be fine just vacuuming up after unless your resawing a lot (especially if the wood's toxic).

1. 
   PlaneWood | Nov 09, 2002 06:10am | #5

   I have an old 12" craftsman.  I threw away the metal stand years ago.  To much vibration.  I made a heavy wood base with a 1.5" mdf top.  Motor is mounted in back on top of the mdf.  No vibration now.  I put a 1.5 hp motor on it and increased the blade speed about 25% by chinging the pulley ratio.  With a 1/2" - 3tpi blade it has no trouble resawing 6" thick material.  I have pulled, washed, and regreased the bearings once in the last 30 years.

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_KatyPlaneWood