Hello, friends.

I just won an eBay auction for an old HA Smith 16″ bandsaw, and the seller was kind enough to agree to make the sale contingent on an up-close-and-person inspection, scheduled for next weekend. I wasn’t able to find anything on the HA Smith Co. at www.owwm.com, so if anybody has encouraging or discouraging words regarding them, I’d appreciate it. The saw is just the saw–no motor, no stand. Assuming I actually buy the saw, I thought I’d outfit it with a 1,725 rpm, 1 1/2 hp TEFC motor. That makes sense, right? The seller says the frame has no cracks or repair welds, and that routine clean-up and adjustments would bring the saw “back on line” in short order. I am planning on new urethane tires. The main concern at this point are the trunnions. Seller says they’ve been repaired with JB Weld. Any comments regarding this machine? Are “dead” trunnions cause for running away from this machine? Any ideas of what a fair price would be to machine a new set of them? I’ll be happy to document the rehabbing of this machine if there’s interest in such out there. Its first real project will be the trestle base of the oak dining table I’m building–the main subject of the book I’m currently writing about oak wood, trees, and forests.

Thanks and be well.