Harbor Freight 4x6 band saw; latest addition to the shop

[JScott]

I borrowed a band saw from my friend last week and my wife asked me why don't you just buy one for yourself. I had a 25% off coupon from Harbor Freight so here are some pics of my latest addition to the shop. I have plenty of "odd" steel pieces laying around that will go through this 4x6 band saw to be made useable for machining on the lathe and mill.

I checked the gearbox and it does not have any sand or casting debris. The oil looks clean but I will probably run it for a few hours and then change it if I can find some "yellow metal safe" gear oil.

So far this saw runs pretty quietly but I may upgrade the belt and fab a more substantial stand when time permits.

   

   

   

   

[EdK]

JScott,

Change the belt out with a link belt. It'll run much smoother.

Ed

[DaveH]

They are good metal bandsaws

DaveH

[Will_D]

(09-16-2014, 03:49 PM)DaveH Wrote: They are good metal bandsaws

I have been using the SIP branded one for more than 20 years (£120) (Ok off and on) but its cut a lot of stainless and recently a lot of MS for the Rugby Club Veranda project.

It is the BEST ever investment a model engineer can make!

Its the sams as buying your own cement mixer for when laying bricks!

Before the mixer you would knock up some dubious non-fluffy mortar and be so kna****d that the brick work was Cr*p.

And as for the odd ton of concrete by hand

[stevec]

I've been running the equivalent saw from Busy Bee (Canadian Grizzly, plus or minus, mostly minus) since 1980 +/- and it's a great little saw for it's price. Around 2000 +/- I had to do some maintenance/repair. I replaced the bronze worm wheel shown in your #2 photo as well as the bearing for the worm shaft and I had to machine off what was left of the flange on the rear of the drive wheel and replace it with a ring of 1/8 HRS attached with a few flat head screws.
It's used only in the vertical mode since I made my big horiz. band saw. I run the more expensive Bi-Metal blades on both saws because I abuse them and find that In my case it's more economical.

I read (in shocked disbelief) what your wife said about your purchase, your a lucky man!

[Highpower]

JScott,
I agree with Steve on using the bi-metal saw blades, and with Ed on using a link belt vs the standard v-belt. Both will improve the saws performance. It won't be long before you'll be asking yourself why you waited so long to buy a bandsaw.

[Shawn]

I just bought a second hand bandsaw a to replace my failing powered hacksaw and can't believe how fast it cuts through steel. And it's so quiet compared to power hacksaw.

Shawn

[EdK]

+1 on the bi-metal blades. These are a bargain. I bought two about 2 1/2 years ago and I'm still on my first one.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA...PG=INLMK32

Ed

[JScott]

Thanks everybody for the tips on belts and blades. I know there are several modifications that can make this little saw even better. Hope to do some of them down the road and I think the first one will be a better stand. I really appreciate all the input.

And it is true that my wife is one in a million. She let me pull the trigger on buying my lathe, mill and tooling 2 years ago and I could have purchased a used saw like this one in the same package. She has been chiding me that I didn't spend the extra $100 and get it too. One of my first projects is going to be finishing my welding table so that I can mount a slip ring roll (which is another project). Then I am going to make her some hanging baskets and a trellis for the backyard. This is going to be fun!

[Sunset Machine]

There's rarely a day in the shop that my bandsaw isn't used. I use the 10/14 variable pitch bimetal blades like Ed's pointed to (a good price!)