Age of Hyco Bandsaw

[localele]

Just couldn't resist putting a bid on Ebay for another Hyco 12" Bandsaw.
Does anyone have any info on when this model was made?
It would be nice to see some old brochures on what has to be the best small bandsaw ever built.
The casting is very heavy and strong.The wheels are aluminium.The wheel covers are cast aluminium.
This one is missing its tyres but I will have them cast with polyurethane and turned true.

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[Oldbikerider]

Can't help with any info or the age, but I have a similar machine and would also like to know it's age. Mine is a 14 inch, and has a gearbox with a back gear for metal cutting, and came on a wonderful cast stand. It's currently sitting waiting restoration. There appears to be a dark green under the lighter paint if that helps anyone put a date on it.

Graham.


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[AndrewOC]

Goodall & Co illustrates a 12" in their 1955 catalogue. Check out 'Trove' newspaper archive for earlier. A quick search suggests at least 1945.
cheers,
Andrew.

[clear out]

Hyco was taken over by Woodfast.
I don't think they continued with the 12 inch bandsaw but the 14 inch with the gearbox was rebadged as a Steelfast.
A coworker had a 12 inch Hyco and it may have had a gearbox?
Was only about a dozen years ago but the memory on that saw is fuzzy, he did get the wheels redone and it was a great saw for its size.
H.

[localele]

Well that stand is nice but not original.It did remind me of another saw that like that which belongs to one of my mates.I will try to get some photos of it.From memory it had been painted up cream colour but was on it's original base.

[Oldbikerider]

Michael,
Were these saws typically sold on stands? Or as benchtop machines?

I'm wondering what colour to paint mine. The light green/cream that it's got now looks OK but is not the original. But I'm not sure how it would look in the dark green that's underneath.

Andrew, thanks for the lead on the Trove archive. I can't find any reference to a 14" Hyco bandsaw, but there are plenty of mentions of the 12".

Graham.

[localele]

Goodall & Co illustrates a 12" in their 1955 catalogue. Check out 'Trove' newspaper archive for earlier. A quick search suggests at least 1945.
cheers,
Andrew.
Well I have learnt something today.Thanks for the newspaper archive tip Andrew.Your prize is a free workshop tour if you are ever up my way.
I looked at quite a few ads. and find them all the way back to 1946.They were available either as a bench mount or on a steel stand ,Graham.
This screen shot is an advert. from Sept. 1947.
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[DSEL74]

Mine appears to be in original finish and is a dark greeny grey, maybe gunmetal is the correct name for it??

[Oldbikerider]

First of all a correction, my Hyco bandsaw is not 14", it's got 12.5" diameter wheels so allowing for the left blade guard it's about 12" useful capacity. I was told 14" when I purchased it and never actually checked :( So it's probably the same frame as Michael's.

DSEL74, Yes, it looks like the original colour on mine under the lighter green is the same dark greeny grey. I have a Hyco benchtop saw that had what I think is the same colour and from an unfaded section under the brass nameplate I found it to be very close to brunswick (British racing) green. I'd be tempted to paint this bandsaw the same, but I'm a bit concerned about large expanses of such a dark colour. Any thoughts?

Michael, I hope you don't mind the thread hijack. Let me know if you'd like to keep this thread to your machine only and I'll put my questions elsewhere.

Graham.

[localele]

All good info so far Graham and I don't consider any of it off topic.
Here are some more pics. to confirm colours.My first Hyco 12" bandsaw and a Hyco Scroll Saw.Similar colours with varying degree of fading.
The Wadkin is my 36" saw used here for scale for the 12" Hyco.

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[Oldbikerider]

Michael,
Ah, I see we have similar tastes. I'd dearly love the original colour of my Hyco bandsaw to be that grey, as it would match my Speedax 20" (gratuitous pic below). I purchased the Hyco because the art deco styling matches the Speedax. I used White Knight machinery grey for this, which as best as I could tell was a reasonable match to the original but faded colour.

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But the colour on my Hyco has much more green in it, it's definitely not like a machinery grey. But still, that grey does look good on yours. Did you paint that? What colour and paint did you use?

Graham.

[localele]

The colour is definitely a bit green not grey.I will buff a bit up and have a better look when time allows.
The 2 top guards have just faded a bit differently I think.

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[Stewie D]

I'd say that what yours is mounted on is an aftermarket stand and not an original.
Here's my 12" Hyco.
http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc455/stewiesno1/Hyco%20Motor%20Mount_zpstbzufahf.jpg (http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/stewiesno1/media/Hyco%20Motor%20Mount_zpstbzufahf.jpg.html)
http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc455/stewiesno1/Hyco%20Stand_zpsdvre94k7.jpg (http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/stewiesno1/media/Hyco%20Stand_zpsdvre94k7.jpg.html)
http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc455/stewiesno1/Hyco%20Top_zpsurrgmn6r.jpg (http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/stewiesno1/media/Hyco%20Top_zpsurrgmn6r.jpg.html)


Some of them have had the motors mounted under the main frame - others like mine with the motor mounted behind.
Notice the splayed feet.
http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc455/stewiesno1/Hyco%20feet_zpsuony15ef.jpg (http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/stewiesno1/media/Hyco%20feet_zpsuony15ef.jpg.html)
It seems to be a Hyco thing but there appeared to be two versions. Mine with the legs simply splayed for the lower 150mm and the others splayed not so much but with an almost club foot at the bottom. Which one precedes the other ?


Here is another one for sale a while back and you can see the difference in the legs.
http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc455/stewiesno1/Hyco%20Other_zpsvkko55bz.jpg (http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/stewiesno1/media/Hyco%20Other_zpsvkko55bz.jpg.html)
The soft grey/light blue colour seems to be more prevalent too as a standard Hyco colour although my little Hyco 7 & 1/4" tablesaw is the darker green as previously mentioned.
Maybe the different colours and legs heralded a change in manufacture ??
As for age , I don't have a clue. The guy I bought mine from thought it was from the sixties.
One thing I'd like from you guys is some measurements of the rail on the left side that the sliding guide runs on. As you can see mine doesn't have either but a fitter and turner mate can manufacture something for me so I'd like to keep it exactly the same as the original ones if possible.
Here also is a cutting from a mag I looked through online a while back for an original ad which shows the original specs for a 12".
http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc455/stewiesno1/Hyco%2012quot%20Bandsaw%20original%20specs_zpsqcgsznv4.png (http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/stewiesno1/media/Hyco%2012quot%20Bandsaw%20original%20specs_zpsqcgsznv4.png.html)


Cheers, Stewie

[localele]

My stand is definitely home made not by me.The Scroll saw is on it's original stand and has the slightly splayed feet.
I have a Paul Call radial arm saw that has the club foot type stand so possibly they were available as an aftermarket item at that time.
I will be copying the rip fence as well for my other saw so will measure it up for you.
Of interest as I have started to strip the new one a bit I have found that most of the small castings are brass.The blade guides and the rip fence casting for sure.

[Stewie D]

You may be right about the aftermarket stand with the splayed legs. I've just had a quick browse via Mr Google and it seems there were a lot more around for those era machines than I originally thought.
They may have been an optional accessory made elsewhere seeing as some of these machines were marketed as a bench mounted item.
From what I've seen of the rip fences for the bandsaws they are identical to those on my Hyco tablesaw so maybe I can just swap that back and forth.
Thanks for having a look at the guide rail and fence for me too.
From the same catalogue I downloaded a while back there is also this about the Hyco 24" Scrollsaw although they call it a jigsaw.
http://archives.dcemulation.org/www.titaniumstudios.com/titaniumstudios.com/tooljunkie/paper/MC1955-Woodworking.pdf (http://www.google.com.au/url?q=http://archives.dcemulation.org/www.titaniumstudios.com/titaniumstudios.com/tooljunkie/paper/MC1955-Woodworking.pdf&sa=U&ved=0CBoQFjABahUKEwj-mY63h6DHAhVBnqYKHTufD1M&usg=AFQjCNETvbh1yXvE5pfyvWC7BiV1siRQEA)
On page 2.http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc455/stewiesno1/Hyco%2024quot%20Scroll%20saw_zpsj3kozxog.png (http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/stewiesno1/media/Hyco%2024quot%20Scroll%20saw_zpsj3kozxog.png.html)

It is also a publication from 1955 ( MC1955 - Woodworking ) so we can assume that the Hyco 12" bandsaw and scrollsaw were probably made around that time.


Cheers

[Oldbikerider]

Stewie,

Thanks for posting the catalogue picture of the saw.

I don't know about yours, but the tilting rip fence on my Hyco table top saw is for the right side of the blade only, so wouldn't transfer to the bandsaw. I don't think I have a rip fence with the bandsaw, so I'll be keen to see the measurements Michael makes. I do have the rail, and can measure that tonight for you.

Graham.

[localele]

A few measurements to get you started and a few pictures for reference.
I would shorten the table bar on the left hand end to enable taking the fence off the saw without having to undo the table bar mounting screws.This might just become evident once you have built it but won't be hard to cut shorter if you find yourself agreeing with me.
The fence casting is brass as well.


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[Oldbikerider]

I scraped some of the non-original lighter green top coat off one of my Hyco's wheel covers last night and brushed on some samples of paint I had to hand. All the paint samples are from White Knight Rust Guard Epoxy Enamel's standard range.

I'm no closer to knowing what the dark greeny grey colour is, but at least I can say it's none of the ones I tested. Neither does it look like any of the gunmetals I can find on the web, gunmetal seems to be more grey and less green.

Two photos, the first under flouro light last night, and the second under direct sunlight this morning. From top to bottom the painted samples are; brunswick green, cottage green, ironstone, machinery grey.

I could not get a shine on the exposed dark green original paint. T cut and car polish just started dissolving it. I suspect it looked darker when new and shiny.

Next weekend I'll take the cover somewhere that does colour matching and see what I can find out. Do Bunnings do colour matching?

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Graham.

[Stewie D]

Perfect localele, just what i was after. Many thanks.
OBR, I'll have a look through my Pantone colour charts and I should be able to match your sample. At least enough for you to take it to a paint shop anyway.
Cheers, Stewie

[localele]

Forgot to load these photos showing the 2 covers for colour matching.Need to cut back the chalky paint but that will open another can of worms.I don't have the time to paint 2 bandsaws at the moment.

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[Oldbikerider]

Stewie, thanks for the offer to look for the colour, that will be very helpful. It looks like we're chasing three different colours at the moment though; the darker greeny grey on my machine, and the two differently faded versions of the lighter green on Michael's.

Would these machines have been offered in a variety of colours? Or would they have all been the same colour? Maybe mine was re-painted more than once?

DSEL74, if you're still here, is the darker green on your saw the same as on mine? I posted a photo a few posts back.

Graham.

[localele]

Couple more photos of the past.Bit of white paper for true colour match.It is a bit greener inside than I thought.The last photo has had a bit of cutting compound in the middle of the shot.

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[Stewie D]

Obr, I took your photo and compared it with the Dulux specifier and colour atlas colours that I have ( hard copy ). All this has been obviously on my computer and unless you and I had a calibrated system - monitor, computer, scanner and printer even these will vary considerably. Even with my Pantone colours which a mate has at the moment I would struggle to definitively pinpoint the exact colour.
However in saying all that after comparing a few pages on screen and then going to the Dulux site - http://www.dulux.com.au/specifier/colour/colour-atlas I got a pretty close match on page 27. I compared yours on screen http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc455/stewiesno1/Hyco%20Bandsaw%20amp%20Dulux%20Specifier_zpsyk97dd4o.png (http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/stewiesno1/media/Hyco%20Bandsaw%20amp%20Dulux%20Specifier_zpsyk97dd4o.png.html)
Take your pick although I reckon D9 "Old Money" looks pretty close. Whether you can get those colours in the finish of your choice is another matter - metal shield. epoxy, enamel etc.

Stewie

[Oldbikerider]

Stewie,
Thanks. That Dulux colour atlas is a useful resource.

I think my best course of action now is to take the wheel cover down to Bunnings and compare it to actual Dulux and White Night colour sample cards. I'm in two minds as to whether to try and match that dark green which I think is the original on my saw, or go with a lighter colour like on Michael's. I'm not sure how a large expanse of the dark green would look.

Graham.

[localele]

For my 2 cents worth the lighter original green will look better.Of course I can change my mind after you paint yours though.:D

[Oldbikerider]

Of course I can change my mind after you paint yours though.:D
Well, that's not a bad idea. I can easily spray some dark green rattle can on the major exposed components of the saw and see what it looks like. It's all going back to bare metal in the end anyway.

Graham.

[DSEL74]

Ok my bandsaw is actually a woodfast, carry-on line from Hyco days. It has a more grey gunmetal look but still a green tint. The Hyco the scroll saw is metallic green and the stand hammer tone same color.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/02/271dca4989609cf2ef1291591a56a350.jpg
Scroll saw head vs woodfast

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/02/b98e3f509de13cedb0dbb4d374b641f2.jpg
Old NOS waldown blue comparison
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/02/699091fec299a3006f620a73704bbe9e.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/02/9ab2709eb53f4c9dd43a96b9db274bab.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/02/0e9aafe51ceba1e9db04553e4108a045.jpg
Blue paper towel is from Cisco and is baby blue.
Waldown is a match on the color chart to peacock blue.

[localele]

So the scroll saw has a new home.Out of interest how much did you end up paying(if it's not a rude question).

[DSEL74]

It does and it is pretty good and original condition, it hasn't been used in 20+ I'm told. Cleaned a lot of old saw dust of it and the table needs the surface rust cleaned off. There is a spring inside the head so I assume it is just the bolt/blade holder missing & the air tube bracket.

I didn't get any blades so if anyone can provide the spec?

I straightened the feed screw for the head someone bent it moving to get to the other gear that was sold.

I also cleaned and oiled the head ways it slides smooth. Not suppose to be doing anything until I get the results from my CAT scan. Hopefully they will find a brain inside. Couldn't help but at least have a little play, so bored in bed all day.


http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/03/5f040eaa888b2f87d20e60740ff60588.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/03/51b8129234b3d6423bef2ab05ccfa073.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/03/fbb8638bd10d558f88c32a19cc67aa0c.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/03/92cad42b702889b740aadd2cdb4b430d.jpg

[localele]

Great looking old saw which you will enjoy.
I use coping saw blades on mine and the local Masters has them in packs under the brand "Kobalt".
Just turned up some adapters which makes blade changes much easier.For pierced work you can just hook the blade into the bottom holder and then into the top as you crank up the tensioner.

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[DSEL74]

Very nice job! Did you use some sort of slitting saw to cut the slots & how??

[DSEL74]

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Based on that first photo I'm missing more than I thought. A break down and details of the past will be good to have.

[localele]

Very nice job! Did you use some sort of slitting saw to cut the slots & how??

A 1mm slitting saw for the slots.Cut them in the milling machine.Turned the 9/16th, 18tpi thread on the lathe.It is good to have a few machines when you are repairing old ones.
I will take a few photos tomorrow for more detail of the guides if that is what you are missing.

[DSEL74]

Yeah I'm missing that whole assembly. guides, air tube, rods etc. also missing the original blade holder and maybe bits associated.

[camoz]

Yeah I'm missing that whole assembly. guides, air tube, rods etc. also missing the original blade holder and maybe bits associated.

This is a rundown of the head for the later Woodfast, same or similar design I believe, this should give you an idea of what you are missing

http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=154932&p=1713731#post1713731

[DSEL74]

http://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=292235&d=1383621274

Thanks for the link.

1. I have the cap but not the tube and the rest of it.
6. Is missing
4. The rule/gauge part is gone, no nipple, no Locking lever?, or silver disc at top?

2.3.5. Haven't disassembled that far yet.

[DSEL74]

Back to Bandsaws for a moment, Can you guys tell me the blades size and your wheel size please??

I forgot to measure my wheels but I estimate the minimum blade size to be 160cm and the max to be 165.5cm. So i guess I need a blade about 160 and the adjustment allows for it to stretch with use?
Hoping to pick up a blade at the wood show on sat.
Cheers.

[Oldbikerider]

I can measure mine later this evening when I get home, so can have an answer for you before Saturday.

Graham.

[DSEL74]

Thanks Graham. Hopefully we have the same size models

[Oldbikerider]

OK, I ducked home at lunch time. My wheels are 320mm diameter, the blade length is 2130mm and the centre-to-centre distance of the wheels is approximately 545mm (the c-c distance is difficult to measure without removing the table). Quite a bit larger than your blade length estimate.

Graham.

[DSEL74]

Unfortunately that doesn't help me. Appreciate the effort you went to though. You must have a 14" and mine is probably a 10" then.

[Oldbikerider]

Mine's definitely a 12 inch. I was originally under the misunderstanding that it was a 14 inch but corrected that earlier in this thread. 320mm is close to 12 1/2 inches, and allowing for the blade guard on the left side the cutting capacity is right on 12 inches.

If you had the same 320mm wheels as mine they would be touching each other with a 160cm blade, so as you say you must have smaller wheels, 10 inch or something.

Graham.

[DSEL74]

My wheel is 265mm

Fitted a 240v motor to the scroll saw, table polished same as tension screw assembly and a general clean up..
Still need to sort the blade holder and the arm/holddown as I didn't have any. thinking a nice wood shelf and matching top for the stand also.http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/10/1278c841304383b22ca157dbfa224056.jpg

[DSEL74]

Made some progress making up the missing parts.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/21/0114a995dc9e31a49f730d7916689ac8.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/21/6e292f8a300e96472bc737948ccc9dcf.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/20/3c7448062869b0c59498038952cf95d1.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/20/09adb630900f6c64ab82d463e17683ad.jpg

[Oldbikerider]

And back to bandsaws again: I've started stripping mine down for a complete re-paint and re-build. With Micheal's permission I've decided to throw a few pictures up here.

Mine's got a gearbox as well as a stepped V belt pulley. The gears were quite dry but the whole saw shows little evidence of much use, so with new bearings all round and a good greasing I'm hoping it will run smooth and quiet when I'm done.
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I'm surprised by how much brass there is, including the top and bottom blade guide blocks, the square side guides themselves, the right angle block at the base of the guide height adjusting shaft, and the gearbox eccentric engagement lever.
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After a couple of hours work it was all apart and ready for cleaning and paint stripping.
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And by the end of the day all the large parts were stripped and back to bare cast iron.
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This is not intended to be a restoration thread, just a record of how the machine is built, but if people are interested in more details as I build it back up I'll be happy to post. I'm sure I'll also have some questions to ask along the way as well.

The first question is; should I polish or paint the brass components? They were all painted black originally which seems such a shame.

Graham.

[DSEL74]

Give it some bling and polish the brass. Things are made like they used to be so show it off. It's not physically modifying the original machine so can always be reverted back later.

Do you think the gear box is to allow multiple speeds for metal and wood, or just small speed changes for different wood densities and thicknesses?

[Oldbikerider]

Yes, I'm leaning towards polishing the brass.

The gearbox is like a back gear, providing a significantly slower speed range for metal cutting. The fine adjustment is done by the stepped pulley. Interestingly, the motor pulley has a single groove, the motor slides on it's pivoting rod to keep the belt aligned with whatever driven pulley groove is selected.
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Graham.

[Oldbikerider]

I have a question about the stepped pulley that I hope someone can answer for me.

The saw came to me on a relatively wide cast iron stand with the motor mounted off to the left of the machine on a very basic pivoting plate. The motor has a single Vee belt pulley and there is a four stepped pulley on the gearbox input shaft. The pivoting plate had enough clearance either side on it's pivot bolt to allow the motor to be slid fore and aft so that the belt could align with each step in the gearbox pulley.

To keep the machine's footprint to a minimum, and to lower the machine to a better working height I will not be using the original stand, instead making a lower welded or bolted steel stand. I'll mount the motor directly underneath the saw on a platform inside the new stand - pretty much a standard configuration. The belt will run vertically down to the motor, and the belt will be longer than it was originally.

My question is; without a stepped pulley on the motor do I need to make provision for sliding the motor to keep dead true belt alignment? Was it common to just have one stepped pulley on this kind of machine and put up with some misalignment in some speed settings?

Possibly my machine is missing a stepped pulley on the motor?

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Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Graham.

[DSEL74]

I think your missing a stepped pulley on the motor. But that is just my opinion.

[tore]

Hi
I have got the same band saw and that one has a 4 step pulley on the motor361602361603

[Oldbikerider]

Thanks guys, I guess it looks like I need to find a stepped pulley for the motor.

Graham.

[Oldbikerider]

I got my Hyco 12" bandsaw finished last weekend. I had the colour under the large Hyco badges matched at Bunnings and went with that colour in epoxy enamel applied with a fine nap roller. The colour is a darkish olive green, which didn't appear very attractive in the tin, but as it's my best approximation of the original I decided to go with it. Now the saw is all painted and assembled I think the colour looks fine, and when dry is a very good match for the original under the badges, confirming the accuracy of Bunnings' matching system.

Everything went back to bare metal, spray primed then two top coats of rolled enamel to leave some texture over the cast iron, both wheels were re-crowned (they just fit in my lathe), all 4 bearings were replaced, the brass blade guides were re-faced in a 4 jaw chuck in the lathe, the motor was completely stripped, painted, and re-built with a new capacitor, and a new magnetic switch added with all new wiring. I decided to go with a welded 40 x 40 RHS steel stand with a solid 10mm steel top, and incorporated the pivoting motor mount. The whole machine is now very solid - and too heavy to move by hand!

Following advice here I located a 4 stepped motor pulley with a small 1.5" or so small pulley which with the 10:1 gearbox engaged gives me about 110 fpm slowest blade speed. I got a nice new Lennox bi-metal blade from Henry Bros. The saw cuts metals very nicely and is almost vibration free at slow speed - very nice to use.

I have still to make the front blade guard, which I can see from Micheal's original picture in this thread is a simple right angle folded sheet steel piece.

All in all I'm very glad I got this machine and spent the time restoring it. In total I've sunk a few hundred (well, probably closer to $400 or $500) into getting it finished, but I've ended up with something so much nicer than a Chinese import that would have cost many times that amount. I purchased it originally because it matched the styling of my 20 inch Speedax (see the pic below of the two), but I've ended up with a lovely machine in its own right.

Graham.

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[localele]

Well that looks hot.I think anyone would love it parked in the shed.Makes me think I will have to paint my 2 now to keep up.
I had the same thought for the stand and will fabricate some similar with the motor down underneath.
I bought some Richmond casters to go under it for mobility.

[DSEL74]

Well you have two very nice looking saws there.

[Oldbikerider]

Thanks guys. The Speedax, with a selection of new blades also from Henry Bros, is now used solely for wood, and the Hyco will be left permanently on slow speed for metal. It's so nice having a dedicated machine sitting there ready for metal cutting. It has already proved it's usefulness.

Micheal, let me know if you want a sketch of the stand. And I have the code for the olive green if you need it.

Graham.

[tore]

Hi
Looking at the pic's I noticed you are using what I think is a gas lift for a boot or bonnet. Can you give more info on it, as I'm using bundy strap
Nice restoration
Cheers

[Oldbikerider]

Yes, that's a gas strut that I got from McNaughtans Pty Ltd in Sydney. They have a huge range of different strokes and pressures and end fittings.

I originally thought I'd need more than just the weight of the motor for adequate belt tension, so I added the strut, but the weight of the motor alone seemed fine so I drilled a small hole in the base of the strut to let the gas out, leaving it installed and the oil inside to provide some damping. It also acts a down stop for if I remove the belt. These pivoting motor mounts suffer from motor bouncing and the damping from the strut helps.

Graham.

[localele]

Micheal, let me know if you want a sketch of the stand.
Graham.

Hi Graham, I will take you up on the offer of a sketch for the stand. Save me working it all out.
What table height did you end up with for the bandsaw?

[Oldbikerider]

Micheal,

I'll dig out the sketch at the weekend, and add the table height and other details.

Graham.

[Oldbikerider]

Micheal,

Here's a rough sketch of the stand. I used a table height of 1050, 41 1/2", which is a little lower than the Speedax, but I like a slightly lower table for pushing metal parts through the blade. I guessed at the angle to cut on the ends of the RHS, mocked it up, and it looked OK, but didn't record the angle. The dimensions in the sketch are of the finished stand. The four legs have a compound angle cut in them because they splay out in two directions. All cuts were done on a cheap horizontal bandsaw with one mitre setting. I raised the free ends of the legs to give me the compound angle.

With the 10mm steel top and 3mm wall on most of the base parts it's heavy, but that is a good thing! I wanted to keep the footprint small because space is getting limited in my workshop, but the heft of the frame and saw means I can push quite hard while cutting and the machine stays rock solid.

The pivoting motor base is made from two 50x50 steel angle pieces joined by a piece of 75mm flat bar, making an inverted channel.

Hope this helps.

Graham.

PS. I really like this Hyco machine. It's vibration free, and with the gearbox engaged it is very quiet. At 110 fpm on the bi-metal Lennox blade it cuts mild steel like chalk. It's a lovely machine and one of those that you look forward to using.

365272

[Oldbikerider]

Despite trying twice, the sketch doesn't want to insert in-line, so let me know if you can't view it.

Graham.

[localele]

When I clicked on it it opened downloaded as a pdf file.I can see it on my computer.
Thanks for that.
Funny that my old mate who will get one saw suggested about 1050 for the table height as well.

[Charlie_6ft]

I got my Hyco 12" bandsaw finished last weekend. I had the colour under the large Hyco badges matched at Bunnings and went with that colour in epoxy enamel applied with a fine nap roller. The colour is a darkish olive green, which didn't appear very attractive in the tin, but as it's my best approximation of the original I decided to go with it. Now the saw is all painted and assembled I think the colour looks fine, and when dry is a very good match for the original under the badges, confirming the accuracy of Bunnings' matching system.

Everything went back to bare metal, spray primed then two top coats of rolled enamel to leave some texture over the cast iron, both wheels were re-crowned (they just fit in my lathe), all 4 bearings were replaced, the brass blade guides were re-faced in a 4 jaw chuck in the lathe, the motor was completely stripped, painted, and re-built with a new capacitor, and a new magnetic switch added with all new wiring. I decided to go with a welded 40 x 40 RHS steel stand with a solid 10mm steel top, and incorporated the pivoting motor mount. The whole machine is now very solid - and too heavy to move by hand!

Following advice here I located a 4 stepped motor pulley with a small 1.5" or so small pulley which with the 10:1 gearbox engaged gives me about 110 fpm slowest blade speed. I got a nice new Lennox bi-metal blade from Henry Bros. The saw cuts metals very nicely and is almost vibration free at slow speed - very nice to use.

I have still to make the front blade guard, which I can see from Micheal's original picture in this thread is a simple right angle folded sheet steel piece.

All in all I'm very glad I got this machine and spent the time restoring it. In total I've sunk a few hundred (well, probably closer to $400 or $500) into getting it finished, but I've ended up with something so much nicer than a Chinese import that would have cost many times that amount. I purchased it originally because it matched the styling of my 20 inch Speedax (see the pic below of the two), but I've ended up with a lovely machine in its own right.

Graham.

363247363248363249363250363251363252

What is that blue saw in the background?

Cheers
Charl

[Oldbikerider]

That's my 20" Speedax from 1932 (if I recall correctly). It's painted machinery grey. It's a fantastic machine, really solid, it probably weights close to a tonne!

Graham.


What is that blue saw in the background?

Cheers
Charl

[Charlie_6ft]

That's my 20" Speedax from 1932 (if I recall correctly). It's painted machinery grey. It's a fantastic machine, really solid, it probably weights close to a tonne!

Graham.

Thanks Graham - what a stunner! I have a soft spot for bandsaws, they just complete a workshop - I have embarrassingly got 4 awaiting restoration!

[Oldbikerider]

Charl, that's funny, I'm glad I'm not the only one with a thing for bandsaws. At one stage I had 4 here, but when I completed the Speedax, then the Hyco restorations I got rid of a couple because those two cover all bases for me.

However, I do need to confess that 2 years ago I then built this bandsaw mill.

What are the 4 you have?

Graham.

506088

[Charlie_6ft]

I've started some posts here:

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f299/wadkin-dn-bandsaw-restore-1900s-233954?highlight=wadkin+dn

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f299/american-crescent-bandsaw-231410?highlight=mcpherson+bandsaw

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f299/silver-manufacturing-co-bandsaw-restoration-233432?highlight=mcpherson+bandsaw