Band Saw Guides

[jamesy]

I have a Taiwanese 14" bandsaw and the top guide casting has broken. Does anyone know if and where replacments are available.

jamesy

[Grahame]

HI JAMESY
You may be able to get a replacement, but you may be only replacing crap with crap.
Having rebuilt a chinese band saw myself I can tell you that some of the components are like that.
Would you consider replacing the guide with one that incorporates 3 roller bearings.
I made one (copied it from an english magazine ) The blade is trapped by the two outside rollers, while the centre one takes the thrust on the od of the bearing whick rotates on a shaft.
It may take some machining skills.E mail if you are interested and I'll hunt the drawing out.
regards
Grahame

[Iain]

The castings as previously pointed out are rubbish as a rule and 'just another 1/4 turn' bang, its gone. If you have trouble making one, Carbatec have the same rubbishy replacements although I stuck a decent bearing in mine and that helped a lot.
I was also told to use redgum blocks in place of the cast iron guides but soak them in linseed or something for a week first. Won't bugger your blade and cheaper than cool blocks.

[barrysumpter]

Yeah, I just had a look at Carbatec and they're $50.

------------------
Thanks,
Barry G. Sumpter
Proud Tritoneer

[Iain]

I paid $25.00 for mine from Woodworking Warehouse in Highett. Had a choice of blade running on the edge of the bearing or on the flat (diameter). My saw is a Woodman or Woodsmith and either 'wood' have fitted.
Appesars to be a standard fitting.
I have seen the Carter system in the US and it sells for about US$65.00. Looks good but ouch, big bucks, thats about $AU140.00.

[barrysumpter]

Yeah, the guys at carbatec weren't too impressed with the specialized guides for the bandsaws. I was ready to give it a try but they talked me out of it. Thanks carbatec guys, you saved me quite a bit of money.



------------------
Thanks,
Barry G. Sumpter
Proud Tritoneer

[jamesy]

Thanks for your help everyone. That's what makes this board so good.

I don't think my machining skills are good enough to make a set Grahame, so it will be of to Carbatec.

PS I use Gidgee blocks with a bi-metal blade. The blade has lasted for years.

[Rod Smith]

G'day
I made blocks out of bronze rod (wanted brass, but this was free). Would prefer the bearing guides (mine has rear bearings), but would probably cost a fair bit to convert my old 18" woodfast. Cheers. Rod

[Grahame]

In reply to Barry's comment about the boys at Carba Tec not being impressed with the specialised band saw guides, I would add the following.
While I cheerfully acknowledge Carba Tec staff knowledge within the woodworking spheres, this really is an enginneering application and someone may have passed what is an uniformed comment without seeing the guide.

The majority of the B /saw manufacturers who do include a rear bearing type guide (to resist thrust) in their bandsaw guide systems , fit them in such as way that the blade scrapes- yes,scrapes - against a side mounted rotating bearing with its axis parallel to the blade.

The design that I used traps the blade against 3 rotating edges, 2 in pinch -1 in thrust of industrial quality fully sealed ball race bearings .This is exactly what the 2 position industrial metalcutting bandsaws utilise. As a result of that bearing resisting thrust ,a better rigidity of the blade between bearing guides can be ensured.

The project does require a good metal working skill and abilty with access to a least a drill press and a small lathe and required taps .

The pinch bearings for want of a better term are adjusted by means of hex head bolts with the shanks turned down to just under the bearing bore size.They adjust as a cam action with the recessed pivots of about 4mm hex allen key cap bolt mounted off centre of the bolt axis.
I have made the mounts to suit my saw , this is something everbody will have to work out themselves as each manufacturer mounts gudes in different ways.

I am currently re drawing sketches so that they don't look like the snowman in a blizzard when e mailed, so allow a week or two if you are after a copy.

regards all
Grahame Collins