BP-16A Upper guide upgrade

**TTIT** · 20th December 2006, 10:10 AM

The original upper guide system on my release of the BP-16A was next to useless - wasn't square to the blade (or anything else!), couldn't be adjusted finely, broke 2 adjuster clamps and the whole thing is supported in a piece of flimsy aluminium by 2 tiny self-tappers :mad::mad: USELESS.
After a very long wait, I finally have the upgrade kit from H&F that the current model uses.....

Pic 1. The kit! Plan is barely legible and has been hand annotated in english - rough but just enough info.

Pic 2. Removed the blade and old upper guide abortion. Marked out and punched according to the drawing - can't fit it up temporary to check the fit with out holes but fingers crossed.
Pic 3. Used an ordinary electric drill with a unibit to drill the holes in the 3mm plate - too easy

.
Pic 4. Fit up - explains why they prescribed such huge holes for such small bolts - they haven't measured the rack/pinion assembly properly - but it all works and still had enough play to adjust for parallel with the blade.
Pic 5. All done. Replacing the Allen-head bolt that secures the guide assembly to the rack with a grub screw allows the assembly to fit up into the saw body another 10 or 12 mm - cool - but it also means leaving off the small sliding part of the blade guide as it will hit the top wheel. This guard only kicks in when the guides are lowered past halfway and anyone that puts their fingers or anything else around the back of the main guard to get in there wants shootin' anyway. I also replaced the 3xM5 philips-head screws that hold the guard on with Allen-heads so I still only need 1 tool to adjust anything (5mm T-bar allen key which hangs on the saw).

All in all a very worthwhile exercise! Looks and behaves like a 'real' bandsaw now. Nice and solid construction that won't break and flex all over the place like the old system. Positive guide adjustments that are actually square to the blade. Wouldn't put the useless, flimsy old system back on for quids!

**silentC** · 20th December 2006, 10:41 AM

Wonderful.

Emma Chisit?

**TTIT** · 20th December 2006, 10:45 AM

Knew I'd forget somethin' - $130 including freight out bush.

**silentC** · 20th December 2006, 11:20 AM

Damn, something else I can't live without

**Big Shed** · 20th December 2006, 11:35 AM

Great news that you now have a usable bandsaw, pity you had to spend $130 to make the BP-16A "fit for purpose!

Rather sad that it costs that much to rectify a manufacturers' design fault.

**silentC** · 20th December 2006, 11:37 AM

To be fair, the upgrade is for the old model of the saw. If you buy one today it already has the new upper guide. At least they recognised that there was a problem and did something about it. Unfortunately about 2 years too late for me

**woodbe** · 20th December 2006, 12:05 PM

Thanks for the write-up TTIT, I've placed my order (again) with H&F to be supplied direct. Wonder if it will arrive for christmas?

You could argue that the original saw should have had this guide to start with, but we all accepted the saw as-is at the time or we didn't buy it. I'm just happy that there is the opportunity to improve it.

woodbe.

**Moo73** · 2nd October 2007, 10:45 PM

Thanks TTIT, upgraded my upper guide on the weekend thanks to your notes - the included instructions were next to useless.
Cheers
Leanne

**TTIT** · 2nd October 2007, 11:48 PM

Originally Posted by Moo73

Thanks TTIT, upgraded my upper guide on the weekend thanks to your notes - the included instructions were next to useless.
Cheers
Leanne

No worries - good to see an old thread still getting some mileage

**rsser** · 23rd October 2007, 10:15 PM

Interesting how often the guides on Chinese BSs cop a shellacking from users.

**Calm** · 23rd October 2007, 10:50 PM

TTIT my new saw BP16A (purchased melbourne WWW show) probably has the guide you purchased as standard.

On mine when the guide is right up and adjusted to the back of the set, then lower it to about 4 inches above the table it has moved into the set by about 1/32 or 1/16. Can you tell me if there is any adjustment to move the top out to make it parallell to the blade.

It will save me pulling it to bits to find out.

Otherwise i will put a shim in the top or file/machine a smidgin off the bottom.

Thanks in advance

**TTIT** · 23rd October 2007, 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by Calm

.......On mine when the guide is right up and adjusted to the back of the set, then lower it to about 4 inches above the table it has moved into the set by about 1/32 or 1/16. Can you tell me if there is any adjustment to move the top out to make it parallell to the blade.

It will save me pulling it to bits to find out.

Otherwise i will put a shim in the top or file/machine a smidgin off the bottom.

Thanks in advance

There's no adjustment in that direction so a shim would be your best bet - I must have just been lucky with mine as it stays parallel for the whole range of travel. With good blades, that amount of movement shouldn't be a problem though - my current blade cuts so well that it hardly touches the rear rollers - running with about 2mm gap

**martrix** · 23rd October 2007, 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by TTIT

There's no adjustment in that direction so a shim would be your best bet - I must have just been lucky with mine as it stays parallel for the whole range of travel. With good blades, that amount of movement shouldn't be a problem though - my current blade cuts so well that it hardly touches the rear rollers - running with about 2mm gap

The blade is supposed to be no more than 0.5mm away from the thrust bearing so that when mild cutting force is applied, the blade is pushed back and supported by the thrust bearing during the cut.

**Calm** · 24th October 2007, 08:30 PM

Thanks it is not the trust bearing i am worried about but the side guides knocking the set off. It is easier to adjust the rear bearing than to move the side bracket back.

Thanks guys, i will get a shim and install it.

Never ceases to amaze me the help one gets and quickly.

**Stubchain** · 25th October 2007, 11:50 AM

I did the same as TTIT on this thread. http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=57528

I now have a bandsaw I can use. I know these things are built to a price, but with a little more care in the design and a couple of dollars more the manufacturers could build better machines if they wanted to. The design element is the key though. The old guide system on my machine including the extruded aluminum and the way it was put together looks like it would be dearer to produce than my simple (better) upgrade.

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