Needs Pictures: 0
Picture(s) thanks: 0
Results 1 to 15 of 17
-
28th June 2018, 08:26 PM #1GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Mar 2018
- Location
- Sydney
- Posts
- 1,166
checklist for buying 2nd hand bandsaw
Well that's what my search was but I didn't find anything in the first half dozen pages of results …
I did find one thread that reminded me to check build plates, and make sure I wrap everything up tight so it doesn't rattle loose
But what I really am looking for is tips on what a newbie like me should check out when inspecting a 2nd hand bandsaw.
Checking how the alignment looks on the machine is a pretty obvious one, but one perhaps the existing owner won't have got right anyhow, depending on how experienced they are. I've watched the Snodgrass video so I can take a stab at tweaking it, but how will I know if it's just my lack of knowledge that makes it worse?
Bearings, free running wheels when under tension and when not, signs of wear on the motor vee belt, again all general things I'd think about from the general sense, but am I missing anything really critical that would change a good buy into a waste of cash?
-
28th June 2018 08:26 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Posts
- Many
-
29th June 2018, 02:02 PM #2
Sounds like you have most of the standard things covered by using common sense. On top of those things you need to check the condition of the tyres on the wheels. If they are rubber and very old they could be starting to perish and could need replacing in the not too distant future.
Check the brackets and adjusters on the blade guides (upper and lower) to make sure they haven't been broken at some stage and then just bolted back in the right spot somehow. Some of the cheaper Chinese machines used fairly poor quality castings for these and either the metal was poor or the design weak. Check that all the adjustment knobs for these are there also and that the adjusters move freely.
If when it is running it makes noises that don't sound right you can back the guides away from the blade so that the only things moving are the wheels and motor and that will help isolate the sound for closer inspection.Dallas
-
29th June 2018, 05:52 PM #3GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Oct 2004
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia.
- Posts
- 1,273
If it has a tilting table; most do, then have a go at tilting it. I was surprised by one that I looked at, where the tilt feature was basically unworkable unless you almost pulled the table off.
I would also suggest if the unit is older than about ten years and/or been heavily used and still running original tyres, then replacing them will need to be included in your buy price. I replaced my tyres with urethane units from the USA.
Urethane Band Saw tyres (tires)
Mick.
-
29th June 2018, 10:05 PM #4GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Mar 2018
- Location
- Sydney
- Posts
- 1,166
thanks guys, appreciate the thoughts.
on guides, that wasn't something I'd mentioned but I had considered it in "bearings" but the actual adjustment and castings is a good thing I'll now look at. I had expected to replace the tyres, as the one I am looking at is ~10 years old - as a newbie I'm not really sure what a deterioration of the tyres would cause, I'm assuming if they've chipped and cause the blade to run strangely it's an obvious sign, but as they approach that point?
Optimark, I'm assuming the implication of what you said about the tilt table is more that it was a badly designed tilt mechanism rather than the previous owner had left it in a state?
* All adjustment knobs fitted, and all are free and easy to tighten/loosen
* tilting table free and easy to adjust
* surface of table finish appropriate for age/price
-
30th June 2018, 10:13 AM #5GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Oct 2004
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia.
- Posts
- 1,273
Yes, the mechanism of tilting the table on one saw that I looked at, was not the greatest. I remember when I declined to purchase it after looking at it for some time and mentioning that the table tilting mechanism wasn't that easy to use. The owner/vendor agreed with me and stated that he had hardly ever tilted his table as it was very hard to do.
With regard to tyres, I'm mainly talking about slipping. My own band saw tyres worked perfectly, for light cuts. However when I was running the saw close to maximum cutting depth (around 200mm) the blade started to slip a bit. If you look at the link I gave, look at the pictures of the original tyres, one is quite shiny. The real shiny tyre was on the drive wheel and that shine comes from where the wheel was driving but the tyre was slipping; it is a shine developed from the alloy drive wheel.
If the blade keeps coming off, as far as my experience goes,that is telling me that the top wheel, with which you get alignment, is incorrectly aligned.
Best of luck with your searching.
Mick.
-
30th June 2018, 10:40 AM #6.
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 27,829
With tyres, watch out if they are too hard, they should have a small amount of give in them. If they are are hard that means they are on their way out and will need replacing. Not that big a deal but something to look for.
It's very difficult to tell much by cutting as the cut is so "band" dependent and a New Band could make a lot of difference. When I went to but my metal cutting bandsaw the seller had it set up to make perfectly square cuts for thin stock. As soon as got it home and adjusted it for wider stock it no longer cut true. After a lot of mucking about I replaced the blade and the problem went away.
-
30th June 2018, 10:49 AM #7GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Mar 2018
- Location
- Sydney
- Posts
- 1,166
Thanks again Mick. I had read your urethane tyre post before and re-read it - all sounds good to me. And it turns out I'm looking at a saw similar to what you have BP355 - and while I don't live in the area near the Hafco Sydney spare parts place I could probably drop by one Saturday (who doesn't need an excuse ) and pick up the part and whack it in a regular letter to get to you cheaper.
-
30th June 2018, 08:20 PM #8Senior Member
- Join Date
- Mar 2014
- Location
- Beach
- Posts
- 166
Go Big or go home!
Larger old machines are going to be industrial quality and are usually far cheaper than the hobbyist alternative. They are better built and have the capacity that the cheaper homeowner machines can never have.
You may have to swap a motor out to get single phase but you won't have to upgrade!
Well, unless you decide you need 2 bandsaws!
Have fun,
Alli
-
30th June 2018, 11:22 PM #9GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Mar 2018
- Location
- Sydney
- Posts
- 1,166
I think if i went big, I wouldn't be allowed to go home !
-
2nd July 2018, 10:58 AM #10GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Mar 2018
- Location
- Sydney
- Posts
- 1,166
i guess time will tell how useful this question was, as I now own a 2nd hand Sherwood TBB-14
-
2nd July 2018, 04:39 PM #11GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Oct 2004
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia.
- Posts
- 1,273
Nice, that is a reasonably specified machine, better cutting height than my HAFCO unit.
Should get you into the swing of things.
Mick.
-
2nd July 2018, 07:41 PM #12SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Jul 2009
- Location
- inverloch
- Posts
- 472
-
3rd July 2018, 01:50 PM #13GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Mar 2018
- Location
- Sydney
- Posts
- 1,166
-
3rd July 2018, 04:12 PM #14GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Oct 2004
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia.
- Posts
- 1,273
First up, a mobile base, followed by some kind of dust extraction.
Mick.
Mobile_Base_002_web.jpg Dust_Extraction_Bandsaw_web.jpg
-
3rd July 2018, 06:20 PM #15GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Mar 2018
- Location
- Sydney
- Posts
- 1,166
Similar Threads
-
Buying hand tools from the US
By TheOtherLeft in forum METALWORK FORUMReplies: 8Last Post: 7th May 2011, 12:32 PM -
Buying hand tools in singapore
By Therapy in forum HAND TOOLS - UNPOWEREDReplies: 8Last Post: 27th May 2009, 09:10 PM -
What to look for when buying a second hand bandsaw
By felixe in forum BANDSAWSReplies: 20Last Post: 4th December 2006, 09:27 PM -
table saw/bandsaw checklist
By forunna in forum TABLE SAWS & COMBINATIONSReplies: 9Last Post: 28th September 2004, 12:41 AM