Reconditioning HAFCO BS16A MJ344C bandsaw and learning lessons

**Blackout** · 24th January 2022, 08:26 AM

I started buying and reconditioning standard 14" bandsaws that have been around for decades. Finally moved up to a 16" bandsaw.
After backing of blade guides, damping vibration from drive belt, and centring the blade on top tyre things seemed good until I started trailing cutting veneers.
Blade drift was terrible and it didn't matter if I adjusted the fence angle. The veneer would start thin but just keep widening. Tried a lot of adjustments.
Eventually I felt the top tyre and found it felt lumpy in locations. Took it off to see it had been scraped and damaged in areas (not easy to see when inside the bandsaw).
Wanted to buy a replacement but it seems there are big delays inn this and I wasn't 100% sure it would fix the issue.

Finally I turn the tyre inside out and returned it all to service. Amazing improved. Veneer started at 1.5mm thick and drift made it 3mm thick after 500mm length. I know turning inside out would not have fixed it but I think it's showing I'm heading in right direction.

Any suggestions (in Brisbane) on where to find stock of replacement tyres for 400mm (actually 394 on the wheel itself) dia and 35mm wide?

After this I hope to build a better pair of blade guides

**delbs** · 24th January 2022, 09:47 AM

Not local at all but if your happy this guy supplies a heap of models and will make one of specific model isn’t available if you just provide him the wheel dimensions etc

bandsaw-tire-warehouse on eBay

**Tom trees** · 24th January 2022, 02:24 PM

Might be worth just dressing them if they're in good enough nick to be flipped inside out or backwards.

Works for crowned and flat tires, flat tires need a rebated block as there is so much more contact, that the (parallel width) plane
iron gets shifted on the block without it.
Note the rebated block is butted against the frame, as clamping it alone is not enough for flat tires.
tire dressing jig .jpg dressing bandsaw tires .jpg

Can do cambered if you prefer, I tried that before to get down to the damage.

Lower wheel dressing.jpg

I've made a recent thread on this.
Cant wait to get my saw working again, currently attempting to make a spacer for the top wheel
Got me a fancy milled beam for the job of setup.
Keen to see how smooth I can get the saw to run, and learn more things myself.

All the best
Tom

**BobL** · 24th January 2022, 04:15 PM

Most bandsaw blades should not be centered on the tyres. It sounds wrong but Instead the top of the tyre crown should be as close as possible to the bottom of the gullets. This produces the least amount of blade wandering. Look up the Alex Snodgrass bandsaw tuning method. If the blade still wanders I would try a new blade. I experienced this after many months of playing around with a big bandsaw mill.

**Blackout** · 24th January 2022, 08:14 PM

I was hoping for the same but locally

If I can't get here then I'll have to go for the long wait for overseas supply

- - - Updated - - -

Watched your videos and was really impressed. Thank you

**Blackout** · 24th January 2022, 08:17 PM

Watched Alex many times and set the gullet to the top of the crown. Also tried 2 new blades. I just hadn't see that the tyre had defects on the surface. Really surprised turning the tyre inside out went so well.

**Colin Berry** · 12th May 2023, 02:08 PM

Hi does anyone know where to purchase BS16A spares, we are looking for a Lower saw blade guide set and the blade mouth.

Best regards

Colin

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