Thread: Table Bowed on new H&F BP-305 [among other things]

Steve, been following your saga with this bandsaw and to me it is quite simple.

The item is not fit for purpose, return it for a refund and move on, life's too short.

Is this your model bandsaw Steve?

New Hafco Band Saw for sale - HAFCO WOODMASTER Woodworking Bandsaw BP 305 750W, 7562

Looking at the guides:




I can't see what the bottom guides are like. Feel like taking a photo?

I'm thinking there could be a guerilla solution to get things working in the short term.

Will those brass 'inserts' and the black guides remove out of the cast section?

I think you should contact someone with seniority at Hare and Forbes and organize to send it back. I purchased a drill press from them and it was one of their higher priced models. It was junk when I opened the carton and was of very inferior quality. After a few to and fros on the phone I took it back and got a full refund. Bought a Jet and it has been fine ever since. Stand your ground and even get in touch with some media if H&F don't come to a settlement.

Col

My big old bandsaw has a solid but very basic guide system.

Here is the upper guide assembly. The guides just sit/rub close to/against the blade, and have been metal then jarrah then back to metal.

The guide blocks have a counter-sunk screw to attach it to the assembly body.

I'm thinking that a hardwood block could be either attached to the brass pieces - which would be good - or a wooden cylinder made to replace the brass.

Sorry to hear that you're having this experience with your bandsaw ... they don't call them bs for nothing.

- - -

On the positive side - all the things that you learn from your 'training wheels' bandsaw will be a big help down the track when you get a bigger, more powerful one. Pain now _will_ save you time and $ down the track.

Cheers,
Paul

Paul, that is the same as mine.
I notice in the pic the top guide bracket is screwed into different holes than mine.
That's why mine is off-centre.
Mine has two places in the end of the extrusion for screws, but they're either side of where it should be.

Here's mine: -
Attachment 210873

Yep, the brass inserts etc can all be removed.

It doesn't help that the bottom guides can only really be accessed properly by tilting the table to it's full extent each time.
The guide grub screws can just be got at, but there's no way to fully tighten the thrust bearing screw with the table flat.
There just isn't room to get a hand in there. It's too long and has a plastic knob instead of an allen head. Almost like an afterthought.
A 12" x 1/8" allen key would help with the lower guide grub screws.

The blade tension was off when these were taken, so ignore the blade leaning on the guide: -

Paul, your guides look a damn sight better than mine - like they're actually designed to guide the blade.
Even if you tighten mine onto the blade, it can still rock a surprising amount. (Not that I'd run it that close.)
I could try to find after-market guides, but I'd need to buy them and wait until they were here to know if they'd fit.
I've been offered some already, but the same applies. Ther's nothing listed as fitting this machine anywhere.
I think I'm about over bandsaws.
BS is right. This is a hobby, supposed to be fun - I've had almost 3 weeks of BS and am back where I started, handsawing.

Steve,

I think it is time for this POS to be gone of your shop. You have much more important things to tend to. You said your budget is stretched. Is there a possibility you could find a good "used" bandsaw instead of buying a brand new one. Alot of times people buy big nice bandsaws that are not true woodworkers use it for couple of projects and then never use it again.

On a side note those are the strangest looking guides I have ever seen. Especially the bottom ones. Why in the world would they put on at a 45* angle?

I know you are going to get things right in the end. Don't give up on having a bandsaw. It is a must have for building toys and scale models in my opinion. Their are many a tricky cuts I have made not to mention all the resawing I do.

Bret

Originally Posted by bj383ss

Steve,

I think it is time for this POS to be gone of your shop. You have much more important things to tend to. You said your budget is stretched. Is there a possibility you could find a good "used" bandsaw instead of buying a brand new one. Alot of times people buy big nice bandsaws that are not true woodworkers use it for couple of projects and then never use it again.

On a side note those are the strangest looking guides I have ever seen. Especially the bottom ones. Why in the world would they put on at a 45* angle?

I know you are going to get things right in the end. Don't give up on having a bandsaw. It is a must have for building toys and scale models in my opinion. Their are many a tricky cuts I have made not to mention all the resawing I do.

Bret

I think I'll sleep on it tonight and decide whether to re-work this one, or get rid of it and perhaps buy a
second-hand one as you suggest.

They are strange guides, aren't they? Looking closely, I can't see why one is on an angle.
They appear to have been made for something else and just tacked on.
Very poor mounting, with the bracket swinging off one bolt, instead of at least two.
If the blade is bumped sideways with a piece of timber, even lightly, the whole guide assembly can swing
sideways hinging on that one bolt.

I do need an accurate bandsaw for the type of work I'm doing - models and boxes.

Have a look at the Hammer or Jet 18"

Originally Posted by Anodyne

Have a look at the Hammer or Jet 18"

I can look, but that's all. Beyond my budget, really. I'd have all Jet or better if I could afford it.
A Jet 18" runs in at a cool $2000. Out of the question for a poverty-stricken hobbyist.
The 12" BP-305 was $430.

The Jet 18" has 18" height capacity, mine has a 12" throat. Height is only 7".

Steve,

I paid $325 for my grizzly 14" and it can handle just about anything I throw at it. It only resaws 6" but so far that has met my needs as my jointer is only 6" as well. I made a few upgrades such as cool blocks for upper and lower guides a wheel brush on the bottom wheel and rockler zci. I also have about 20 different jigs I have made for it which would be right up your alley. Anyways I hope you get things right.

I normally do a lot of research on tools before I buy because I usually start saving for one at least a year in advance. I too am on a budget and generally only get a big tool purchase every 2 years. So i always make sure i am buying a good one as i couldnt live with a bad one. My next purchase is a DC. Hopefully this year.

Bret

I'll see what I feel like doing tomorrow.

Meantime, it's the hi-tech method. If I'm careful, this is 4 tyres for the Roadster: -
(Forgot to wipe the Camellia oil off the saw blade.)

Hiya Steve.
I know you may not have a taste for more fiddling - we all feel for you - but here's some thoughts.

It looks like the lower thrust bearing is on a shaft secured at 90o by the threaded bolt with the plastic handle. Could be worth taking out the bolt and checking the end for flat - maybe clean it up a bit, or even file it to a shallow point. The shaft for the thrust bearing could be rotated if needed - if I was keeping the saw it might be worth taking it out and putting a bit of a flat along it for the bolt to register onto.

Re the sawdust building up, can you get a vacuum cleaner/shop vac to the blade ... either straight under the table, or (with the door open) at the guide (that'd mean fudging the door switch).
I forgot your DC ... was it happening with the DC connected?

The 90o/45o lower guide setup is not uncommon. I don't have it, but some pretty good bandsaws do. It looks to me like the two lower guides are the same item ... you could swap them so the allen bolts are coming down on a fresh face. Also worth taking out the allen bolts and dressing the faces of them clean and flat to make sure a good contact. I wouldn't think they'd need to be done up too tight.
These guides would be easily replaced with the same shape eg in wood or cutting-board plastic (UHMW?)

Again - understand if you are jack of it completely.


All the best,
Paul.

I see the upper guides of the 355 are more familiar arrangement, and can't see the lower ones:
New Hafco Band Saw for sale - HAFCO WOODMASTER Woodworking Bandsaw BP 355 1500W, 7563

Originally Posted by pmcgee

Hiya Steve.
I know you may not have a taste for more fiddling - we all feel for you - but here's some thoughts.
It looks like the lower thrust bearing is on a shaft secured at 90o by the threaded bolt with the plastic
handle. Could be worth taking out the bolt and checking the end for flat - maybe clean it up a bit, or even
file it to a shallow point.

Good idea - in the morning. That's probably why it comes undone after a few minutes.
Actually, I was thinking of swapping it for a shorter one to make it easier to get at.
There's heaps of extra thread for no good reason.

The shaft for the thrust bearing could be rotated if needed - if I was keeping the saw it might be
worth taking it out and putting a bit of a flat along it for the bolt to register onto.

Done that, to get a new face. Problem with flattening one side is that I can't rotate again for
another new face in the future.

Re the sawdust building up, can you get a vacuum cleaner/shop vac to the blade ... either straight
under the table, or (with the door open) at the guide (that'd mean fudging the door switch).
I forgot your DC ... was it happening with the DC connected?

You raise an interesting point. The sawdust buildup problem, (on the horizontal guide only), didn't happen
before - only now with the DC connected.
The DC must be drawing the air/dust stream through the guide, I think. Maybe a tiny shield to deflect air flow,
for a test tomorrow? Even a cardboard one would do, for safety.

The 90o/45o lower guide setup is not uncommon. I don't have it, but some pretty good bandsaws do. It looks to
me like the two lower guides are the same item ... you could swap them so the allen bolts are coming down on a fresh face.

Already did that.

Also worth taking out the allen bolts and dressing the faces of them clean and flat to make sure a good contact. I wouldn't
think they'd need to be done up too tight.
These guides would be easily replaced with the same shape eg in wood or cutting-board plastic (UHMW?)

I'll reface the allen heads tomorrow too.

Is brass OK for guides?

Again - understand if you are jack of it completely.


All the best,
Paul.

I see the upper guides of the 355 are more familiar arrangement, and can't see the lower ones:
New Hafco Band Saw for sale - HAFCO WOODMASTER Woodworking Bandsaw BP 355 1500W, 7563

Hmmm. I've got some 6mm or 8mm bearings here.
Is the top guide layout of the BP-355 acceptable as a bottom guide setup? ie. Bearings