Thread: Woodfast bandsaw - Good Buy?

Before getting too carried away I would be tempted to PM the guys who posted above that have the same saw. Check with them the HP rating and the motor speeds from their motor plates. A quick look at the small bandsaw at Hare and Forbes indicates it is only 0.5HP and I think there will be a point where more HP isn't better (although I don't know what that point is ).

The other things to check for are the shaft diameter of the existing motor, with any luck you may be able to remove the pulley and just connect to a new motor. Also check how the existing motor is mounted onto the saw, there are a number of different mounting feet available for new motors so you want to try and get one that will be simple to attach to your existing setup.

Finally there is still the possibility that your existing motor is single phase and if it is it still might be worth getting it wired up again.

I will pull the motor out on the weekend and get back to you all.

I think Stinkies last post has some good advice. You may also want to investigate what the tyres are going to cost and again you most likely will have to import them, their not cheap.

Once you know the cost of the new motor, tyres, any bearings or guides. You may or may not decide to it is viable to proceed. I have a small ezycut bandsaw I'm restoring and I think it is costing me more than it is worth.

For example a previous post said he spent $350 getting his running if you add your purchase price of $150, $500 plus the time and stress. Different matter if you enjoy the challenge and tinkering but sounds like your not.

Do you know anyone who works in industry? A lot of places have their own commercial or industrial electricians, and your acquaintance may be able to get them to carry out the repairs required for a very minimal cost as a favour.
There are lots of different motors out there with various frame sizes, shaft sizes, mountings, etc. It's not one size fits all, so be careful if you go down that path. Not having a switch on your machine could be dangerous if an emergency arises where it needs to be turned off in a hurry.

Here are the details I was able to get off the plate:

• HP 0.75
• RPM 1440
• Amp 1.5
• Cycles 50
• Wind STAR
• Temp Rise 50 centigrade
• Volts 400
• Rating Cont

From the volts I assume its a three phase motor.

The thing that is annoying me is that I was told it was single phase and that it worked. Fixing the band saw while not ideal is simple a pain, however I am learning.

So it looks like I am replacing the motor with something with a similar HP and RPM.

The mounting is via four bolts, the plate has a grove so the bolts can be positioned anywhere along the grove.

What difference would there be between a 1 horse power motor at 1410RPM VERSUS a 2800RPM in terms of performance?

My next step is to completely stripping out the motor and all the electrics into a giant pile. Then measure the shaft diameter and finding a matching motor.

Confirmed that its 3 phase. Printed on the motor once the the dust was removed.

I stripped the motor out and the the electrics have been removed.

Anyone want a free 3 phase motor?

I measured the mounting screw position.

There are four slots that 12 mm wide and about 30 mm long.

The paired slots are 66 mm apart on each side and 84 mm apart on either end.

The next thing is figuring out how to remove the pulley wheel from motor. Any advice?

Stick with a motor of the same RPM. If you went to 2800 your blade would be travelling at twice the speed unless you changed your pulley ratio. There would be not performance gain in doing this, only extra costs.
Maybe this will help you with motor selection. I think the IEC frame sizes will be cheaper and more readily available.

I would agree with keeping the same speed. In relation to HP I would still be looking at the 0.75 - 1hp single phase option. When I was last in the garage I checked my 16" bandsaw motor and it was 1.5hp to give you some comparison.

Somebody did raise a valid issue about safety if you are still looking at a prewired motor. If this is the case it may be worth looking at one of the router table safety switches so you can have a quick off if needed.

Thanks for all your advice. I am currently looking for a single phase 1 HP 1440 RPM motor. I also like the router table safety switch idea.

My choice now is between a Chinese motor and an Australian made motor, with the Australian costing 2-3 times as the Chinese jobby. Is the price difference worth it or are they pretty reliable?

A couple of years ago I needed to replace the motor in my table saw, and learned two things:

1. Chinese motor power ratings are optimistic. I think Chinese horses are quite a bit smaller than Aussie horses.
2. The place I bought my Aussie motor from had a a workshop full of Chinese machinery. Their attitude was that the motor was the one weakness in tools made in China, and they were prepared to replace the motor with a locally manufactured one when it inevitably failed.

So if you are in it for the long haul, pay the extra for an Aussie motor.

Thanks switt. I found this Australian made motor at Hare & Forbes :

E050 | CWC3703C Electric Motor | machineryhouse.com.au

Looks like it would suit me perfectly. And its only $70 more then a Chinese one once the postage is accounted for.

I just need to confirm a 100% that the foot mounting will fit my machine and then I will be $264 poorer.

I had a go at removing the wheel attached the motor. I saw it was secured with an Allen key. I tried to turn it anticlockwise but it was unmovable. I fear that in my attempt to loosen the nut I may have shredded the nut.

What is wheel the pulley connects to? I think I will need to buy a new one, if I cannot get the wheel free tomorrow.

Success - I tried sliding wheel off the shaft after applying some lubricant and it simple slid off.

The hex nut is still in the wheel but its an unusual size, not found in my standard set. So I will have to go and find the right size.

It sounds like you are getting on top of things. When you are feeling a little frustrated by the process you should take a step back and think about what you have been able to achieve. The other good thing about restoration of a machine is you get a better understanding of how it works and how to adjust it which is handy in keeping it running and tuning it up.