Thread: Woodfast bandsaw model 14

Most folks from Old Woodworking Machines • Index page takes restoring vintage machines seriously. Somebody there could have the same machine that you have.

Thanks for the info Bosox, will try there to save this 1962 old saw.

Pics would help, but I suspect you're going to want to beg, borrow or steal a puller. A nice big one should be able to get around the wheel hubs and you'll be good.

I've just been through this with my old Tanner!

Will upload pictures tomorrow. Thanks for the reply.
Since NZStu mentioned about a puller, I could easily remembering dual-bearing wheel hub. that's PITA when doing with hand tools!

Another issue for today's BS time: the upper wheel is 11m far from the frame than the lower wheel is. I will take pics tomorrow and upload.
But, is this a factory setting or does it mean a bad fix happened somewhere on its way toward my shed? (if I track the upper wheel right, the blade on lower wheel will sit on edge. And if I track the lower right, the blade will ride on back edge of up wheel and rubbing the blade guide.)

May ended up in sending down to my mechanic who has a power press.

I will say, follow the last option. They know best about the machine. No time to waste.

Originally Posted by Fingernail

Another issue for today's BS time: the upper wheel is 11m far from the frame than the lower wheel is. I will take pics tomorrow and upload.
But, is this a factory setting or does it mean a bad fix happened somewhere on its way toward my shed? (if I track the upper wheel right, the blade on lower wheel will sit on edge. And if I track the lower right, the blade will ride on back edge of up wheel and rubbing the blade guide.)

Assuming you mean 11mm, (not 11m), I think that is well out. You should be able to get them pretty much co-planar by adjusting either the top or bottom wheel (or both).

Don't be afraid of pulling it apart completely!

Hi Fingernail,

I put a new set of bearings top and bottom in one of those a couple of years ago at a school where I volunteer . I had the wheels re-rubbered at the same time. I had to borrow a four leg puller to get the wheels off as the three leg version doesn't compute given the casting profile of the wheels.I borrowed the four leg puller from the workshop who did the re-rubbering on the strength of that job. Incidentally the wheels on the one I repaired were steel not alloy and had originally been carefully balanced judging by the drill holes around the inside perimeter of the wheels.

If you get the wheels re-rubbered make sure you use exactly the same thickness of rubber as the original or you will have all sorts of alignment problems with the blade and the table slot. We achieved that by bonding on the new rubber and then re-grinding back to the original dia.

It's hard to imagine just how a blade would function without coming off the wheels with an ' out of planarity' as big as you have found there but as indicated by an earlier forumite it an easy fix. Good luck with it those are quite nice machines in their own little way.

Cheers Old Pete

I crowned the rubber today with some sandpaper and it seems helped easy the tracking issue a little bit now.

It is a 1962 old boy with 0.75 HP. The wheels are pretty wide but as far as I know, it takes half inch blade as widest. (or, can I fit something wider?)

The guide system is copper cool columns and small bearings (different in Id: 5mm and 7mm). These guides would not accommodate anything wider than half inch unless I cut the thrust bearing spigot really short which I will not do right now.

The wheels are out of balance which I will spend the weekend looking at if I can get the balancing blocks (weights??). (Pete maybe mine are steel also, just not feel as much weigh as I expected. If so, I could probably deal with the re-bearings myself. Anyway, I will bring the wheel with me next time visiting my mechanic shop to find out which way I will go).

Ok here it is:
(pictures 1-5 )
(Ok I admit I don't know how to insert pictures, 'security token missing'...
I will get back asap

It cut 3 inch red gum better than doing 2 inch pine due to the shaking .. the pine turned into 2 pieces of files when cut apart..

Cheers,
Jing

Jing,

to post Pictures , when you posta reply , before you hit the "submit Reply " scroll down to MANAGE ATTACHMENTS, Click on this and a window will open with blank spaces then Browse on the right of them. Just click on browse then select the folder then picture you want click on open and the picture will copy to that line , etc,etc.
You then click on the UPLOAD , and wait for the site , when the windows go blank, go back up the page and click SUBMIT REPLY.

Jeff
vk4

Thanks VK4! My previous files were oversized.
Again, Pictures 1-6 before rebearing
WF BS Coplanarity.jpg
11mm off-set
WF BS14-1.jpg
The saw talks (loudly)! through the front cover and switch box!
WF BS14-2.jpg
Upper wheel hub. (has done rebearing)
WF BS14-3.jpg

WF BS14-4.jpg
Lower wheel, it seems the axle tilts backwards towards the pulley.

WF BS14-5.jpg
The plate, 1962 boy

Re-bearing was easy:
1. got upper wheel off
2. knocked the axle off with center punch (rear bearings came off with it)
3. pin punch the front bearings out (hit the outer racer, take careful small steps a time and do not scar the hub. I did )
4. pin punch the rear bearings off the axle (again hit only the inner racer)
5. clean everything

to put it back,
1. change the two spring clip in the hub with real inner circlips
2. knock the rear bearings into the hub (use the old bearings outer racer or something of the right diameter)
3. sit the wheel on the axle, knock down till the inner racer of rear bearings sit right on the axle collar (listen to the Tinging sound)
4. knock the front bearings into position. again use the old inner racer

The face of the axle will flush with the front bearings if everything goes well.
I also knock the lower axle towards the front of the saw, try to reduce the off set and it now about 5.5 mm, any further the v-belt will start to grub the pulley wall. With right tension and crowning, the tracking is almost right.

Now that the new bearings are working well, I need to look at the vibration issue.

One thing I don't like the woodfast bandsaw is, the lower thrust spigot is off wrong size (too long I mean). I had already cut at least 3.5 mm off it, but when the blade on lower wheel is sitting on the center, the bearings still grub back of the blade. I will grind down the holder on the guide assembly to give more space for the bearings to sit back from the blade.

Question: I wonder if I can use blades wider than 1/2 inch? I think the width of the wheels are much potentially to take 1-1/4 blades. Am I right? or anyone tried before?

Thank you all and I will update when I get the vibration away.

Cheers,

Jing

Pics are everything - there's no puller on god's green earth that would be capable of getting those wheels off! your strategy was the correct one for the situation.

While a blade wider than 1/2" would probably physically fit, the problem would be tensioning it sufficiently - that'll depend on the spring and even the stiffest spring you can fit in a typical 14" saw struggles with a 1/2". See https://www.woodworkforums.com/f27/te...prings-157401/ (In the attached spreadsheet, you'll see that even this spring can't really get to the recommended 20000psi on a 1/2" blade without exceeding the max working compression of 19mm.)

Hi Jing,

I have a Woodfast Junior which is just a smaller version of what you have, and the design and alignment method is the same.

I have attached some photos which should help understand what is going on with these machines - regarding the offset pulleys and how they interact with the blade backstop wheels and guides.

You can see that the pulleys have to remain staggered. Note that my saw does not have the rubber wheel surface (long gone) and it works fine without it - no issues what so ever.

The offset edge of the blade teeth actually sit in the groove in the top wheel - so there is no contact with the wheel.

When I got my unit it was in pieces (picked it up off the roadside on junk day) and the only issue I had was that there needs to be a spacer between the drive belt pulley and the bottom outer spindle wheel bearing to keep the bottom pulley correctly aligned.

Seen in P1 (the rusty looking shaft is actually a small spacer - metal tubing).

Whether that was originally included, I can't say, but it needs one.

Obviously the blade pulley alignment was offset by the factory for a reason. Presumably so the teeth don't tear up the wheels.

The wheels are balanced with drill holes in the centre groove. I don't have a significant vibration issue with mine, but the wheels are definitely not perfectly balanced - some shake.

Mines on wheels at one end so it's portable, and not bolted to the floor, great but makes vibration worse.

Hope this helps.

Rob