Thread: Preston Bandsaw

Originally Posted by hiroller

Well done. Must feel satisfying to get it going again.
Is it an issue of roundness or a sideways movement?

A bit of both. There's about 3mm of wobble (sideways movement) in the rim, and about 2mm out of round.

But, yes it is really satisfying to have it runable. Now to make it a little safer...

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Vann

...The only other reference to Preston that I could find, was a Preston Engineering Co. Pattern Band Saw, located in the Maintenance Shop (later known as the Wood Mill I believe). I assumed this was a different company. It was listed with serial number #2155 - and fitted with a Westinghouse Elec. Mfg. Co. motor #4718702.

Last night a penny dropped. Nowhere in any records I've seen, is there any mention of a serial number for my bandsaw - but while cleaning surface rust from the table I'd found one. What I did have however, was the make and serial number for the 3hp electric motor - Westinghouse Elect. & Mfg. Co. #4718701.

So at 1am, in my pyjamas, I wandered out to the garage and wiped the dust off a corner of my bandsaw. There is was, stamped in the top LH corner: SERIAL 2156. The twin ...

I was doing some research on Wadkin buzzers and went to New Zealand's National Archives here in Wellington to look at old railway files.

In 1925 tenders were requested for the supply of much new machinery for the re-equipping of the four main railway workshops. Tenders closed on 15^th February 1926, and summary of winning tenders was published in July, 1926. Preston Woodworking Machinery Co. Ltd. won several tenders for woodworking machines.

From a summary of all new machinery supplied, dated 17^th September, 1930, these are the machines supplied by Preston:

Four 36" bandsaws - spec. 86
- 1 to Auckland (nearest port to Otahuhu workshops) – value £162 12s 5d;
- 1 to Wellington (nearest port to Hutt workshops) – value £161 5s 8d;
- 1 to Lyttleton (nearest port to Addington workshops) – value £162 12s 5d;
- 1 to Port Chalmers (nearest port to Hillside workshops) – value £161 5s 8d.

One 30" bandsaw - spec. 87.
- to Wellington (nearest port to Hutt workshops) – value £112 5s 8d.

One 30" bandsaw "Pattern Making" - spec. 88. (mine)
- to Wellington (nearest port to Hutt workshops) – value £112 5s 8d.

Two "Moulders Double Spindle, Circular" - spec. 85.
- 1 to Auckland (nearest port to Otahuhu workshops) – value £320 13s 7d;
- 1 to Lyttleton (nearest port to Addington workshops) – value £320 13s 7d;

Ten "Machines planing & jointing" - spec. 247.
- 4 to Auckland (nearest port to Otahuhu workshops) – value £417 17s 4d;
- 1 to Wellington (nearest port to Hutt workshops) – value £104 9s 4d;
- 4 to Lyttleton (nearest port to Addington workshops) – value £417 17s 4d;
- 3 to Port Chalmers (nearest port to Hillside workshops) – value £104 9s 4d.

P 1666a.jpg P 1666b.jpg

Cheers, Vann.

I haven't posted any progress on the bandsaw for nearly a year. So here goes:

Originally Posted by Vann

...The exposed lower wheel scares the bejesus out of me - I'm now preparing the two cabinet doors for painting so I can fit them back on the saw...

The bottom doors have been on for some time now - but don't latch properly. At least they'll protect the crown jewels in the event of a blade breaking.

I've been collecting metal conduit fittings over the months, and now have enough to attempt permanent electrical wiring. I was going to run 5/8" conduit from the on/off switch box to the motor terminal box (4 wires - 3phases & earth). But I'm not really happy with the power cord coming out the front of the machine - I can see I'll often tread on it. I really want to move the cord to the rear - but that would mean 7 wires in part of the conduit (2 of each phase & a common earth). I found I have enough 3/4" BS Conduit fittings so I ordered a length of 3/4" tube. I have BS Conduit dies, but I'd need a 3/4" BS Conduit tap to complete the job. I found one on ePay in Oz and it arrived last week.

So I started cutting steel.

Pcon1.jpg Switchgear, top left; power supply, top right; motor, bottom right.

Then drilled and tapped the main casting to mount saddles.

Pcon2.jpg Pcon3.jpg Both horizontal tubes are temporary for now.

That's all for now. Next time I get time on the machine I'll try to mount the new motor terminal box and connect up that part of the conduit permanently.

When I get to the switchgear boxes I'll need some locking nuts on the conduit (I haven't managed to score any in 3/4"). I'm not set up for metalworking (even though it was a large component of my trade) and dislike metalworking without all the facilities. However, needs must.

I found a piece of 3mm plate in the rathole and marked up three nuts (I'll need 7 all up), drilled pilot holes, and bored them to 11/16" (correct size for taping 3/4" BS conduit) on my old trusty Silver No.22 post drill. No sweat (actually a bit of sweat, but not too much ).

Pcon5.jpg Pcon6.jpg Auscab: if you're reading this, please note the shaft to the right of the post drill.

Tapped a thread or two...

Pcon7.jpg

...hacksawed and filed...

Pcon8.jpg

...until I'd completed one. Yup, that'll work. But the others will have to wait for another day.

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Vann

...Next time I get time on the machine I'll try to mount the new motor terminal box and connect up that part of the conduit permanently...

Pcon11.jpg "New" terminal box ("peckerhead" in USA) fitted. The thread in the bottom of the box is 3/4" BS Conduit - so it's not that "new".

Pcon12.jpg Pcon13.jpg Conduit permanently fitted (just the one length mind) and wires run.

I've since reconnected the wiring as my wife has a job I have to do this week, that will require the bandsaw. The rest of the conduit will need to wait until I can have the bandsaw out of use for a few weeks if necessary (still making up parts meanwhile).

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Vann

Pcon3.jpg Both horizontal tubes are temporary for now.

The horizontal tube to the left needed a bend. I don't have a pipe bender, and no longer have access to one at work. Either I'd have to pay an engineering firm to bend it, or...

I decided I could bend it myself. I made up a jig out of MDF, but I wasn't prepared to attempt it cold. I needed a day where SWMBO was a work, but I wasn't (I'm a shift worker). Where the weather was dry, but cold, as I wanted to heat the conduit in the woodfire (in the lounge ) then bend it in the jig out on the deck.

The planets aligned on Monday, and I successfully put a bend in the conduit.

Cond1.jpg
But when I offered it up to the machine, I'd put the bend in the wrong place - and the long leg is too short .

So today I had another go (it's not cold today, but everything else was as required).

Cond2.jpg

This one is better. The fire got the conduit a low red hot, but in the 10-15 seconds required to get it out the door the red was no longer visible. I'd filled the bore with dry sand, but there was still some flattening of the tube. I reheated the tube and hammered most of the flattening out.

Oh - and I didn't burn the house down .

Now to cut to exact length, cut conduit threads, prime, paint - and then assemble.

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Vann

Oh - and I didn't burn the house down .

Well done! That's all that matters in the end. Everything else is just trivial detail.

Graham.

About two weeks ago I assembled the conduit.

PC1.jpg Bent conduit section fitted.

PC2.jpg Elbow and vertical section fitted.

PC3.jpg PC4.jpg Wires run and contactor mechanism re-installed.

PC6.jpg Wiring complete and saw up and running again.

While I had the contactor cover off, I had my daughter pick out the "START" and "STOP" lettering in black (she has better eyes than mine).

I was going to move the cord to the rear of the machine, but... Although the machine is on a plug, and therefore doesn't actually need an isolating switch onboard, I am reluctant to run the incoming wires through the contactor to get to the isolating switch. Incoming wiring should, I believe, always go first to the isolating switch, THEN to the next electrical component. This would have required an extra bend in the conduit, or I would have to move the isolating switch further to the right. All this is just a step too far at this time.

Instead, I've had an additional outlet fitted between the bandsaw and the Wadkin lathe. Just awaiting it to be connected at the fusebox. Then I can run the flex to the back of the machine, out of the way of passing feet.

PC7.jpg I used grey conduit as IMHO bright orange conduit just doesn't look right around vintage machines.

The wiring isn't quite finished. I fitted a new terminal box on the motor some months back.

Pcon11.jpg

It's all wired in now - but the box had been a switch box, and has a round hole in the lid - and I still haven't got around to plugging the hole and painting the lid .

Cheers, Vann.

Hello everyone. First post here, Vann referred me from the CWW forum. I have just acquired a Preston 132. A much later one, but still. Also, those catalog cuts upthread are wonderful, thank you for finding them Vann. My preston is identical to the catalog cuts.

Here are some pics of my saw. Can't wait to get it into my shop!

da18d2311f496da15b530f2e7e0f278f.jpg

Seeing as I'm the one guilty of introducing you to WWF, let me be the first to say welcome.

There's not as much traffic here in the old iron section as you'd find back on the Canadian forum, but there's a lot more traffic in other sections here.

Anyways, I'm hoping you'll start a thread on your machine once it arrives and you begin stripping it down (either here or there).

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Vann

...The wiring isn't quite finished. I fitted a new terminal box on the motor some months back.

Pcon11.jpg

It's all wired in now - but the box had been a switch box, and has a round hole in the lid - and I still haven't got around to plugging the hole and painting the lid .

Last month I used a hole saw to cut a circle of aluminium, which I epoxied into the hole (it was already a tight fit). A bit of bondi (bondo), etch primer and two finish coats, and it was ready to go on.

But where the heck did I put the four screws? Were there any screws? BA screws are hard to find.

So I've been keeping an eye out for stray machine screws for a month. Finally yesterday I measured the one screw I'd found that fitted - intending to order BA screws from UK if necessary. Well the damned thing turns out to have 5/32" BSW threads . I bought a packet of six screws this morning from M10, cut them to length, and another job is done (phew).

Cheers, Vann.

Hi Vann,

I was wondering how this bandsaw is going? Do you have it up and running? I'm particularly interested in how the tilt adjustment for the top wheel is performing? You said in another post that there is no locking mechanism, has that been an issue?

Cheers,
Cam

Hi Cam.

The saw is up and running, and gets used from time to time (I was a weekend woodworker until I retired last December). There are still a few jobs to be done: finish the blade guard above the upper guide; fix the catch on the bottom cabinet doors so they latch closed; cover the motor so it doesn't get covered in sawdust.

And there's the problem with the upper wheel.

Originally Posted by Vann

...There's about 3mm of wobble (sideways movement) in the rim, and about 2mm out of round...

The upper wheel has steel spokes with thread and a nut at the inner end. That (apparently) allows for adjustment, but I haven't yet tried to see if that will cure the problem.

PresUW.jpg

Originally Posted by CBaulds

...I'm particularly interested in how the tilt adjustment for the top wheel is performing? You said in another post that there is no locking mechanism, has that been an issue?

I've not had any problems with blade tracking. In the above photo you can see the adjustment lever in the horizontal position (defying gravity) - I just moved it to there and it stays there (IIRC I moved it there to get the blade to track in the middle of the wheel instead of the leading edge).

Cheers, Vann.

Hi Vann,

I am glad to hear you have the saw up and running, sounds like it is performing well. I imagine you will be able to adjust the wheel shape by tensioning the spokes in an analogous way to a bicycle wheel (but probably don't need to).

Thanks,
Cam