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  1. #1
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    Default Steelfast 14’’ bandsaw reconditioning and questions

    Hi all,

    My name is Tom and I’ve been a woodworker since about 2017 when I inherited a bunch of hand tools and was bitten by the bug so to speak. At the moment I am embarking on a journey of acquiring machinery and setting up a capable workshop. This has come about from recently moving to Tenterfield in northern New South Wales where for the first time I have access to a workspace suitable for large equipment. At this stage I’m getting to the point of needing some outside input and information about some of my acquisitions. Besides I thought it might be a good idea to record the process for the enjoyment of others and future reference.

    The story:

    About a month ago (hence the long post) I acquired a Steelfast 14 inch bandsaw which I understand from extensive Internet searches and forum scrolling is essentially identical to a Woodfast machine except it has a gearbox for slow speed metal cutting - a feature I have already found surprisingly handy for a woodworker.

    Here are some pics while inspecting:
    Attachment 516916Attachment 516917Attachment 516918Attachment 516919Attachment 516920
    Strapped in:
    IMG_5358.JPG
    In-flight:
    IMG_5315.jpg
    Touchdown:
    IMG_5320.jpgIMG_5318.jpgIMG_5319.jpgIMG_5321.jpgIMG_5329.jpgIMG_5317.jpg

    I know it’s not best practice to lift these machines from the neck however I was not present at loading and apparently that’s what they did! So I figured a second time was unlikely to hurt.
    After a quick inspection I deemed it safe to plug in for a test run, everything seem smooth and it runs surprisingly quietly, especially on the slow speed I started with. Unfortunately a number of problems were identified:


    • Needs new tires. Looking for advice from anyone with experience having this done? Good sources for stretch on tires? Suitable glues? Thickness of original tires? Re-vulcanising services local to the Northern Rivers of New South Wales? I already have a lead on a local company that used to offer this - yet to investigate.
    • Missing the lower thrust bearing holder, will probably get a new one made but if anyone knows of an off-the-shelf option I’m all ears.
    • Leaking oil – likely oil seals?
    • Main pulley and direct drive coupler loose and set screw badly stuck - more on this later
    • Needs new wiring and switch
    • Tracking handle sawn off!? Not sure what they were thinking? Should be a simple fix but would like to see originals for ideas.


    First things first I needed to make the machine mobile as its crazy heavy and blocking the cars from getting in the shed - with storm season approaching this was a priority.
    I made an angle iron frame with casters and am really quite happy with the results:
    IMG_5338.jpgIMG_5344.jpgIMG_5345.jpgIMG_5346.jpg

    note the timber bolted to the top of the base - these things are seriously heavy and awkward to lift and I didn’t want to do the whole tractor thing again so we worked out that splitting it in half (the base weighs as much or more than the machine) and adding a handle made life much easier.

    In the meantime I worked on removing the stuck set screw with little success – it along with many other set screws on this machine have cracked in the socket which means they spread, binding in the threaded hole when you try to undo them. Fortunately this is the only one that is stuck. It needs to come out in order for these components which are currently loose on the shaft to be reset for the safe operation of the bandsaw at fast (wood cutting) speeds and to address the oil leak. So far I’ve tried heat, soaking and significant pressure. When the 3/16 Allen key started twisting I decided to try drilling it and found it was hardened. At the moment I’m leaning toward buying a die grinder ($$$) and grinding it out using a long shank carbide burr but If anyone has better ideas I would love to hear them.
    Picture of the set screw:
    IMG_5324.jpg

    Recently I have decided to disassemble the saw for cleaning as the tensioning mechanism would tension but not de-tension (clogged with rust and filth) plus removing the wheels for new rubber and inspecting the bearings was seeming like a good idea. Everything came apart easily except the bottom wheel which seems to be a tight press fit. It came apart without issues using my home-made puller (see pictures). Not sure how I’m going to get it back on though. Hopefully cleaning improves the fit.
    IMG_5348.jpgIMG_5350.jpgIMG_5351.jpgIMG_5352.jpg

    Overall I’m happy with the saw, it didn’t cost much and I haven’t found any irreparable problems yet. Sometimes I feel like new machinery might be easier or that I’m going overboard with the extent of reconditioning however I can’t pass up the quality and it seems pointless not to do things right when you have a machine half pulled apart.
    That sums up my progress so far. Looking forward to any ideas and suggestions or even just any information you may have about these machines, history and manufacturing dates? I hope you enjoy my ramblings and get some ideas for your own workshop.
    Stay tuned for progress updates and other projects.

    Cheers,
    Tom

    P.S.
    This is my first real thread so I apologise if this is in the wrong section. Being a bandsaw I debated long and hard whether to put it here or in the bandsaw forum but decided that a lot of my questions and documentation of the process is not specific to bandsaws but is instead more general to the challenges of getting old equipment working at its best. That said, feel free to move it if I’m wrong.
    Also I hope the pictures are okay as I haven’t resized them? It is my understanding that the attachment manager does this automatically? Some of them ended up sideways, not sure why?

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  3. #2
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    Hi Tom .
    Nice saw. I have the same thing and use it with a 1/4" wood blade for timber. I did do some steel and brass work with it as well but it gets a lot more work with wood now . I use two other larger band saws as well for wood and keep a 3/8" blade and a 1 1/4" blade in them. My Steelfast was an ebay buy. You don't see many come up to often for sale.

    My tires were bad . Nothing was missing but they were worn and rutted and proper tracking of the blade was not happening. I just fitted a 40 grit sanding disc to an angle grinder and sanded the bad stuff off . Holding the grinder the right way spins the wheel and removes rubber at the same time giving you a black rubber shower if your in the way. Everything runs good now once a crown has been put back into the tires. I did the same to my largest 30" Wadkin band saw. That had loose sections of rubber that I glued back on first with Poly glue I think ?

    Chris vesper does wheels if you looking for someone to do them Vesper Tools – Superb Quality Woodworking Tools – Since 1998
    I don't know who supplies the stretch on ones .
    If I had to re do my ones Id glue on a hard rubber with a scarf join or two and re grind on the machine with the angle grinder jigged up if need be .
    I had a saw with Cork wheels years ago that had stopped tracking and I got it going good by carefully crowning the wheel with a cloth duct type tape stuck on around over the cork .

    I also mounted wheels on mine and had to re wire and add a switch. Originally it was three phase I'm pretty sure. It came to me with a 240 volt motor with a plug and no switch. It was an On/off at the wall job for a while. Not a good thing.

    Here's a picture. I mounted the new switch up top left through a welded pipe onto the cabinet and had a sparky wire it up.

    IMG_6864.jpg
    I am missing the rear bottom door on mine. I was thinking of cutting out a wooden one but never got around to it . Id be interested to see a good picture of one if you have yours please.
    IMG_6865.jpg

    IMG_5315a.jpg Id love to see both sides and get a measurement for it .

    Rob

  4. #3
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    Nice saw! Up the right way.
    Original looking and older looking than My one . Very nice.

    Untitleda.jpg Untitledaab.jpg

    Rob

  5. #4
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    About 10 years ago I acquired a Steelfast. I already had a 19" WW BS (with VFD) and a smaller, horizontal cutting, MW BS, and usual problem of no room left in my shed. I did consider selling the two saws I already had and replacing it with the Steelfast to coat more room in my shed but in the end I gave the Steelfast to my mens shed as I could use it there if I wanted to. That Steelfast turned out to be in poor shape and although many members wanted to (ab)use it, no member was interested in fixing it up (I was tied up doing heaps of other stuff for the shed). I replaced the worn out guides on the Steelfast and used it couple of times to cut some sheet metal but otherwise found my own gear in my shed was a better match to my needs. I didn't like having to stand up and continuously hold (small) piece(s) of metal up against the blade while it cut, compared to my small horizontal MWBS which I could clamp workpieces firmly in place and leave it cutting and stopping on its own. I left the mens shed in 2019 so I don't know what's happened to it.

    Otherwise if one only had space for one BS in a home workshop the Steelfast would be a good compromise and well worth doing up.

    With the stuck set screw, there looks like there enough exposed thread so find the right size nut and thread it on then weld it in place. Before trying to remove it try tightening is slightly, then work it back and forth. If the nut breaks off you haven't lost anything.

    As for the tires I would measure the wheels and then check out the sizes of saw wheels on current machines and what tires are available for them because if you have to get them custom made they could cost a bomb.

  6. #5
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    Hi Rob,
    Thanks for the great info. Sounds like some interesting ideas for dressing tires. Mine are getting pretty thin and are extremely cracked and brittle. Unfortunately I think they are likely to continue to disintegrate even when dressed to seemingly sound material.


    Intrigued by what you did with the 30 inch Wadkin as I am also working on a 36 inch LS Barker (likely my next thread) which has good rubber except a few chunks out of the bottom wheel - seems a shame to replace the whole thing when only 2% is damaged.


    I like where you mounted the switch, hadn't thought of that.


    Here are some pics of the rear door, I'm not sure whether our bases are the same, I measured the overhang as 1/2'' which should let you work out a custom version.

    Inside.jpgOutside.jpgThickness.jpgRound over profile.jpgLatch.jpgLatch 2.jpgBottom profile.jpg


    Thanks,
    Tom

  7. #6
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    Just noticed that the first batch of pictures in my original post aren't working so here they are again:
    IMG_5357.JPGIMG_5356.JPGIMG_5355.JPGIMG_5354.JPGIMG_5353.JPG

  8. #7
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    Nice door pics thanks. That's not original colour like I thought . I can see Orange under the darker colour .

  9. #8
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    Hi Bob, thanks for the input.


    I tried to post this yesterday but for some reason it never showed up


    Welding the screw is a great suggestion. I've even had this work a few times and would certainly give it a go only I probably should have clarified that it is in a very difficult spot, down a 20 – 30 mm hole not much bigger than the screw itself with no space to fit anything more than an Allen key or drillbit.


    Yeah I tend to agree that vertical metalworking bandsaws aren't the greatest but it will probably spend most of its time set up for wood cutting and only get used for the occasional metal project when I'm confident I will be glad to have that option.

    At this stage I'm leaning toward DIY stretch on/glue on tires. The only reason I am considering the professional option is I think the original thickness was about 1/4 inch and most new stretch on tires are half this. This might not be a big issue though as the table is adjustable side to side on this bandsaw unlike most.

    Thanks and kind regards,
    Tom

  10. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by auscab View Post
    Nice door pics thanks. That's not original colour like I thought . I can see Orange under the darker colour .
    You're welcome Rob


    It's an interesting little door, way overkill like most components on this machine. I can see how easy it would be for it to get damaged or missing though as it just lifts off and has some very thin sections of brittle cast-iron


    I'm fairly confident that the colour you see on the inside of the door is original. The colour doesn't show up well in the photos. It is actually a very nice metallic green grey and is some kind of highly durable baked on finish almost like powder coating. Unfortunately it has suffered some black and even pink overspray from nearby painting in the past.


    The orange that can be seen in the flaked sections is some kind of filler material that was used to prep the castings. It is quite thick in places, up to 4 mm and is of a dull chalky texture.


    Cheers, Tom

  11. #10
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    Ill have to do the door at some stage Tom .
    Its on the lever expanding list of things to do. They are the best pictures I now have to go by, so thanks again . I did have a folder of saved door pictures somewhere but I lost them it seems. I got those by searching the net for Steelfast saws. They are not a common saw . I wonder what they cost back when new . There a lot in the making of one . I bet they were not a cheap think back when ever they came out compared to the other options.

    When your new here and you post something for the first small number of posts, 5 possibly ? Your post has to be checked and given the green light before it comes up in the section you posted in. So you post and we all can see a small part of your post in the Activity stream here https://www.woodworkforums.com/spy.php?tabid=11 that shows everything posted on forum . But all of us cant see it in the section you posted in yet. When a Mod checks your intentions are normal , your not a PITA , then it shows up . They do a good job here of keeping the bad guys away .

    Here some more pictures of my saw. I pulled it out of its hiding spot .
    The sort of cut I get with the 1/4" blade.I keep it set up for the tight shaped cuts .
    And the re ground tire . They were shocking before. Not as crusty looking as yours though .

    IMG_2122.jpg IMG_2129 tire.jpg

    The original switch was down at knee height. Getting it up high and out of the way of the doors worked good . There is the weld to the body for the steel pipe. Good and solid.

    IMG_2123a.jpg IMG_2124a.jpg IMG_2132a.jpg

    When I bought this saw I had to drive over an hour and a half both ways to pick it up . I got it home and then noticed the saw had been broken and welded up . Cracked right through the cast neck! I was furious at not having spotted it before handing over the $ to the guy . Or him not mentioning it in the advert. I sent him a message about it. My fault for not checking before I paid though. I got over it and it works just fine as it is . I don't even think about it now .
    IMG_2125a.jpg IMG_2130a.jpg

    That's the Wadkin 30" wheel and saw. The rubber was loose in a couple of spots but not missing . I just glued it back on then re ground them . With the sand paper disk on angle grinder. I did a thread on the cleaning up and resto of this saw here somewhere.
    Paint was just touched up in some spots and not others . Rust removed from steel parts . Breaks to casting repaired. I just fitted a ripping fence to it a few months back .
    IMG_6432a.jpg IMG_6542a.jpg

    I also have a LS Barker 36" saw out in another shed. No guards, No rubber on wheels but the rest is all there . It needs some cleaning up work though. I'm finding the 30" saw does everything I need for deep ripping down so far. And floor space is getting tight. Maybe one day ill fix it up after the dust and timber racks are done completely.

    I have a type of re constituted car tire rubber floor mat here. Saved from a rubbish skip. 1m X 1m x 19mm thick squares roughly. If I ever do the 36" Ill be sawing that rubber up for the wheels . Its good tough stuff. Plenty of rubber you see is to soft for band saw tires I think . I have just started using the floor mat as its intended for standing on in front of the machines . Don't know why I didn't do it years ago . Its much nicer than the concrete to stand on but really good on a machine where you need to get down on your knees every now and then for adjustments.

    Rob

  12. #11
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    Wow that Wadkin is a nice machine, not much of their gear up this way unfortunately. It seems to be concentrated down south where most of the industry was and surprisingly around Perth in Western Australia - might as well import them at that rate!


    Shame about the break but looks like a good repair, I'd heard they are prone to broken necks – must be all that weight down low. Hence I wasn't too keen on lifting it from there but I guess if you go slow and sling close to be upright it's generally okay.


    Yeah I'm sure they must've been expensive, sure would be now that's for sure. Looking at other types of new small machinery made in Australia indicates it would be at least $10,000+ which is crazy to think about and explains why no truly comparable machine is made today.


    A bit of Internet searching shows it advertised in a number of MacPherson's catalogues but I couldn't find a price list and the information is patchy - maybe someone with a vintage catalogue collection might have more luck.


    Here is the advertisement I found, I suspect it may have been posted here originally but was found on a generic PDF archive site:
    MC1966-Woodworking2.pdf

    Thanks, Tom

  13. #12
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    Dunno if this is any help but I sent a slew of old Woodfast cattle dogs over to bueller a few years back.
    He’s scanned them and done a post named Woodfast manuals.
    In it there’s an exploded pic of the later model steelfast bandsaw which of course as you know were made by Woodfast.
    Incidently I picked up an As new Saw Same as yours from a Sydney TAFE auction a few decades back. Never used it much so moved it on. Now have a genuine MacPherson metalbandsaw, a little smaller, a lot earlier but good enough for once a year use
    H.
    Jimcracks for the rich and/or wealthy. (aka GKB '88)

  14. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom03 View Post
    Hi Bob, thanks for the input.


    I tried to post this yesterday but for some reason it never showed up


    Welding the screw is a great suggestion. I've even had this work a few times and would certainly give it a go only I probably should have clarified that it is in a very difficult spot, down a 20 – 30 mm hole not much bigger than the screw itself with no space to fit anything more than an Allen key or drillbit.
    This is where you could use my BIL. He's a boiler maker but for the last 30 years he's been Al bending and welding of boats/ships. For a few years he was an apprentice supervisor and "the trouble shooter" for a large ship building facility. This oomvolved fixing up mistakes created by the apprentices and tradies such as forgetting to weld the inside seam in a near impossible place. Said BIL (who is skinny as a rake and flexible as a rat) would put on a pair of greasy overalls and crawl into the the slimmest of spaces wearing a special longer distance than usual head magnifier and with a mini-MIG welding head on a long arm so he could reach really hard to reach spots.

  15. #14
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    Default Progress update 1

    Found a few spare moments - thought I'd post a quick progress update.

    Got the set screw out. I had a brainwave earlier this week that I should try a custom sharpened masonry drill bit (only after ordering the die grinder of course). If anyone is wondering how to drill out a hardened fastener this is certainly worth a try as it worked a treat in this case. The key thing is to reshape the edge of the carbide insert to a sharp single sided edge with, say 5-10° relief angle (see picture). You don't strictly need diamond or a green silicon carbide wheel to do this either, I used a normal white aluminium oxide wheel.
    IMG_5376.jpgIMG_5377.jpgIMG_5378.jpgIMG_5380.jpg
    With the collar out of the way I was able to disassemble and clean the gearbox. Would have liked to have got more pictures of this process but it's hard to take pictures when you're covered in slimy black grease and oil especially as the gearbox does not have a drain plug! It does have a bolt instead of a slotted screw in one of the positions which appears to be a drain point but there is no through hole. I intend to remedy this by drilling one from inside the gearbox into the threaded hole so that the oil can be drained without tipping the saw or removing the gearbox...
    IMG_5382.jpgIMG_5384.jpgIMG_5383.jpg
    Everything cleaned up really good with no appreciable wear visible on any of the parts. Just need to figure out how to get the main shaft and bearings out of the main casting as they are a bit crunchy and it would be pointless not replacing them at this stage. Anyone had this apart before?

    Aside from that everything is good to go back together with new seals and oil, I'm guessing a good 80 W 90 gear oil would be satisfactory? The gearbox won't be used much anyway.

    With the source of the leaking oil fixed I was able to put the saw back on its base for mobility and a more comfortable working height.
    IMG_5386.jpgIMG_5387.jpg
    Thanks again to everyone for all the input, it is much appreciated. I did find the thread with the Woodfast literature and the exploded diagram has been handy. It's interesting to note the changes made to the powertrain assembly in later machines - looks like they did attempt to fix the problem with the undersized set screw.

    Regards, Tom

    P.S. Not sure why the pic's keep going sideways - must be something I can do about it.

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