Paulco 12" Bandsaw restoration (Paulcall)

In my recent Wanted thread ( https://www.woodworkforums.com/f228/b...p-dirty-221209 ) I described my acquisition of a 1940s/50s 12" Paulco Bandsaw. Here I'll briefly outline my quick restoration.

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Firstly, Paulco was a brand name used by Paul's Pty Ltd hardware merchants in Sydney and Australia wide. This bandsaw is identical to Paul's other more well-known machinery brand name Paulcall. (Both brands were registered in 1948. ) The only difference between my Paulco 12" and Paulcall 12" bandsaws appears to be the blade guides (however mine may just be non-original guides as the 1950 Paulco advertising illustration posted below has the same elongated styled Paulcall guides) .
And later Paulcall's have solid aluminium wheels.

I suspect the Paulcall branded 12" bandsaw is slightly later in production. I even found under the battleship grey repaint the same blue-green (turquoise?) paint colour.

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NCArcher's thread ( https://www.woodworkforums.com/f299/p...bandsaw-218720 ) about his 12" Paulcall has been very illustrative and helpful in comparing the two Paul's branded bandsaws.

Cleaning and wire wheeling the guides and parts was fiddly but without dramas. As was the tilting table which seemed to have endless rust in its surface.

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I don't usually repaint tools/machinery but this time it just seemed appropriate. Dulux Metalshield Enamel Epoxy. Not any better than the Whiteknight Rustguard Enamel Epoxy. Hopeless quality really but it'll just have to do I suppose.

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It also required new urethane tyres from Sulphur Grove c/o Woodworking Tools Australia - The Woodkid (great service! )
The upper wheel had been replaced somewhere down the line and was acceptable but the lower wheel tyre was very cracked and quite distorted from sitting under tension.

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I considered replacing the ball bearings but really they are fine with just cleaning and regreasing.

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The single phase 1/2hp Hoover motor I might switch out if it can't handle the harder timbers. It only required a clean out and I have enclosed it and its new wiring and switch in a simple box.


The rough steel and hardwood stand was easily repainted, sanded and oiled and polyed and given new feet.


The door cover required a few dents removed and got treated to no less than a primer, two coats of enamel then after a change of heart, light sanding and another two coats of paint. I think I've spent almost the bloidy price of the machine on paint! :rolleyes:


Finally it is finished and I can just finish enclosing the pulleys and get on with using it! :U
It cuts very true and has pretty of grunt. Gidgee is a heavy slog but a new blade will help I think before I consider more HP.

Vaughan

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Advertising from 1950:
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Very nice restoration Vaughan !

I know what you mean when you talk about spending more on paint than on the machine itself. That has happened to me on quite a few machine restorations.

Where did you purchase the urethane tyres? Why do you say the Metalshield paint was hopeless?

Graham.

Thanks!

The urethane tyres are made by the US company Sulphur Grove Tools and sold locally by The Woodkid
https://thewoodkid.com.au/shop/urethane-bandsaw-tyres/
I can definitely recommend them - good price, fast service.

After being disappointed by the Bunnings Whiteknight Rustguard Epoxy Enamel range (poor consistency, very poor drying times, inaccurate recoating advice) on previous projects, I was really hoping that a two part (primer & 2x topcoat) Dulux epoxy enamel option would be far superior and worth the extra time, energy and money but the exact same problems reared their heads.

Next time I will just use the Rustguard if only for convenience sake. Although I suspect I'm asking too much from a consumer spray paint.

Thanks for the link to the tyres.

So you're using spray cans?

I've used the Whiteknight epoxy enamels, either thinned and brushed on, or sprayed through a HVLP gun, and had great success. You do need to allow very generous drying times and re-coat times, especially in winter.

Graham.

Sorry about the poor filming (I really should know better!)

https://youtu.be/B8RpSOrSY8w
Before

https://youtu.be/ZI3UsYnVdTE
After

I have a Paul Call bandsaw that was my fathers. Great to see your restoration. He bought it second hand in the 60s.
I used Carter urethane tyres purchased from Gregory Machinery in Brisbane.

Vaughan,
I have a 12" Paulco bandsaw also. It was purchased new by my late uncle Bill Hick who was a boatbuilder, woodworker and eventually building inspector in the Shire. It would have been purchased in Sydney in the 40-50s. He also gave me all his chisels, planes and marking out tools which I have restored and sharpened to razor sharp edges.
I have chipped off all the hardened rubber bandsaw tyres and replaced them with eurothane from Woodworking Cutting Tools - Accessories - FOXBC. I have purchased a couple of new blades and after inspecting the fairly primative gaurds, am looking at a 3 bearing guide for top and bottom through Timbercon. As the post is 5/8", I will need to either make a shim from 5/8" to 22mm, of drill out the post hole to 22mm and use a new post. The table is rusted firm at the moment. Next job.

Hi Stephen,
Replacing the post by drilling out the receiver to 22mm sounds like the best plan if you're game.
I'm tempted to do the same thing The original guides are quite archaic for attempting precision work.
They are great machines though - solid little units.
I'd love to see some before-and-after photos of your restoration as you progress.
V

I would if I could. Plenty of photos here. Spent 1 1/2 hrs last night and no joy. Got to be some simple way to do it. Keep submitting.

All painted today. 2nd coat tomorrow and then to start on my mystery bandsaw. Eurothane tires are nice. Lower guard seems too tight. Brass adjustment hits the frame. I will most likely have to fabricate something to adapt Timbercon lower guide.

Stephen, there is a minimum number of posts allowed before attachments (photos, videos etc.) are permitted by new members. 5 or 6 from memory.
So maybe try attaching/uploading a few photos again now?

V

Well I have photos, but each photo, placed individually, ends up on it's side, so I will hang on to them until I can figure out how to rotate photos. In the meantime, here is a link to my google drive folder. Who knows, it might work. I also have a video of it running with one top guide in. Seems to run and cut well.

Bandsaw restoration - Google Drive

Steve

What length is the blade? I thought I carefully measured then sent away for 2 blades to be made, and they are just too long. I would like your size just to confirm before i get them resized.

Steve

I got 1880mm blades for my Paulcall 12”. No idea if Paulco is the same.

The urethane tyres are thinner than the original rubber tyres so these blades are shorter than the originals.

Great you can get your blades shortened. Better that having blades too short

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stephen Hick

What length is the blade?

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Mine was marked by a previous owner as 75" (1905mm) but that seemed a little loose (not in the sweet spot of tensioning adjustment) so when reordering a few months back I went with 1895mm. Perfect for me.

V

Thanks. I just took it from the lowest to the highest setting. 1865 to 1940. 1905 should work well for me also.