Thread: SteelFast Bandsaw

Hi There
I have recently bought a Steelfast bandsaw and I am looking for some general info or other owners to share information with. I have seen an earlier post on the subject which did not get very far.
I gather that they are not super rare as I have seen at least 2others for sale in the last 6 months.
My saw seems in reasonable shape apart from the fact that the frame has been cut and extended 6"! Not sure if I will unmodify it or just use as is. I have a bit of clean up work to do and as yet have not run it so I need to get my priorities in order. I intend to restore and repaint it in the original colour if possible.
It has a two speed gearbox and a 4 step belt drive pulley, so it is suitable for both wood and metal
Any info would be appreciated, more for interest than anything.
Cheers
Peter

hi Peter

I have 2 and im very happy with them one is in need of quite a bit of attention
mostly use them for steel some times wood and on the odd occasion skin

cheers harty

Hi Harty
thanks for the reply.
Do you have any recommendations for blade types for steel, ie number of teeth?
What sort of life would you get out of a blade and do you run the saw at the slowest speed?
I know this is all dependent on the type and thickness of material being cut, but would be interested to know what your setup is. Do you have a photo available of your bandsaws?
I know- lots of questions, feel free to answer any or none.
Hope you have kept track of all your fingers!
Cheers
Pete

Originally Posted by harty69

and on the odd occasion skin

Oh I guess by that you dont mean you buy a side of lamb and cut it into cutlets

Originally Posted by eskimo

Oh I guess by that you dont mean you buy a side of lamb and cut it into cutlets

Ha! I assumed Harty must have left some bark on it!

Simon

Hi Peter

I use a 14 tpi blade for steel and run it with the gearbox engaged blades last a long time
aluminium i usually use the wood blade at full speed with a bit of wax for lube
most stuff i cut is thinner than 1/2 inch as i have a big horizontal bandsaw for that
i will take some pics on the weekend for you

last week skin and tendon still in a sling and splint
thumb.jpg
lt took a fraction if a second

cheers
harty

I have used one in the past and recently scored one for our mens shed. They are very good for sheet metal and I remember even (slowly) cutting a reasonably accurate curve in some 5/16" thick steel plate with one. I think horizontal bandsaws are more useful for bar and tube mainly because they can be left running and they can be more easily set up with a recirculating coolant/lube system which really lengthen the life of blades. For ally I use my wood cutting bandsaw running it at the slowest speed or my table saw with a negative raked teeth and using wax as a lube.

Originally Posted by harty69

thumb.jpg

Yuk....did it hurt..lol

how did you do that..not looking at what your doing?...pushing too hard/quick?..other?...someone was annoying you..?

looks awful...

yes it did hurt

advice dont crown the wheels on a bandsaw with the blade on and running no matter how much faster you think it will be
just a slight laps in concentration at a critical time

cheers
Harty

Originally Posted by harty69

yes it did hurt

advice dont crown the wheels on a bandsaw with the blade on and running no matter how much faster you think it will be
just a slight laps in concentration at a critical time

cheers
Harty

ah...so you thought you were quicker than superman


most of us would've thought the same at some stage...and failed

Originally Posted by harty69

last week skin and tendon still in a sling and splint

Tendon not severed I hope?

Originally Posted by Bryan

Tendon not severed I hope?

Hi Bryan

no only partial damage

cheers
Harty

Many years ago i worked with a bloke who would not stop talking and we constantly said this would get him into trouble and sure enough one day in the workshop he cut his thumb off (we reckon without even realising it) with a bandsaw while cutting up wood. The cut was almost at the same point as the one in harty's photo. There was blood everywhere and they rushed him off to hospital but forgot to take the thumb with them. By the time they went back to look for it the bloodied pile of sawdust had been cleaned up and although they looked everywhere they could not find the thumb. Now the downside for this guy was that when he did stop talking he was a very good harpist but it seemed that a missing thumb would put paid to that but no. After several painful years of playing he developed a callus on the end of his thumb stump that enabled him to play, not quite as well and he could before losing his thumb, but still play. He eventually became a harp tester and adviser to people wanting to purchase antiquarian harps. But he still rarely stopped talking.

Originally Posted by harty69

Hi Bryan

no only partial damage

cheers
Harty

thats good

Hi All
I aquired a Steel Fast band saw a while ago, think it cost $50-00 but it had a broken neck, obviously someone trying to lift it. Once welded up and reinforced I found the usual klunk in the gearbox, very common with these machines as I often used one at work back in the 60s. The thickest material I ever cut was around 36" of 1 1/2" thick mild steel plate, took quite a while but so did lots of things back then. The clunk is caused by the very large gear keyed to quite a small shaft, the shaft is hardened but the gear is only cast iron. Its an easy fix just a new keyway in the gear and a little locktite, I also added a couple of threaded extraction holes in the gear. I got myself a supply of blades from Bandsaw supplies.com.au in Sydney they come delivered to the door which saves a lot of trouble and work well, as I havent worn one out yet.
Even though I have a chinese horizontal saw I now wonder how I survived without the vertical, it has done heeps of work recently, cutting everything from 10mm to bits of sheet metal. However I always use push sticks, in fact there are a couple in permanent residence on the saw table. I will add a few pictures if i can sort out how, unfortunately I must have been in a hurry as I dont have any of the finished machine, it is now all green.
I also use automotive sae 90 gear oil in the gear box.
I hope this is some help, but please ask questions as the memory needs a jog from time to time.

Ray.

RayBandsaw gearbox assembled.jpgBandsaw gearbox.jpgBandsaw gearbox2.jpgBandsaw gearbox3.jpgDrive complete.jpgDrive Shaft.jpgTable on.jpgTop Wheel on.jpg