Thread: Startrite 316 Refurb

I bought this vertical metal cutting bandsaw sight unseen on Grays. I took a gamble that it was in running condition but it turns out to need a bit of work (I guess I paid too much!) so I figured I might as well give it a full refurbishment and get it in near new condition. It also looks a bit tired cosmetically although not so bad on the pics.

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It's a made in the UK Startrite and would have been something of a Rolls Royce when new. It's also big... 90cm throat, twin cast iron tables and weighs around a tonne.

Initial issues identified are firstly the air compressor had seized (needs new bearings). Instead of fixing it the previous owner (a factory) just cut the drive belt off and threw away the chip blower apparatus!

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The next issue is that the variable speed drive system had seized. The system uses two pulleys that change their width. The sliding pulley-halves had stopped sliding due to some sort of anti-friction paint peeling on the shaft and jamming them. I guess they avoided grease/oil as it would have got centrifuged onto the pulley and belt.

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The jammed drive system had in turn wrecked the mechanism that pushes the pulley narrower, I guess someone had used a lot of force as it got sticky. Inside the pulley shaft there was a broken up circlip and a worn shaft of the pusher mechanism.

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Other issues are minor, such as some wiring needing replacing, the light is missing, and the gears in the table handfeed mechanism are worn.

Does anyone know what the anti-friction paint stuff would have been? It's like hard grey plastic. An internet search suggests I could use something like Molykote D321R but that's just a guess.

I sent pics to the spare parts supplier in the UK and he had never seen a machine quite like this one. He said it was half 316 and half V900 (the model that replaced the 316). I guess it was one of the last 316's made and possibly was a test of the new variable speed drive system destined for the V900.

I have started by gutting everything except the electrics board and wiring:

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It's mostly metric with the occasional imperial screw.... British sense of humour?

Today I've been wire brushing the old paint:

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What is the motor? A potential option is to use a VFD if fixing the variable pulley is problematic.

Is that a blade joiner below the Yellow "box"?
If it is, it'll be real handy for cutting inside a sheet or similar.
Kryn

Originally Posted by pippin88

What is the motor? A potential option is to use a VFD if fixing the variable pulley is problematic.

Its a 3Hp 3 phase. It's a potential solution but I'd rather get its mechanical system operational.

Originally Posted by KBs PensNmore

Is that a blade joiner below the Yellow "box"?
If it is, it'll be real handy for cutting inside a sheet or similar.
Kryn

Yes, above the control panel are a blade guillotine, a blade welder, and a blade grinder... all look barely used.

Today I did more paint preparation, finished wire brushing inside the doors and also filled a few aftermarket drill holes with epoxy filler. It's ready for spraying, maybe after work this coming week. My shed is a dusty mess.

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I've got to say kudos to Startrite for making it so solidly, even the doors are 5mm thick steel. Every single component seems to be British made, right down to the fuses and indicator lights.

I soaked the two tables in Evapo-rust using paper towel wrapped with glad wrap:

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Before:

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After 24h Evapo-rust most of the rust had gone:

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The smaller table fared better but being upside down it was more immersed in the Evapo-rust:

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I buffed the smaller table and used the orbital sander on the bigger table (although I think a second go with the Evapo-rust would have got the remaining rust):

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I set up a temporary "spray booth":

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Tonight I've been spraying 'Hammerite Dark Green'. It's great on horizontal surfaces:

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Not so easy on vertical surfaces though, there is a very fine line between underspraying and getting a mat powdery surface vs getting runs. This is after 2 coats.... I will let it dry then sand out the runs then hopefully get a good final coat:

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Hi Steve,

It looks like that Evapo-rust has done a good job. What did you use to get into the "T" slots ?

Hammerite paint ! Horrible stuff, lovely finish but a pain to use. If its the same stuff as we have over here, it requires a special thinner ! Anything else turns it into a thick glue.

Originally Posted by BaronJ

Hi Steve,

It looks like that Evapo-rust has done a good job. What did you use to get into the "T" slots ?

Hammerite paint ! Horrible stuff, lovely finish but a pain to use. If its the same stuff as we have over here, it requires a special thinner ! Anything else turns it into a thick glue.

I used rolled up paper towel pushed into the T-slots... seems to have worked as they cleaned up fine.

Yes, I think it is the same Hammerite ("a brand by Akzo Nobel"). I'm new to spraying (other than aerosols) and was a bit flabbergasted at how finnicky this stuff is on a vertical surface... you realise you are underspraying and slow down the tinyist amount and you get running paint!! I bought it with the matching thinner.

Cheers,

Steve

Originally Posted by Pumpkinate

was a bit flabbergasted at how finnicky this stuff is on a vertical surface... you realise you are underspraying and slow down the tinyist amount and you get running paint!!

The trick with hammer tone paint is to do lots of light coats to build it up so under spraying is better than going slow.