Fried Screwdrivers & Bandsaw Adjustments
February 3rd, 2009Success!
The bandsaw WORKS.
I wheeled it out to where the cord would reach the new 220 socket and plugged it in. Nothing happened. I removed the disconnect between the socket and the breaker, and I started fiddling with the wiring. POOF, I smoked a Craftsman screwdriver. How can that happen when the disconnect is out? It can happen when you wired the circuit wrong from the disconnect to the socket.
Now I’m out one cheap Philips screwdriver. I suppose Sears would honor the warranty, but it’s not honest to return stuff you destroyed out of stupidity. Which is very clearly what happened here.
I shut off the breaker, fixed the wiring, and started again. The saw ran!
I turned it off and got out Mark Duginske’s book, and I started tuning the saw.
First, I took off the silly 3/4″ blade that came with it. I could not fold the stupid thing up, so I dumped it on the garage floor. I installed the new 1/4″ blade and got it adjusted. Then I checked the book’s instructions on folding bandsaw blades, and I sort of got it folded, but the loop was bigger than I wanted. Oh, well. Not everybody has the remarkable spatial aptitude required to understand a bandsaw blade. It’s like a Moebius strip with rabies.
I think I understand why the seller chose to sell this saw instead of his Grizzly. I am pretty sure nobody in his business had the slightest clue how to make a bandsaw work, so when this one acted up, they decided to get rid of it. Name an adjustment. They had it completely wrong or didn’t even try.
The thing that holds the upper guide bearings was out of place…by about HALF AN INCH. This is like missing a parking space by six feet. In case you’re a BMW driver and you do that all the time, I’ll clarify. It’s bad.
The thrust bearings weren’t even close to right. None of the bearings under the table were anywhere near where they were supposed to be. One was so far back, it had probably never been in contact with a blade.
The blade guide post wasn’t square to the table, either. I had lots of fun fixing that. I also had to grease the guide post rack, gears, and screw, and I had to get the fine dust out of the mechanism so it would move.
Why would anyone spend over $1300 on a tool and then fail to learn how to maintain it? This tool looks like it was used ten or twenty times. After that, they apparently gave up. All they had to do was buy Mark Duginske’s book.
I fired up the saw and tried it out. I ripped a piece of scrap to see if the rail gauge was correct. It was perfect. Right on. I finished up by applying a whetstone to the blade’s rear edge. I don’t have one of those cute little stones with a handle, so I grabbed something I used to use to sharpen fish hooks.
I like the bandsaw, although maybe I could have been more aggressive in my choice of blades. The 1/4″ blade I got will take tight turns, and it’s supposed to be a good compromise blade, but it’s pretty slow. I can see why people run to the bandsaw instead of the table saw. There’s no push stick. No ear protection. No kickback danger. Very little dust. And you can use your hands.
I don’t know if this is a particularly good saw; it’s Chinese, after all. But it seems to work fine, and it has a great capacity. And now, thanks to me, it’s PORTABLE. Can’t beat that. I think I got a better deal than I realized.
I’m really disturbed now. The table saw works. The bandsaw works. The planer sled is built. I may have to MAKE SOMETHING. I am running out of excuses. No, wait! I still need a sander! Yes…yes…a pneumatic sander! And a drill press! No, a milling machine! THEN maybe I can get crazy and make…a picture frame or something.
Oh, hey! I can make new inserts for the table saw! That would be fantastic! I’d actually be able to use my Microjig splitter!
Life is sweet.
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:50 PM
So does this mean that some nice custom aged bone-in ribeyes are in your future?
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:15 PM
“I may have to MAKE SOMETHING. I am running out of excuses. No, wait! I still need a sander! Yes…yes…a pneumatic sander! And a drill press! No, a milling machine! THEN maybe I can get crazy and make…a picture frame or something.”
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Definitely a Mill. My current milling project is to mill a new shower knob out of 6061 Aluminum. The current knob (which is a cheap plastic builder’s spec knob) has broken every other year on average and I’m tired of replacing the stupid thing. I’ll start on the CAD design tomorrow and I should be able to mill it this weekend.
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As a bonus, I get to try a polishing wheel in the bench grinder…how much can flying cotton penetrate your skin anyway? Guess I’ll find out.
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You’ll be surprised how many uses you have for a Mill once you have one; mostly it allows me to fix stuff that I would have to throw away otherwise.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:40 PM
” I suppose Sears would honor the warranty, but it’s not honest to return stuff you destroyed out of stupidity.”
Well, technically that depends on the terms of the warranty. Best Buy’s extended warranties used to be basically “anything goes.” I once returned something because after I bought it, it’d come out in another color.
Admittedly that’s not exactly stupidity, at least not in the way you meant it.
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:17 PM
Steve,
Take a look at these:
http://toolmonger.com/2009/02/03/be-mobile-and-stable/
February 4th, 2009 at 8:17 AM
My right thumb says you might want push sticks sometimes. At the very least, make sure you only run the saw during your coherrent phases.
*
Jeff – why 6061? I bet a 5xxx would work as well. Also, unless you paint or anodize you’re going to have a dull grey knob.
February 4th, 2009 at 8:19 AM
When working on electrical circuits, you test the circuit you’re working on, and then use the same meter to test a known live circuit.
Please don’t work on hot stuff anymore. Bad.
February 4th, 2009 at 11:39 AM
I second Og’s point. I’ve worked with AC up to 600V and believe me, you don’t want to get across even 220- it hurts like Hell! It’s one thing to KNOW you’re working on hot equipment, you can take precautions (high voltage gloves, apron, etc.) but if you assume you’re working on de-energized equipment and it isn’t, things can go very very bad, very very fast. Get a little Neon light circuit tester and use it every time you mess with a circuit- don’t forget to test all 3 possible combinations of wires, too. I’ve nearly gotten fried because some idiot wired things up wrong ( “neutral” wire was actually hot).
February 4th, 2009 at 12:19 PM
Obviously you need a lathe next…:)
February 4th, 2009 at 5:48 PM
“Jeff – why 6061? I bet a 5xxx would work as well. Also, unless you paint or anodize you’re going to have a dull grey knob.”
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Greg – I’ve tried to machine 5052 and found it doesn’t mill well. 5xxx alloys tend to have difficult machining properties (galling and tearing rather than cutting cleanly). See:
http://www.wilkinsonsteel.com/Aluminum/5052.htm
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Ease of machining and high-corrosion resistance seem to be mutually exclusive.
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I’d rather mill 6061 and then protect it with clear-coat (after polishing of course). Or I could anodize…I’ve been looking for an excuse to buy the basic starter kit:
http://www.focuser.com/atm/anodize/anodize.html
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In the end, I’ll probably just polish and clear-coat (so what if I have to polish it again in a few years…it’ll still be cheaper than replacing the plastic self-destructing knob every other year!)
February 4th, 2009 at 6:26 PM
A bandsaw is deceptive regarding safety, they’ll remove fingers just as fast as any other power tool. One operation that I sense is dangerous is cutting off a very short piece. A scrap of wood lies on our bandsaw cabinet to use as a backer to keep my fingers a reasonable distance from the blade.
And: Eye Protection Always!
February 4th, 2009 at 6:34 PM
Steve,
Sears handtool warranty is replacement regardless of reason for failure. Having worked there for several years, I’ve seen lots of screwdrivers fried, broken, dulled, whatever. The screwdriver warranty is unconditional.
Don’t feel bad about returning it. Just make it part of your next errand trip so you don’t use more money in gas that the screwdriver’s worth.
Steve