Band saw finished...FINALLY!

[Mike Cruz]

Okay, with all the upgrades I did, I (think) I am finally finished. Started out with a stock 5 year old Ridgid 14" band saw. Added: custom base, Carter guides, riser block (Grizzly), fence guides with small table extension (homemade), 1.5 HP Leeson motor, and powertwist belt.

The base, admittedly, is very basic. I made it to be functional, not pretty. To be honest, it is amazing that I even took the time to paint it. Right now, the shop needs to be DONE. I have too many projects on the honey do list that require the shop to be making bases out of hardwoods with beautiful finishes. (While I do appreciate the "pretty" bases that some of you have posted pictures of...) I put a set of wheels from HD on it originally. It wobbled a bit, so I added the the extentions underneath and bought better quality ones from Grizzly...you know, the red ones, 4". It STILL wobbled. I took a close look and realized it was the wheels! There is play in them...huh. So I just took them off. No more wobbling! If I need to move it, it slides easily enough on the hickory floor.

The table extension was originally going to be much longer, but space wouldn't allow for it. My shop is bigger in my head than in reality. :rolleyes:

[Michael Weber]

WOW! 1 1/2 HP! You should be able to cut the bejeesers out of anything. Congratulations.

[Paul Ryan]

Mike,

Sounds like you got the band saw you wanted now. But after all of the fussing around why not just by a 17" and be done? It may have cost a few more bucks but you must have a fair amount of them into that "ridgid" now.

[Brian Lindenlaub]

Nice upgrades. Sounds like you got the ol' hot rod spirit - taking a (vehicle, tool, or add other noun here) and making it the way you want it.

[Chip Lindley]

Good Job Mike! .....but will it resaw???.....

[Mike Cruz]

Paul, 'cause it wouldn't have been 1/2 as fun! About $550 in...

Brian, it is a Chevy s-10, witha 350, jacked up with mudders! Oh, and chrome vertical exhaust. :D

Chip, believe it or not...I haven't tried yet. I don't want to get it dirty. :eek: Actually, I am tinkering with the dust collection aspect. I bought a used 3/4 HP dust collector exclusively for it, but there just isn't enough "pull" to it for a band saw, so I decided to route pipe from my 2 HP Grizzly. Really didn't want pipe all over my shop, but I gave in and bought the pipe today. As soon as that is all set up, I'm gonna resaw for 24 hours straight!

[lowell holmes]

Nice job! The only thing missing that I see is a zero clearance disc. I bought some from either Lee Valley or Highland Hardware. I don't remember which. I don't have to worry about chips falling into the blade at he bottom wheel.

[Dave Mura]

Congrats!!

[Lance Norris]

Mike... tell us a little more about the motor and some detailed pics of it. The motor seems to be the biggest upgrade complaint people have with the Ridgid. I think building your own base solves the motor frame issue, just drill holes and mount it where the frame allows. I like the table extension.

[Mike Cruz]

The motor? Simple really. Plug-n-play. I'm not positive, but I think the holes would have lined up anyway regardless of whether I made my own base or not. But, yes, I took that issue right out of the equation. I took the pully off the old motor and put it one the new one. Lined them up with a straight edge. It was pretty easy...and I am not a "tool tinkerer". Tell me to put a .004 inch shim on the arfor and I would have a heart attack!

Two points on this: I made the base out of MDF. After mounting the BS and letting it sit for a while, I had to take the BS back off. It made obvious indentions in the MDF. So I put a piece of 1/4 really hard stuff (I think it is like a hard MDF...wouldn't that make it HDF?) That solved that problem.

Secondly, the original motor had large rubber gaskets between the motor and the base. Afraid I would hear some ungodly vibration, I put a sheet of, well, 1/4 inch rubber mat left over from our barn. I don't know if I needed it, but it is smoooooooooooth. I had my electrician neighbor come over and wire the motor for 220 for me. When we fired up the band saw, he was impressed. He said, "Wow, that sounds powerful!" It is quiet, but you can tell it ain't the 3/4 HP that came with the saw. Honestly, I think it is quieter than the original motor.

[Stephen Edwards]

Great job! I'm sure that you'll enjoy that saw even more than a new one since you've put your heart into the restoration.

I'd like to see some close up pics of your under the table DC when you get a chance, please.

Again, Great Job. I bet it will re-saw just fine, too.

[Jason White]

Mike,

First of all... NICE!!

Secondly (and I hate to ask), but could you please post a close-up picture from behind the saw so I can see how you mounted the motor to your shop-built base?

I have an old JET 14" bandsaw that I fished out of a dumpster and am about to trick it out in a similar fashion. I really like the idea of a "cabinet" type base underneath similar to yours. I need all the storage I can get in my tiny little shop.

Thanks!

Jason


Okay, with all the upgrades I did, I (think) I am finally finished. Started out with a stock 5 year old Ridgid 14" band saw. Added: custom base, Carter guides, riser block (Grizzly), fence guides with small table extension (homemade), 1.5 HP Leeson motor, and powertwist belt.

The base, admittedly, is very basic. I made it to be functional, not pretty. To be honest, it is amazing that I even took the time to paint it. Right now, the shop needs to be DONE. I have too many projects on the honey do list that require the shop to be making bases out of hardwoods with beautiful finishes. (While I do appreciate the "pretty" bases that some of you have posted pictures of...) I put a set of wheels from HD on it originally. It wobbled a bit, so I added the the extentions underneath and bought better quality ones from Grizzly...you know, the red ones, 4". It STILL wobbled. I took a close look and realized it was the wheels! There is play in them...huh. So I just took them off. No more wobbling! If I need to move it, it slides easily enough on the hickory floor.

The table extension was originally going to be much longer, but space wouldn't allow for it. My shop is bigger in my head than in reality. :rolleyes:

[Mike Cruz]

Oh, you guys...Ok, Ok, I'll draaaaaaaaaaag it away from the wall, and take more pix. I'll have to do it later today or tomorrow. I'm hell bent on gettin 4" pvc pipe run throughout the shop. I had originally thought I would have my 2HP Grizzly in the middle of the shop for the planer, jointer and table saw, with a couple little ones around the shop for "other" machinery, but my recent purchase of a 3/4 HP Jet proved that the little ones just don't have enough power for, say, a band saw. So while I REALLY didn't want pipe all over the place...pipe all over the place is what I'm getting.

As for the way the dust pipe is hooked up now, I'll take pix and post them, but I have to be honest, with the 3/4 HP DC, it wasn't enough air flow to keep dust from flying up out of the bottom cover at table height...hope that makes sense. If, hooked up to the 2 HP Grizzly, I get enough flow, I will keep the pipe where it is. If not, I'll be drilling a hole into the front cover...:eek:

I'll try to get those pics up today...

[Jeff Willard]

And this winter, when the boredom and cabin fever really starts to set in, you could spring for a set of Laguna guides and a Driftmaster for it.;)

[Mike Cruz]

Laguna guides? Does that mean I have to get rid of my Carters?

Is the Driftmaster for resawing?

[John Harden]

Very nice!!!! I particularly like that you added a quality motor and a full 1.5hp!!

Regarding the base, I don't think it's too basic at all. Heck, you even painted it. Great job!!! Basic would have been some 2X4's nailed together. :D

[Mike Cruz]

First, I would like to say thank you for all the kind words. I'm glad everyone listened to their Kindergarden teachers...if you can't say something nice...

Okay. Lots of pics.

These first 5 are of the motor...all four angles and one kinda close up. And yes, I removed the belt guard for the pics. Normally it is on.

More pics on next post...they only allow 5 per post.

[Mike Cruz]

Okay, more pics.

These are of the way the dust collection hose is cut to fit around all the "innards"...guides and such. Oh, IT WORKED GREAT!!!!!!! Plenty of suction with the 2 HP Grizzly like this. Just a little dust on the table, none in the lower wheel area, and none "spewing" out anywhere!

More pics coming...

[Mike Cruz]

Last set.

Okay, the first two show how I attached the hose under the table...pretty simple. The next one just shows what the saw looks like from the back/side with the hose wrapping around it. The last one shows what I got done today...putting the 4 inch pvc up. I still have a bunch to do (going to the left along that far wall away from the band saw, and from the dust collector towards the wall behind me).

Boy, my shop is a mess, but it is coming together. The more I get done, the more things go in their places, which frees up more space. I have a bunch of room taken up by logs and pieces that I have been collecting for a while...I needed the band saw to cut 'em up! Now I can! Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!

See the thread I'm about to go start, too. A gloat...for me at least...you may see it in the last shot.

[Mike Cruz]

Oops, sorry Lance, I forgot to address your request for motor info.

The motor is 1.5 HP, 1725 rpm, 5/8" shaft, 110/220, cw/ccw (needed ccw), NOT TEFC (the original one was open, I called Ridgid to verify...they said it didn't NEED to be TEFC on a band saw. But the motors on their new ones are TEFC [enclosed]). As for the base/frame...I don't know what you call the one I got...it is flat on the bottom with holes...sorry, that's about all I can tell you, unless you want more pictures. I have that second motor that isn't mounted that I could get better pics of.

[Mike Cruz]

Bump...because someone was asking about it.

[Jeff Willard]

Laguna guides? Does that mean I have to get rid of my Carters?

Is the Driftmaster for resawing?

The difference between the Laguna guides and the Carter would be like the difference between the Carter and the stock guides that came with the saw. They can be adjusted to come into full contact with the band, and offer 10 points of support. Not cheap though.

The Driftmaster is the slickest fence system going. Adjustable for drift without tools, high/low fence orientation, and a lead screw for incremental adjustments. You could slice consistent 1/16" veneer off of a board on the outside of the band. Laguna has some videos of it on their website. Again though, it's Laguna, and spendy. Fun toys.