Help! Upper part of bandsaw is STUCK, won't come apart!

[ben grossman]

I've tried doing a bit of Google searching, but no luck so far.

Recently I bought a US-made Delta 14" bandsaw off CraigsList. It's in very good condition, made a test cut with it and seemed to work fine, but I have a problem. I can't get it out of my truck! I don't really have any friends close by that it would be convenient to help, and my girlfriend can't really help either.

I started to take the saw apart, figuring I would just pull it out in 3 "chunks" which she could help with (if absolutely necessary), but I can't get the top part off at all. I've removed the bolt, the plastic blade guide, etc, but the top will not budge one bit. I've tugged on it, tried to tip it, even hit it with a small rubber mallet, and it won't move one bit.

Is there a secret I am missing? This doesn't seem to be a common issue, so maybe I missed a bolt somewhere?

Now for a bit of crazy... I thought maybe I could use my small bottle jack and a few blocks of wood to try and "press" the two pieces apart. Would this damage the band saw? The guy I bought it from helped me move it up a bunch of stairs from his shop and into the truck to get it home, and it didn't seem that bad. I figured it would pop right out.

I have also thought about a winch or something, but I am not sure the rafters in the garage would handle it. Any ideas?? :confused::(

[Will Overton]

My guess is the alignment pins are rusted/corroded in. Before I used any force I would saturate the joint with a liquid wrench or something. Wet a rag with the same and wrap it around the joint. Give it 24 hours and try again.

[Steve Schoene]

A six pack or two (after the job is done) might encourage a few friends to drive a bit farther.

And, yes there are alignment pins, and even the possibility of a bit of paint acting as glue. Definately give it some time with liquid wrench or the like. Cast iron is tough, but too much force could be a problem. The pins mean the force needs to be nearly straight up, but there isn't a place to push against in that direction I suppose you could use a triangular block in the cast web of the column to get place to hit with your mallet or dead blow hammer.

What about renting an appliance dolly? The models on the open stand might not balance well that way, but the ones on the closed cabinet ought to work. Or, get a "mobility kit" for the saw and tilt it one to that, secure it, and then role it down a ramp off the truck.

[Thomas Canfield]

I have laid mine on its back for transporting. To remove, you can slip a piece of plywood or wide board under it and slide it off the truck standing it back up when it reaches the ground. Mine was also mounted on stand at the time, but then that was a few years ago and now I think I would look for some friends. Still think I would lay it down to remove and not try to lift it down.

[ben grossman]

Corrosion was a thought, but paint seems the more likely suspect. There is no corrosion on the whole saw, so it's hard to imagine the pins being corroded. The paint is pretty thick though, so that could be.

I might still try and get someone over here, and I don't think I am going to try the jack trick. It was a moment of desperation, but I stopped myself to ask before destroying it.

I thought about the panel trick. I had it laid down in the back of the truck for the trip home, since it was a fair distance. I can lay it down or stand it up by myself with no problem, so if I can get a good board under it that very well might do the trick. The girlfriend could help to stabilize it. I'll give it a go tomorrow and see what happens.

It is an open stand base, so a dolly may not work. We had to do some creative clamp work to get my dolly to bring it up the stairs to get it to the truck. If it seems questionable, I'll just bribe a friend to drive over. I am just desperate to get the truck back. Fortunately, when we move from here we are getting a moving van--with a ramp!

[mark kosse]

Ben, If you removed the motor can't you just lower it down? I bought a 28-200 (my 4th)last friday and moved it by myself. It wasn't bad at all. I then was picking it up and moving it under one arm all weekend. From in the garage to outside because I'm redoing it. I'm not trying to sound like I'm superman either. I'm not. It's not all that heavy. Mark

[Scott T Smith]

If it were me, I would use a come-a-long suspended from your ceiling joists to lift it out of the truck. By using a 5' section of 2" pipe or 2 x 4 above the joists, you can spread the load across multiple joists/trusses. I have picked up several hundred pounds this way.

Be sure to bolt the saw back together first.

[Jeremy Milam]

What about taking a piece of plywood the same size as the footprint and then bolting it to the bottom, attached to each leg? That's what I did for mine. Worked well to then have it on a dolly.

[Thomas Canfield]

To move an open sided stand on a 2 wheel hand truck you can use a couple of boards wider than the base, one vertical against the truck, and one horizontal under the legs and then tie the stand to the truck. I have to tie most things to my hand truck because of its pneumatic tires and the rough stone steps going to my shop and often have to supplement the truck base.

[Bruce Wrenn]

The two I bought last summer, I just moved by my self. Removed the table first, guide post, and then separated the saw from the stand. One was an open stand (circa 1959), and the other was an enclosed stand, with riser block. When photographer for Wood came out to take my picture last winter, I just hauled one outside and put it back together. After she left, took it apart and put it back inside. But remember that I'm only 62 years old.

[John Schreiber]

Just to make sure, you have removed the blade right? It's kind of like a band that would connect the bottom to the top.

[Chip Lindley]

Slide a full sheet of plywood under the saw in your pickup. (trim if your wheel wells are more narrow than 4ft.) Lay the saw on it's back on the plywood. Make a ramp of two 4x4's or 2x4's nailed together, from your tailgate to the ground. slide the saw on ply out of the bed, up over the 2x ends, down to the ground. Stand the saw upright at ground level and walk it off the plywood.