Any pics of bandsaw feeders?

[Mike Heidrick]

I am looking at a G1172 for the MM. Anyone have pics of bandsaw feeders installed?

[ian maybury]

Joe Doherty (Joe in New Orleans) on FOG http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/felder-woodworking/message/67232 is mid install on an Extrema feeder on a Felder FB 600 saw. He's a nice guy, you could drop in and make contact.

ian

[Greg Portland]

I am looking at a G1172 for the MM. Anyone have pics of bandsaw feeders installed?
Laguna shows pics of their feeders installed. http://www.lagunatools.com/accessories/Power-Feeders It looks like they drill/tap the table surface and attach the feeder.

Are you looking specifically for MM installations?

[Van Huskey]

The Laguna medium is probably the same Comatic as the Grizzly but their picture is about the same as the Grizzly picture as well.

[Mike Heidrick]

I am getting a G1172 Grizzly bandsaw feeder - it is teh same as the comatic AF19 and the Laguna medium is also a comatic AF19. I have a MM20 saw. I was looking for details on where to drill and tap my table and making sure my table is large enough. One way or another I wil make it work as I bought the feeder today. The only manual/doc I have found is from teh Extrema AF22 which also has the info for the AF19. Not a lot of doc out there on these feeders!

[Van Huskey]

Mike, I haven't seen one on a MM20 but I have seen Torben hawking his ware at shows with the medium feeder on a LT20 so it shouldn't be a problem unless the table webbing is an issue, which I doubt. I will make you an offer though, just have that one shipped to me and I will work out all the details and provide lots of testing to make sure everything is good, then you can order yourself one. I will provide a drilling template and everything... :D

This and our discussion has got my brain into overdrive. I have given myself the stupid notion that I can build one like the the new Laguna (Comatic) that has a "belt sander" on the fence side. I spent all last night browsing gear motors and digging deep in the bowels of McMaster Carr. Verified that Klingspor will make custom length abrasive belts.

I guess it is up to you to provide the how to put a feeder on an MM20... it wouldn't be your first foray into pimp my bandsaw documentation.

[Mike Heidrick]

I am on it!

Have you watched all the comatic videos too? I love the lab coat asian guys using these saws and feeders in the videos.

[David Kumm]

Van, if you invent one, how about having both the fence and the feeder powered. The big old Oliver Resaws ran both sides and accordingly to those who own them the best thing about that system. Some will mount the feeder side to a plate to avoid the webbing. Generally there is some wiggle room to move the feeder slightly forward, but not much. Once on they don't get removed often as they are heavy. Dave

[Van Huskey]

I am on it!

Have you watched all the comatic videos too? I love the lab coat asian guys using these saws and feeders in the videos.

Yes, they always look like they just found some alien technology. Once in a while they seem to refer to a brochure or manual, seemingly for the "insert wood here" diagram. In their defense I figure that they are brilliant engineers but given that the industry is relatively new there aren't guys there that have been building woodworking machines for 50 years. Their attire probably garners respect in their culture where here it is more likely to make the average woodworker snicker.

[Van Huskey]

Van, if you invent one, how about having both the fence and the feeder powered. The big old Oliver Resaws ran both sides and accordingly to those who own them the best thing about that system.

Dave, I am at best a tinkerer (still giving myself a lot of credit) and at best all I would be is making a cheaper alternative to something that already exists. The Oliver approach does look like (never seen one in the wild) the best solution but a major bit of engineering.

The PF I am interested in is: http://www.lagunatools.com/feeders/Laguna-Power-Feeder

If you watch the video it is very cool. The thing that interests me is it seems like an approachable build. Basically you need a belt sander type setup that runs slow enough with enough torque to move the wood and something on the outside to hold the wood against the feeder. I have a bunch of ideas but see a lot of problems as well, not the least of which is making sure the gearmotor I get has enough torque. Since I am in no hurry I am hoping Laguna will bring one to IWF so I can mentally deconstruct it, plus I may be able to get some specific info on the gear motor, maybe even a model number. I love the way the Laguna connects to the Driftmaster, very cool design, I jsut can't remotely justify the $2,400, thats less than I paid for my MM used!


I suppose you could build an double sided feeder like the Laguna but have the motor under the front side of the table since you need both belts to run together. In the end the Oliver was a serious piece of engineering and to build it in a swing away manner would take some serious work!

[Mike Heidrick]

Comatic youtube video shows the sandpaper feeder and the tension head roller. Laguna is always repackaging something. Notice how they clamped it to the table too. Hmm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxlohzqXcdo&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLE14222E5392ED89F

These guys sure know how to dress up a tool show - full on suit :) Very respectful!

Van, you had me laughing out loud here at work! New alien technology LOL!

[Van Huskey]

I watched that video last night.

The animated one on the AF10 "giant feeder" makes me laugh at the beginning as well as calling it a giant feeder, considering it is one of the lowest powered ones they make.

[Mike Heidrick]

Some thought starters:
ShopSmith 6X48 shaft driven sander
Convert one or a few air belt sanders
Maybe use some cnc motors/steppers and a controller for variable speed - use an arduino board and pot to controll it.
8020 the mount and connection to a drift master

[Van Huskey]

Some thought starters:
ShopSmith 6X48 shaft driven sander
Convert one or a few air belt sanders
Maybe use some cnc motors/steppers and a controller for variable speed - use an arduino board and pot to controll it.
8020 the mount and connection to a drift master


My first thought was to start with one of the 6x48 or 4x36 sanders. BUT, over the time I thought about it I was thinking instead of an idler and drive roller I might go with two idler rollers (which could be laminated and turned on a lathe like people do for DIY drum sanders then have a third drive roller and have them in a triangle configuration. this would allow the gear motor to be offset to prevent it from hanging over the front side (making the whole thing useless). It would also allow me to adjust the size of the driver roller to compensate for speed of a surplus gear motor (so I don't have to pay full price to get the exact one I need for the range). I would prefer a DC gear motor which would then be easy to just put a pot on for VS. My biggest issue that I can't figure is how much motor I need. Since I have no plans to execute this any time soon I will wait until IWF and see if I can crib some info off Laguna's motor and drive system. Since I am not nor do I have the facilities to work in metal at least my prototype will be based in wood, this limits my ability to fix the rollers from just one point making it more difficult to engineer the drive system with its need for tension adjustability.

BTW since I won't start with a sander I will just get make the platen with MDF and face it with replacement platen material, somewhere in my favorites I have a place that sells it in larger pieces so I can cut my own. The pressure roller can be accomplished in a number of ways and the least of my worries.

In the end my biggest fears are speccing the motor without over-spending or not having anough grunt AND tracking of the belt... It can be done DIY I am sure, the question is can I do it...

[Mike Ruggeri]

Not to derail the thread, but what is better about the design of a bandsaw feeder rather than a regular (shaper type) power feeder? The reason I ask is that I have a baby Delta feeder that is collecting dust and was thinking to maybe someday rig it up on my bandsaw. I really like having a constant feed rate on the shaper and router table so was thinking maybe I could adapt something to the bandsaw. I have a Laguna HD16 but have no idea how much power would be required from a feeder for resawing (assuming appropriate sharp blade). The little feeder worked OK on a router table so maybe it would be acceptable on a bandsaw (up to 12" resaw) even if supplemented with my manual feeding. Thoughts?

Mike

[Mike Heidrick]

Van, Vega sells a graphite sheet they use on their awesome oscillating edge sander. It is double stick attached to a steel I beam. Surplu Ceneter will be a great place to source the tinkering parts.

Mike, the "Medium" G1172 feeder I just bought (and that John owns) is only 1/2hp. I will know more after I see it. It also has a transmission. The main part of a bandsaw feeder is the spring controlled closure of the 8" pivot it has I think. I am new to them though. The gear mechanism on the roller fence looks nice too but John said he likes a steel plate over the rollers for veneer.

[Van Huskey]

Mike, looking at my favorite links that is exactly wher I saw it.

To the other Mike, the problem with standard feeders is the lack of a spring. If you are resawing with the offcut on the fence side you have to constantly move the PF to keep it tight against the work, less of an issue if you have the offcut away from the fence but have to readjust the fence, not a big issue with veneer if you have a Driftmaster fence. The other problem with a baby feeder is would seem impossible to mount it in the normal way and get the rollers up against a vertical board since they just have a bend and not a joint right at the head. With any "standard" feeder the key is getting the wheels turned 90 degrees and being able to keep tension up between the wood and rollers without constantly adjusting it.

[Van Huskey]

Regarding power I have seen Laguna demonstrate 18" +/- resaws in relatively hard wood with their medium feeder (just like what Mike is getting) at a fairly slow rate, completely hands off, not sure if it needed to be that slow or was slowed down to show off the finish of the RK blade and/or give Torben more time to chat up the crowd during cuts.

[Mike Heidrick]

Van, the baby has a ball at the motor that makes it move in all the same directions I think. Also there are springs in the wheels. If you can use it vertical against a shaper fence maybe it would work on a bandsaw?? Would be a LOT of adjusting.

[David Kumm]

I'm guessing that the 1/2 HP motors are rated at 1800 rpm and are similar in size to what we refer to as 1 HP feeder motors that run at 3600 rpm. Same torque. The force needed to resaw should still be less than running a heavy shaper profile. The Northfield heavy feeder runs basically the same motor as the mid sized ones you are referring to. Dave

[Van Huskey]

Van, the baby has a ball at the motor that makes it move in all the same directions I think. Also there are springs in the wheels. If you can use it vertical against a shaper fence maybe it would work on a bandsaw?? Would be a LOT of adjusting.


I didn't "think" the ball would allow a 90 degree turn, I very well may be wrong as I have never tried to turn one 90 degrees.

Spent a few minutes in Harbor Freight poking around their stationary belt sanders, using one for donar parts might work better than I thought, in any event a wish $2500 would just fall out of the sky with a note saying it was for the Laguna, LOL. I just can not see paying the money for that one since I would never make a penny using it.

[Peter Quinn]

Their attire probably garners respect in their culture where here it is more likely to make the average woodworker snicker.

Anytime I see a guy operating WW'ing machinery wearing a necktie, I scratch my head. Does that seem like a good idea? I won't snicker, but I may shudder.

[Van Huskey]

Anytime I see a guy operating WW'ing machinery wearing a necktie, I scratch my head. Does that seem like a good idea? I won't snicker, but I may shudder.

Isn't it obvious the saw is equipped with a Tiestop...

[Mike Heidrick]

Anyone familiar with how the multispeed windings of a feeder work? Anyone have a schematic I could look at?

[Van Huskey]

BTW I checked and I was wrong a baby feeder will tilt up to 90 degrees.

[Mike Heidrick]

I owned a delta versa baby feeder for two weeks. I thought I had checked every position it would go in.

[Mike Heidrick]

OK after a brief discussion with some Felder Yahoo group boys I am going VFD on the bandsaw feeder day one. I went with an Italian Bonfiglioli Vectron VFD - fitting for a minimax bandsaw :) . It is 1/2hp 220VAC (1ph/3ph) SYN10 S 220 3 AF IP65. It is IP65 Nema4 rated with power switch, speed potentiometer, and reversing dial right on the front and is designed to be mounted on a machine and not in an enclosure. It is dust proof, water spray jet proof, and has heat sink and fan built in. Should be sweet. $150 shipped.

Here is the VFD.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e169/BloomingtonMike/vfdfeeder2.jpg

[Rod Sheridan]

Anyone familiar with how the multispeed windings of a feeder work? Anyone have a schematic I could look at?

Hi Mike, although you now don't need the info, the multi speed feeders have a two speed motor (changes from 2 poles to 4 poles) and the remainder of the speeds are by changing drive gears.

A single speed motor feeder will normally have 4 speeds (2 pairs of gears), an 8 speed would have two pairs of gears, plus a two speed motor.

Nice VFD you have...................Rod.

[Van Huskey]

Mike thats a gloat within a gloat! Just the NEMA 4 enclosure usually bumps the price up more than $150.

[Mike Heidrick]

The feeder has eight different feed speeds from a two-speed motor and belt change with four pulley
combinations from what I have read so far.

Here is the wiring in a typical Maggi feeder posted up by David P Best showing wirings for each speed (3 phase motors). He is also going VFD on his Maggi feeder.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e169/BloomingtonMike/sw1-1.jpg

BTW - dont try an take the switches apart - this pic also from David

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e169/BloomingtonMike/sw2-1.jpg

[Van Huskey]

RE: switch I would say so, if I had done that I would bet I wouldn't know where more than 30% of the parts were, since they would be scattered on my shop floor and probably some of them in the yard!

[Mike Heidrick]

OK time for my own pics. Feeder and VFd came from ebay. Got it uncrated and I guess a green tool is the perfect tool color for today. I still have to drill and tap the mount but its on the saw for sizing and placement reference. Soda can for size reference. G1026 Shaper and 1/4hp 3 wheel feeder came Saturday - Payment from a good friend for helping him with his cnc build and I gave him some parts (routers and other Z axis parts) I did not need (since I went spindle) that he used on his machine. He swapped this Griz out for a 5hp Weaver so he did not loose any sleep over it and he stole 4 Weavers for what this Griz cost new!

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e169/BloomingtonMike/f1.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e169/BloomingtonMike/f3.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e169/BloomingtonMike/1026.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e169/BloomingtonMike/fsc1.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e169/BloomingtonMike/f5.jpg

[Van Huskey]

Looking good!

A bunch of stealth gloating too I see...

YOU SUCK!!!

Do you know what year your MM is? I wonder if it is newer or older than mine, different switch and mine doesn't have the Made In Italy sticker.