Early Semi-Gloat

[Lee DeRaud]

Rockler had Delta 28-206 (14", 1HP, closed base) bandsaws on sale for $449...I grabbed the last one at the local store.
Borrowed a cow-orker's Suburban to pick it up: took three of us at the store to get it in, one of me at home to get it out - "gravity is your friend". (Delta web site said 201lb, one side of the box said 245lb, the other side said 270lb...felt like about 350.) Also got one of the Jet "universal" mobile bases, also on sale.
So now I've got this honking big coffin-shaped cardboard box lying on its side in my garage waiting for me to come home from work. Anything especially tricky to watch for during assembly? And roughly how many of my neighbors should I draft into helping with the heavy bits?

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Lee, I put together my resaw master by my self. This is an 18inch super beefy saw. You should be fine putting yours together yourself. Just take your time.

Congrats and have fun with it!

[Maurice Ungaro]

Lee,
The trick to doing this by yourself is to make sure you bolt the lower portion to the base first, then, place the upper portion on top. The independant pieces are easier to deal with.

[Lee DeRaud]

Lee,
The trick to doing this by yourself is to make sure you bolt the lower portion to the base first, then, place the upper portion on top. The independant pieces are easier to deal with.Um, ok...I haven't unpacked it yet, but the downloaded manual implies that the two portions you're referring to are already bolted together. I know they come apart (to install the riser kit if nothing else)...are you saying to disassemble them first?

[Maurice Ungaro]

Lee,
You mean to tell me YOU didn't buy the riser kit? :D
OK, well, unbolt the upper from the lower as if you were installing the riser block. I installed one, so it wasn't an issue. I'm also not a weight lifter, so, it also worked out better for me too.

[Lee DeRaud]

Lee,
You mean to tell me YOU didn't buy the riser kit? :D(hangs head) Well, no, no I didn't...not yet anyway. This is my first full-size bandsaw since high-school shop class: my motto is "Don't get greedy!" (Although I have already ordered a couple of Timberwolf blades. Cool blocks are next on the list. :cool: )

OK, well, unbolt the upper from the lower as if you were installing the riser block. I installed one, so it wasn't an issue. I'm also not a weight lifter, so, it also worked out better for me too.The Delta website didn't have instructions for the riser kit. Are there any alignment issues I need to watch for unbolting/rebolting the two halves?

[Fred Chan]

Why bother breaking the saw in half? I just assembled the base then lifted the saw onto it. The only help I had was the LOML fitting the bolts into the holes. I didn't find it that heavy. Just don't assemble the table and fence first.:)

[John Hart]

My BIL and I just built two 14" Deltas over the last two weeks. I felt that it was easy enough to do alone, but some stuff is heavy! Be careful!

[Lee DeRaud]

Ok, it's unpacked and everything appears intact except one of the base doors was bent a bit, straightened out no problem.

But apparently this group is populated with weightlifters, linemen, and pro wrestlers, because there is absolutely no way this mid-50's engineer is getting that puppy up on the stand without help. :eek: I'm not even sure taking it apart would help much: looks like at least 75% of the weight is in the one lower piece.

I've got some "assistants" lined up for the weekend, so I guess full gloathood is just going to have to wait a couple of days.

[John Hart]

...
I've got some "assistants" lined up for the weekend, so I guess full gloathood is just going to have to wait a couple of days.

You're a wise man. ;)

[Michael Cody]

Ok, it's unpacked and everything appears intact except one of the base doors was bent a bit, straightened out no problem.

But apparently this group is populated with weightlifters, linemen, and pro wrestlers, because there is absolutely no way this mid-50's engineer is getting that puppy up on the stand without help. :eek: I'm not even sure taking it apart would help much: looks like at least 75% of the weight is in the one lower piece.

I've got some "assistants" lined up for the weekend, so I guess full gloathood is just going to have to wait a couple of days.


Just need a couple of stong inexperienced bulls like my 17 year old and his buddy the weight lifter .. but failing locating those types, then what might be the most useful tool I've bought for that last 10 years .. can figure how many times I've used for so many lifting jobs... one of the best 150-200$ investments you can make. It's amazing how useful it is.

[Lee DeRaud]

Just need a couple of stong inexperienced bulls like my 17 year old and his buddy the weight lifter .. but failing locating those type, then what might be the most useful tool I've bought for that last 10 years .. can figure how many times I've used for so many lifting jobs...I thought about an engine hoist, but decided getting one home and back from the rental place would be just as big a hassle.

So I got the base assembled and drafted one of my neighbors: what was impossible for one person was trivial for two. He couldn't lift it alone either: there's just no good balance/grip point on that lump.

I got the pulleys aligned and the belt installed, bottom wheel spins up fine. That's where it stands now: Woodcraft has shipped the Timberwolf blades priority mail, so I didn't see any point in installing the cheap one that came with the saw, and I left the table off until I can get the ceramic guide blocks from Rockler installed. Full gloat (with pictures) sometime tomorrow.

[Tyler Howell]

Gloat??? Gloat:confused: :confused:

I don't see a gloat:confused:
Must be my computer



Congrats Lee don't drop it.
It is a one young man or two seasoned WWer job.:D

[Lee DeRaud]

Gloat??? Gloat:confused: :confused:

I don't see a gloat:confused:
Must be my computerSorry, my gloat-fu is incredibly weak today: been fighting a sore throat all week.

But I did come home to find a box from Woodcraft on the porch, containing two 1/2"x3TPI Timberwolf blades. This inspired me enough to pop in the new glide blocks, bolt on the table, install a blade, do some very rudimentary alignment, and light it up.

First try, managed to resaw a piece of 1/4" thick red oak (more-or-less) down the middle, using the fence from my drill press clamped to the table. If it will do that, I think it will do anything I need it to do.

Houston, we have achieved gloathood!

[Larry Norton]

Lee, in case you don't already know, you don't set the tension on Timberwolf blades like you do for the others. Go to Suffolk's web site (I think it's www.suffolkmachinery.com (http://www.suffolkmachinery.com) ) and read their "6 Rules Of Sawing" I had my 14in. Jet for 2 years before I got a Timberwolf blade. The first time I used it, I thought I had a brand new band saw!

[Lee DeRaud]

Lee, in case you don't already know, you don't set the tension on Timberwolf blades like you do for the others. Go to Suffolk's web site (I think it's www.suffolkmachinery.com (http://www.suffolkmachinery.com/) ) and read their "6 Rules Of Sawing" I had my 14in. Jet for 2 years before I got a Timberwolf blade. The first time I used it, I thought I had a brand new band saw!Yup. Looks like the same tensioning instructions I got off Woodcraft's site. (Mine ended up just a tick over the 3/8" setting for the 1/2" blade.) About the fourth time they talked about "always detension...", I was glad I got a saw with the quick-release detensioner.:cool: