Mother of All Bandsaws

[julian abram]

Dang, this thang should be worth more than $500 in recyclable metal,

https://tulsa.craigslist.org/tls/d/band-saw-30-wheels/6660079966.html

[Van Huskey]

36" Tannewitz

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42" yates

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[Matt Mattingley]

Dang, this thang should be worth more than $500 in recyclable metal,

https://tulsa.craigslist.org/tls/d/band-saw-30-wheels/6660079966.html
Most recycle cast-iron is less than $.10 pound... not sure what that weighs, but I’m going to guess 2000 pounds. By my estimate this is slightly double scrap prices. I wonder what else is wrong with it?

[Van Huskey]

not sure what that weighs, but I’m going to guess 2000 pounds.

Not too far off, probably around 1600lbs. It is obvious it has lived a "hard" life and I'm guessing the one for sale is the one missing the upper wheel door.

[Matt Mattingley]

Yep, soon as it’s missing the upper wheel door... it’s vintage value drops to scrap iron or their close to. Just the motor on the used market is probably worth $200

[Larry Edgerton]

Old saws are only worth what you can sell them for. When I sold my commercial building I had a 36" Oliver that I had no place to put at the new digs, and I sold it for $500. Working saw, all the parts there, everyone loved it but when it came right down to it it was just too big for most. Was asking $2000, but when it came down to the wire I had to accept the low offer. Oh, I gave away a Porter Jointer as I could not sell it as well.

[Tom M King]

For a little bit more, this one is complete with blade: https://richmond.craigslist.org/tls/d/36-tannewitz-band-saw-gh/6657250171.html

[Bill Space]

$1,000 will buy you this 36” Tannewitz in Pittsburgh. Wish I had the room!

https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/tls/d/bandsaw-tannewitz-36-inch/6641365086.html

Photo included for when link goes dead...

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[Patrick Kane]

Yeah, thats a great saw and about 25 mins from me. Its an old listing, if i remember correctly. No way i have the ceiling height nor the space for that machine. I need deals like that to be around in ten years when i have a proper shop space not in a basement.

[Van Huskey]

The Tanny in Steel Town is an excellent example of how unwanted the big old saws are. They are without question some of the best bandsaws every made but the supply far outstrips demand. Industry doesn't want them since pattern shops are all but dead, the production work once done with them has moved to CNC etc and the few instances where they are used the ones they already have will likely last another 50 years. For the hobby guys that would love them they represent a big logistical hurdle, they are tall and weigh a ton (often literally). Moving a massive old table saw or a huge shaper is much easier to move than a bandsaw and even if one has the vertical space they often don't have a door to accommodate getting them into their shop. For the guy that has the logistics covered (pole barn with a tall ceiling and a 12+ rollup door and access to a forklift) they are about the best bargain in woodworking machines. Going back to the 36" Tannewitz it is selling for about 3 cents on the dollar compared to a new one and given its apparent condition would work for 5 generations of hobbyists with at most a set of bearings. For the same price new you could buy a 14" Asian saw... or at least the cheaper ones.

[David Kumm]

the 30" are much more manageable to handle although old bandsaws are not hard to move as they are so bottom heavy. Door height is the real problem for the 36". You need to make sure those with Carter wheels are in decent shape. They are more expensive to fix and very difficult to find replacements for that cost less than the whole saw. Dave

[Steve Demuth]

The Tanny in Steel Town is an excellent example of how unwanted the big old saws are. They are without question some of the best bandsaws every made but the supply far outstrips demand. Industry doesn't want them since pattern shops are all but dead, the production work once done with them has moved to CNC etc and the few instances where they are used the ones they already have will likely last another 50 years. For the hobby guys that would love them they represent a big logistical hurdle, they are tall and weigh a ton (often literally). Moving a massive old table saw or a huge shaper is much easier to move than a bandsaw and even if one has the vertical space they often don't have a door to accommodate getting them into their shop. For the guy that has the logistics covered (pole barn with a tall ceiling and a 12+ rollup door and access to a forklift) they are about the best bargain in woodworking machines. Going back to the 36" Tannewitz it is selling for about 3 cents on the dollar compared to a new one and given its apparent condition would work for 5 generations of hobbyists with at most a set of bearings. For the same price new you could buy a 14" Asian saw... or at least the cheaper ones.

Just last evening I was discussing a Northfield #4 table saw for $1000 just down the road with my son. Needs a little work, but in usable condition. I'd love to have it to use and eventually probably fully restore. But ... 1800lbs of iron means it's immovable IF I could get it in my shop and IF I still had room to work around it (which in my current space I would not). Sigh. I should just bite the bullet, spend $100K on a bigger and more accessible shop and indulge my tool fantasies.

Or, I could just make wood chips with the (much) lower grade of machine I have, and save the money ...

[David Kumm]

A pallet jack and a vfd and you are good to go. Dave

[Darcy Warner]

I can't keep 36" saws around for long. Tannewitz has the name, the old Yates had the looks, the Fay and egan 950s put them all to shame in size and weight. Most underrated big saw out there.

[Mark Hennebury]

Just last evening I was discussing a Northfield #4 table saw for $1000 just down the road with my son. Needs a little work, but in usable condition. I'd love to have it to use and eventually probably fully restore. But ... 1800lbs of iron means it's immovable IF I could get it in my shop and IF I still had room to work around it (which in my current space I would not). Sigh. I should just bite the bullet, spend $100K on a bigger and more accessible shop and indulge my tool fantasies.

Or, I could just make wood chips with the (much) lower grade of machine I have, and save the money ...

Mediocrity never inspired anyone. Stand in awe of greatness and you will be inspired to greatness yourself.

[David Kumm]

My 1936 Oliver 217 with the cast aluminum doors looks pretty sweet but I saw a picture of a F and E 30" 950 with doors that had slots cut in them and I still long for it. Dave

[Darcy Warner]

My 1936 Oliver 217 with the cast aluminum doors looks pretty sweet but I saw a picture of a F and E 30" 950 with doors that had slots cut in them and I still long for it. Dave

They are an impressive saw, great tension set up, slick tracking set up and 3k pounds of cast iron.

[Van Huskey]

My 1936 Oliver 217 with the cast aluminum doors looks pretty sweet but I saw a picture of a F and E 30" 950 with doors that had slots cut in them and I still long for it. Dave

Was it this one?

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[Steve Demuth]

A pallet jack and a vfd and you are good to go. Dave

Not a bad thought. Still need a bigger door and more floor space, but ... might just take a look.

[David Kumm]

Yes Van. Probably over at owwm. Restored about 20 years ago and I've not seen those doors on another. My assumption they are original might be wrong. That frame style needs to be stronger than a C frame like the Oliver or Tanny so the castings were generally much thicker. Dave

[Matt Mattingley]

Mediocrity never inspired anyone. Stand in awe of greatness and you will be inspired to greatness yourself.
Wowwwwww! You should coin that saying, And hang it in your shop! That was brilliantly said.

[Kevin Jenness]

I have moved my 36" Crescent twice through standard height man doors by removing the upper wheel and its support bracket from the main casting.

[Mark Hennebury]

The beautiful Robinson 30" getting squeezed into the shop.

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[Van Huskey]

Mark, that's like a magic trick, you show the pledge, turn and prestige but you ain't sharing the "magic".

BTW that is a gorgeous saw, I have never seen one of those, is it Robinson & Sons from England? If so I have never seen any of their bandsaws, just a table saw and their resaws. You guys in the north get all the neat UK machines. I also have a thing for the MUCH smaller Canadian Beaver 3300. When I have to travel to the eastern border states I always check CL and Kijiji but I haven't had any luck yet.

[Darcy Warner]

Built real similar to the Robinson Resaws.
On my next list, besides a sexy Scandinavian sander.

[Van Huskey]

Built real similar to the Robinson Resaws.

Their resaws remind me of a football lineman just so low wide and powerful looking. They also look amazingly complicated for a bandsaw.

[Steve Demuth]

Mediocrity never inspired anyone. Stand in awe of greatness and you will be inspired to greatness yourself.

Mark,

Agree, and for the 60 or hours/week I spend at the hospital, I live by that maxim. Not quite that ambitious for the few hours I get in the wood shop ... yet.

[Mark Hennebury]

Mark, that's like a magic trick, you show the pledge, turn and prestige but you ain't sharing the "magic".

BTW that is a gorgeous saw, I have never seen one of those, is it Robinson & Sons from England? If so I have never seen any of their bandsaws, just a table saw and their resaws. You guys in the north get all the neat UK machines. I also have a thing for the MUCH smaller Canadian Beaver 3300. When I have to travel to the eastern border states I always check CL and Kijiji but I haven't had any luck yet.




The Robinson, to me is an awe inspiring machine; for a small machine it is massively built and has beautiful lines and great adjustments.

This was a tight fit for sure; I removed table, the upper doors and upper wheel. The upper wheel cover is a separate piece and comes of, also, so then your down to the main casting. It was still too tall to get in with it on the pallet.
So being that it weighs in at 2300lbs lifting off of the pallet was the big problem.
I found an easy way to do that.
i moved the machine on the pallet up til the top hit the building.
Then put a 6x6 on the ground behind the pallet.
With a bar under the base i levered the saw back 6" so that it was over the 6x6
Then put the car jack between the top of the bandsaw and the shop and cranked it a bit, that tilted the bandsaw back onto the 6x6 releasing the pallet.
I the removed the pallet and shoved in the pallet jack, and craanked up the pallet jack.
released the car jack and removed the 6x6, then lowered the pallet jack as low as i could and scraped through the opening with a couple of thou clearance.
it could easily have been an inch too tall and caused trouble, but it went very easy, and was a great feeling for everything to go so well.

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[Mark Hennebury]

Mark,

Agree, and for the 60 or hours/week I spend at the hospital, I live by that maxim. Not quite that ambitious for the few hours I get in the wood shop ... yet.

If you already have that mindset, it transfers to other areas. You dont have to have all of the most expensive equipment, you work with what you have; Take a cheap handplane, fine tune it to make it work well, see how beautiful the shavings are, and incredible a finely planed surface is, that is still inspiring to me after 45 years. we find inspiration all around. A nice well tuned tool or machines certain provides inspiration. A fine tablesaw or bandsaw is a pleasure to use. If you get the chance to get one, even/especially an old one, its worth the effort and struggle.

[David Kumm]

If you follow Mark's work you know that he doesn't just talk the talk. Check out his T17 resto over at Canadianwoodworking. Dave

[Peter Christensen]

I've lusted for a big saw but one would go through the floor of my shop. I saw this yellow beast at a small shipyard along the Fraser river a few years ago. It would do the trick.

[Mark Hennebury]

I've lusted for a big saw but one would go through the floor of my shop. I saw this yellow beast at a small shipyard along the Fraser river a few years ago. It would do the trick.


'go through the floor of my shop." this looks perfect then.:D

[Van Huskey]

The Robinson, to me is an awe inspiring machine; for a small machine it is massively built and has beautiful lines and great adjustments.



Thanks for sharing the magic, from the angle of the first pictures it looked like it would have had to be rocked back but being a 30" it makes sense due to the fact they are usually right at 7ft. It is a gorgeous machine.

[Van Huskey]

I've lusted for a big saw but one would go through the floor of my shop.

Ship saws are cool, I wonder if anyone has one in a hobby shop. I suppose it would make cutting dovetails on the BS easier...