*Gloat* New to me Laguna LT18

[Michael Alu]

I found this Italian made Laguna LT18 bandsaw on Craigslist. Seller was asking $800. I got to the man and chatted with him for a little while. Found out it's just been sitting in an barn for the last 10 years. Offered him $650 and I was on my way home with it. I checked everything out and everything just seems to be surface rust. A little elbow grease and some tlc and I'm hoping to have this thing up and purring.

This is my first bandsaw but not my first major tool refurbish. It's pretty much how I have managed to build my entire shop out with major tools. Not one of the major big tools was purchased new. However any extra tips and tricks for refurbing it would be appreciated.

A little big of a patience goes a long way when trying to buy used I will say that.

414916

[Paul F Franklin]

Wow, you got a great deal!

[Mike Kees]

Michael,excellent deal .We share the same story about building our shops with used machines. There is no better feeling in the world than when you finally obtain that machine you have been waiting for.

[Michael Alu]

I couldn’t agree more. I’ve been on the hunt for a used bandsaw for well over a year. Our market here in Louisiana is flooded with 14” saws and people asking almost retail for them. It feels good to get a good deal and refurbing it isn’t so bad. I end up learning way more about my saw that way.

[Dave Lehnert]

You did well.

[Mike Wilkins]

I have had that same saw since 2001and it has been trouble free since. You got a great deal on a beast of a machine.

[Michael Alu]

I have had that same saw since 2001and it has been trouble free since. You got a great deal on a beast of a machine. I will probably be picking your brain about yours later on. Once I finish cleaning it then it’s time to tuning. It came with the upgraded cool block system so I’m hoping it’s not to difficult.

[Michael Alu]

Since I have the machine broken down I’m going to go ahead and replace the almost 20year old belt. Does anyone know if a v-link belt can be used on the LT18 or should I stick with the standard v-belt style that came with it?

[Mike Kees]

That is probably a metric size belt. I would stick with a quality v-belt made for electric motors.

[Michael Alu]

I'm bumping this thread up instead of starting a new one. I'm 95% done with the bandsaw cleanup. All that is remaining is the fence to be cleaned up and put back on. This saw will be setup for pretty much a dedicated resaw and rip cuts. I have a 1" Resaw King on it and I have a question regarding blade position on the tires. I've watched the Alex Snodgrass video's and while he is spot on, I believe it applies to 1/2", maybe even 3/4" blades and smaller. Back to my question though. I've been looking and some people say run the carbide tips just barely hanging off the tire to avoid the tire getting damaged and some say just center the blade on the tire. I would like to poll the audience here as you guys have way more experience than me with a bandaw. I'd love some advice from the creekers. Specifically paging Van Huskey, the Bandsaw Guru.

And here is the final product. Not a pristine cleanup but it will work for the rest of my lifetime.

https://imgur.com/l5TtUz5

https://imgur.com/kneL4xM

[Rob Charles]

Wow. Great price on your saw. I recently picked up a sister saw. Its was in pretty good condition (albeit with a loose ground wire which was an easy fix.). Unfortunately, I did not get the killer price that you did. None the less, I am happy with the saw.

On your blade tracking question: From the Laguna manual:

Tracking position of the blade on the wheels Tracking large blades. There has been a lot of discussion on the position that the blade should be on the wheels. One group of people recommends that with large blades you should track the blade so that the teeth hang just over the front edge of the rubber. The second group recommends that all blades regardless of their size should run in the center of the wheel. The advantage of running the large blades with the teeth not contacting the rubber of the wheel is that they cannot damage the tire. The disadvantage is that the wheel is crowned and the blade is not tensioned in the center of the band, which gives the blade a tendency to wobble or flutter. The advantage of running large blades on the center of the wheels is that they are tensioned in the center of the band and have fewer tendencies to wobble and flutter. The disadvantage is that blades with a large set on the teeth have a tendency to damage the rubber of the tire. This does not have a great effect on the performance of the bandsaw as all blades are running on the center section of the tire which is not affected. We recommend that you balance all blades on the center of the wheels for optimum performance and a smoother cut." Source: http://go.rockler.com/tech/Laguna-Tools-Italian-LT18-Bandsaw-Manual.pdf page 30.

[Mike Kees]

The Italian made LT 18 has crowned wheels ? Are you sure. My bet would be it would have flat wheels,which you would run the teeth off the front edge of the ties. If they are indeed crowned,center the blade.

[Mick Simon]

I thought the same thing. Googled it and the manual says they're crowned. I'd still double check it. That's a big bandsaw to have crowned tires.


The Italian made LT 18 has crowned wheels ? Are you sure. My bet would be it would have flat wheels,which you would run the teeth off the front edge of the ties. If they are indeed crowned,center the blade.

[Rob Charles]

I thought the same thing. Googled it and the manual says they're crowned. I'd still double check it. That's a big bandsaw to have crowned tires.

Thanks for the double check. I will check mine tomorrow. Certainly, it will not be the first time a manual was wrong.

[Michael Alu]

Thanks for the double check. I will check mine tomorrow. Certainly, it will not be the first time a manual was wrong.

Mine are crowned as a matter of fact. Just checked them.

[Frank Drackman]

Mine are crowned as a matter of fact. Just checked them.

Mine are flat. I just checked the tag, Mod# LT18, Serial# 980913014

[Mick Simon]

I went back and compared the wording in the LT18 manual to the wording in the 18BX manual. It appears to be copied and pasted. Both say they're crowned, but again, I would be surprised to see it on any bandsaw that's designed to track anything larger than ¾" blade.