Bandsaw restoration, almost... almost.. (pic heavy)

[Rick Fisher]

This has been a long haul. Shortages of time and access to parts has put this restoration at about 4-5 months now.

This is the origional, bought at an online auction.

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/IMG_0907-1.jpg

The saw was in a factory. It was pretty much trashed. The condition was much worse than I expected.

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/IMG_0917.jpg

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/IMG_0911-1.jpg

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/IMG_0923.jpg

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/IMG_0913.jpg

That last photo sum's it up. The saw was a blade breaker. Somewhere along the line, they had replaced the motor and used a bigger pulley. The surface feet per minute was up in the mid 5000's and it had damage everywhere from blades breaking.

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/P1010472.jpg

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/P1010469.jpg

The guides are new, from Carter. New motor from Baldor.

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/P1010474.jpg

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/P1010459.jpg

I ended up taking it all apart, cleaning, painting and new parts.

I had custom tires made up by SGTool. Very good guys.


I am still waiting for a new switch/starter. Wheel kit (so I can move it). foot pedal, knob for the fence and table insert.

The new motor is a 5hp Baldor. The first switch showed up faulty, I put a smaller pulley on it :) the blade speed should be about 4200 sfpm.

I hope to have all the parts, and have it running by Xmas. I dont know how long parts from SCMI will take.

[Mikail Khan]

Nice work so far.

MK

[John Bailey]

You've got quite the band saw there Rick. Nicely done on the restoration.

John

[Bob Slater]

Nice. I thought it would be some antique thing you restored. I guess the previous user was definitely not the owner. How did you get the logo for the cover restored?

[Peter Quinn]

looking good Rick.

[Jim Becker]

Beautiful job on that restoration, Rick. I'm looking forward to your final comments once it's up and running!

[Curt Doles]

Nice job Rick!

What did you you have to give for that and was it shipped to you?

Looks like serious "Gloat" material.:D

Curt

[Pete Bradley]

Nice job! There's a lot of work in that.

Pete

[Hank Knight]

Great job Rick! It really feels good to put a machine that others had given up for dead back into service. Your restoration looks great. You'll feel a sense of pride every time you turn that baby on, as well you should.

[Bill White]

Wanna work on mine now?
Great results, and I know that it'll be a keeper.
Bill

[Joe Meazle]

Looks great Rick. Much prettier than my Centauro. Nice Job!

[Rick Fisher]

The logo;

I took the door with the logo on it to a sign shop. Someone had washed it with paint thinner. So the logo was trashed. They copied it, I had the doors fixed and painted and the sign shop installed the new logo.


http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/IMG_0959.jpg

The insides of the doors where destroyed by broken blades.

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/IMG_0919-1.jpg

I simply didnt have the skill to fix these doors. People had put drywall screws through the surface to hold stuff, there where holes, slices, dents..

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/IMG_0949.jpg

This saw had been bashed by something large. The mag starter also has a crack in the back of it, they kept using it.

That steel is really thick, whatever they dropped on the table was heavy.


I won the auction, against another online bidder. The folks at the auction didnt bid. :p
I think if it had not sold, it would have ended up in the land fill, or sold for parts.

In the end, I decided to just spend the time and money, turn it into the saw I wanted. Financially its a loser. I dont plan on selling it, so it is what it is.

Once you go overbudget, it has to be great. Otherwise it just becomes a regret.

I think restoring the top was easily 4-6 hours.

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/P1010217.jpg

It was a mess. really old glue and epoxy stuck to the surface, rust, scratches, sheesh.. people suck.
I painted the bottom of the table with automotive undercoat. I live in a humid area and this will ensure it wont rust under there. :)

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/P1010221-1.jpg

The fumes off that undercoat are unreal. It sprays like mud.


http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/IMG_0916.jpg

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/P1010174.jpg

60% of a restoration like this is janitorial. lol.. The other 40% is metric bolts and spending money. lol.. The upside is that I know how this thing works, every nut and every bolt. lol..

[Hank Knight]

Rick,

Once you've made the decision to spend the money and time to bring the dead back to life, there's no point in looking back. I had the exact same experience with a basket case Walker Turner drill press. I can't brag that I got a great deal on an old iron machine - it cost me more than I want to think about. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. You have a nice machine you can take personal pride in - regardless of the cost. I think the old saying applies here: "The journey is the destination." You done good.

Hank

[Rick Fisher]

Thanks Hank. I figured others would understand how the cost dissapears over time. Its like building a model. You actually buy it in peices, The value becomes the work. :)

I will own this saw forever. One day they will be selling a 50 - 60 year old, mint condition SCMI Bandsaw, after my funeral. :)

[Chris Padilla]

20" wheels on that, Rick? Nice job.... :)

[Rick Fisher]

20" wheels on that, Rick? Nice job.... :)

Its an SCM-600, 24" wheels.

It had its second 3hp x 3ph. motor.
I looked at a VFD but the motor needed bearings anyhow, so I swapped it over to a single phase 5hp.