Band Saw moter help

[julian swann]

I bought a 14" Rockwell band saw (28-243) recently. Probably paid too much but I got swept away in the excitement of an auction. Anyway the parts are all there but the motor was separate from the saw and I don't believe this saw had this motor originally. The motor included is a Delta 1.5hp and 3450rpm. I like the idea of the extra hp but am a little nervous about using a motor with twice the rpm of the original. If I use this motor am I going to make my wife a widow or is there no danger? Your thoughts.

[Curt Harms]

A 1.5 h.p. motor on a bandsaw used for resawing is a real plus IMO. You could change out one or both pulleys to keep the blade speed the same. Here is a calculator you might find helpful:
http://vintagemachinery.org/math/sfpm.aspx

[Chip Lindley]

Curt is Right On. Nothing wrong with a 1.5hp motor on your 14" Rockwell, but those bandsaws usually employ a 1725 RPM motor. To use the 3450 RPM motor, your motor pulley will have to be sized at half it's current diameter OR the bandsaw pulley doubled in diameter. This may make fitting inside the existing belt guard impossible. It is not advised to operate the bandsaw with your high-RPM motor. That is TOO Fast!

My best advice would be to sell or swap your 3450 RPM motor for a 1725 RPM motor with same-size shaft and horsepower. Keep life simple!

~~Chip~~

[julian swann]

Thanks for the hookup Curt! I'll go through this info and see what I can cypher.

[julian swann]

This tells me exactly what I need to know. Thanks Chip.

[Myk Rian]

Or, use a jack shaft to reduce the speed.