SCMI Bandsaw Restoration Update and Help

[Sal Kurban]

I finally got to work on a SCMI SC600 bandsaw restoration this weekend. The machine needed tires, guides and a phase converter/VFD. The blade wheel adjustment mechanism was frozen and I received generous help from Rick Fischer who went out of his way to share his experience and help (A big thanks). I ordered OEM tires, a TACO Westinghouse VFD, and Laguna guides. I installed the tires but have not touched the VFD yet. When installing the guides, I realized the Laguna lower guide does not fit properly. When I put it straight, the side supports off by about 1/2 inch regardless of whether it is installed below or above the shaft that holds it. The only way it can possibly be centered and have any clearance on each side of the blade is if it is installed slightly diagonally as in the attached picture. In this case the side supports are not against each other. The problem with this configuration is that it is impossible to adjust the rear support as the side supports are in the way. If anyone used the Laguna guides and share experience/ideas that would be great.

[Rick Fisher]

Hey Sal.. Looks like your making progress.

I checked the lower guides on my saw.. they can be moved Left or Right from behind the table.. I have Carter guides and have mine moved quite a bit off center.

Mine has a slot which the rod holding the guides goes though, attached to another adjustable bracket. I will try to get you a pic.. but I am wondering if perhaps yours is different?

What year is your saw ? Mine is overall the same, but has spoked wheels.. I think mine is an 87 ..

If you buy a piece of that hard synthetic plastic stuff " UHMU " .. or whatever its called, you can make a dust catcher fro below the bottom guides.

I will get a pic of the lower guide assembly..

[Rick Fisher]

Back ..

Okay.. Sorry bout the mess, I never connected the Bandsaw to DC ..



Shows the guide set up from the front, making the rear photo more relevant.



The photo of the rear shows the guide bar moved almost all the way left, in order to get the Carter Guide centered..

The bar holding the guide had to be made by a machine shop .. the original lower guide bar was gone, as was the lower guide. If memory serves, the bar is smaller in diameter at one end than the other..

[Sal Kurban]

Thanks Rick,

My saw was made in 1986. It is a bit different on the adjustment mechanism and I will check to see how I can adjust the lower guide when I go to the "barn". I also like the idea of a dust catcher, which should be straightforward.

BTW your saw looks like a very nice handsome piece of equipment...

Sal.

[Rick Fisher]

I find it odd that yours is brown and mine is green. Perhaps mine is an 89 ? I will have to check.. I wonder if SCM changed colors in 87 ..

[Sal Kurban]

Rick,
Unfortunately my saw does not have the elongated slot in the back for the adjustment mechanism. It has a round opening. The round opening is about 1 1/4 inch in diameter. Since the rod or shaft that holds the lower guide assembly is 7/8" in diameter, I could move the shaft only about 1/8" and that did not make the Laguna guides work
Thanks for the feedback and pics.

[Daniel Hein]

"I ordered OEM tires, a TACO Westinghouse VFD"

Sal, which TACO Westinghouse VFD did you use if I may ask? Daniel

[Tom M King]

I put Carter guides on mine. They listed a small one for the lower guide, and I didn't want to use that one, so I ordered the same size as the top. I did have to refabricate the lower mount, but sorry, I didn't take pictures, and it's been long enough ago that I don't remember exactly what I did. I sent the information to Carter, soon after I did it, but if you aren't set up to cut, and weld metal, it probably won't be useful.

The OEM tires are easy to put on. Just heat them with a heat gun, while jumping it around the length in one hand, and when it's about too hot to handle, it will go right on.

I'm just running a Huangchan (sure spelling is not right) VFD, but I keep a fan blowing through a filter on it, and it's never hiccuped. When we use it, the run time is usually around an hour. I have it set for slow start, and it sounds like an airplane turbine engine starting. I run it about 10% over speed, for making shingles, and the motor never gets warm.

Another dust port in the lower, column corner helps a lot.

A Lenox Woodmaster CT 1", 1.3 tpi blade stays on mine all the time.

[Bill Dufour]

Never having seen one I wonder if the guide could be a 7/8 rod eccentric to the 1.25 main rod. Set maybe 1/2" off center? Could you install larger diameter bearings to take up the gap.
Bil lD