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Thread: Value of Jones Superior Bandsaw

  1. #1

    Value of Jones Superior Bandsaw

    I found a Jones Superior 19” bandsaw in good working order that was refurbished in 2002. New motor, bearings, wheels, tires, etc used rarely/intermittently since 2002. It’s not perfect, but in pretty good shape. The seller is asking $200.00 for it and I think it is worth that. I will be using it mostly for making furniture at home and to do some resawing. I am curious is anyone has experience with Jones Superior, which I have never heard of until today. Thoughts about price? My current biggest concern is it is so big and heavy and it will take up a fairly large footprint in my garage-shop. Thank you in advance for any advice you can provide.
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  2. #2
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    Is that a meat cutting bandsaw? If so, I would check for decent blade guides. The table looks strange, with no insert, or miter slot. Is it original?

    Your decision, but it wouldn't be the saw for me.


    EDIT: I just googled Jones Superior meat saws, and there are several references. Apparently they made saws of all types, and I found a meat saw that looks similar, but has a cast table. One reference shows a listing for them on Vintage Tools, with several listings.
    Last edited by Rick Potter; 03-26-2019 at 5:00 PM.
    Rick Potter

    DIY journeyman,
    FWW wannabe.
    AKA Village Idiot.

  3. #3
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    looks like a meat saw to me as well, with the sliding table.

  4. #4
    Good question... the story I heard is it was originally use to cut dry ice in a refrigeration factory. I was thinking about building a 3/4" plywood table in place of what is currently there, add the miter slot and zero clearance. Maybe I'm trying too hard to make this one work out.

  5. #5
    What you and Rick Potter said makes sense... I didn't realize that was a sliding table, but I think you two are correct.

  6. #6
    I was able to verify that this was manufactured to be solid carbon dioxide saw... dry ice. http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=486

    Hesitant about it... especially the dust collection.

  7. #7
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    Pass on it. There is a reason you have never heard of it.

  8. #8
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    I bet it will be hard to find parts for even if you did live in North America.
    Bil lD.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jason Peake View Post
    I was able to verify that this was manufactured to be solid carbon dioxide saw... dry ice. http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=486

    Hesitant about it... especially the dust collection.
    No need to worry about dust collection, the sawdust will sublimate to a gas. Well, that 's what happened when cutting dry ice. You mean it's not the saw that does that? Sorry, just being silly.
    Chuck

  10. #10
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    Jones Superior saws are high quality saws. That is a meat saw. I used to own a 26" version identical to it, including the sheet metal sliding table. That table looks different than the one I had, so it may have been modified.

    Your concerns are condition, speed of blade in FPS (easily calculated knowing RPM's of motor and pulley sizes), and the guides. Many things can be changed by previous owners over 80 to 100 years, like guides, bearings, etc.....

    Test it out and see how well it cuts. That will tell you how well it is set up for cutting wood. $200 is hard to beat, and that saw, if in good physical condition, is much better than any 14" saw you'll find at 3 times the price.
    Jeff

  11. #11
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    A meat saw will not have tires or a way to mount them on the wheels. Wood blades need tires since they have teeth with a set not just wavy edges.
    Bill D.

  12. #12
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    OK, I am gonna double down on my 2 cents.

    As Jeff says, it is a good quality saw. You could spend time and money and rehab it. You will then have a great...meat saw. Not a woodworking saw.

    For a woodworking bandsaw, you will want a decent fence, tilting table, and an accurate miter slot for the miter gage as well as various jigs you can buy/make.

    I recently sold a nice 14" Delta bandsaw with fence and miter gage for $400. I would keep looking.
    Rick Potter

    DIY journeyman,
    FWW wannabe.
    AKA Village Idiot.

  13. #13
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    A tilting table is not necessary.
    A fence can be made, and a miter slot is not necessary.
    Arguably the best saws ever produced in the US, for industry, were made by Tannewitz. No miter slot, rarely a fence, unless special ordered, but they did have a tilting table.
    Bandsaws have no idea what they are cutting, meat, wood, foam, etc....
    Tires would be helpful, buy some rubber tires from Woodworkers Toolworks, and stretch them on .
    Some type of blade guides, tracking adjustment, and decent tensioning capabilities are all that is necessary.
    You can then cut all the wood you want.
    A Delta 14” is a hobby/beginner saw. It is capable, but in a lower class than the Jones Superior from a build quality standpoint.
    As Jeff mentioned, $200 for this machine is a steal if in good shape. A table is easy to fab up quickly.
    Don’t let some scare you off from really looking at a possibly decent machine for cheap.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Dufour View Post
    A meat saw will not have tires or a way to mount them on the wheels. Wood blades need tires since they have teeth with a set not just wavy edges.
    Bill D.
    I bought a set of rubber tires from Woodworkers Toolworks and epoxied them on. There's nothing mysterious or difficult about putting new rubber tires on bandsaw wheels. Crown them and get on with cutting.

    The best bandsaws ever made did not have miter slots (I've never needed one in 30 plus years of woodworking). I own a Yates American Y30 with no miter, and I've owned a Tannewitz, a Northfield, and an Oliver, and none of them have had miter slots. I can't think of any reason to have one on a bandsaw. Fences for resawing are easily made out of plywood.

    For $200, it's worth a look if you're trying to pinch pennies, and you don't want to drop 5 grand on one of these.

    Jeff

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