I've been offline for a while, mostly because we moved in December and our new house, until a couple of weeks ago, didn't have high-speed internet available yet (we live out of town a good bit). Progress has overtaken us now, and I'm back in the saddle!
As you may remember, I had a choice to make about a bandsaw purchase (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=76869). I ended up getting the old PM 81 (see attached pic), based on everyone's advice here and the price...which was $0. My brother-in-law, scavenger extraordinaire, found the saw at a school shop that was closing down and got the saw for "almost nothing." He owes me big, so his payback was to just give me the thing.
The saw works great as is, with a 220v 2 hp motor, and I've already done some cutting with it. Nevertheless, I am planning on a restoration project on the entire machine with the exception, perhaps, of the bearings. I know some folks at Old Woodworking Machines advocate always changing the bearings on old machines. On the other hand, I have some pretty skilled mechanics and machinists in my family that recommend, with bearings, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Any thoughts?
Oh yeah, that's a 20" Harbor Freight DP next to the saw. That's the first and last Harbor Freight machine I plan to buy, but the price was right (got it at an estate auction), and many here have said that drill presses are the best tools that HF has to offer. Anyway, it seems like a pretty solid machine, and it's a no-brainer at $200.
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