Clarke Bandsaw

[Mikey D]

I have just bought a secondhand clarke bandsaw , i havent got a manual for it tho ,is there one online somewhere ??
i tried it out tonight cutting some 8mm angle took about 1/2 hour to do one cut is that normal , i think the blade has about 16 tpi . im assuming the thicker the material the coarser the blade you use??

one bonus tho it does seem to cut straight


cheers mike

 

[Wozzaaah]

That cut should only take a couple of mins, either your blade is totally shot or your feed pressure is too low. What model bandsaw? Is it the small (6x4) one with the spring which controls the feed or the larger (7x11) one with the hyraulic feed? If you need blades don't bother with those cheap carbon steel ones, spend a bit on a decent bi-metal one, it'll outlast several carbon steel ones.

 

[Mikey D]

hi wozz ,
yea its the small 4x6 jobbie , with the spring .... It came with 4 new blades the cheap ones by the look of it .
ill try putting a new blade on tomorrow ,see how good a cheap new blade cuts

 

[Wozzaaah]

If you want decent blades, try dragon saws, I've used them a couple of times and recommend them. Give them a ring or email them and tell them what you're most likely to be cutting and they'll recommend a suitable blade.

 

[JimM]

Haven't got a manual but I do have a guide for setting up the blade on 4x6 bandsaws which you may find useful. If you PM your details I'll email a copy to you.

As Wozzaaah has said, the cheapy blades are crap, expect to only make one or two cuts in 8mm angle before replacing ! I've currently got a 10tpi Starrett blade in mine which works great for me (basically light domestic use)

HTH

Jim

 

[Baz-Cem]

If you ring Clarke's support line they will email you a manual in pdf format. I got the number from Machine Mart but have since lost it ( and the number

Baz.

 

[rtbcomp]

Fit the blade with the jagged bits at the bottom

 

[English Steve]

HeHe, could be why it took 1/2 hour to cut that angle

 

[Mikey D]

Doh ,thats where i was going wrong then !

have pmed you jim

cheers mike

 

[hareng]

Make sure the blades in the right way as well.

Got the same head unit on the quick release vice type a Sealey, just need to replace all the bearings. No rush it aint bin used for about 7 years.
Bimetal paid £6 each.
Standard blades 5 for £20 but useless.

Aluminium round 4 1/2" takes around 35 to 40 mins. 4" about 20 mins or less.

 

[shenion]

Make sure the blades in the right way as well.

Hehe, my used saw came with the blade in right but the motor wired backwards

 

[Mikey D]

Well i tried a new blade tonight and it was loads better
it was only a carbon steel blade and ive got 3 more to use up
i shall get onto dragon saws for some decent ones tho ,

cheers guys especially wozz and jim for the advice

 

[Mikey D]

oh yea and i emailed clarke with the model number and they sent me a link to the pdf manual

Result

 

[Mikey D]

Just a little update
i emailed dragon saws with info on what i was cutting and with what saw ...
following their recomendations i bought an M42 10/14 vari tooth blade .
just fitted it tonite ,wow what A difference compared to the machine mart carbon steel blades .
definatly a thumbs up for dragon saws , excellent service

cheers mike

 

[Wozzaaah]

I'm running an 8/12 vari-tooth in mine which is what Dragon recommended. It's cut quite a lot of stuff now and shows no signs of dulling whatsoever. Also have a 14tpi M42 one in my 6x4 bandsaw too, again from Dragon.

 

[gavuk]

try google for harbour frieght 6x4 bandsaw.....loads of people have posted mods an setting tweaks for 6x4 .glad to hear u got it sorted ,,,,can i ask how much u paid for bi-metal blade from dragon and p&p........already had their name not the price ........

 

[Mikey D]

Gav , the blade was about £14.50 inclusive of postage arrived next day .
info@dragonsaws.co.uk

cheers mike

 

[Wozzaaah]

Just read the first posts in this thread again, yours is a 6x4 Mikey, I paid £29 for two for my 6x4 so the same price as you, the ones for my 12x8 were £39 for two.

 

[Mikey D]

12x8 oh yea im jellous
there seems to be a big jump in price when you move onto the bigger/more solid bandsaws , what saw is it wozz?

 

[Wozzaaah]

It's a Clarke CBS7, an ebay bargain, think it cost me £277 but I had to travel quite a way to pick it up. Nice saw though and it was (and still is) in great condition.