Startrite 18S5 bandsaw

[Guineafowl]

Looking at the lower guide, how are the slotted inserts meant to be held in? This one’s slightly loose, even with the two allen bolts tight.

Same problem with the one lying on the table, which I’d like to fit in place of the bearings.

 

[fizzy]

The blocks just push in - they do move around a bit but not side to side.
Solid guides are incredibly accurate. I can cut a 25mm wide piece of say 6mm or 10mm steel and the accuracy is within a thou - that is almost milling machine quality
Different blocks for different thickness and different depth blades.

 

[Keith 66]

I take it that is a metal cutting bandsaw? Startrite wood bandsaws usually have crappy guides & the later they are the cheaper & nastier they get.
Dads one just had a hardened steel pin behind the blade to take the thrust. Not a good idea as it often shot sparks out into the sawdust....
Mine had steel guides & i junked them & fitted better ones with Coolblocks, they are a phenolic Ptfe mix & last ages with far better accuracy & less wear.

 

[Guineafowl]

It will be for wood, so I’ve bought two 3/8” carbon steel blades, one 3 tpi skip and one 10 tpi.

The existing guides are for 1/2” blades, so I’m making some new blocks for the 3/8” blades, with a shallower slot.

Material is from the MT2 end of an old Dormer drill bit. How would I heat treat them?

1. Heat to non-magnetic, then quench in oil/water?
2. Temper in oven or deep fryer to, what, 200degC? How long?

 

[fizzy]

It will be for wood, so I’ve bought two 3/8” carbon steel blades, one 3 tpi skip and one 10 tpi.

The existing guides are for 1/2” blades, so I’m making some new blocks for the 3/8” blades, with a shallower slot.

Material is from the MT2 end of an old Dormer drill bit. How would I heat treat them?

1. Heat to non-magnetic, then quench in oil/water?
2. Temper in oven or deep fryer to, what, 200degC? How long?

The standard blocks are meahanite - cast iron basically. This old Tony on YouTube makes some for his Startrite. I think alt saws still sells them. I think hard brass would be ok as well.

 

[Guineafowl]

The standard blocks are meahanite - cast iron basically. This old Tony on YouTube makes some for his Startrite. I think alt saws still sells them. I think hard brass would be ok as well.

Ah, I assumed they’d be hardened steel. I’ve got some phosphor bronze (old boat prop) - would that do?

For the slots:
If the blades are 0.68mm thick, how about a slitting saw just over this size? I’ve just bug gered my 1mm one trying to make the slots in the drill steel. It’s only for wood, so a close fit presumably not needed.

For now, I’ll try the bi-metal M42 blade that the bandsaw came with.

 

[BrokenBiker]

pretty sure this old tony on youtbe has a video on this (or atleast a very similar) startrite saw, may be worth a watch...i seem to remember he may even be on here, i think his CNC gantry router build was covered on here, user name of outofstepper rings a bell, no idea if he is still active though

 

[Keith 66]

If you are using it for wood watch for sparks if using iron guides, sparks landiing in fine sawdust that tends to collect under the table & inside is a real fire risk. They also bugger up blades in quick order & are noisy, Thrust wheels are better than solid pins. bearing side guides are excellent or the coolblox which are are basically graphite impregnated tufnol. I have made guides from ordinary tufnol too & they lasted quite well.

 

[Guineafowl]

Well, whatever bronze the boat prop is made of, isn’t hard enough. The blade has eaten the slot too deep with only a small amount of work.

I saw the ToT video, cheers. He used cast iron, but I’ve just hardened the drill steel ones, no tempering, and will see how that goes. There is the odd spark,