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Meba Bandsaw Cutting Direction ?

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awemawson:
Last year I acquired a Meba  horizontal bandsaw in 'very much used' condition. Apart from putting it on wheels so I can push it around and fitting a new blade I've not used it much as the previous owner was using a total loss coolant system from a tank mounted on a stanchion.

Needing to cut some Fork Lift Truck tines I was motivated to sort it out so have recently fitted an internal tank and pump. Pump was a bit of a problem as all normal suds pumps were too tall to fit, so I've ended up using a diesel transfer pump of the sort intended to drop into the 2" hole in a 45 gallon drum. Downside was that it was 12v so have had to arrange a 12v supply as well - no matter- it's all working.

Now looking at various horizontal band saws on YouTube and eBay most seem to feed coolant to both blade guides - I seem to recall that Micktoons 'Startrite Meba' which is very similar to this one does the same. However this one only has provision on one blade guide for the introduction of coolant. Blade guides are 'handed' so are not interchangeable meaning that fluid has to be introduce on the right hand guide.

Now unless the maker expects the coolant to be carried all the way round the band before it gets to the work, then this means that the blade must travel 'right to left' so in re-wiring all the previous dodgy cabling that is how I have set it up.

But this seems counter-intuitive as the cutting forces are away from the vice fixed jaw. Also every Youtube band saw video I can find has the blade going the other way.

The issue is confounded by direction arrows on the wheels - it looks as though original cast arrows have been modified to point in the opposite direction.

All very odd - anyone have any experience of these things ?

mattinker:
Hi Andrew,

I take it you've been busy! I was wondering about you as i haven't seen anything from you in a while.

I agree with you about the direction of cut, I've never seen a band saw of any kind that cut away from the drive wheel. When I added a coolant system to my 4x6 band-saw, I experimented with the position of the coolant arrival. I found that the best place to be just after the cut as yours is set up. I'm using a jet of coolant aimed at the blade from above, this means not only does it cool the blade immediately, but it also washes the chips away, keeping the rollers and the wheels cleaner.  My band-saw has a much shorter blade than yours, so the fact that the coolant goes all the way round the blade doesn't mean that it would in your case!

All the best, Matthew.

awemawson:
It would be relatively trivially simple to drill and tap an appropriate hole in the other (left hand) blade guide, and I may well do this if my enthusiasm doesn't die first. There is also a clue in the holes that the blade emerges from and returns to in the wheel covers, as the right hand side one has evidence where a blade wiper has been fitted, whereas there is no such sign on the left hand side.

awemawson:
OK I've convinced myself to reverse the blade direction of travel and fit another coolant nozzle on the left hand blade guide.

To this end I've ordered up a 10 mm Tee piece for the coolant pipe, and made a new nozzle. I'll hold off fitting it until the Tee arrives. I supposed I'd better sort out the missing blade wiper - what do the team recommend - a bit of draught excluder brush or some neoprene sheet ?

John Stevenson:
Nooooooooooo,

Leave it, it's correct.

Spent a long while working with Starrett and later Lenox on big bandsaws. That big the blades had one tooth per inch.

They suddenly realised about 20 odd years ago that they had their ideas wrong.

Old way, sawing towards the fixed jaw, blade tilted down, if the blade grabbed it dug in and caused blade damage or failure.

New way, cutting away frome fixed jaw tilted up and a dig in throws it up and clear.
My bigsaw which is possibly a tad bigger than Andrew's ? at 12 1/2 " round gets double the life out of a Lennox blade. Get Lenox blades only from MSC J&L, anything else is a waste of money

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