MadModder
Gallery, Projects and General => How do I?? => Topic started by: awemawson on March 15, 2021, 08:00:24 AM
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My Startrite 18V10 has a little circular window that should show figures on a quadrant plate that moves as you tension the blade. It's calibrated in blade widths 1/4" 1/2" etc.
Mine has vanished ! I have to set tension by plucking the blade and hearing the resultant note. It was there and sometimes got stuck but I suspect now it's fallen off !
Now it's a very simple mechanism and if I could get at it I'm sure that I can fix it BUT I can find no way to access the darn thing. all the panels are factory welded together and I can only just see bits of the top slide assembly with a mirror and torch looking upwards where the tensioning knob (#70 on the diagram) pokes though.
So the question - has anyone any idea how the heck you get at this beast ?
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I may be wrong about this , I seem to remember from a long time ago, band breaks and the indicator jumps upwards and jams, banging on the side panel with ones fist usually makes it drop down again.
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That sounds entirely possible as the diagram seems to show it just resting on the springy thing !
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Thimby you are a star !
Well I never did find any way into the relevant bit of the band saw, well all manner of tapping with a big rubber hammer did nothing. So I poked an endoscope camera up next to the tensioning knob and sure enough the indicating thing was standing upright at 90 degrees to where it should be. Poking about with a bit of 1.6 mm gas welding rod bent into a hook eventually got it back in place.
It is amazingly hard coordinating an endoscope camera and a bit of wire when even knowing which way is 'up' is difficult.
I have no idea how they put these saws together originally - I was close to opening up an access hatch with a grinder !
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***springy thing**** i take it this is an engineering term us lesser mortals need to learn about :smart: :thumbup:
Lyn the lesser.. but learning fast :coffee:
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Around my 14 year old I've learned that the word "thing" is a universal specific for needless description. Thus the explanation to any query I make, "It's a thing."
Repeated more loudly if I seem confused.
"Springy thing"?- I mean that's a LOT of detail, where I come from.
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Thimby you are a star !
Well I never did find any way into the relevant bit of the band saw, well all manner of tapping with a big rubber hammer did nothing. So I poked an endoscope camera up next to the tensioning knob and sure enough the indicating thing was standing upright at 90 degrees to where it should be. Poking about with a bit of 1.6 mm gas welding rod bent into a hook eventually got it back in place.
That is typical of British machinery design, a drilled hole and a roll pin would have limited the travel of the indicator.
Hundreds of people have probably encountered the same problem.
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In fairness I’ve had it for 25 years and it’s only happened this once !
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Andrew, just a query, is your 18v10 on the Startrite steel block blade guides or is it on the ballraces?
John
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Steel blocks
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Ill have a look and see if i still have any.
John
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:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
:beer:
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BTW if you are a metal machinist and know a woodworker ask if they have a bandsaw with the iron guides and do them a favour by cleaning them up. Often woodworkers fight shy of even trying to use a file on them.
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Admittedly I’ve never tried it, but I’ve always assumed that they are hard as a witches T** and not fileable.
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OK just tried filing one of mine - as I thought it is 'glass hard'
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Ah, different models. In mine the rear pads are carbide and side ones cast iron.
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On mine there is an upper block above the table, and a lower one under the table. The blocks are just rectangular with a blade thickness slot 25 thou in my case, cut to a depth so that the teeth project but the rest of the blade is supported. You fit blocks to suit your blade, 1/4 3/8 1/2 etc . Their mounting is adjustable front to back and side to side, but not in anyway for pinch.
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Sorry Andrew thats a no for the blade blocks, i've searched everywhere in my garage and that's no mean feat, i was sure i had had a couple of 3/4" and 1/2" all i've found is a broken table insert for a 14s1 and some worn out brass bushed wheel guides for the same machine, did a google search and they are still available but at £38 for a pair.
John
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Thanks for looking. It's not just £38 for a pair - with carriage and VAT you're looking at £54 so at some time I must get myself into gear and make a jig to hold blanks on my wire EDM machine as I can cut them in the hard state. Any idea what the material is? I suspect it might be chilled cast iron - certainly glass hard.
I'm sorted for table inserts - I drew one up in Fusion 360 and 3D printed several of them.
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Andrew
I would suspect stelite or at least hardened steel pins. Mine it 20 years old and the blade guides needed diamond grinding to face em off smooth. !