BANDSAW STANDARD 4X6 - SEALEY

(JULY 2006)

JOB DONE MAN!!

My lathe is a standard 4" X 6" inches metal cutting band saw. I bought it because the band saw is a side but very important machine that is needed for a complete metalworking workshop.

CHOOSING WHAT BANDSAW:

I looked many catalogs and I fount that all the different brands sell the same thing : grizzly, saley, chester, nutool, clarke, jet, and many more.

The saw is a chinese saw made of two different iron castings, the lower bed and the saw arm mounted into a really crap stand: I saw many sites where people made their own stands for this type of saw, and I am gonna modified mine one!

The choice was pretty easy because the other saw available on the market are too big (and expensive) or too small!! 4x6 is the best compromise/price that we unlucky poor workers can afford

One day I was looking for a lathe into a my friend's shed and I saw something red with shape like a 4x6 and I discovered that was a sealey 4x6 bandsaw. I immediately ask him if that was for sale and he gave the right answer "yes".. few words about making the deal and the band saw came at home with me.!!

I discovered then that the band saw is a 1992 model but I checked the net and recent models are EXACTLY the same as 1990 projects: this means I can make it new with few hours of work.

MOVING THE BANDSAW:

The band saw is about 65 - 70 kg and could be moved just lifting that giving you a good spinal ernia, or could be rolled on his crap wheels, or  (best option) could be break down to small parts and moved easily to the workbench!

PREPARING THE BANDSAW:

JUNE 2006: Since I am perfectionist (also known as precise unsatisfied man) I thought to make the 1992 bandsaw new. This means that I will replace old parts with new if needed and I will paint the body to give "her" a 2006 brand new shape! The paint scheme could not be different as the white/gray of Axminster tools, and so I have been to the paintshop and I ordered the two colors : RAL 9010 and RAL 7026.

starting to remove parts....(note the 4 good wheels acquired to replace crap original wheels system)

Laydown bits for the paint-task, sanding them a little with 800 grit paper.

magic, magic........ the band saw change color!!

this paint scheme looks very good really professional, more than the stupid original red. Also is same as lathe and mill, and make my tools all  the same. (note the bench grinder that is changin' color as the band saw!!)

The motor and motor assemblies parts got a new black paint too...... ok, now the paint job is done and it is turn to reassemble parts together.

finished !!!

Some SAE 90 gears oil (AGIP) for the gear box and some normal grease (TEXACO) for bearings and other parts...

The belt could be replaced with a more flexible one, but I try first with the original one.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

My first impression is : the band saw is GOOD ! but the belt is shit...

this is the first cut 30mm mild steel bar..... about 5 minutes

IMPROVEMENTS:

It is just a saw, but I can make a better wheels system and I will upgrade with a safety PUSH and DESTROY switch to be able to stop the horse in case something bad happened whiles sawing. Then I will make a LASER optical calibrations system..  (are you still reading? this is a joke!!!)

saw wheels..... improved with steel axle...

and new bearings for the blade guide...

and then I invented this simple but good system to keep the bade clean!!!

SO wicked!!!