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Building The Phoenix

The Phoenix Part II

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The Phoenix

Building a Bandsaw

OK, I got tired of waiting for a good 14" bandsaw to show up on auction here (I've been looking for TWO YEARS)
so I'm going to build one.

A buddy in the US, Steve Clardy, had his roof on his shop collapse over the last winter,
his 14" bandsaw took a direct hit, breaking the frame of this cast iron saw.

old_bandsaw_pic1.jpg (86624 bytes)
Steve' poor busted saw, you can see where the neck broke off at the green light there on the right lower part of the pic

old_bandsaw_pic2.jpg (84025 bytes)
A better pic of the busted frame

We shall call the new saw "The Phoenix" 

Well after Steve had rebuilt his shop's roof, with the help of a bunch of different groups of people at various woodworking sites,
I got to wondering about the "Parts" from his busted saw, were they serviceable, did he still have them?

Steve, being the good guy that he is, sent the parts to me for the cost of the shipping

steves_bandsaw_parts.jpg (73810 bytes)
Here is the package of parts, we have the two wheels, the main pulley from the back of the bottom wheel, 
the bottom shaft, the top tension/tracking adjuster mech, the bottom blade guide, the top blade guide,
and the bearing saddle from the bottom casting, that Steve "Busted" out for me.

Also tucked into the box of bits.......

Bailey_61_ls.jpg (58622 bytes)
A nice Bailey plane, a gift from Steve!

OK on to the build.

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I bought a bunch of steel and now I have to cut it all up and build a saw.

The square tubes are 7.5 cm square, and they are structural steel for buildings, should be good.

right_on_45.jpg (77096 bytes)
OK, I got the 45 right on the cuts, but the faces are not quite square.....

out_by_a_bit.jpg (45949 bytes)
out by about a millimeter.

grinding_bevel_line.jpg (65621 bytes)
No problem, that is what 4" angle grinders were invented for!
I've flipped the piece so the long edge is now up, and I've ground a slight bevel on the edge.
This will be my "Grind to" line, once the bevel is gone, I'll check the face for square.

dead_on_face.jpg (51952 bytes)
A little grinding and the face it dead on.........

dead_on_edge.jpg (39540 bytes)
So is the edge. By doing this, the whole frame lines up just about perfect, and I can get nice tight welds.

frame_layout1.jpg (87121 bytes)
OK, now here I'm getting ready to do some welding, but I have to make sure the distance between
 the two wheel hubs will be what I need to use the 105" bandsaw blades.

frame_layout2.jpg (88085 bytes)
Another look, everything looks good!!

Now, before I start to weld up the frame, I want to make sure the bottom bearing saddle will fit into the frame.

I need to make a cradle of sorts to hold the cast piece the bearings go into..........

bearing_saddle_mock_up.jpg (77689 bytes)
This is how it will look, with large holes through the two vertical piece of plate.....

bearing_saddle_lay_out.jpg (65969 bytes)
Laying out where the holes will go.

drilling_circle_punched.jpg (64677 bytes)
Now I've punched a bunch of holes into the steel to guide the drill bit for the drill out

drilling_circle_frontside.jpg (59559 bytes)
Drilling a bunch of small holes to make a big hole

drill_walk_out.jpg (59182 bytes)
Seems no matter how hard I try, I always get at least a couple of holes that the drill walks out on.......

drilling_circle_backside.jpg (59303 bytes)
Not a big problem, I just flip the piece over and drill it out from the backside.

kermit_catch_pan.jpg (84269 bytes)
I always put a catch pan below the DP table, to catch all the pieces of steel and cutting fluid etc, makes clean up easier.

bearing_saddle_ready_2_cut_out.jpg (88679 bytes)
Now that I have the holes drilled it is time to connect the dots......Steel cutting blade in the Jig Saw.

bearing_saddle_cut_out.jpg (85644 bytes)
There, a bunch of small holes become big ones!

I then put a large (1" diameter) stone on a mandrel in the drill press and smoothed out the inside of the holes, sorry no pics!

I then fit these to the bearing saddle piece.

bearing_saddle3.jpg (88597 bytes)
The front one done

bearing_saddle4.jpg (72562 bytes)
The second one done...

bearing_saddle5.jpg (76493 bytes)
Another view, now I have to weld that sucker up!

bearing_saddle_welded1.jpg (75962 bytes)
What do you mean you cannot weld Cast Iron???? With a shielded MIG set up you can!

bearing_saddle_welded2.jpg (77107 bytes)
OK, it is not pretty, but it does work!
(The bearings will be replaced)

frame_clamped_for_welding.jpg (76297 bytes)
Next was to weld up the frame, here I've welded the top part and I'm setting up to weld the bottom "H" part. 
I put a sacrificial piece of plywood on my workbench top to not burn it up.

frame_welded.jpg (70351 bytes)
All welded! 
I know the bottom looks smaller than the top, that is just "Cell Phone" camera magic...

 

Next on the list is the top tension/tracking adjuster mech. I needed some way to "Capture" it in the frame, 
and allow it to move up and down to tension the blade.

tilt_mech1.jpg (69828 bytes)
Here is the tension/tracking adjuster. The "Tab" I think is just for strength, as I see no other purpose for it.

mock_up_top_adjuster_holder_2nd_plate.jpg (60588 bytes)
I welded some 1/4" plate into the hole in the top of the frame, leaving enough room for the tension/tracking adjuster.
The wings will ride up and down between the three plates that are going on here.....

mock_up_top_adjuster.jpg (57861 bytes)
You can see how it fits here.

mock_up_top_adjuster3rd_plate.jpg (52556 bytes)
These third plates (one on each side) with capture the wings of the tension\tracking adjuster,
they will be bolted in place, NOT welded.

mock_up_top_wheel.jpg (59331 bytes)
Without the third plates in place, this is how the top wheel will fit up.

mock_up_wheels.jpg (78414 bytes)
I clapped the bottom bearing saddle in place to check the distance between the wheel hubs, they were right on!

 

bearing_saddle_drilled.jpg (60157 bytes)
OK, I got the bearing saddle drilled but now I have to transfer the holes to the frame of the saw.

cardboard_taped.jpg (57724 bytes)
I taped a piece of cardboard onto the bearing saddle, I'll "Tap" the holes out.

first_taps_to_show_hole.jpg (50880 bytes)
I use the flat face of the hammer to tap the hole, so I can see it

tapped_out_hole.jpg (58727 bytes)
I then use a small hammer and tap out the hole

4_holes_tapped.jpg (57858 bytes)
There, all tapped out

ready_to_mark_holes.jpg (54528 bytes)
I then use this cardboard template to make the holes on the frame.

bearing_saddle_in_string.jpg (78036 bytes)
Here is the bottom wheel bolted in place, I'm using a string to mimic the blade.

On to page two!!