I've been making tools for my shop for many decades, can't seem to get enough information to satisfy me. Guess I'm obsessed. Could be worse things, and I just need more room in my shop for more tools.:smash::)
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I've been making tools for my shop for many decades, can't seem to get enough information to satisfy me. Guess I'm obsessed. Could be worse things, and I just need more room in my shop for more tools.:smash::)
Hi billster - welcome to HomemadeTools.net :welcome:
We all need more room in our shops too :)
What are you considering building next?
I decided late last year to sell equipment that was being under-utilized, and taking up space. I've been unhappy with (just for my shop and available floor space) with some purchased accessories and have built replacements for most of them. The next project - actually two - which are fighting over priority inside my cranium are a copy carver (manual, just short of CNC) and a three-wheel benchtop bandsaw that will use a common size blade I already use on my 14" bandsaw. They are battling it out, but since I have already gathered most of the copy carver parts, it may win. I think, though, I need the bandsaw more. I build guitars, ukuleles, and wooden toys, and the smaller saw will be used a lot more then the copy carver - at least, that's what I keep telling myself. :headscratch:
Ha, that's a big conundrum around here. Not what to build, but what to build first!
Looking forward to seeing pics of your projects :)
I'll post a quick sketch of the bandsaw idea. It's actually not a three-wheeler. I saw the concept in another machine many years ago, so I'm thinking it will translate into the bandsaw. It has two main large wheels, and a bunch of small wheels in a deep arc to the back, giving it a very deep throat, but small vertical cutting height. It will be for thin material only. It is a design challenge. I keep hoping/thinking I'll run into a drawing of the idea, or someone who has already done it, since there are so many of us tinkerers in the world.
Looking forward to that sketch. I think if you post about it, you might find that people come out of the woodwork with fresh ideas.
Attachment 12562
The only other issue I see is keeping smaller wheels cool, so I'll probably reduce the speed as much as possible and still keep a good FPM rate. Maybe someone will instantly know of such a design which I can copy. I'm pretty adept at fabricating, been doing metal and wood fab for over four decades (says Mr. Long-in-the-tooth). BTW, this is, as I assume most people view it, a labor of love. I could probably get a cheapy on craigslist and modify it, but that isn't as much fun, is it?
Have you seen this one? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwto44zAbPI
I don't know if he ever finished it but looks like the same concept.
Al
No, I have not seen this one before, many thanks! It is exactly the idea, and I will be using more wheels, as he has mentioned.
Bill
You're way more ambitious than me, I wouldn't consider taking something like this on, maybe if I was retired and had time and a machine shop on hand. As it is, my workhorse General Mfg 15" and little Sears 10" handle anything my full time business demands. It's a shame General Mfg. no longer exists. If I needed to replace mine I'd try to source an old one and refurbish it. I am working on a manual brake for my General but that's not your question. My 36+ years and thousands of serious work hours on bandsaws tell me investing in a top quality tool equals superior stability, adjustments and longevity. Life's too short to deal with aggravating problems and unless you're a precision woodworker and a tenacious problem solver I think this will be a difficult project. But others have built their own, so I'm sure it's possible. Good luck!Quote:
Originally Posted by billster
> I could probably get a cheapy on craigslist and modify it, but that isn't as much fun, is it?
1. I'd rather make ** musical instruments ** than fuss about making supporting tooling.
2. Usually, I'd prefer to adapt somebody else's accomplishments to my needs than start from scratch.
3. 14 inch Delta bandsaw clones using 93 1/2 inch blades on 14 inch wheels regularly appear on craigslist for $100-$150. You're wayyy ahead by starting from a well-proven design and "salting to taste", so to speak.
4. Your proposed multi-wheel concept looks unnecessarily complex. A small idler can provide deep throat capacity you need without the complexity of cooling or maintaining alignment of all those little wheels. Choose your idler size to accommodate the thickest stock you need to cut. For simple and cheap construction, mount an 8-10 inch wood-turned pulley with a tire made from a discarded bicycle tire stapled around the sides. You could also purchase and 8 inch or 10 inch v-belt pulley.
If you choose to make a wooden pulley, there's lots of ways to turn perfect circles without a lathe if you have access to any of (a)
bandsaw, (b) lathe, (c) fixed based or plunge router, (d) table saw or (e) radial arm saw. (See R.J. DeCristoforo for details on the latter two. His authorship deserves a place in EVERY craftsman's library.
See "Portable Power Tool Techniques" @ https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Port.../dp/0806965029
See "Stationary Power Tool Techniques" @ https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0806966661
You could mount the "middle" wheel (either wood or v-belt pulley) on a pair of "pillow blocks" or make a simple U-shaped mounting bracket to carry two oil-impregnated bronze bushings. The mouthing bracket can be fixed in place, since the top wheel handles blade tension adjustment. Aligning the middle wheel with top and bottom is easy; make the U-shaped axle mounting bracket wide enough to slide the wooden, middle pulley wheel along the axle.
5. Depending on the "feeds and speeds" you need[s] for the expensive and delicate materials you likely consumer, much slower blade speeds than stock machine could serve you well. I needed MUCH slower blade speeds for metal work. ((Too fast --> too hot --> ruined blades) I reduced blade speeds from about 3500 feet per minute (fpm) on a stock Delta clone down to 50 to 100 fpm for metal cutting work by adding a "countershaft" (aka: jackshaft) and "auto transformer" (aka: "Variac", "PowerStat" and "Variable Transformer") to provide continuously variable speed between 50 and 200 FPM.
For general information, see http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/h...dget#post59961
For specific information on the mods I implemented, see http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/h...64-2#post60050
ciao.
I won't abandon the idea, as it has application to some specific projects, but I went the cheap bandsaw route last week so I could move on with making instruments. Yep, more productive for the time being.
