# Homecraft 10" band saw restore



## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

I got the below, 50's era bandsaw this weekend. It matches the homecraft drill press I also have. 

I had been holding out for a 14" but the quality saws were out of my price range. This one came along and at $20 it was definitely in my price range nowi want to get this in good shape. The guy said it runs and but it has no blade and at that price I didn't bother turning it on. As long as there are no broken castings, which I don't think there are, I'll be good. 

My question for you is if you can recommend any books on bandsaw maintenance, set up and restoration. This is my first saw and if I go to the trouble of braking it down and cleaning etc I want to make sure I doing things right. Thx.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

The book I see recommended often is this one by Mark Duginski.

Band Saw Handbook: Mark Duginske: 0049725063983: Amazon.com: Books

It explains the design and use of a bandsaw. I have the book, well worth reading.

I have to admit from a tuning perspective, I like Alex Snodgrass's method. I used this and it improved the performance of my bandsaw.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGbZqWac0jU

I think you will likely have a difficult time finding books about your restoration. Others on the forum have restored bandsaws.

This is a restoration thread on a Ridgid bandsaw. Lots of detail, but not much may be relevant for the HomeCraft.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f12/ridgid-band-saw-restoration-44809/

Dominick restored a HomeCraft.
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f12/my-bandsaw-find-whoo-hooo-44152/

Deleted second link, remembered it was Dominick's drill press restore problem not bandsaw
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f12/did-i-mess-up-47380/


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

Thanks; I hadn't found that thread before, and I will be careful not to bearing anything. The mobile app search function is really useless. I'll see if I can find that book at the library too.


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

I got the "new" bandsaw handbook from the library and have been reading it with enthusiasm in connection with trying to get my bandsaw going. The section on tuning has been very informative. I went to woodcraft and got a cheap blade and a table insert, though it occurred to me I could make one out of plywood. I was going to pick up tires but they didn't have any 9" tires there. Why did I need 9" tires? I don't know either... I got home, looked at the manual I had with me in the store and saw that yes, this is in fact a 10" saw. Doh. Also got a link belt from hf - 5 feet for 24 vs 4 ft for 38 from woodcraft. They way the motor is mounted the 5 feet may be just enough. 

Speaking of the motor, it is a 1/4 hp 1750 rpm motor. I have two others a Avila or that I've been considering swapping. One is a 1/3 hp 1750 rpm motor that's on my grinder right now. The other is the motor on my drill press which someone restored at some point. I was told when I purchased it that it was a 1 hp motor, and it is certainly much larger than the other but it was spray painted and has no plate. How could I figure out the rpms and what should they be for this saw? Currently it has a 21/2" and 5" pulleys on motor/ saw. I don't know the likelihood of needing a bigger motor on the dp than the saw?


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

I've been able to start to do a little bit of work on cleaning up the saw. I got the covers off and removed the wheels for cleaning. The top wheel had no tire and the bottom had a very dried out rubber tire. In reading the book one thing to check for was alignment between the top and bottom wheels to ensure there in the same plane. I found that this was off by about 3/16 of an inch. I therefore decided to get washers as recommended to slip over the arbor to move the wheel back into alignment. After literally three trips to Home Depot, coming home each time with the wrong washer, I'm starting to doubt myself. Now I wonder if it was intended that the washers go behind the entire top assembly pictures here with three screws to move out the wheel Instead of on the arbor. That seems to make sense to me but I would be worried about there not being enough contact between the top assembly in the arm if only washers were supporting it on the back. Does this make sense? Where are the washer supposed to go?


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## MrUnix (Mar 31, 2013)

Washer should go on just before you put the wheel back on. 3/16th of an inch seems pretty excessive though.. are you sure you measured correctly with the upper wheel adjusted straight up and level (perpendicular to the horizontal plane)? Also, don't put too much emphasis on having the wheels perfectly co-planer.. while nice, it's not an absolute requirement.

Cheers,
Brad


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

MrUnix said:


> Washer should go on just before you put the wheel back on. 3/16th of an inch seems pretty excessive though.. are you sure you measured correctly with the upper wheel adjusted straight up and level (perpendicular to the horizontal plane)? Also, don't put too much emphasis on having the wheels perfectly co-planer.. while nice, it's not an absolute requirement.
> 
> Cheers,
> Brad


Well, I gave up on finding washers that fit on the arbor. After three trips to Home Depot, the only ones I've found that fit over the Arbor were so large they did not fit Against the parallel adjuster, whatever the proper term for that is. So here's what I have now, they stack washers behind the bolts that attach the whole top wheel assembly to the frame. And now it is virtually coplanar. I hope this isn't a really bad idea, because I just can't Deal with these gosh darn washers anymore.


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## MrUnix (Mar 31, 2013)

Hey.. if it works.. what the heck!

Although.. you really just needed to find a washer with the correct outside diameter and then drill the hole bigger to fit the shaft 

Cheers,
Brad


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## gus1962 (Jan 9, 2013)

You can watch Alex Snodgrass's video for band saw set up and article site  for some information or bandsaw book by Lonnie Bird.


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

Thx. I have the new complete guide to the bandsaw that. I got from the library. It has been helpful so far. 

I got the lower urethane tire on last night. The channel wax about 7/8" and the tire 1" so I used a metal marking gauge with a point type marker set for the width of the lip of the wheel and ran it around with some decent downward pressure to trim the tire, followed up with a razor blade to finish the job. 

Then I cleaned off the guides a little and got out the 1/4" blade I picked up... Only to discover that 72" is too long for my saw. Now I need to return it for a 70". And I can't find my gloves so I don't know how I'm going to get the thing back in the box.

I also got a hf link drive belt on there.... So close to getting this thing to run....


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## adot45 (Jul 8, 2013)

The video that gus1962 mentioned shows how to coil blades up.


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## MrUnix (Mar 31, 2013)

railaw said:


> Then I cleaned off the guides a little and got out the 1/4" blade I picked up... Only to discover that 72" is too long for my saw. Now I need to return it for a 70".


According to the manual, standard blades for that saw are 71.75" long and it will take up to a maximum of 72 inches and a minimum of 69.5 inches.. so that blade _should_ work.

Cheers,
Brad


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## SeniorSitizen (May 2, 2012)

This will list the washers needed. HBS724 is a fiber washer. It is my estimation these fiber washers are sacrificial to prevent wear to more expensive components and wheel thrust should be checked occasionally.

My saw needs washers and tires just like most from the 50s era.

http://documents.dewalt.com/documents/English/Instruction%20Manual/Delta/EnPM-1694.pdf


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

MrUnix said:


> According to the manual, standard blades for that saw are 71.75" long and it will take up to a maximum of 72 inches and a minimum of 69.5 inches.. so that blade _should_ work.
> 
> Cheers,
> Brad


That's why I got the 72" blade. but it doesn't fit. screwed/tensioned all the way up, the blade wasn't even straight between the wheels. I question whether that manual is actually for my saw... I do have the same one and have referred to it, but the pictures show solid wheels whereas mine have spokes. I don't know if that would be a sufficient difference though.

Edit: also, the split on my table is rotated 90 degrees clockwise compared to the diagram. I haven't tried to take the table off yet, so i don't know if it can be replaced at different orientations.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*there are different types of washers*

The ones you'll find at the Home Depot are for nuts and bolts. You need "machine" washers from either a well equipped hardware store or a Tractor Supply store or a place that specializes in machine fasteners. Those washers have smaller diameters and larger precision holes for shafts and arbors. Fastenall, Graingers, Mc Master Carr will have them or a small local machine shop...just FYI for future repairs.

http://www.fastenersuperstore.com/washers


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

Thanks; I figured I was missing something. So that manual refers to fiber washers. Is this the right/best type? any advances in washer technology over the last 50 or so years? what about nylon washers? Another issue was that there was what appeared to me to be a huge misalignment of about 3/16"; i don't know that if i put enough washers on the shaft to correct it, that the wheel would still fit enough for me to get the bolt on. Anyway, the current setup has the washers holding out the entire assembly. As long as no one thinks this is a terrible idea, I'll go with that for now.


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

Running!

I got a 701/2" blade yesterday and got it on and running. I threw in an insert and cut some wood. That was gratifying. There's still a bunch to do though. 

I noticed that the thrust bearings basically don't spin. I think I'd like to try to get them loosened up rather than buying new. 

The blade is not square front to back- it is tipped forward by quite a bit - maybe 10 degrees? Haven't figured out how to adjust that yet. I bet if I took the wheels back out of alignment the blade would be square. But I'm not planning on doing that. 

When I turn off the machine the blade stops very quickly. I suppose that's from resistance from the motor, but I thought bandsaws coasted quite a bit when they turned off. Why the difference?

The top wheel has some play in it; ie it travels back and forth on the shaft by about a 1/6th. Does this matter? Should I find one of those washers to put on and stop this lateral motion? 

The front ends of the table are slightly out of alignment - not sure how to address this, if I can. 

There is no tension guide so I sort of guessed on that. 

And I want a fence.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*wheels .... co-planer or not...*

Not, according to Alex Snodgrass's video. You may have solved a problem which wasn't an issue and thereby created another separate issue. :laughing: If the blade will track on the wheel center lines without them being co-planer that's all you need. By spacing the wheel out to get them co-planer the blade in not running vertical to the table. That's not to say the table isn't tilted, but that will be another separate issue.


Revisit this video and see what he says:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGbZqWac0jU


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

woodnthings said:


> Not, according to Alex Snodgrass's video. You may have solved a problem which wasn't an issue and thereby created another separate issue. :laughing: If the blade will track on the wheel center lines without them being co-planer that's all you need. By spacing the wheel out to get them co-planer the blade in not running vertical to the table. That's not to say the table isn't tilted, but that will be another separate issue.
> 
> Revisit this video and see what he says:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGbZqWac0jU


I watched this video right after struggling to align the wheels based in advice in a book I have. I may be asking about an issue subject to never ending debate but what are others' take on this? I am inclined at some point to take those pesky washers off the upper wheel assembly and see if that aligns the blade to the table. But not immediately. I'm just pleased it runs at the moment. 

What about the upper wheel shifting back and forth a little on the shaft? Problem?


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## SeniorSitizen (May 2, 2012)

QUOTE: " 
*When I turn off the machine the blade stops very quickly. I suppose that's from resistance from the motor, but I thought bandsaws coasted quite a bit when they turned off. Why the difference "?

****************************************
*I'm thinking the blade may have too much tension.


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

SandburRanch said:


> QUOTE: "
> When I turn off the machine the blade stops very quickly. I suppose that's from resistance from the motor, but I thought bandsaws coasted quite a bit when they turned off. Why the difference "?
> 
> ****************************************
> I'm thinking the blade may have too much tension.


Thx. I will try to reduce tension. Any tips on here for setting that correctly? My book says use the guide on the saw. My saw doesn't have a guide. And I watched snodgrass. I thought there was a wide range of tension where I could do what he suggested. 

I don't know what shape the motor is really in either, except that it runs. Should the shaft turn freely when not connected to anything. I think the answer is no but want to confirm. Thx.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*take the blade off*

Take the blade off and spin the upper wheel and see if it will "coast" down slowly...it should.
turn the motor on and power the lower wheel for a few seconds, then turn it off. It should also "coast" down slowly. 
If either wheel doesn't spin down slowly that's an issue. The bearings may be dry or partially seized.
There should also be no scraping or noise when the wheels are spinning, another sign of bearings or a clearance issue. 
Let us know.

The washers you added may not be "bearing" on the inner race of the wheel bearing and it will cause friction if it's not, slowing down the wheel.


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

woodnthings said:


> Take the blade off and spin the upper wheel and see if it will "coast" down slowly...it should.
> turn the motor on and power the lower wheel for a few seconds, then turn it off. It should also "coast" down slowly.
> If either wheel doesn't spin down slowly that's an issue. The bearings may be dry or partially seized.
> There should also be no scraping or noise when the wheels are spinning, another sign of bearings or a clearance issue.
> ...


The wheels spun relatively well before the blade went on; the bottom not quite as well as the top. when the drive belt is on though, the bottom wheel is tough to move. I don't know the mechanical term, but the wheel does not have a mechanism similar to the rear tire on a bike, where the wheel spins even when you're not pedaling. Not sure if other saws do have such mechanism. 

I did ensure that the blade is not touching anything but the tires. it's real close as it travels up the back from the lower tire to the upper, but there's no contact.

By the way, the washers are not on the shaft; they are on the bolts that attach the tensioner (and upper wheel) to the frame. This was after giving up on finding appropriate washers. Now I'm wondering if I should restart my search for the appropriate kin to reduce the play in the top wheel


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

*leveling table*

I haven't attempted any progress on why the saw doesn't spin down slowly (though I think the issue is with the motor rather than the saw itself), but I have attacked the blade alignment issue. Basically, the blade was pitched backward, away from the teeth, enough that it was out of square by around 3/8 inch over six inches of blade. i.e. six inches from the table, the blade was was about 3/8" farther from the infeed side of the table than at the surface of the table. 

First thing i did was take the washers off of behind the wheel/tensioner assembly. That improved things a bit but it was still out of whack. 

Then I decided that I needed to take off the table and see if I could level it by placing shims under the two screws nearer to the infeed side. This is where my inexperience with bandsaw mechanics really comes in. I spent a considerable amount of time trying to unscrew the four screws that hold the table to the trunions while everything is in place - it was a major pain to try to get under there with a screwdriver. I even tried to put it back on the first time in the same way. The second time I realized that if I loosened the screw/tightening mechanism I can lift off the whole table assembly, trunions and all. Then I can flip the table and take out the screws at my liesure. This also allowed me to give a good cleaning to the trunions and casting, which had a considerable amount of grime built up. After several trials, I learned that: a mid-sized pair of washers on one trunion was way too thick and caused the opposite blade alignment problem; card stock stuck on one side of the screws puts the trunion out of alignment and won't work; card stock folded over once makes an improvement but is still too thin; a smaller set of washers i had was close, but still about a 1/16" off in blade alignment, and the card stock folded twice (i.e. 4 layers) will probably be just right (but I ran out of time). 

I attempted to improve the alignment by adjusting the wheel pitch, etc. but that wasn't going anywhere, so I made sure it was tracking in the center of both wheels before getting to work on the table alignment. 

Hopefully tonight I will be able to resolve the blade alignment issue. I will probably leave the motor as is for now; at some point down the road I may but the 1/3 hp motor on my drill press and take off the 1 hp motor from the dp and put it on the saw. Speaking of which, is there a way to figure out the rpm's on the 1 hp motor? i was restored by its previous owner and doesn't have a plate on it. (I was told it was 1 hp by him, and it is much larger than the other 1/3 hp motors i have).


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

Got the table square! Well, virtually square. The blade might be tipped forward by about a 64th or less. Close enough for me. Proper shin turned out to be an index card folded twice. 

I also took the belt off and tried to spin the wheels. There's definitely something going on with the lower shaft. That will be a problem for another day though- right now it cuts and I don't use it it heavily.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

railaw said:


> I also took the belt off and tried to spin the wheels. There's definitely something going on with the lower shaft. That will be a problem for another day though- right now it cuts and I don't use it it heavily.


If one side of the bearing is exposed a quick test is to spray some WD-40 on the side. If this improves things, then you know the bearing needs lubrication. If the design is one of the "lubricated-for-its-life" style, then it will eventually need replacing.

In the meantime 3-in-1 oil may work and last longer than WD-40.


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