[How-To] K&T Walker Turner 16" Wood Metal Bandsaw

[silverforgestudio]

Back to the Bandsaw!
-So when last we left our intrepid new-guy he was struggling to figure out what was wrong!

The saw motor keeps tripping the breaker- Its wired to a 40A 220V outlet- and has worked fine (resawn multiple batches of cherry and sycamore over a couple of months).

Initially I thought the motor was bad- but it runs fine and will only trip when I am adjusting the speed...

Alright- So I have narrowed it down to the double pulley system for the variable speed... But I have no idea how these critters work. When I opened the saw up after it was acting up- the pulley spun freely, but both the outer and inner grub screws were loose and all 3 plates moved on the pulley shaft.



Without the belts on- the motor does not trip...

With the belts on- the motor does NOT trip- until I begin to adjust the speed UP- I think it is binding in the pulley.

The grub screws were loose originally when I opened it up- and look to have been tightened a bunch of times (see picture) Lots of old scars there!



So I thought this may be a part of the issue- both the outer and inner grub screw was tightened... and it caused the pulley to NOT spin freely on the shaft. It would bind at 2-3 o'clock in its rotation... but the inner plate can slide freely by hand back/forth.







So my questions are Do I secure the pulley screws on the inner/outer keys? And how do I prevent the binding?

I am concerned about the pulley binding when I tighten the grub screw as well- does that mean it has warped the hole enough through tension?

 

[Currahee26]

So for those following this- I had to take a week off thanks to work changes... apologies! I will be getting into the drive and transmission system this weekend if SWMBO doesnt have holiday stuff for me to do....

Thought I would take a minute and share a "Genius level Pro-tip" from my 6 year old... I was STRUGGLING with this old iron-gal getting the new blades on her (locally made and thicker stock versus mail order so stiffer and not broken in).

Sharp, deep throat gullet re-saw blades- Anyway... My daughter sees me try a couple of times and the blade popping off (Did I mention Im new to the Bandsaw world?)... and I hear her clinking around in her little red toolbox... and she walks over and says "...Here daddy- use my hold-downs!..."

View attachment 346964 View attachment 346966
I... am... speechless... Not only do they work- she gave me "permission" to go in her toolbox and get them any time I needed! HA! I LOVE HER!

Anywho- just thought I would let you folks know Shes not dead in the water- the projects not stalled... just life.

Hi
I too have a 3331 also in great shape. It had YEARS of heavy, green paint all over EVERYTHING. Its now wired up and running. Did you ever get the HI/LO gear selector to work? You DO NOT change those gears while machine is running. There is (should be) a 3 inch knob on the belt cover that you push in to engage the main pully, and turn it by hand to unloosen the gears, and rotate the drive pulley, so you can change the range lever. Then once it is running, you can change the speed wheel and select your FPM speed of the blade.
Now, I have a question for you. My drive wheels have only one tire on them, the top one. The top wheel seems to have a rubber base on it that the tire rides on. The lower wheel seems to have a LEATHER base and no tire at all. What is your take on this situation? Should I remove the base tires before I mount new polyethelyne tires or mount new ones right over whatever is on the wheels as a base? I guess I'm asking, do the new crowned tires apply DIRECTLY to the metal wheel or is there some sort of material that acts as a base support for the tires? The left pic is of the upper wheel and right pic of lower wheel. Thanks for your time. (Need any grease for the gear box? I have two extra tubes of corn lube.
Dave