Restoring a HF 4x6 band saw

M

mzvarner

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Hi all,
It has been a while since I made any posts, but I need the collective intelligence of the site for advice. Also, I could not decide if I should post here or in the band saw sub forum, so please move if necessary. I recently picked up a HF 4x6 horizontal band saw. So far I am happy with it, as it seems to cut straight, but there are 2 main issues.

1. The entire saw has been painted blue including the machined surfaces where stock rests and the inside surfaces of the vices. What is the best way to remove this paint? Soak in acetone, sandpaper, angle grinder with flap disk?

2. I do not have an angle indicator for making mitered (?) cuts. Is there an aftermarket accurate version or DIY solution?

Thanks all, and any other advice about this little beast is welcome. I see they have a very dedicated following.
 
I suspect this thread will end up being more than a resto. so I moved to the Bandsaw section.

Any of your paint removal options will work. Some will be more aggressive than others. I'd think just some hand sanding should do the best.

I'd think you just need a little inspiration for your mitering solution. You may also want to see how often you actually need to make a miter cut. It may not be worth the effort to do a modification rather than a manual set up each time. Good luck, and yes, these saws are very capable of long lasting service. :encourage:
 
I'll start with some basic answers.
Paint removal, acetone is fine, or your basic hardware variety of paint remover.I would imagine the paint will come off easy.
Typically I do not make angled cuts on my bandsaw, just too much of a pain to adjust the fence, but any analog or digital protractor should be fine. Every shop should have at least one of those. If not harbor freight and local hardware store should hook you up.
Also, if you have used the saw for any time you will notice that the knobs for blade tightening, the vise and opening the blade cover are all prime suspects for modification. The vise itself is often modified, some make modifications to the repeatability of the machine cuts and improve the stock holder.

Plenty of info here and on YouTube.

Have fun
 
Acetone will remove many types of paint, some better than others, but it is highly flammable. I use it for cleaning surfaces, but not for removing rust.

There are many low odour paint strippers on the market, Citristrip is widely available. I have used this.

Citristrip at Home Depot

I have also used this product from Lee Valley which worked on some paints Citristrip did not clean up well.

Soy based paint remover at Lee Valley

Many of these products are slow acting, so brush on thick, leave overnight. Read instructions. Some require scraping off in a certain time interval.

Keith Rucker stripped the paint on some machine restorations with either Citristrip or a similar product.
 
Hi mz: Depending on what you'll be cutting you may need additional blades with different tooth counts. Keep the blade tight, it should make a guitar-like sound when plucked. Use a faster speed for aluminum, slower for steel.
Consider reinforcing the stand and put wheels on if it doesn't have any.
A chip catcher box is a handy mod, and there are many others.
Mark
ps check the gearbox; make sure there is clean oil in there
 
I just did an early, early '80s?, BusyBee, after my $50 CL find got to be too much work. On the TWS one the brass gear was knife edge sharp and the bolt hole in the T-nut stripped. On the $100 BusyBee I added a fill hole and plug to the gear box as the grease didn't prevent wear on the TWS. To prevent the 3/8 bolt from taking all the load on the vise I put a spacer between the top of the T-nut and the vise jaw. The other mods were a 90degree stop block for the angle jaw. I also picked up a 1/2" shaft collar for the cut end stop, if you leave it set, it can catch, so you want it to drop away.
 
CL Craig's list, TWS, Trans World Steel, I visited their headquarters, a one man operation in a empty warehouse. It had been a better unit than the Rong Fu #115 that BusyBee sold.

Son#1 gave Son#2 a 4x6 bandsaw and a washing machine motor one year for Christmas a few years back. It runs in the family. A 4x6 Bainbridge, the original US made o 4x6 bandsaw .The Taiwanese ones are better BTW. I'll see if I can put the legs off the TWS and the motor off the BusyBee on it and get it out of the garden shed shop. He moved out about five years ago.
 
thanks! I agree the Rong Fu is a lower quality. It can be made into a good saw, but who needs to buy a toolkit when you can buy a better saw cheaper by buying used?
 
I'm finishing a restore of a TransWorldSteel bandsaw circa 1979, cuts really well, weighs a ton though.
Mark
 
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