Small Mods To My Hf 4x6 Bandsaw

Thanks Roy!

saw_hydro_1.jpg

I still have some more finishing work to do: the pin support bracket as I can see it moving a bit under load and also a better bracket for the valve. These finishing-touches will have to wait a bit as the downfeed is working fine so I'll come back to it later.
 
DoogieB you're very welcome-, but I really didn't do anything special. That downfeed is looking great! I see you used a real clevis and a much better union to the rear hose. I've been using my saw all day and the downfeed has made it a lot easier for me.
 
I don't have a mill yet, so I bought the clevis from McMaster-Carr. Had to open it up a bit with a burr and then file. A bronze bushing was turned to fit between the clevis pin and the casting.

Most of the brass I bought at Zoro to help hit the free shipping mark, but the grease whips were cheaper at McMaster's. Go figure.

Here's the other mod I did to my saw which was also copied from another member of this forum. This place is an endless source of projects for the shop! :) It's a pretty easy afternoon job.

saw_hydro_2.jpg

It's a Lowes stainless dry-wall mud pan to catch the metal shavings and cut-offs. The pan rests on a angle bracket and is held in by a piece of aluminium sheet which was also bought at the store. The sheet also directs the shavings into the pan that fall though the opening in the casting. The pan just pulls out, but when in place it fits snugly so you don't have to worry about it falling out.

Edit: Found out the thread were I got the drywall-pan idea. Thanks hman!

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/harbor-freight-band-saw-modifications.28962/
 
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It pays to shop around, no one merchant has the best prices on everything. It just depends on the minimum order requirements. Cheapest I found on the hoses was at Harbor freight. They were USA made too.
I like the catch tray. I have some aluminum channel that I am going to mount a deep cookie pan to so it will slide out for emptying.

I went to make a quick cut on some metal this morning and I needed to move the roller guide away from the vise. The darn adjustment knob was spinning on the bolt/shaft. I had to drill it and install a 1/8" roll pin to use the knob. I think I spend more time repairing/modifying tools than I do on projects.

This is the best web forum I have seen period. I have learned so much since I joined that I feel like a kid again. I've got to thank all the members who share their knowledge and tips on here.
 
I may be missing something here, but my experience has been that only the highest end horizontal bandsaws actually have a hydraulic down feed. All the saws I've worked with have a hydraulic cylinder to retard the down feed. The head is either spring balanced or weighted to provide a certain amount of weight at the outboard end of the head. My Startrite saw calls for a maximum of 6 lbs. of force at the outboard end of the head. The hydraulic cylinder regulates the force from 0 lbs. to 6 lbs. depending on the material being cut.

When cutting soft materials the cylinder exhaust is set to around the 3 lb. mark so the blade doesn't dig in and try to move sideways. Likewise when cutting extremely hard material the down feed pressure is adjusted to less than the maximum to avoid ripping teeth of the blade or prematurely dulling them.

My power hacksaw on the other hand does actually apply pressure on the cutting stroke. Like the bandsaw it is adjustable. In this case the blade is also lifted on the return stroke.
 
Right, this mod just dampens the down word movement like you say. It doesn't feed hydraulically.
 
Sure is an improvement over the spring though.
 
Projectnut -

You're absolutely correct. But just about everybody I've seen who's written up a hydraulic damper retrofit has called it a hydraulic "downfeed," me included. Guess it's just another of those verbal shortcuts that we all fall into. Lots of those going around.
 
Even the manufacturers call it hydraulic downfeed.
 
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