- Joined
- Feb 2, 2013
- Messages
- 3,671
Hey Guys and Gals,
i bought what i thought may be a cool little bandsaw,
a Skill 3386...
59-1/2" blades
120 VAC, 2.5 amps
![IMG_3556.jpg IMG_3556.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/258/258283-bee02fddceb4226cd9494cb2d7ade756.jpg)
it worked just fine on pine up to 3/8" and it did great on the 5mm plywood.
but it didn't like hardwoods nor did it like any thickness over 3/4" in just about any material.
i'm not a woodworker,
but if i wanna cut a small piece of 2x4, i feel a small saw should do it without too much effort.
this saw had a hard time doing a 2x4, a couple times- stopping the blade all together.
the blade popped off at the same time.
i adjusted the blade for best travel and tried again with a coarser pitched blade
it cut a bit better but it really strained to move the cellulose.
Act 1:
so, i figured before i returned the saw,
i'd modify it permanently to prevent that possibility![Biggrin :grin: :grin:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/biggrin.gif)
i let the issue go for a month or so,
and then got the inclination to retrofit a 48 frame 5.5amp 1/3 hpp 115v motor into the saw....
OH my friends, the plan was immaculate i tell you !!!!!!
i'd pop in a new motor , wire it up and badda bing, cut wood like a beaver on steroids.
Well, it didn't exactly work like that....![Banghead :bang head: :bang head:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/banghead.gif)
Here was the plan...
i'd remove the 2.5 amp 120 VAC (HA_HA_HA) motor and replace it with a (cheap) 1/3 hp motor drawing 5.5 amps @ 115 VAC.
i figured it would do much better than the anemic 2. 5 amp motor
2.5 amp motor, top 5.5 amp motor bottom
![IMG_3553.jpg IMG_3553.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/258/258285-966cc774d32707ef7486d01ceee9ca05.jpg)
i wuzgunna' just take the motor mount and modify it to suit the 48 frame motor i intended to use.
![IMG_3573.jpg IMG_3573.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/258/258287-3f7543c71d618d82d2df02c6e0871236.jpg)
well, i intended to use the extended length mount bolts from the 48 frame motor to mount the retrofit motor-
that wasn't gonna work, this time- the bolt circle ended up to be too close to the edge of the stock mount.
i considered making a larger mount plate.
![IMG_3574.jpg IMG_3574.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/258/258288-9560c33e9d3021d7126dcf816034bbf6.jpg)
i traced a pattern onto the old looking new steel and was gonna start cutting,
then i had another idea, use a wire ring mount.
we use these in our industry to mount 48 frame fans
![IMG_3572.jpg IMG_3572.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/258/258290-a1124c3cab9a8cb803d6b10821c67c9a.jpg)
this looked like it was going to be a slam dunk.....
but then reality set in.
i was going to need to make a pulley or make the spacer for the pulley to work with a .500" shaft i had.
here is the OEM pulley
![IMG_3564.jpg IMG_3564.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/258/258293-500fd68a903ec4ae3d3b59e7e764a6f6.jpg)
i didn't want to go through all the trouble of making a simple spacer,
so i made another pulley from 6061![Biggrin :grin: :grin:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/biggrin.gif)
![IMG_3562.jpg IMG_3562.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/258/258294-dcc71348f16f462f790866805fe4fced.jpg)
![IMG_3566.jpg IMG_3566.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/258/258284-6cd3f4a83a7cf22d7dcecf25f7337eea.jpg)
i bought what i thought may be a cool little bandsaw,
a Skill 3386...
59-1/2" blades
120 VAC, 2.5 amps
![IMG_3557.jpg IMG_3557.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/258/258282-51c8577407d8a23445221e927f62d926.jpg)
![IMG_3556.jpg IMG_3556.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/258/258283-bee02fddceb4226cd9494cb2d7ade756.jpg)
it worked just fine on pine up to 3/8" and it did great on the 5mm plywood.
but it didn't like hardwoods nor did it like any thickness over 3/4" in just about any material.
i'm not a woodworker,
but if i wanna cut a small piece of 2x4, i feel a small saw should do it without too much effort.
this saw had a hard time doing a 2x4, a couple times- stopping the blade all together.
the blade popped off at the same time.
i adjusted the blade for best travel and tried again with a coarser pitched blade
it cut a bit better but it really strained to move the cellulose.
Act 1:
so, i figured before i returned the saw,
i'd modify it permanently to prevent that possibility
![Biggrin :grin: :grin:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/biggrin.gif)
i let the issue go for a month or so,
and then got the inclination to retrofit a 48 frame 5.5amp 1/3 hpp 115v motor into the saw....
OH my friends, the plan was immaculate i tell you !!!!!!
i'd pop in a new motor , wire it up and badda bing, cut wood like a beaver on steroids.
Well, it didn't exactly work like that....
![Banghead :bang head: :bang head:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/banghead.gif)
Here was the plan...
i'd remove the 2.5 amp 120 VAC (HA_HA_HA) motor and replace it with a (cheap) 1/3 hp motor drawing 5.5 amps @ 115 VAC.
i figured it would do much better than the anemic 2. 5 amp motor
2.5 amp motor, top 5.5 amp motor bottom
![IMG_3558.jpg IMG_3558.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/258/258286-5f9a42713757a5d5fed5c7ad8158cc32.jpg)
![IMG_3553.jpg IMG_3553.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/258/258285-966cc774d32707ef7486d01ceee9ca05.jpg)
i wuzgunna' just take the motor mount and modify it to suit the 48 frame motor i intended to use.
![IMG_3573.jpg IMG_3573.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/258/258287-3f7543c71d618d82d2df02c6e0871236.jpg)
well, i intended to use the extended length mount bolts from the 48 frame motor to mount the retrofit motor-
that wasn't gonna work, this time- the bolt circle ended up to be too close to the edge of the stock mount.
i considered making a larger mount plate.
![IMG_3574.jpg IMG_3574.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/258/258288-9560c33e9d3021d7126dcf816034bbf6.jpg)
i traced a pattern onto the old looking new steel and was gonna start cutting,
then i had another idea, use a wire ring mount.
we use these in our industry to mount 48 frame fans
![IMG_3572.jpg IMG_3572.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/258/258290-a1124c3cab9a8cb803d6b10821c67c9a.jpg)
this looked like it was going to be a slam dunk.....
but then reality set in.
i was going to need to make a pulley or make the spacer for the pulley to work with a .500" shaft i had.
here is the OEM pulley
![IMG_3564.jpg IMG_3564.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/258/258293-500fd68a903ec4ae3d3b59e7e764a6f6.jpg)
i didn't want to go through all the trouble of making a simple spacer,
so i made another pulley from 6061
![Biggrin :grin: :grin:](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/biggrin.gif)
![IMG_3562.jpg IMG_3562.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/258/258294-dcc71348f16f462f790866805fe4fced.jpg)
![IMG_3566.jpg IMG_3566.jpg](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/data/attachments/258/258284-6cd3f4a83a7cf22d7dcecf25f7337eea.jpg)
Last edited: