Tool gloat! A 1956 Walker-Turner Metal/Wood cutting bandsaw

[jgedde]

I scored this baby for $150. It's a 1956 Walker-Turner 14" Model 3220 wood and metal cutting bandsaw. There is a "back-gear" on the saw to reduce the speed for metal cutting.

I spent the past week restoring the old girl: stripping and painting (original color), new urethane tires, and a shop made felt gearbox grease seal.



John

 

[jgedde]

Thanks Shawn! Here's what she looked like two weeks ago at the sellers place...



John

 

[November X-ray]

She looked pretty sweet before the rebuild, and now it looks fantastic! Great Job and Thanks so much for sharing the pictures!!!

 

[David]

Nice work on the saw John. Have you tried to cut metal with it yet?

David

 

[jgedde]

David,

I haven't yet cut metal with it. I just got her back together this evening and put a wood blade on it to cut some blocks so my daughter could make some model hay bails for her Breyer horses (gluing on some sawdust and binding them up with wire). That was her idea and they look just like real hay bails - just in 1/12 scale!

The blade tracks perfectly and the back gear works like a champ, so I have little doubt she'll cut metal with the right blade. I got about 20-30 blades with the saw - some metal cuttng, some wood cutting - along with a roll of 1/2" 12 TPI blade stock. I just need to make a blade silver brazing fixture...

Thanks for the good words!

John

 

[DJ Bill]

Got my eyes on a similar saw, and have two questions.. How'd you do the tires, and how did you get those metal instruction tags done so nicely? (Ok, a third, how does the back gear operate, and where are you buying blades?)I can't wait to get mine home.

 

[jgedde]

Got my eyes on a similar saw, and have two questions.. How'd you do the tires, and how did you get those metal instruction tags done so nicely? (Ok, a third, how does the back gear operate, and where are you buying blades?)I can't wait to get mine home.

Ok here goes...

The tires were purchased from Sulphur Grove Tools (eBay). Normal urethane tires aren't usually glued on or crowned. I chose to glue them on (using marine Goop), and crowned them with a very sharp mill with the wheels set in a tilting dividing head (set at 5 deg.). BTW, WT saws don't have crowned wheels so the tired need to be crowned.

The back gear operates exactly like it does on the back geared lathe. Pull out a plunger, and shift the gear. The gear configuration is exactly like a lathe.

The blades are an odd size: 96 5/8" although I can squeak a standard 93 1/2" blade on it since I relieved the inside of the wheel guard where the wheel touched. You can have custom blades made inexpensively. I've been using bandsawbladesdirect.com.

The instruction tags were done as follows... The Walker-Turner seal bade on the front was just cleaned up with scotch-brite and clear coated. Although I could have made it nearly perfect using the method below along with some masking.

The speed label was much worse off and needed more help. I used Krylon spray paint (the new watered down stuff) and sprayed a light coating on the tag. The thin nature of modern Krylon makes it perfect for this (and not much good for other stuff). Since the text sits proud of the background, after the paint dried (what little stayed on the lettering), I simply used a razor blade (and some scotch-brite where necessary) to scrape the paint off the text. I then clear coated it.

John

 

[David]

John, I have a Rockwell 14" that needs tires and a refurb like yours. It has a gear box on it so it should cut metal also. It's nice to see something old made new again.

David

 

[jgedde]

John, I have a Rockwell 14" that needs tires and a refurb like yours. It has a gear box on it so it should cut metal also. It's nice to see something old made new again.

David

David,

I bet your saw is a lot like mine since Rockwell bought Walker-Turner in 1956...

Thanks,
John

 

[Uncle Buck]

My that saw is a thing of beauty indeed! Very well done on the restoration!