Updated mill order: Matt and Ray graciously allowed me to change from a 932 to a 935

[zmotorsports]

One of the power tools I need for the shop is a bandsaw... Sent Matt an Email to see what he offered.
Matt said he does not have many in stock currently (that is, currently as of the date of this post); he is not planning to carry any more Chinese saws. I asked Matt about the saw in the link below... he said it was Taiwanese.

Went ahead and ordered this bandsaw:

http://www.amazon.com/414459-HVBS-7...8&qid=1414113866&sr=8-5&keywords=jet+bandsaws

When I was at 'checkout' at Amazon, I saw one can link their CC rewards points to Amazon for a purchase... Since I rack up a bunch of them using the AmEx card in the business... And I am having a B-day... I decided to use the points to buy a grown up guy toy... (Did not want to use the phrase adult toy.... whoops).

Crate arrived today... will unpack it and set it up over the weekend.

Pictures to follow.

GA

I have the same one but is about a 1994 model. Mine is the old Jet green one, made in Taiwan also. I picked it up used and it works great.

 

[GA Gyro]

Good to hear yours is over 20 years old... and works fine. The idea of buying something as cheap as possible... then having to spend endless hours fixing stuff that should not break... just does not appeal to me. IMO that is not the definition of value.


Somehow... I just think the Taiwanese stuff is better quality... That is: Not as many corners cut to the point the product will need lots of maintenance and repair.
Reminds me of the joke at the airport hanger about harbor freight stuff: 'If it has bearings in it... be cautious'...

Now if the mill will get here...
Actually I should be thankful... as some folks waited months and months and months...
Like I will do with the lathe.

GA

 

[zmotorsports]

Good to hear yours is over 20 years old... and works fine. The idea of buying something as cheap as possible... then having to spend endless hours fixing stuff that should not break... just does not appeal to me. IMO that is not the definition of value.


Somehow... I just think the Taiwanese stuff is better quality... That is: Not as many corners cut to the point the product will need lots of maintenance and repair.
Reminds me of the joke at the airport hanger about harbor freight stuff: 'If it has bearings in it... be cautious'...

Now if the mill will get here...
Actually I should be thankful... as some folks waited months and months and months...
Like I will do with the lathe.

GA

I would love to have a shiny brand new horizontal bandsaw but I had already spent my budget on the Taiwanese lathe and milling machine. I found this one on the local classified website for $500.00. When I went and looked at it I noticed the coolant pump was missing (didn't care because I was not planning on using coolant anyways) and the casters were missing because the guy had it bolted to the floor. The cabinet was scratched up some but not the end of the world. I offered him $300.00 and he accepted.

I got it home and removed the saw from the base, pressure washed and re-painted the base with machinery gray, installed two fixed casters and two swivel casters from the local hardware store and ordered some Irwin bi-metal bandsaw blades from Enco on one of their coupon days.

I have used the crap out of it in the past two months and don't know how I lived without it. I always used an abrasive chop-saw in the past and it worked great but I got tired of having to either move the bikes out of the shop or cover them to avoid the flying sparks. This is sooooo much cleaner of an operation.

As far as the wait on the mill, I don't think yours is that bad so far. I waited 22-weeks for my mill from order date to arrival, 20-weeks for my lathe.

 

[GA Gyro]

THX Mike!

I have used an abrasive chop-saw to cut metal... it is a real mess. Learned quickly to take it outside!

What blade do you prefer to cut moderate steel? Cut AL?
Can I get one blade and use it universally, or would it be better to use different blades for different metals?
Kinda thinking the AL might clog up a fine toothed blade... yet a coarse tooth blade may not cut moderate (4140) steel.

Thoughts?

BTW: There is one more 'shiny new tool' on my list... a TIG welder.
Then it is CL and deals.

 

[catoctin]

I have used an abrasive chop-saw to cut metal... it is a real mess. Learned quickly to take it outside!

I ended putting mine on wheels for the same reason....to roll it out in the driveway to prevent setting my garage on fire. It also helps keeping it cleaner in there. It's interesting how even these abrasive chop saws have degraded over the past ten years. I have a Milwaukee that my wife bought me one year for Xmas maybe 12 years ago. It has a cast aluminum base and cast iron hold downs. It seems all of them including Milwaukee's are all stamped sheet metal now.

The nice thing about your new bandsaw is that this design is highly replicated and just about everyone carries blades for them.

 

[zmotorsports]

THX Mike!

I have used an abrasive chop-saw to cut metal... it is a real mess. Learned quickly to take it outside!

What blade do you prefer to cut moderate steel? Cut AL?
Can I get one blade and use it universally, or would it be better to use different blades for different metals?
Kinda thinking the AL might clog up a fine toothed blade... yet a coarse tooth blade may not cut moderate (4140) steel.

Thoughts?

BTW: There is one more 'shiny new tool' on my list... a TIG welder.
Then it is CL and deals.

I just put a 10-14 pitch bi-metal blade on mine and so far it is working great for both mild steels and aluminum. I didn't want to go through the hassle of changing out blades for each either.

You may have to play with the rollers and guides a little to get it to cut accurate but once you take a few minutes to get them set you will be surprised at how accurate it cuts. I cut some test pieces when setting it up and it sliced off a 1/8" piece dead nuts at 90 degrees and only varied by several thousandths around the perimeter. This was on a 1.5" diameter piece of 1144 steel.

I just pulled up the part on Enco and I am fairly certain this is the blade I am running. I can't remember the part number off the top of my head. They were running a promo so I purchased five of them.
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INSRAR2&PMAKA=371-0412&PMPXNO=21108824

Double check your length but I am about 92.3% :thinking:sure this is the one I am using and I am very happy with the manner in which it performs.

 

[darkzero]

.What blade do you prefer to cut moderate steel? Cut AL?

The stock 6TPI carbon blade that came with my MSC 7x12 cut steel, AL, SS, & even Ti fine, not sure long it would last though but mine has done pretty well for the time I used it. The stock carbon blade that was on my 4x6 sucked. I use Lenox bimetal blades on my 7x12 also, they last forever if not abused. I prefer to run the variable pitch blades. I have 5-8, 8-12, & 10-14. I run the 5-8 most of the time & use the 10-14 when I need to cut stainless exhaust tubing or other thin wall stuff.

The Irwin blades are good too. I used to run them on my 4x6 before I switched to Lenox. The Irwins are always on sale at Enco.

My 7x12 cuts straight right out the box, no adjustments needed. It even came with a test cut piece to confirm. I bet your brand new Jet would be the same way but if not it's not hard to adjust.

 

[GA Gyro]

THX Mike and Will, and THX Mike for the link to the blade. When I get the saw un-crated and set up, will determine the proper length and order one.

Mike; funny you and I were talking about Mill order/wait time last evening... Received an Email from Ray... the 935 is in the hands of the freight co.
Looking for it one day next week. Will do some pics, however they will be slow coming... as I am snowed with HVAC work.
Maybe by the second week of Nov, I will have the stand built, the mill uncrated and on it, and will have gone far enough to start posting pics.
I know when I read others 'RUMSCC' threads (Receive, Un-crate, Move-in, Set-up, Clean, Chips); when there was a gap of a week between posts... I was wondering what happened. Hope to get far ahead enough on it, I can post pics every day or so... then wrap it up with some chips flying!

Still need to run the circuit for the mill and lathe... Thankfully the space was just cleaned out over the last weekend.

Again, appreciate the input on the saw blades!

Now I need to learn about TIG welders. (I have a gas powered stick welder to build the stand).

GA