1950's Craftsman band saw thoughts

G

Goblin13

Joined
Dec 26, 2016
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Looking for a band saw and came across this one on craigslist, what are your thoughts as to price of $200 and if it would be a good one. I know a lot of people like the old equipment because of the quality construction. Questioning if this is a little too much $ for this.

Thanks for the help!

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1954 Craftsman 12" Z12 Band Saw model number # 103.24280. This tool still works well and is mounted on a homemade wooden base with casters. Original operating instructions and parts list included, plus (3) 1/4"x80" wood blades,(1) 1/4"x80" metal blade, (1) 3/8"x80" wood cuttin blade, and (1) 1/2" x80" wood cutting blade.
 
Second what Count says... also these bench models may be limited in the speeds- ON/OFF so if you are looking to cut handle scales speed may be an issue with things like ebony or cherry or some other woods that may burn or need higher speed
 
The only way to cut metal would be to slow down the blade speed with a reduction pulley system. Then it would be ok for small stuff. You need to get down to about 200-250 feet per minute, in order to deal with metals under an inch thick.
 
Thank you for the information, I'll keep looking. Any suggestions on one that would be good for wood and steel, without breaking the bank account.
 
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most steel cutting bandsaws are not inexpensive. lots of makers use a portaband saw mounted to a table, that is about as economical as you can find.
 
I had one of those and changed the motor and drive pulleys to make it run slower. I used it for years until it broke. There are no parts available for repairs, so I gave it to a maker with one still running for spare parts.

I found another old Craftsman, and put a 3/4HP 3 phase motor and VFD on it. I used it for both wood and steel. A twist of the dial changed the speed to whatever I needed. I just switched out the blade for whatever one I needed. This worked very well until I eventually wore it out, too. I bought a big 3-speed wood saw and built a smaller 5-speed metal saw, which is the setup I use now.
 
Thanks for the suggestion John. I bought a HF portable bands saw with variable speed. I made a table that attaches and have it with a quick mount to my work bench. Works like a charm, Thanks for saving me big money!
 
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