Johnson Model B Bandsaw

Discussion in 'General foundry chat' started by Petee716, Aug 19, 2022.

  1. Petee716

    Petee716 Gold Banner Member

    Its dirty, but its mine!
    Cleanup, inspection, repairs if needed. Any shared experiences with this machine will be appreciated!

    20220818_191632.jpg

    20220818_191627.jpg
     
    Tobho Mott, Tops and Mark's castings like this.
  2. Petee716

    Petee716 Gold Banner Member

    Well it cleaned up pretty good. I vacuumed it, hit it with compressed air, soaked it down with a heavy concentration of Dawn dish soap and water (after removing the motor and switches) and then power washed after sitting awhile. I wiped it all down afterwards with that good-for-nothing-else "odor free mineral spirits"- the white stuff. I cleaned some of the smaller parts in diesel as well. The paint is fine, so removing the grime is really all that was necessary.
    I replaced the guide bearings. I also decided to change the gear oil so I removed the gearbox as there is no drain plug. There was alot more involved getting that gearbox out than i thought. If i ever change the oil in it again I'll devise a way to flip the whole machine upside down instead of going through that PITA again. I tried getting the cover off the gearbox while i had it on the bench but i would have had to resort to some risky prying and rapping so I just dumped it out the fill hole. I doubt I'll ever need to do it again.
    A couple things I like about this saw are the more industrial type controls as well as the hydraulic lowering cylinder.
    I got it reassembled and adjusted so I'm getting a very square horizontal cut as well as a very square vertical cut (over 3" of vertical travel).

    Good repeatability too. Pictured below is my second test cut after adjusting.

    Pete
     

    Attached Files:

    Tops, DaveZ and Tobho Mott like this.
  3. Maybe the gearbox oil could be siphoned out with a tube if it needs replacing.
     
  4. Petee716

    Petee716 Gold Banner Member

    I'm sure that was the intent.
     
  5. rocco

    rocco Silver

  6. Al2O3

    Al2O3 Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    Cleaned up nice and performs well..........good addition to the shop Petee.

    Best,
    Kelly
     
  7. Melterskelter

    Melterskelter Gold Banner Member

    That is a fine looking saw. Good find. I would recommend blades made by a company here in Bellingham:
    LA Cutting Products. They make very good blades from top quality stock with a superb weld guaranteed to not break---all very competitively priced.

    https://lacuttingproducts.com/

    No connection other than having met the owner of this family-owned business that began a few blocks from my house.

    Denis
     
  8. Petee716

    Petee716 Gold Banner Member

    Indeed. I had one of the ubiquitous Harbor Freight/Taiwan models for a number of years and I cut alot of metal with it. It worked well for it's designed duty but I couldn't resist the upgrade. One thing I will miss is the ability to raise the arm fully upright for use as a vertical saw but using that position and "freehanding" was usually the cause of most of my blade damage so I guess it's just as well. I have a vertical saw for metal cutting and just chose to do what was more convenient.
    $500 and came with 7 or 8 unused blades. They're still wrapped in their original twist ties but covered in surface rust. They look to be all the same tooth count (fine) with the exception of one coarse one. I'm not sure if they're bimetal or not. I revisited Keith Ruckers electrolysis video today and am looking for my washing soda. I know you've mentioned that supplier before. I usually buy Starrett but as I mentioned above I dont know how much the brand will matter when theres a knucklehead at the wheel! I'll check them out.

    Pete
     
  9. Melterskelter

    Melterskelter Gold Banner Member

    I have come to believe that the top brands bimetal blade stock rolls are likely pretty equivalent. The knucklehead you are jokingly referring to is you, of course. But the other knucklehead that might make a big difference is the guy welding and the equipment he is using. For me the differentiation comes with the weld technique used. The reason I mention (sorry for beating the drum) these guys is that they use state-of-the-art Swiss blade welders and have well-trained technicians. The result is a very nicely welded blade that lasts long and runs true. I have bought blades from various suppliers using the same stock but with wildly varying weld quality. These are the best I have found. They seem to last and last and cut a remarkable amount of material as long as this knucklehead does not allow the material to shift during a cut and thus kink an otherwise fine blade.

    Denis
     

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