RustyW

I recently found a 1HP 14" Ram Machinery band saw on Craigslist. The blade would not stay on because it was bent in several spots and the steel guide blocks were very chewed up. I picked it up for $100,ordered Olson blades and new Cool blocks from Hartville Tools. Now I can get the blade to track perfectly and easily cut 3/4" hardwood.

My question is about the upper wheel adjustment. When I want to remove or take the tension off the blade, I can unscrew the knob all I want but the block the screw goes thru will not move until I tap it down with a mallet and a block of wood. Is this normal with an older saw? Or is there something I need to lube, or replace.

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Rusty

If You Want It Bad, You Get It Bad The Worse You Want It, The Worse You Get It

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fibertech

Rusty, if this is all, you got a great deal. I don't know where you are but someone like Carter might have a retrofit assembly. My Grizzly has a release lever that takes the tension off of the wheels / blade. Check out Carter. Also, check the postings about the travelling Woodworking shows. There are normally links to their exhibitors. Also, thanks for the car on your avatar- that's my employer. -Derek

RustyW

Thanks for the quick reply Derek. I found the Carter website and will check out what they have to offer. I'm in northern California about 80 miles north of Sacramento.http://albany.craigslist.org/about/cities.html If you hav"nt seen it is worldwide but you can narrow it down to your local area. This saw was only 20 miles from my home.
As far as the avatar, the wife and I caught the start of a race on tv midway thru the season last year and hav'nt missed one since. We were hooked (we might be rednecks) and at this point Jeff Burton is one of many favorite drivers. Can't hardly wait for the Daytona 500 this Sunday. But I may seek some professional help for this addiction since the truck race friday, busch race saturday, and nextel cup race sunday, pretty much kill the whole weekend. And seriously cut into my woodworking time.

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Rusty

If You Want It Bad, You Get It Bad The Worse You Want It, The Worse You Get It

AxlMyk

My wife and I have been gnawing our nails off since november, waiting for Daytona..

I had a bandsaw very similar to yours.. Never had a problem with it.. Gave it away on Craigslist a couple months ago.. Table angle adjusters were smashed up.. Take care of yours.. Might be hard to find..

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Mike - Retired FoMoCo Tradesman
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Mike

Rusty, I think you will find by removing the parts there is build up and wear underneath. I see a lot of corrosion that should be cleaned off the screw and spring. WD 40 will take care of the cleaning with a wire brush. If there are any burrs you may need to sand or file them off. The block should slide freely with out the spring (Which is most likely dead.) You can buy a replacement spring from either Rockler or Woodcraft that will do wonders for your adjustment tension. Last and very important is to look for any type of grease fitting. Some are Zerk fittings like you would see on a car and others are simply a hole you must use a needle adaptor to pump the bearing grease into. A very light coating on the blocks friction surfaces will help, but it will also attract dirt and sawdust. All the parts should move freely without spring tension.

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Mike