Official Luthiers Forum!

Any other professor/teachers out there who can commiserate - this semester was the hardest of my career, it seemed. Teaching harder than usual because of a new course, hard committee jobs, hard journal editing job that was eating me alive, and too many new research projects.

I have a flamenco guitar I'm building for a friend that was strung up a month ago, and should have been done, but I hadn't opened the door to the back of the basement in three weeks!

I finally got a day to myself today, and the project was the revamping/supercharging of my Delta 14" bandsaw. It really got the works! First, the new 240V plug had to go in and get wired into the subpanel. This stuff scared me a few years ago, but after putting a subpanel in the garage and doing wire molding last year, I'm pretty comfortable with it all now, and quick.

Next, the bandsaw was Iturra'ized. New spring, new brass nut, tightening rod and hand wheel. New PVC tires. New Lenox 1/2" Tri-master carbide blade.

Then, the new motor, a Baldor 2 HP, with a high speed pulley from Iturra, and a link belt.

This is a different puppy now! Some of that Woodcraft Bubinga that Todd has shown a number of times gave the stock saw the willies - blade drift, uneven cuts, etc.
Now, the saw just cuts it into sets, and asks for more.

Was this ever worth doing! Of course, the saw now has close to twice as much money in it as the original, but that's still a lot less money in hand today than would be needed to upgrade to a good 18" or 20" saw.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

I meant urethane tires.   

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Sounds like your saw is really doing the job for you now
Jim. I'm still using my miniature Delta bandsaw but with a new Lennox blade it does the job.
A new Quality blade makes all the differance. I'm still planning on getting a 14" saw soon!
Hope you can find more time to build in your shop.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Congratulations Kirby!

It is fun to get a productive time in the shop and see the results.

Enjoy your holidays and live it up!

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

That sounds like a good day. I always feel sorry for my profs towards the
end of the semester.

Hopefully I'll take my first cut with my new Jet 14" tomorrow when I start
an outside mold and bending form. I need to get the belt on to link the
motor and lower wheel; then I'll probably fidget around with the setup
quite a bit before daring to turn it on.

I envy you Kirby...I can't wait to hit the shop again! It'll be March by the time it's up and running...Hesh and Lance will be about a thousand guitars ahead of me by then!

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

Saw revamp seems to have been just the thing. I've cut up one billet of spruce (5 top sets), 2 B&S sets of padauk, and 4 B&S sets of Bubinga yesterday, and the saw just calls for more!

I do need to do something like building a dust shroud for the area under the table - this thing still leaks more sawdust than goes into the collector, it seems like. I'm not sure that the zero-clearance insert helps with that either - may take that out when I'm not sawing thin stock.

The enclosed stand has become an open stand, at least on one side - the Baldor motor sticks out too far.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

I think you are right about the zero clearance inserts.  I made one for my saw, and wondered if you drilled some small holes in it if it would pull more sawdust down.  Don't know, but probably don't need it for most sawing.  Just never remember to swap it out.

By the way, is that vacuum hose hooked to the Charles Chip can, or is that just a coincidence?  And, if it is, what do you use if for.  Chip crumb removal?   It does give me an idea though.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

[QUOTE=WaddyT] By the way, is that vacuum hose hooked to the Charles Chip can, or is that just a coincidence? And, if it is, what do you use if for. Chip crumb removal? It does give me an idea though.
[/QUOTE]

Nope, just a coincidence I've had that Charles Chip can forever - can't even remember how long.

Maybe not a bad chip collector gizmo for a Safe-T-Planer, though, if the hose were attached.   

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu