Upgrade Magna Bandsaw

[krzink]

Will the Bandsaw Backup Bearing Upgrade work with a circa 1954 Magna Bandsaw?

Which other upgrade kits are compatible with this tool?

[JPG]

Yes

Essentially everything.

[chapmanruss]

Since its introduction in 1955 all upgrades/changes made for the Magna/Shopsmith Bandsaws can be used. My oldest Bandsaw, a 1956 Greenie, can use the Backup Bearing Upgrade Kit and I recommend it. Mine is completely restored to original condition so it doesn't have the upgrades but is not my primary Bandsaw.

If yours is original it has the Straight Mounting Posts. These can be a bit harder to align the Bandsaw to the Headstock with. The standard and wider offset Eccentric Mounting Posts can replace the Straight Mounting Posts.

A major upgrade is the Aluminum Table which is an easy change to make on older Bandsaws. It requires only removing the 4 bolts that hold the table to the Trunnions and bolting the new table in its place. Align the table and you are ready to go. I mention this upgrade to illustrate something that changes/upgrades bring about. When the change to the Aluminum Table occurred, there was a change to the Trunnions and related parts too. The Aluminum Table mounts fine on the older Trunnions just know there is a difference. If you had to replace the Trunnions for some reason the related Locking and other parts would need to change also if using new parts.

I am not saying I believe you should change to the Aluminum Table. Many still prefer the original Cast Irom Table. There are pluses and minuses to each.

Something the early Bandsaws did not have is the Nylon Bolt (shown in the picture below) as part of the Guide Bracket Assembly. It helps with the alignment of the Upper Guide Assembly and can be added to an existing Guide Bracket by drilling and tapping a hole to add the Bolt or purchase a Guide Bracket Assembly that has it.

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Guide Bracket.JPG (75.17 KiB) Viewed 7099 times

[chapmanruss]

One upgrade I did not mention before is the changes to the Cover. Two great upgrades have occurred over the years. The first was the addition of a Dust Collection Port. There is an upgrade kit available to add to older Covers. New Covers have it molded in as part of the Cover. The other change to the Cover was the addition of a window and slot in the cover side to allow the tension to be adjusted and seen without removing the cover.

Below is the Dust Chute upgrade parts.

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Dust Chute upgrade.jpg (46.57 KiB) Viewed 7080 times

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The picture below shows the Window in newer Covers. The window can be added to older Bandsaw Covers by ordering the window itself and cutting the opening in an existing Cover. The slot on the side of the cover for the Allen Wrench can also be added. Some owners have added this to their older Covers.
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Bandsaw Cover Window.jpg (99.96 KiB) Viewed 7080 times

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The Cover size has not changed so a new Cover can be purchased to add the Dust Collection and Tension Adjustment features to an older Bandsaw. The new Cover will not match the color of the older Greenie and Goldie Bandsaws. Below you can see the newer Cover on a more recent Bandsaw. The Dust Collection port is just below the Table. Something you may also notice is how the Cover is held on to the Main Frame. The Knobs have been replaced with washers and Screws. The Post also changed to accommodate the screws.

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bandsaw on mark v l.jpg (43.85 KiB) Viewed 7080 times

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These two changes to the Cover are ones to have especially the Dust Collection. Without the Dust Collection Port, a lot of sawdust accumulates inside the Bandsaw.

That being said I have not changed Covers or added these features to my older Bandsaws which have been restored to original condition. These are some of the collection of historical tools I have and are not generally used but are fully functional. I do however have the newer Cover on my primary 1998 Bandsaw. Its original Cover didn't have the window and Allen Wrench slot.

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Model 630 SN 22784.jpg (66.3 KiB) Viewed 7080 times

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Lastly there is the option of using Urethane Bandsaw Tires as opposed to the original type Rubber glue on Tires. There has been a lot of discussion on which is better, but I leave that up to the Bandsaw user. The first difference is the Urethane Tires are not glued on making them easier to install and remove. There is more than one brand of Urethane Tires available. A downside is there have been a few reports of the Urethane Tires coming off during use. That may be from over tensioning and heavy use causing overheating of the Tires.