Non-SS bandsaw on Shopsmith?

damagi · Post by **damagi** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 10:33 am

I see ads on craigslist every now and again for 14" bandsaws where the motor is wussy or blown out. Has anyone ended up using a shopsmith to power something like that?

The main benefits over the standard 11" would be increased resaw capacity (especially with a riser block while still maintaining variable speed. It would have been nice it the SS bandsaw could accept a raiser block, but I am sure the single piece casting increases ridgidity.

Am I crazy? I suppose you could buy one and then drop in a DC variable speed motor and get similar results. Just postulating.

billmayo · Post by **billmayo** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 12:12 pm

damagi wrote:I see ads on craigslist every now and again for 14" bandsaws where the motor is wussy or blown out. Has anyone ended up using a shopsmith to power something like that?

The main benefits over the standard 11" would be increased resaw capacity (especially with a riser block while still maintaining variable speed. It would have been nice it the SS bandsaw could accept a raiser block, but I am sure the single piece casting increases ridgidity.

Am I crazy? I suppose you could buy one and then drop in a DC variable speed motor and get similar results. Just postulating.

If anyone have metal working capability, I am sure they can adapt almost any woodworking equipment to work on the Shopsmith. The Shopsmith headstock makes any excellant power source. I have used pulleys and belts to connect various Non-Shopsmith equipment to the headstock shafts (Quill, Drive Sleeve & Idler).

I have attempted adapting DC motors and DC controllers as power sources for the Shopsmith headstock and various SPTs. It is not a simple procedure due to heating & mounting problems along with the pullies/belt hookups. You need to have test equipment to set the current, voltage and overload limits for the DC controllers to prevent damaging the DC motor. The complete package from a premimun treadmill would be the best bet for fewer problems.

foxtrapper · Post by **foxtrapper** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:05 am

I've not done it with the bandsaw, but I almost did it with an old Craftsman belt sander. Found a SS one, so that derailed the project.

Some tools lend themselves to it well, others less so. In the case of the aformentioned Craftsman unit, it was almost like it was designed for the SS before being switched to Sears.

Don't think metal only. Wood dowels are quite strong and make more than adequate legs. MDF makes a perfectly serviceable adapter plate, if needed.

billmayo · Post by **billmayo** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 10:44 am

foxtrapper wrote:I've not done it with the bandsaw, but I almost did it with an old Craftsman belt sander. Found a SS one, so that derailed the project.

Some tools lend themselves to it well, others less so. In the case of the aformentioned Craftsman unit, it was almost like it was designed for the SS before being switched to Sears.

Don't think metal only. Wood dowels are quite strong and make more than adequate legs. MDF makes a perfectly serviceable adapter plate, if needed.

I think of the Shopsmith as a "Tinker Toy" that only limited by your imagination as to what you can accomplish using it as a base. Normally, I make a wooden template to test an idea/project and then convert the wood template to metal only if it works really well. Yes, I do find 1/2" & 3/4" marine plywood is as strong as steel for use on some of my projects.

wildcard · Post by **wildcard** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 11:01 am

my grandfathers really old bandsaw has a pulley and belt with a motor off to the side, all of this is external to the bandsaw, i would see no reason you couldn't build a wood base for a bandsaw, get a pulley that will fit on the SS, and then whatever length of belt you need to make the connection between the two, to me this would also have the advantage that you could have the bandsaw at any height you wanted, as long as it is lined up with the pulley on the SS, it doesn't matter if it is above it or below, and as the SS is variable speed you don't have to worry about different pulley ratios increasing or decreasing the speed of the bandsaw, you can make it whatever speed you wanted.

Nothing says you have to mount the bandsaw on the SS

pennview · Post by **pennview** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 1:45 pm

Mounting one of those Delta-like 14" saws should not be too difficult, but it will be much easier with one that has several speeds. On the single-speed models, the centerline of the spindle/pulley that drives the lower wheel is about 9" above the base of the saw and that puts it higher than the auxiliary spindle on the Shopsmith. So, you'd need to build a jackshaft of sorts to couple the saw to the Shopsmith drive. On the multi-speed models however, there is a second spindle that is located about 4" above the base of the saw, so there still should be adequate room to attach a base to the saw for mounting on the Shopsmith and still align that second spindle on the saw with the Shopsmith auxiliary spindle.

Here's a photo of those pulleys/spindles on a Reliant four-speed band saw. The measurements came from this saw and I expect that other similar saws would have similar measurements, but it would be wise to check before plunging in.
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