new guy - new / old machine

[ivaada]

Thanks for the history lesson, amazing what you folks know.
.
Did get the "upgrade" kit... and was very surprised at the bog difference in "width" of the new vs the old...
Have not installed the kit yet,, as life's priorities have moved recreation to the back burner -- for now !
-marion

[DLB]

Thanks for the history lesson, amazing what you folks know.
.
Did get the "upgrade" kit... and was very surprised at the bog difference in "width" of the new vs the old...
Have not installed the kit yet,, as life's priorities have moved recreation to the back burner -- for now !
-marion

Interesting. Can you post a pic and/or measurements of the new Vs. old? I'm primarily wondering about the Upper/Lower guide bearings.

- David

[chapmanruss]

David,

I don't have any measurements for you but below are pictures of the Upper Roller Guide and Upper Bearing Guide for comparison. These are both pictures from the same Bandsaw as a before and after the change. The 1st picture is the Roller and the blade tracks to the right side. You can kind of see a mark where it tracks at 1/3 of the roller to the right and 2/3 of the roller to the left. The 2nd picture is the Bearing and the blade tracks very near the center.

_

Bandsaw Upper Guide - roller.jpg (74.2 KiB) Viewed 1242 times

Bandsaw Upper Guide - bearing.jpg (76.03 KiB) Viewed 1242 times

[DLB]

Okay, slow but I think I got there. I bought this kit in the 80's, same PN. At some much later time, the bandsaw design was changed for narrower upper/lower guide bearings.(?) The upgrade kit was also changed. Flat washers were added so that the narrower bearings would still fit on the existing shoulder bolts.(?) (Else the bearing could float on the shoulder?)Some or all of the documentation is lagging, so the washers are not consistently shown.

You (Russ) mentioned in an earlier post that your upgrade kit instructions dated 9/84 show the flat washer. Mine, which came with a kit in the 80's and are also dated 9/84, do not. I didn't mention it at the time, but that's a little weird.

My conclusion, and I'm not completely convinced, is that the washers should be used with the narrower bearing. Now I'm wondering if the 2006 BS you mentioned earlier as not having the washers perhaps has the wide bearings? I have no clue at this time when the change in bearing width was made to either the BS or upgrade kit.

- David

[chapmanruss]

The Bandsaw in my pictures above is one I restored and is from January 1984. It has the current Backup Roller Retrofit Kit bearings. Both my 2006 and my 1998 Bandsaws have wider bearings for the upper and lower guides. I believe in both cases they are original. The 2 stacked Auto Tracking bearings look to be the same size as the current Kit bearings. I believe the change was made at some point to have all 4 Bearings in the Kit be the same width to make it simpler since the narrower bearings work just as well for the upper and lower Guide Bearings. In the 1984 Bandsaw the blade tracks in the center of the guide bearings while in my 2006 and 1998 Bandsaws the blade tracks a bit to the right on the guide bearings. In all three Bandsaws the blade tracks in the same position over the bearings. The use of the flat washer has no effect on the position of the bearing relative to the blade since, if used, it goes on the shoulder screw first before the bearing. Since I have not had any problems with the bearings in either my 1998 or 2006 Bandsaws, I have not taken those assemblies apart, so I hope I am not missing something here.

I have two versions of the instructions. The earlier one is 845010 Rev. 9/84 does not include the flat washers whereas the current instructions Pl-5101 9/84 does. In the earlier instructions the "Roller" Bearings for the upper and lower Guides have a different part number from the 2 Auto Tracking Bearings which is the same part number as the 4 current bearings. I don't know the actual age of the earlier instruction sheet.

[robodad]

Sorry I posted this on your other post first before seeing that you reposted here. I removed it in the other location.

Your Mark V was made in July of 1981. Your Bandsaw was made in August of 1983. There have been a few changes since the Bandsaw was introduced in 1955. That being said even those early Bandsaws can use the current parts. Sometimes parts can be replaced individually while other times it must be done as an assembly. Not all current parts match original parts for older Bandsaws. Ordering the Bandsaw Backup Roller Retrofit Kit part number 555074 would be the best way to go unless the tires on your bandsaw need replacing too. The auto-track and back up rollers have changed over the years but the parts are interchangeable. I have a 1956 Bandsaw that can use the Bandsaw Backup Roller Retrofit Kit in place of the original rollers. If the tires on your Bandsaw need replacing too than getting the Basic Bandsaw Tune-Up Kit part number 556083 which includes the Bandsaw Backup Roller Bearing Kit and 2 rubber Bandsaw tires plus glue and some savings.

The Manual you show is a newer one that has the Aluminum Table not the Cast Iron Table like yours. They do operate nearly the same but the Aluminum Table has some features available the Cast Iron Table does not. Ordering a Manual from Shopsmith will get you a copy of the Manual you already show above. If you don't have it with the manual, below is a link to the Parts Lists and Drawings. Again there will be some differences between your Bandsaw and the diagrams and parts list.

https://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/manuals/845541.pdf

I inherited my greenie and bandsaw from my dad many years ago. I don't use it much because I do a lot of stuff with hand tools.
Recently my bandsaw started screeching and I called customer service Shopsmith. She told me to record a video and she would discuss it with tech support. Then she sent me a very long email that included this response "For a nominal fee of $19.99 for the first 15 Minutes and $1 per minute after, the Shopsmith Engineering Team can:..." I decided that it sounded like a bearing and so I ordered the kit (I replaced the wheel tires couple years ago). After the order was placed I asked for some technical information (it's a learning thing!) and I was told this was "proprietary information" !!
I've been using customer service for over 25 years and never got this type of response. It turns out that all the information that I requested was etched onto the bearings; RB Tech China 627Z. I could have purchased these for much less elsewhere.

[JPG]

Next time pose the question herein.

[robodad]

Got it
Thanks

[chapmanruss]

robodad,

The original Backup Rollers on the Bandsaw were just that a roller. You can see pictures of them in my previous post. They were not a bearing and as such were notorious for making a lot of screeching and squealing noises. These early Backup Rollers are metal with a bronze sleeve that rides on the shoulder screw. They NEED lubrication. Without lubrication it is just metal turning on metal and friction is created. With that friction is noise. Changing to the Backup Roller Bearings "fixes" that noise problem by using sealed lubricated bearings. The only reason the original Backup Rollers are still on my 1956 Bandsaw, that I have mentioned in previous posts, is I wanted to keep it original and do not use it as my primary Bandsaw.

It is interesting that Customer Service would call anything about any Shopsmith tool "proprietary information" since so much information about them is out in the world. As you said you were able to see the information you were requesting once you saw the bearings. It is more likely a case of "we don't want to tell you the information so you will have to buy them from us." That is simply good marketing. Personally at $20.97 (and even less right now on sale) is not a bad deal to get the correct parts and having Shopsmith stand behind that purchase.

[JPG]

Good marketing and good customer service do not always co-exist.