Table of Contents
Startrite Bandsaw
Startrite 18-T-10 bandsaw
Specs
- 18“ throat
- 10-speed
- Blade length: 114”
- Drive belt: 50“ external / 48” internal A-section V-belt
Laser cuttable design for the acrylic piece that goes in the centre of the table, 8-9mm thick:
TODO
- Install dust collection
Training
Training for this tool can be given by either of the maintainers listed below.
See training.ehlab.uk for details.
Also see Yale Bandsaw Training for extra advice
Speeds
| Material | Speed (feet/min) (thickness < 0.5“) | Speed (feet/min) (thickness > 0.5”) |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminium * | 1000 | 700 |
| Brass - Cast | 320 | 180 |
| Brass - Soft | 1800 | 1000 |
| Cardboard | 3200 | 3200 |
| Copper * | 1800 | 1000 |
| Iron - Cast | 180 | 100 |
| Leather | 3200 | 3200 |
| Plastics * * | 3200 | 3200 |
| Rubber | 3200 | 3200 |
| Silver | 1800 | 1800 |
| Steel * | 180 | 180 |
| Wood | 3200 | 3200 |
* - cooling recommended in the manual.
* * - cooling recommended for perspex in the manual.
Saw blade width and minimum sawing radius
Table copied from the manual.
This is only a guide. Always err on larger radius side. Use relief cuts, and drill relief holes where necessary.
| Saw blade width | 1/8“ | 3/16” | 1/4“ | 3/8” | 1/2“ | 5/8” | 3/4“ |
| Minimum sawing radius | 3/16” | 5/8“ | 1” | 1 1/2“ | 2 1/2” | 4“ | 5 3/4” |
Bandsawing practice
Copied from the manual.
Maximum saw blade life : Medium saw blade tooth pitch, speed and feed.
Minimum sawing time : Coarse tooth pitch, fast speed and heavy feed.
Fine accurate finish : Fine tooth pitch, fast speed and light feed.
Troubleshooting
Copied from the manual.
Blade wanders from true line:
- Excessive feed pressure.
- Blade teeth dull or of too fine pitch.
- Guide inserts not controlling blade wear or incorrect adjustment.
- Blade tracking incorrect.
- Loss of set to one side of saw teeth.
Premature blade breakage:
- Excessive feed pressure, and/or too much blade tension.
- Worn or incorrectly set guides.
- Joint improperly welded and annealed.
- Blade too wide for curved cut.
- Bandwheels worn.
- Blade teeth of too fine pitch.
Blade bows in deep cut:
- Excessive feed pressure.
- Blade teeth dull or of too fine pitch.
- Insufficient blade tension, and/or blade too narrow for depth of cut.
- Blade running off at start of cut.
Blade teeth dull rapidly:
- Insufficient feed pressure.
- Blade pitch too fine.
- Guide inserts snagging set of teeth.
- Speed too fast.
Teeth tron from blade:
- Excessive feed pressure.
- Gullets of teeth loading.
- Pitch of teeth too coarse.
- Blade speed too fast
Blade developing twist:
- Excessive feed pressure.
- Guide inserts snagging blade.
- Blade too wide for radius of cut.
- Excessive blade tension.
- Blade not tracking correctly.
- Loss of set to one side of saw teeth.
Blade vibrates in cut:
- Workpiece not properly seated or securely held.
- Blade speed too fast, and/or blade pitch too coarse.
- Insufficient blade tension.
Trainers & Maintainers
The following members are authorised to provide bandsaw training:
- Cameron Sharp (cazagen)
- Mike Walters (miek)
If something is up with the bandsaw please contact one of the following people:
- Cameron Sharp (cazagen)
- Mike Walters (miek)
Log
Started 09/06/2019 - maintenance prior to this may not be logged.
- 01/01/1970 Template log entry. Copy this below. Author
- 09/06/2019 Found tool in an unusable state. Blade tracking was completely out, blade falling off back of wheels. Guide bearings were also mis-adjusted - blade was being forced into them and making a very angry noise when pulled through by hand. Spent 45 minutes re-adjusting the blade tracking to get the blade running true again, re-adjusted blade tension and guide bearings. Alfie
- 07/12/2019 Found the blade blunt. Cameron replaced it with a new one. Vytas
- 18/06/2022 Fitted a new blade as the old one was blunt. Mike