Fox Bandsaw

The Pledge Drive is still running - ad-hoc donations towards additional blades, and accessories are always welcome!

Fox 2560mm two-speed Bandsaw

We now have this in the workshop, though it may move to a better location soon.

Specification

• Motor: 1500W-240V (2hp)
• Blade Length: 2560mm
• Blade Width Capacity: 6 - 35mm
• Blade Speeds: 400 & 850m / min
• Max Cutting Capacity (Throat Depth): 344mm
• Max Cutting Height: 230mm
• Table Height: 995mm
• Table size: 548x 400mm
• Table Tilt Range: 0°- 45°

Safety

You should wear eye protection when using this tool.

Keep fingers, hair, loose clothing away from the blade / cutting area.

Know the limitations of the machine and the blade currently fitted.

Usage and gotchas

The scales on the front edge of the table don't appear to line up with the blade. They are not supposed to, they correspond to the two positions that the aluminium fence can be fitted.

After use, use the vacuum cleaner to remove dust from the machine and its surroundings and also inside the lower compartment.

The blade should have three teeth in the material being cut at all times. So a 6tpi blade works with a minimum material thickness of 1/2". Cutting material thinner than this limit will result in rough, splintered results.

Conversely, a 10tpi blade won't cut think material well, as dust and swarf will be trapped in the kerf for longer, resulting in overheating which will shorten the life of the blade and risk scorching the material.

History / Discussion / Pledge Drive

See Google group for original discussion, together with the suggestion that it be used for cutting larger pieces of timber - opening up the possibility that we also get a Scrollsaw for fine, curved work.

Currently the workshop has a Bandsaw. Jake posted a message on the Google groups pointing out:

"The current bandsaw gets a lot of use. Since we bought a new pillar drill a larger floor standing bandsaw seems like the next logical step.

It's also not perfect, the blade wanders, and it doesn't have a steady cut speed, it seems to cut well then appears to slow down, plus the vibrations cause the blade to move around a lot. In general it can be a pain to do some work on it.

To that end, a pledge was started, in order to prompt the purchase of a better bandsaw. Suitable models (listed below) costing in the range £350 - £500 are being considered,

Possible saws to choose from (extracted from the Google Group):

£370 http://www.dm-tools.co.uk/product.php/section//sn/METBAS317

£478 http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/bas317-305mm-bandsaw?da=1&TC=SRC-bandsaw

£500 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FOX-F28-194B-2560mm-240v-Bandsaw-344-x-230mm-cutting-capacity-3Yr-Warranty-/150913708967

Wide range: http://www.poolewood.co.uk/acatalog/Band_Saws.html

Pledge Details

Name	Amount	Paid	Notes
Gazz	£5	Y	In cashbox
Seb Price	£10	Y	In cashbox
Wendy	£10	Y	Bank transfer
Andrew Th	£20	Y	Bank transfer
David C	£10	Y	Bank transfer 2/10/13
Dominic	£20	Y	Bank transfer
Gareth	£20	Y	Bank transfer
Ian D	£20	Y	Bank transfer
Jake	£10	N
James F	£20	Y	Bank transfer
James H	£20	N
Joe	£20	N
Matt Little	£10	Y	Bank Transfer 27/9/13
Matt Lloyd	£10	Y	Bank Transfer 2/10/13
Matt Spandex	£10	N
Michael E	£10	Y	Bank transfer
Rave	£10	Y	Bank Xfer
Total	£235	£175