Craftsman King-Seeley Band Saw 103.24280

[JZiggy]

I picked up a nice Craftsman band saw today made by King Seeley. Seems to run well, just needs new tires and some TLC. Came with the fence and whatever you call that angle-adjusty thing.

Upper wheel

Lower wheel

- What do you guys suggest for tires? Urethane?

- Anyone use these upgrades ball bearing guides?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/262049885921?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

- Anyone had luck changing upper and lower wheel bearings? Do you know the replacement bearing numbers? I don't think it needs them but it would be a nice thing to do at some point.

 

[ckadams00]

So awesome I have the same one. Yours seems to be in great shape. Don't mess with the bottom bearing unless you need to; it is a double wide and not easy to remove or replace.

 

[Zeke]

Rubber tires work fine. I replaced the ones on the same saw with rubber. If you have a line on some fancy urethane you might try them. I have never used urethane so I'd like to hear how they work out.

 

[softailgarage]

I am currrently working on the same model. How do you know if the tires are bad, unless its obvious? I could use the bolt for the top adjuster if anyone has one.

 

[velocette]

Hi
A few years ago I bought a 14" wheel bandsaw that had been pulled apart to be restored.
Restoration completed and Urethane tyres bonded to the rim and ground true by a company that specialises in all saw doctoring.
They have given excellent service on a machine that is used for both steel and woodworking.
Posted on
http://madmodder.net/index.php/topic,11037.msg128134.html#msg128134

Eric

 

[JZiggy]

Thanks for the kind words guys!

I ordered a set of urethane tires, I will report back how they work out.

ckadams, could you tell me more about your experience with the bottom shaft bearings? Are replacement bearings even available? Love your shop thread, BTW.

Looking at some pictures online it seems like these band saws typically came with a 5" drive pulley. Mine is a spoked 8" one, is this a Craftsman option or something else? Also, anyone know how this pulley is 'sposed to come off?

 

[jakemac]

A previous owner likely replaced the 5" pulley with the 8" one to reduce the speed of the blade.

 

[nine4gmc]

Here is the tires I went with on mine, same model and I also used the same seller/style on my Delta 14".
Link---> http://www.ebay.com/itm/350567105634?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

And here are the upper bearings I have on order, should be in by tomorrow. They are 6202 but not standard size, they are special bore 5/8" ID.
Link---> http://www.ebay.com/itm/130820405775?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

I am right in the middle of a restoration on mine(last couple pages of my Projects thread) and really just waiting on the correct size bearings to be delivered. The lower bearing is crazy, it's marked 5200 but it's no standard 5200 either, picture below. I will not be replacing this unless someone finds a correct match. It looks like it is one piece, extremely wide and IDK how it's held on.

 

[JZiggy]

Hey nines,

Exactly the same tires I ordered.

I had actually just bought bearings for a restoring a couple drill presses, and for whatever reason I had gotten an extra pair of quill bearings "just in case." Turned out to be the right ones for the upper wheel!

Think that lower bearing is greaseable?

 

[nine4gmc]

The lower bearing is rubber sealed on mine, I'd rather find a replacement if possible but you could probably soak in oil for a temp solution. I'd like to know who/how they changed them and have been meaning to contact CKADAMS since everything dealing with this model number points back to his thread here on google. CK, did you change yours?

 

[nine4gmc]

JZiggy, would you mind getting a good pic of the fence rail ends? I bought one separately from my saw and it is missing the knob on the front and possibly a part on the rear but I don't have one to look at to know what's missing.

On that pulley, try spinning it around where the screws line up with the shaft indentions and you should be able to remove the screws, then pulley.

And Jake, I have not forgot you, I'll try to get those rails off to you ASAP.

 

[jakemac]

Some great info here. I'm going to have to remember this when I do my 0103.

Nine - No worries. I've been having "one of those days" every day for the last few months. It may be some time before I can get to it.

 

[JZiggy]

Nines,

My lower shaft has a metal shielded bearing, rather than rubber sealed like yours. It's in nice shape so no need to replace for now. Mine is stamped "USA FEDERAL FS-1115"

These the fence pics you need?
One side:

Other side:

 

[ckadams00]

The lower bearing is rubber sealed on mine, I'd rather find a replacement if possible but you could probably soak in oil for a temp solution. I'd like to know who/how they changed them and have been meaning to contact CKADAMS since everything dealing with this model number points back to his thread here on google. CK, did you change yours?

That photo you have of the lower bearing is exactly like mine. I read a lot of posts on OWWM and other forums when doing the resto that said getting it out was a nightmare and replacing them was near impossible. I did call Accurate Bearing to try to find a match to no avail but that was several years ago. Mine seemed to be in ok shape so I left it alone. Here is my before and after.

 

[nine4gmc]

Awesome job CK and thanks for the info.

JZiggy, mine is missing the part sticking out the bottom of the end piece in this picture. Could I bother any of you guys to get a pic and/or measurements of the piece so I can try to duplicate it?

Also, if anyone has an extra wheel cover knob they want to sell, let me know. I have 3 of the 4 but I'm missing one.

 

[AdrianBoomer]

nine4gmc, I have wheel cover knobs. PM your address and I will send one your way.

 

[JZiggy]

Nines, here you go

Let me know if you can't read my chicken scratch. Also I'd be happy to just mail you the part to borrow if that's easier.

There's also a nut that threads on the other side of this part that I appear to be missing. Can someone show me what that's supposed to look like?

 

[JZiggy]

ckadams, your restore looks awesome. Do you use the saw mostly for wood? I am trying to work out a way to slow it down for metal.

Also, I was thinking about the lower bearing... I imagine one could just get four bearings of the correct OD and ID and stack them all on (assuming, of course, you could get the original bearing off).

 

[nine4gmc]

PM Adrian!

JZiggy, super thanks! You are the man! I'll get a pic of the nut that goes on that part when I go back out to the shop shortly. Great idea with stacking the bearings. If anyone has an extra lower bearing, try pressing it off the shaft so we can get this figured out please!


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[nine4gmc]

Also, JZiggy my saw came on a wooden base and had a jack shaft mounted to it along with a large diameter pulley on the saw like yours to slow it down. Since I'm using my Delta 14" for metal and I put the craftsman on a pole stand, I no longer have use for the jack shaft. Let me know if you want it, it would mount right on your stand with little modification.


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[nine4gmc]

7/8" long x 3/8" diameter, slotted on one end, threaded on the other.

 

[JZiggy]

Great, thanks! That should be pretty easy to make.

 

[AdrianBoomer]

nine4gmc.

this left my house and is on the way to your house this morning.

 

[nine4gmc]

You. Are. Awesome! Super thanks!

 

[JZiggy]

I got those blue urethane tires from ePrey for $35 bucks and installed them this weekend.

1) Crappy rubber tires, all split and gross:



2) Cut off, and wire brush off all the adhesive:



3) Soak the tires in warm water to get them extra flexy, and install with the nifty tool provided (basically a dowel with a nail in it). And viola!

 

[JZiggy]

And get this... while working on the band saw this weekend my wife comes back from a jog and says, "there's a thing down the street with a 'Free' sign on it, I think it's a bandsaw!"

Anyone know anything about this style? The main body looks cast iron and I'm guessing the wheels are about 9" diameter. Kind of a petite little saw but it looks well made.

 

[firworks]

I have one of these King Seelys too except mine has the terrible auto-tension system and no knob on top. It absolutely will not track and I can't figure out why. I've been meaning to post a separate thread about it to see if some people can walk me through fixing it up as I could really use a bandsaw and it does LOOK cool, it's just not useable. Good to see though a few others have them so there will be at least some people in the know.

 

[jakemac]

ToolKraft :
http://www.vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=240
http://www.vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=863

ToolKraft stopped making machines in 1984, but they have a website where you may or may not find parts (by calling them) if they have any spares left.
http://www.toolkraft.com/

 

[JZiggy]

I have one of these King Seelys too except mine has the terrible auto-tension system and no knob on top. It absolutely will not track and I can't figure out why. I've been meaning to post a separate thread about it to see if some people can walk me through fixing it up as I could really use a bandsaw and it does LOOK cool, it's just not useable. Good to see though a few others have them so there will be at least some people in the know.

Can you post up some pics?

Are your wheels aligned, both in terms of parallelism and offset? I had to mess with mine for a while and add shims to get it all straight.

 

[firworks]

Can you post up some pics?

Are your wheels aligned, both in terms of parallelism and offset? I had to mess with mine for a while and add shims to get it all straight.

They are aligned enough that they will track when free running, however as soon as I start cutting with it it jumps the wheels. Part of the problem I think is that the bearing and guide assembly is in bad shape / non existent. The story I got from my coworker who dropped it off was "The old lady I bought it off said it runs perfect and she'd just used it recently. She makes small wood crafts with it." When I took the panel off I discovered it had no tires at all on the wheels and there were lots of scoring / gouges in the wheels where she'd been running it for quite a while with no tires.

 

[nine4gmc]

On the top blade guide, the one that the blade is supposed to ride against looks like it is protruding too far out.

Hard to tell about the bottom in those pics. The blade should ride between the two guides and just about touch the back piece so that when you put pressure on the blade cutting, it touches. It should be set deep enough that the teeth don't cut the side guides but not so far out that the blade is not between the side guides.

If that makes sense, hard for me to put it in words what I'm trying to say.

 

[JZiggy]

Do you guys know if the little disc that goes in the center of the table (the throat?) is a standard replacement item? Where would I look for one?

 

[jakemac]

I think you'll have to make one, or find a donor saw to get it from.

 

[JZiggy]

Successful conversion to a metal-cutting bandsaw!

1750 rpm stock motor --> 15:1 Grove gear worm reduction box --> 2" drive to 8" driven pulley = ~30 rpm == ~100fpm saw speed.

The little tilty table for belt tension works pretty nice too. This came with the saw.

 

[firworks]

I got sick of looking at this thing taking up floor space and not working so I took it completely apart! Either I get it working soon or I get rid of it and keep the motor.

First thing I discovered was the scary wiring.

There were like three strands of copper actually under the screw and the rest just flying in the box probably touching the metal case. Also the actual plug had no bottom on it, it was just two prongs sticking out of it and you could look in and see the wires crimped onto the backs of the prongs. The wiring at the motor was horrible too, with just a flying twist on both leads with a wrap of 60 year old electrical tape on them that fell apart in my hand when I touched it.

 

[nine4gmc]

You can do eeet! Seriously though it don't take much to clean it up and put it back together. If by some chance you decide not to put it back together, I know several guys here would be interested in the stand and parts you don't want.


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[Tsquare]

I got sick of looking at this thing taking up floor space and not working so I took it completely apart! Either I get it working soon or I get rid of it and keep the motor.

First thing I discovered was the scary wiring.

There were like three strands of copper actually under the screw and the rest just flying in the box probably touching the metal case. Also the actual plug had no bottom on it, it was just two prongs sticking out of it and you could look in and see the wires crimped onto the backs of the prongs. The wiring at the motor was horrible too, with just a flying twist on both leads with a wrap of 60 year old electrical tape on them that fell apart in my hand when I touched it.

That's a nice bandsaw - especially with that stand - it's worth doing the restore, as "nines" says not that difficult - I'm working on one myself along with a few more tools, hoping to post soon - good luck

 

[JZiggy]

You can do eeet! Seriously though it don't take much to clean it up and put it back together. If by some chance you decide not to put it back together, I know several guys here would be interested in the stand and parts you don't want.


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Yep, and I'll be the first to say "dibs on the stand, dude!!"

 

[geologist]

Adam Savage (MythBusters / Tested) uses a very similar Craftsman bandsaw (maybe slightly larger?) for his builds.

 

[nine4gmc]

Adams shop is pretty awesome!!


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