Modern Jess
Well-known member
Like most of you, I have a limited amount of space in my shop, and have to make the most of it. When I started thinking about bandsaws, a machinist friend of mine showed me his Roll-In Bandsaw, and easily convinced me that this was the saw to have when you can only have one. It's a vertical metalworking saw, but it has a clever gravity / track mechanism that will feed the blade into heavy stock slowly, like a horizontal bandsaw. You can also lock it in place and use it as a profiling saw, or even press it into service as a wood bandsaw if necessary. It is an awesome machine.
It's also prohibitively expensive. With a list price around $4800, I was reluctant to shell out for a new one. And used ones don't come up for sale that often, certainly not locally. Not that many people have them, and the people that do seem to keep them forever.
So I waited, and bided my time. Then a few weeks ago, my machinist friend handed me an auction flyer that listed a Roll-In saw in an upcoming auction for a machine shop that is going out of business. I had never attended a live auction before, but I figured it might be my only chance to pick up one of these saws on the secondary market. Sure enough, I managed to win the bidding for significantly less than I was willing to pay -- $900, plus buyer's premium. Another $180 got it dropped off at my house by a local rigger, and a bit more work and it is now safely ensconced in my shop.
Of course, the reason I got it for only $900 is that this one is diiiiirrrrr-tay. Every possible nook and cranny is stuffed with aluminum shavings, in a binder of dried cutting fluid. Most of the mechanicals are in good shape, the tires need to be replaced, and the counterweight is missing. But that's about the extent of the problems. I am cautiously optimistic that the paint underneath all the dried oil will be in pretty good shape.
The history of the company starts sometime in the 1940s, but this particular saw was made in 2000. So not too old, all things considered.
Now begins the arduous task of cleaning this thing up.
It's also prohibitively expensive. With a list price around $4800, I was reluctant to shell out for a new one. And used ones don't come up for sale that often, certainly not locally. Not that many people have them, and the people that do seem to keep them forever.
So I waited, and bided my time. Then a few weeks ago, my machinist friend handed me an auction flyer that listed a Roll-In saw in an upcoming auction for a machine shop that is going out of business. I had never attended a live auction before, but I figured it might be my only chance to pick up one of these saws on the secondary market. Sure enough, I managed to win the bidding for significantly less than I was willing to pay -- $900, plus buyer's premium. Another $180 got it dropped off at my house by a local rigger, and a bit more work and it is now safely ensconced in my shop.
Of course, the reason I got it for only $900 is that this one is diiiiirrrrr-tay. Every possible nook and cranny is stuffed with aluminum shavings, in a binder of dried cutting fluid. Most of the mechanicals are in good shape, the tires need to be replaced, and the counterweight is missing. But that's about the extent of the problems. I am cautiously optimistic that the paint underneath all the dried oil will be in pretty good shape.
The history of the company starts sometime in the 1940s, but this particular saw was made in 2000. So not too old, all things considered.
Now begins the arduous task of cleaning this thing up.
