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Post by deb193redux on Apr 25, 2014 10:03:00 GMT -5
most of the parts you buy to fix older equipment is going to be China or Korea if it is bearings or steel or machined arbors or drip pans or brass valves.
the problem is modern specs that used the lightest material possible and allow for larger tolerances. the problem is not the country of origin per se.
I think a new stainless arbor unit (Lortone or generic) with wheels you choose is a good value. Some of the kits from Kingsly North are not too bad. The wheels/belts are not the best but you get all the valves and water plumbing, and usually free shipping.
Buying a used saw and fixing it up is a good way to get nice equipment for a low price, and to learn how you saw works - so you can maintain it.
It is also pretty easy to get some good pillow block bearings and build a tumbler base that you can hook a 1/4hp motor to. it will turn large barrels and work well and if you get a used motor will not cost much more than the bearings and pulleys.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Apr 25, 2014 12:56:57 GMT -5
Wholly cheet jamesp, what the hell size of barrels is that tumbler frame for, 55 gallon drums?  This beat the rocks up bad Nick  So i converted to 2 speed w/PVC drums. Sweet tumbler  |
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1nickthegreek
spending too much on rocks
Member since February 2014
Posts: 383 
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Post by 1nickthegreek on Apr 25, 2014 23:51:25 GMT -5
Very nice, do you have plans for the two speed version? I would love to build one like that!!!!!
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Apr 29, 2014 19:25:37 GMT -5
Very nice, do you have plans for the two speed version? I would love to build one like that!!!!! Nick, that was built on an old factory push cart. It was stuck together. The ratios are calculated, but other than that it was built from steel laying around in the bone yard excepting the bearings which were ordered to fit the shafts. Kind of a mish mash. It gets hosed down and sits in the greenhouse. Has been running non stop for 2 years. I keep a grease gun next to it. And the v-belts are all farm duty heavy grade B size belts. The bearings are made in China. Everything was cut to fit the push cart base. It's heavier than an elephant. 1/3 HP. If to do it again I would use a treated wood frame. This little wood framer has a 1/8 HP and rolls a 40 pound barrel(of 8 inch PVC).  |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2014 13:04:25 GMT -5
I love that Jim keeps a grease gun handy. An old friend must have had a dozen grease guns lying around. 4-5 to have different greases in them and the others next to whatever machine they were meant for. The mill, lathe, drill presses each had their own. wood is quieter too. No resonance such as in the metal frames of others. I also love that fossilman's saw is a male. Most folks give their saws female names. Mike, mine is also male. Shrek is on big ugly saw. lol |
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electricmonk
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2011
Posts: 281
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Post by electricmonk on Sept 1, 2014 12:47:59 GMT -5
Have to agree with some of the sentiment here. I bought a brand new Covington 10" saw, the vise system is really poorly thought out in my opinion. The cross feed runs along a metal tube and I have yet to have a slab cut that doesn't have deep saw marks in it, including 'stepping' where about 1/3 of the way into the cut the thickness changes slightly. My blades are continuous rim and still running true. The top of the saw has a powder coat (I think) that is poorly finished so it ended up like having coarse grit embedded in the paint job, just where the vise carriage rides across. Think leaks from pretty much every mounting hole to the point that I have had to use rubber grommets (plumbing parts) to try to prevent the dripping.
All in all I wish I had picked up something different for the money.
Contrast that with the Highland Park 14" saw that I bought from Lee #2. He rebuilt it himself, and totally styled me. He even bought a different motor for it before delivery because the one that was mounted turned out to be a bit iffy and he didn't want it going out the door in that condition.
Mostly these experiences remind me of the saying we had in construction, "Good, cheap, fast....pick 2". Sadly, most everything is of the cheap/fast variety, quality has taken a flier. From consumer electronics, to cars to appliances, everything is made with an 'end date' in mind. Contrast that with the first corded drill I used, my fathers old Craftsman. You could have taken it and clubbed an Elk into submission with it and still expected it to work. Plus parts and repair were simple to come by. Contrasted with my Hitachi cordless drill which looks like something from Buck Rogers rather than something a craftsman would use. I used their tools almost exclusively when I was building custom homes in Colorado, suddenly they went toward the "extreme-XXX" type of look, I really don't know who they are marketing to at this point. Presumably overgrown children with no expectation of quality.
Switched to Bosch for most of my carpentry power tools and am not likely to look back anytime soon.
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Post by glennz01 on Sept 28, 2014 18:04:14 GMT -5
As for modern stuff the thumblers tumblers are good and the Lortone model C40 is proving great.
As for a saw the only new saw i have is a cheap tile saw (styled like a table rock saw) built by QEP at homedepot for $99 I got it only for a trim saw as i can't trim on my oil saws. It is simple design and so far is holding up well (i have learned with foreign products simple designs with durable materials last). If it does break in 4-5 years from now than its no big deal as it would have paid for itself.
If you want good reliable equipment try to look for stuff made pre 1975, they are built to last (if they were intended to in the first place)Also the motors are a lot more powerful usually.
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Sept 28, 2014 20:44:17 GMT -5
I was looking at the Diamond Pacific catalog and saw they now have an wheel cabbing machine which is nice looking... they even added some extra clearance between the wheels for larger pieces.... nice!!!
But I can buy the parts and build it for less than half the cost of what they are asking for it.
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