Need Help Restoring a Band Saw

[Andy Pedler]

Hi all! Last weekend my brother-in-law stopped by and had the big monster below in the back of his truck. He knows that I do a little sawdust-making here and there, and thought I might get some use out of this bandsaw that his father had in their garage (his father passed away earlier this year; I only met him a couple times and his Alzheimers was advanced by then, so I never knew how much woodworking he did; all I know is that he was a Navy veteran, and I suspect he may have picked up this saw while on duty overseas).

Anyway, it is a 14" band saw from a Taiwanese manufacturer named Yung Li Hsing. I took the wheel covers off and found the blade was pretty rusty, and the rubber belt that wraps around the wheels is broken on the bottom wheel, and on the top the rubber has gotten brittle. Other than those two things, it looks like it will work fine. The wheels have a diameter of 13 3/4" (I was expecting the wheels to be exactly 14"; does the 14" take into account the width of the rubber (times 2) to get to 14"?).

Does anyone know where I might find those rubber belts that are just the right size? Secondly, what are your suggestions for a replacement blade? I only used a band saw once in high school, and I'm looking forward to cleaning this one up and playing with it. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

- Andy Pedler - Newark, CA

[Dominic Greco]

Andy,
Congratulation on your "new" bandsaw. I believe that this saw is equivalent to the old style Jet 14" Bandsaw. So many of the accessories for the Jet may fit.

As far as the rubber belts, you can get them from Suffolk machinery / Timberwolf blades or through Iturra Designs.

Suffolk Machinery is the manufacturer of Timberwolf bandsaw blades. I've been using them ever since I got my first 14" bandsaw 7 years ago, and on my new 18" bandsaw. If you call Suffolk, they can walk you through blade selection. It all depends on the type of work you do. I'm primarily a turner, so I cut a lot of wet wood. They suggested a 3/8" x 3TPI AS Blade. A recent article in FWW also recommends this blade for normal use (but I find it a somewhat "coarse" for that).

Iturra Designs does not have a Website. But here is their phone number: 1-888-722-7078

They specialize in accessories and blades for bandsaws. They sell several after market replacement parts (like tensioning springs, tensioning handles, wheel shims, wheel brushes) for Delta/Jet bandsaws that are actually better than the originals. They also really know their stuff when it comes to bandsaws. I'd give them a call and ask about your particular brand of bandsaw. I betcha' they'll know a good deal about it.

Good luck!