Epic Meber Holz SR-DS 500 Bandsaw?

[Brad Olson]

Bandsaw is done!

Here are the pictures of the process.

I tore the bandsaw, removing everything but the wheels. I have done bearing jobs on bandsaws before, and I am not in the mood for one now (it doesn't need one either).

I used a magnetic dish to sequentially tear it down, and put the parts into labelled baggies.

I then cleaned every part with simple green pro. If it needed de-rusting, I did this with a wire wheel brush, rust-free (phosphoric acid) or a scotchbrite pad.

After the initial cleaning, I re-cleaned with more simple green pro, then with WD-40. After WD-40, I wiped it off and then applied two heavy coats of boeshield T9 and left it overnight.

After drying to a tacky surface, I lightly coated it again and the wiped it off and let it dry. Following boeshield coating, all wood-contact surfaces were waxed with 5 coats of paste wax. All mechanical and bearing parts were coated with a dry lubricant or graphite spray as appropriate.

After everything was dry and polished, I re-assembled, tuned and tested. The electrical is still a bit of a mess, but the motor contactor is still good.

All the parts torn down and laid out. Small parts just needing cleaning were stored in labelled baggies. All other parts were laid out by where they came from if they were being de-rusted, cleaned and coated.
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These parts were all brown with rust at one point (more or less). This is just after cleaning post de-rusting.
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Cleaning the bottom of the table. The table is case with "Meber", so it is definitely a Meber.
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Again, all the parts cleaned and ready for rust prevention
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The bandsaw fence was full of dirt, grime and bug nests. Here it is just after the first round of de-rusing and cleaning
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Getting ready for rust-prevention
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The is the cleaning and de-rusted top. I left it gray after treating with boesheild rust-free. I'm not into "pretty" tools, just functional tools, so leaving is a bit gray is fine with me. By the way, the top weights over 100 lbs. It took both my wife and myself to move the top around.
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First coating with boesheild. Everything is so good looking compared the when I removed the parts.
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[Brad Olson]

Finally, quick pics of the finished saw. I'm wiped, so better pics later. But compare the before and after, it came out really well IMHO (especially for $600).

I still have an issue with the contractor low voltage trip. I'll post a new thread to catch more opinions on how to fix it. The contactor itself works and the saw runs, just that the microswitches do not yet work.

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[Peter Kelly]

Awesome score. Congrats.

[Brad Olson]

Peter,

What blade length does your saw take? I am finding a bit of disagreement with my measurement and what is in the only manual I can find by google.

I am calculating 156.25". The manual says max of 3990 mm and a min of 3910 mm. In inches this is 157" and 154". Is there a blade length that works for you?

Thanks!

Wow, glad you bought it! That is the same saw I have in my shop, mine is a little younger I'm guessing based on the electrics. Mine has the modern lockable on/off (every machine has to have a lock out/tag out for some years now) dial switch and a second large red mushroom type off switch magnetic disconnect. Its soft start, micro switches on doors and breaks. Sucks about the door there, bet a body shop could fix that easily. They are real solid machines in use, the frame is rigid like a tank and the guides are very solid. I've used lagunas, a few larger grizzly's and a MM20, I'd put this odd brand right in there near the top of the list, strange I'd never heard of them before I stumbled into mine. You might be able to get a modern version of the broken switches from Meber directly. I'm sure that would't be cheaper than one out of the Grizzly catalogue, but I'm equally sure it would be a more elegant solution. But either one will start and stop the thing. Its pretty redundant to have the red mushroom, but I must admit I do use it frequently.

Enjoy that saw and congrats on a nice score. Can't wait to see the pics with wood going through it! I just sawed some 12 1/2" hard maple with mine, no problems.

[Lucas Orve]

Hello from Sweden,

I just purchased exactly the same type of saw second hand. The condition was very good, albeit with some superficial rust from 2 years of storage in an unheated shed near the coast. Paid about USD 1100:-, which I'd say is quite good for a saw in this condition (as new, they sell for about USD 3800 over here). I have been looking for exactly this saw, because (i) Meber really makes high quality saws and (ii) Mebers are little bit lower than the competitors, so it's really the only 500mm (20") saw that will fit into my workshop. Here are some pics of the saw in it's original condition (and location):
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In fact, I even visited Meber's factory in Carpi (Italy) in 2013. They made me a "factory offer" of about USD 3000:- (transport to Sweden included). I was actually prepared to accept this offer, but times were quite hard for Italian industry at that time, with several companies going belly up. The Meber representative even told us that this had just happened to their "neighbors" (another producer of woodworking machines). So with that in mind, I felt I couldn't take the risk with so much of my own money. So I passed on the deal, but kept my eyes open for a used machine instead. Here are some pics from the factory:
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So, just a week go, I became the proud owner of a used Meber SR500, manufactured in 2003 (but with very few miles on the meter). The saw has now received some much needed and deserved TLC, and is settling in nicely in my workshop. Because of the low ceiling, it was quite an adventure raising the saw upright, so I'll let the pics speak for themselves:
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And what a saw this is..... My old Sagittario(?) 400mm (16"), now sold, wasn't a bad saw, but there's absolutely no comparison. The Meber is very quiet and cuts through hard wood like butter, virtually without any vibration at all....

Cheers from Sweden!

[mike mcilroy]

Nice to see you got such a good saw for bargain price + elbow grease.

[Peter Quinn]

Hello Sweden! I bought the sAme saw a few years back, more than 10 years old, never used. Sort of sad story, professional cabinet maker setting up a retirement shop/barn for he and his carpenter/son to use, had debilitating stroke, held on to equipment for a decade, needed money, no chance of getting back to it. I went to buy a power feed for the shaper, saw that meber, struck up a conversation. Traded my 14" powermatic and some money for a brand new never used old saw! Set up the powermatic and delivered it when I picked up the meber, so everybody got something they needed. I really like that saw, don't known why they aren't more popular here in the USA. Enjoy that!

[Lucas Orve]

Hello Sweden! I bought the sAme saw a few years back, more than 10 years old, never used. Sort of sad story, professional cabinet maker setting up a retirement shop/barn for he and his carpenter/son to use, had debilitating stroke, held on to equipment for a decade, needed money, no chance of getting back to it. I went to buy a power feed for the shaper, saw that meber, struck up a conversation. Traded my 14" powermatic and some money for a brand new never used old saw! Set up the powermatic and delivered it when I picked up the meber, so everybody got something they needed. I really like that saw, don't known why they aren't more popular here in the USA. Enjoy that!

It was almost the same (sad) story, when I purchased my drill press (you can see it in the background in one of my pics). A (not so) old guy had recently retired and spent the first 1 1/2 years as a senior citizen building his workshop (for metal). Everything was new, and only top notch machinery. Then, when he was just about to make use of his dream workshop, he suffered a stroke. He suddenly didn't know how to operate the equipment, or at least it wouldn't have been safe. Out in the garage sat his dream car, a BMW, which he couldn't drive, because he'd lost his license as a result the stroke.

Really sad and I felt bad when I collected the drill, although he seemed happy that it would come to good use.