Bandsaw Identification and Help

[JOSHUA HART]

Hello,

I have been looking for new/used bandsaw for a few months now. The used market in my area is not typically very good. At least not consistently. My budget was not very big and after looking for a while I had decided I needed to settle and get the Porter Cable 14" saw and add a riser block to it. I knew I was not going to be all that happy with the saw, so I held out a bit longer to buy it. I then saw this bandsaw on CL for $500 and jumped on it. The issue is that I know very little about it.

It is a 16" 1998 Laguna (made by Meber). Besides the obvious, Euro guides and the 1.5hp motor, that is basically all I know. I think, from my own measurements, that a 124" blade is what it needs? The saw is in good shape and runs well. The guy that was selling it for his father that had a stroke said that it was purchased 10 years ago and that his father never even put the 220 plug on the machine.

The information I am trying to get:

1. The manual for this saw.
2. Source for replacement parts.
3. It has 2 dust ports, can I cap the lower one and only use the 4" port that sits just below the lower guides?
4. Model number.
5. Blade length (I imagine it is in millimeters but what would an imperial size be?

I went from an old 3-wheel Craftsman- King Seeley to this saw. My intended use is general bandsawing with some occasional resawing of up to 12" boards. I have never resawn, but I can see that I will need a modern fence for this function.

Thanks,
Joshua

[Ronald Blue]

Here is a similar saw. The age is right but no idea if it's the same. More photos might help also. Van Huskey is the bandsaw expert here and several others are quite knowledgeable as well.
lumberjocks.com/topics/71281

[Bill Dufour]

It says 220 volts is that 3 phase or single phase. I think I see a reference to a capacitor so it may be single phase. My Italian is not up to the job, Your English is excellent by the way. Is three phase common in homes in your country or not? it is not common in North America.
I wonder what an "opera' model motor is for?
Bill

[Erik Loza]

If you paid $500 and it still has the fence, that’s a bargain.

Erik

[JOSHUA HART]

It says 220 volts is that 3 phase or single phase. I think I see a reference to a capacitor so it may be single phase. My Italian is not up to the job, Your English is excellent by the way. Is three-phase common in homes in your country or not? it is not common in North America.
I wonder what an "opera' model motor is for?
Bill

Thank you. The saw is 220v -single phase. Three-phase is common for industrial applications in the U.S. They drop a phase and send only two-phases to our homes...typically.

[Edwin Santos]

Hi,
I have the 2.5hp upgraded version of the saw you bought. Yes, I think you got a good deal. The Meber bandsaws that Laguna Tools imported and branded in the 90s and early 2000s are good saws, not as robust as the ACM Italian saws they brand now (along with others).

Yours is called the Laguna LT16. Sometimes there is a distinction between LT16 (Meber) and LT16. The Italian manufacturer is Meber and they call your saw the P400. Here is link to their website where you can find some specs: http://www.meber.com/en/product/hobb...aws-p320-p400/. You can contact Meber and still get parts for this machine if you need them.

I believe the blade length is indeed 124". I would stick to blades that are .025" in body thickness or thinner. This means an effective max of 3/4" blades although I keep this saw for narrow blades and pair it with a larger saw I use for resawing thus mine typically has 1/8"-1/2" blades on it. Laguna put together a manual for these saws but it is quite sparse, not that detailed. I can search for mine if you need it.
Yes, you can cap the lower dust port. Some dust will gather there at the 8 o'clock position of the wheel because that's where physics will deposit some of it, but if you use the port under the table with a good dust collector, you'll capture most of it. I think this answers most of your questions.

I hope this helps you.
Edwin

[JOSHUA HART]

Edwin,

This is fantastic information. Thank you very much for providing me with your knowledge! No need to dig out the manual, now that I know what I am dealing with, I can do some hunting. Thanks again.

[Van Huskey]

The information I am trying to get:

1. The manual for this saw.
2. Source for replacement parts.
3. It has 2 dust ports, can I cap the lower one and only use the 4" port that sits just below the lower guides?
4. Model number.
5. Blade length (I imagine it is in millimeters but what would an imperial size be?

I went from an old 3-wheel Craftsman- King Seeley to this saw. My intended use is general bandsawing with some occasional resawing of up to 12" boards. I have never resawn, but I can see that I will need a modern fence for this function.

Thanks,
Joshua

As noted it is a Meber built saw. Solid if basic Italian saw. A similar saw was sold by Minimax as the S-16 IIRC.

1. You may be able to find a manual but the original manuals for Italian saws aren't useful.
2. You might be able to get parts directly from Meber but there isn't much on a bandsaw that will go wrong that you need OEM parts for
3. You can but use both if possible, if you it will need the bottom cleaned out on occasion, but that isn't that unusual for a bandsaw anyway
4. LT16 was the Laguna model number the Meber model is some variant of P400
5. with some quick sleuthing it seems 124" is within the range but toward the lower end. I would suggest getting a cheap 1/4" plain carbon steel blade to verify the length before going on a blade buying spree

In general a "modern" fence just adds convenience and adjustability along with being taller than the average fence from the past. A fence can be as simple as one you build from plywood or melamine as long as it is parallel to the blade. If you want to add a new fence the resaw fences Grizzly sales for the 513/514 can probably be retrofitted fairly easily. Many of the aftermarket fences are designed for the smaller tables on 14" cast iron saws.

Nice saw for $500.


BTW the "best" general manual you can have for a bandsaw is: https://www.amazon.com/New-Complete-...=mark+duginske

[Edwin Santos]

Edwin,

This is fantastic information. Thank you very much for providing me with your knowledge! No need to dig out the manual, now that I know what I am dealing with, I can do some hunting. Thanks again.

Joshua,
If you choose to add a new fence, I would recommend the Kreg fence. It runs about $110 at Amazon which is fairly inexpensive for what it is. Your saw will have a piece of angle iron that the existing stock fence rides. This angle iron swings out to allow blade changes once you hand loosen the knobs under it. The Kreg fence rail will bolt directly to this angle iron and you're in business. As a bonus, it is easily adjustable and has slots milled into the extrusion that will allow you to quickly add sacrificial fences or other jigs to it with T-slot hardware, or machine screws with narrow jam nuts.

Van is a deep resource on information about bandsaws, and I agree with him that there should not be much in the way of OEM parts you would need from Meber. The only thing I have ever ordered from them is a replacement set of tires because the tires for that saw are unique in the way they fit into a groove milled in the wheel. The rubber protrusion on the back of the tire that fits into the groove is what creates a slight crown in the tire to aid tracking. That said, the new tires are sitting in a box for when I might need them one day and the original ones on the saw seem to be fine.

The one issue I experienced with that saw in 20 years of owning it, was a mysterious loss of power which ultimately turned out to be due to the original motor belt wearing out (hardening and cracking). A replacement was easily had at any auto parts store, but I opted to install a link belt ordered online.

I am a fan of the OEM euro guides and still use them but if you are running any very narrow blades like 3/16" or 1/8", I have found good results using a shop made wood guide block clamped between the guides for blade support. I think the Carter stabilizer is a good accessory if you end up using this saw for tight scroll work and have the patience to mount and dismount it as needed. One thing I really like about this saw is it is a good all rounder where you can run very narrow blades on it and still have a few toes in the resawing world. My best resawing results have been when using a pricey Lenox Tri-Master 1/2" 3tpi blade with a .025 band body. Your saw is capable of more tension than a Delta 14" clone but it still has its limitations, which is why I eschew larger bands >3/4" or thicker than .025 on that particular machine.

Maybe this is more information than you requested, hoping it saves you some time. Let me know if you need any more.
Edwin

[Thomas Bank]

Yours is called the Laguna LT16. Sometimes there is a distinction between LT16 (Meber) and LT16. The Italian manufacturer is Meber and they call your saw the P400. Here is link to their website where you can find some specs: http://www.meber.com/en/product/hobb...aws-p320-p400/. You can contact Meber and still get parts for this machine if you need them.

It appears they don't have the "hobby" bandsaw information on their website any more. I have the "320" model of the LT16 and am trying to find more information about it. I'll have to contact Meber to see what is still available.