Last time I posted I was working on my frame saw kits. Blades I used to cut slots were unfortunately heating up and warping. So I decided to use my bandsaw. My 10 inch craftsman. I have a pulley kit that slows it down and my results were much better. Slot isn’t wide enough so a new blade got ordered today. New ones are on the bottom, 1st prototype on top.
Speaking of bandsaws. If you recall, I bought another craftsman for $20 bucks a few weeks ago. Well I sold it for $50 and bought a grizzly 14 inch one for $100. Couldn’t believe my luck. Local older guy was clearing out his garage I guess. Selling some nice tools really cheap. I didn’t think it would hurt to ask if he had a bandsaw. He did! Early 2000s one but much bigger than what I had with a 1hp motor vs the little 1/3. He was using it to resaw. And then after I got it in he said oh yea here this goes with it, a riser kit! So yea, I brought it home and sold one of the craftsman.
I also recently got an older shopsmith setup as a drill press. Fantastic drill press too. And then a couple weeks ago I was driving past this shop. I go in sometimes to talk to these two semi retired guys, talk shop. They are clearing out the place. Big trash can and everything. They are expanding it and out with the old and in with the new. Laying on the ground are a couple 16 inch delta floor drill presses. I figured they were trashed but was thinking I might want to cut a base off. They said I could have them. Said they run too but they have their issues. One had a bad base, one had a bad quill. One had a motor that might need bearings soon, one had a seized idler pulley and one was missing the table track. I swapped bases, freed up a stuck pulley, swapped motors even though it actually sounded decent, shined up all the metal and for the last couple of weeks I’ve been using a great drill press. It’s a beast and weighs a ton. A days worth of work and I couldn’t be happier. The shopsmith is now a dedicated lathe and I couldn’t help myself, I got another one I’m using as a sanding and buffing station.
Thousand Oaks Toolworks 