"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message
...
On Feb 15, 9:39 pm, "Michael Koblic" wrote:
"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message
...
I should be able to the very same tomorrow (once I found where the
knocking
noise is coming out of the Craftex). BTW, when you got your band saw, did
you change the oil in the gearbox right away or did you trust the Chinese
and left it for a year or so?

Michael Koblic,

I bought a second-hand Delta 4x6, so I'm not sure what the gearbox had
in it originally. It was full though black when I changed it, after
reading warnings here. The new oil has stayed fairly clean.

I dwonloaded two manuals in addtion to the "manual" that came with the saw.
Essentially the same item but differeing advice. Two had me put in "140
weight gear oil", one had me use grease.

Given the state this thing was out of the box I thought I better open up the
gear box and change the oil anyway. The oil was relatively clean. Then I
found that there is no such thing as "140 weight etc." In the end I gave it
a common 80W-90. Worm gears are only GL2 classification and if the oil is
good enough for everything else I am sure it will not kill the saw. In any
case I could not see the saw starting up freely in my cold garage with 140
weight in it.

It has adjustable blade guides and the Delta logo on some small parts
so they did add some value over the generic saws. I strengthened the
base and put on larger wheels but otherwise it was reasonably well
made and cuts straight as long as it's on the flat basement floor.
When I use it outdoors on the uneven driveway I have to move it around
until both sides of the handle end of the base touch down at the same
time, and then check that the blade rises perpendicular to the table
with a square. That's OK since the outdoor cuts are structural steel
for welding and don't need to be as accurate. Indoors it cuts square
vertically to within ~0.005" per 1".

Nice. Mine is very basic. It does not even lock in the vertical position.
Having said that the first two cuts (one before and one after I tweaked the
guide bearings) were almost identical and within (eyeball!) 0.010" on a 1.25
round mild steel. I cannot see wanting more accuracy than that. In any case
the accuracy will be limited by the vise which will need sorting out in good
time.

--
Michael Koblic,
Campbell River, BC

PS Finally I had a *good* look at your saw-mill. I do not think I understood
it before! Some piece of machinery!
PPS Apropos a comment you made elsewhere, Joss Whedon used to be great but I
was disappointed with the season 2 of the "Dollhouse".