On 07/02/18 20:10, Bob La Londe wrote:
I use mine occasionally.Â* I used it a few weeks ago to break down some
steel square tube for a couple projects.Â* In that case I had the
little band saw pretty busy breaking down solid bar stock, the mills
were all running, and I didn't want to stand around.Â* I used the
abrasive saw to break down and cut all the pieces for a welded washing
machine stand to raise and prelevel a machine in a location where it
could not easily be leveled and the floor would catch and bend the
feet if preleveled.Â* The other project was a simple rack for firewood
to get it off the ground and annoy the termites.Â* I thought that was
an exception.Â* If that bandsaw hadn't been busy I'd have used it.

Last week my little 4x6 band saw went tits up.Â* When I opened the gear
box I found the brass worm gear (the steel screw was fine) had turned
to chowder and the oil in the gear box looked like a gold metal flake
paint that belonged on a 1980s low rider.Â* Well after a lot of soul
searching, personal cheapness, and a few wasted days I over nighted a
gear from Grizzly that all the hobbyists said would fit my saw.

In the mean time mills were sitting idle and I had 4140 to cut for the
current project, so I added some arms to my roller table and threw my
old abrasive saw up there.Â* It chopped several blanks and kept the
machines going until the new gear arrived.

Next decent size job that pays I plan to order a little heavier 7x12
bandsaw and just keep the 4x6 as a backup.Â* I've started to put the
abrasive saw away and stopped about three times now.Â* Not only did it
keep me going (at the cost of several blades), but I also found myself
using mini cutoff blades in one of the 4.5 inch angle grinders to do
other work I ordinarily would have done with the bandsaw in the
upright position.

Using the abrasive 14" saw and the 4.5 inch angle grinder is messy,
gritty, smelly, nasty work. I felt like I had sand down my neck for
days.Â* Other than for sanding and grinding (with the grinder) is the
abrasive saw ever the best solution for the job if you have other
tools? Â*Obviously if its all you have that's working then you have to
run what you brung.

I had that happen to my 4 x 6 as well but after about 7 years of regular
use it didn't seem bad and the supplier had new parts in stock at a good
price including delivery. The old worm had worn to a razor edge and
chewed the wheel so the new worn got any shape edges taken off on a
linisher. When I got the saw new the worm and wheel were badly meshed
and most of the power was used in turning them. I replaced the worm
bearings at the time and found the ball races to have bores about 0.005"
over size so they got replaced with decent bearings. The oil was
replaced and a magnet added to catch any steel debris. Now about 20
years on the blade guide bearings need replacing, I can't complain about
that though after all the cutting it has done over the years.