Advice on Startrite 352 bearings

[PhilipL]

I have had a 352SB for some years and just used it infrequently for light work. I have just put a single phase motor on (inverter kaput) and a professional joiner friend was looking at it. He asked why there was no back thrust bearing on the lower bearing. I must admit I never noticed its absence. The saw is a good few years old and came from a school. Is there something missing from the lower bearing do you think? I can't see there is actually any room for anything. Pics taken without solid bearings set for the thin blade. The manual I have found talks about ceramic bearings but these just look like brass or similar.

 

[Jacob]

On mine the bottom blade guides are exactly the same as the top except other way up. Is your back bearing simply missing? There should be a hole for it, unless it's been modified. It'll still work OK but be slightly better with both bearings in place.
Mine don't have those odd looking alloy bolt heads, just plain steel nuts and bolts.

 

[Fitzroy]

Yes there should be a thrust rod on the bottom as well.

 

[Fitzroy]

The blade guide/thrust rod looks very similar to my 352. The originals had a brazed on carbide tip, I replaced mine with solid carbide rod from eBay about £10.

The lower thrust rod length is limited and I had to cut the rod so I have a piece 48mm long 10mm diameter left over. If this is what you need drop me a pm with your address and I’ll send it to you.

Fitz.

 

[PhilipL]

Thanks for the comments. I have taken the table off to see more clearly what might be going on. It looks as though the lower thrust fitting has gone walkabout but I am not quite sure where it would have sat - there doesn't seem to be the same amount of space as in Fitz' saw. Here are a couple of pictures. It might be that my blade guide is too low.

 

[Fitzroy]

If you release the bolt, next to the hole, in your first image does the blade guide lift off? If you flip it over is there a similar configuration on the bottom for holding a rod?

 

[PhilipL]

Picture attached of underside of blade guide. As you can see there is only about 10mm between the bottom of the guide and the frame of the saw. It may be that the short bolt which holds the guide in place is not original and that there was something else there.

 

[Fitzroy]

I'm now just guessing! Does the rod holder on the top guide bolt through a similar hole to the empty hole on the bottom guide?

 

[PhilipL]

I'm now just guessing! Does the rod holder on the top guide bolt through a similar hole to the empty hole on the bottom guide?

I don't think so. I imagined that it would be the same but when I look at the upper guide there is no sign of a bolt which would hold the top rod. It looks as though the upper top guide rod holder it is press fitted into the hole.

What I am thinking is that there may have been a block between frame and lower guide bracket, so the current bolt is shorter than what was originally there. That block would have the hole for the guide rod. Can't see any other way of organising it.

 

[Jacob]

There's a photo here - Startrite 352 bandsaw - Woodwork UK
First one - shiny metal below belongs to the fence and nothing to do with the guides.
That's how mine is, same top and bottom.
The nut on the end of the column holds it all together and locks the back bearing in place via the big washer

 

[Fitzroy]

Well that is just

I don't think so. I imagined that it would be the same but when I look at the upper guide there is no sign of a bolt which would hold the top rod. It looks as though the upper top guide rod holder it is press fitted into the hole.

What I am thinking is that there may have been a block between frame and lower guide bracket, so the current bolt is shorter than what was originally there. That block would have the hole for the guide rod. Can't see any other way of organising it.

Well that is plain odd. My opinion is it needs a lower point to thrust against. As you say perhaps it’s been removed.

You can buy retrofit bandsaw guides otherwise not sure what you could do.

Fitz.

 

[Johnsoak]

Original spares for these are still available www.machinespares.net and www.altsawsamdspares.co.uk - they are Re manufacturing almost all Startrite saw parts.

 

[PhilipL]

Original spares for these are still available www.machinespares.net and www.altsawsamdspares.co.uk - they are Re manufacturing almost all Startrite saw parts.

Have contacted latter. Will report back.