buying a Record Power BS350S at a show

[johnbb99]

I see that Record Power will be at The Yandles Craft Show and that
"There will also be exclusive show deals across the range of Record Power machinery and accessories."
I was considering buying a bs350s, and wondered if anyone remembers
A How much they tend to knock off the usual price, and
B whether they sell direct from the show, ie you take it home with you, and
C whether one would fit in the back [seats down flat] of our Mazda 6 estate car [=Mondeo size] if i had the option of taking it home (saving carriage charges)?
I've looked at similar models from SIP (£180 more) and Charnwood (£170 less) but are there others i should be considering.?
(I'd love a second-hand Startrite, but they are as rare as hen's teeth, and go for a king's ransom... )
Thanks for any info.
John

 

[MikeK]

A. I don't know
B. I don't know
C. Yes, but you might have to unbox the components and get rid of the packing to make it fit. I had a Mondeo Mk3 Estate, and there is plenty of room with the seats folded down.

 

[Chris152]

RP did a weekend event at a store local to me last Spring where the BS350 was reduced from £700 to £600. The seller held the price for a week after RP were in the store. I collected mine, but they would have delivered. I'd give Yandles a call to ask what the terms will be.
As for size, the RP site lists H1795 x W880 x D780 mm.

 

[sunnybob]

I bought my record bobbin sander at a yandles show. I cant remember the exact numbers, but it was a discount worth having if you really want that item.
I dont think they have spare bandsaws though, other than those on display. Call them and ask the question of stock availability.
My 350 bandsaw is axminster, but they are very similar and the box that came in would easily fit inside a large estate car provided you have no passengers, but unless youre a weight lifter by trade you would need to unpack it to get it back out.

The only question I have is how much will it cost you to go to the show? If thats the only reason to travel a long distance you have to add that cost to the bandsaw cost. If youre 5 miles away. no big deal, but if its a couple hundred miles round trip, I will just say that axminster will deliver for free to your door step.

 

[sunnybob]

Chris, that would be the assembled size. the box would be a fair bit smaller.

 

[johnbb99]

Thanks for your responses and suggestions.
Good idea to call them. It transpires that there will be no discounts on the BS350S at the show (although they are doing free del'y, and knocking £40 off the Sabre 350 at the show, so it's //only// £899... )
I might be 100 miles away next w/e, but that's still c£25 in fuel, plus the time and hassle.
I wasn't sure whether the packaged item was bigger (as would be a fridge, eg) or the collection of parts meant it came smaller than the assembled item.

 

[Ttrees]

You will be able to fit a 20" machine in your car, just bring a socket set with you.
Have a look at dual voltage three phase machines which can be got for much much better prices than those spineless Chinesium things,
and be actually able to use the fence, instead of having it as an ornament on a shelf.

Tom

 

[sunnybob]

I'm going to defend the fence on my axminster 350S.
i've had other issues with shoddy bearings and pulley belts, but that fence is faultless.

 

[Ttrees]

Its not the fence thats the problem, its the fact that you cant use the fence to make reliable cuts on these smaller machines, like you would with a larger
saw which will have greater beam strength...in other words a stouter build that wont fold up and cause misalignemts and stripped threads on various parts etc

A saw with greater beam strength is whats needed to tension a wider blade, which wont follow the path of least resistance..
also the stout frame is needed for less TPI so you can cut something taller than a sheet of plywood
Something like 3 tpi is a reasonable choice, which you wont get on with on a narrow blade, or source easily for good reason
Dont heed manufacturers wild claims that this or that saw can handle a 3/4" blade or heavier... whatever they say, half that for an estimation, if they dont tell you the gauge of blade, you know they're having you on.
You want a 200kg (which is the same effort to move into a car as the thing the OP was looking at, as the load is spread evenly) machine for a 3/4 blade.
Otherwise use the thing freehand for ripping.
My 2 cents
Tom

 

[sunnybob]

My 350S weighs less than a 100 kgs all in.
i have cut a sub 1 mm veneer off of a 2" x 3" block of zebrano, using a 3/8" x 10tpi blade.
Using the stock fence.
Straight cutting on a bandsaw is not about overpowering the wood with brute force, its about going slow enough to let the teeth do their job.

 

[johnbb99]

Tom, I know the bigger machines are 3 phase, but [even with convertors,etc] I don't think it's an option for me. So I need to buy a 240v [13A socket] machine.
What do you mean by "dual voltage three phase machines " ?
£900 would be my absolute budget limit .
Are you saying there is something out there, to buy new, better than a Record P. BS350S or the Sabre 350 within my budget?

By the way, Apple iPhones (eg) are made in China; where is not important, it's how the factory is set up and the quality control, that matters.
(although Trump is busy making everything we want to buy more expensive!!)
John

 

[Ttrees]

How many cuts would you get outta that blade though?
and how long was the piece you were cutting.?
Your last sentence says it all for me, but I have experience with both large and small sized machines, and understand what you're saying...
Someone uninitiated into the bandsaw world stands a very good chance at misinterpreting what you're saying Bob.
Regards
Tom

 

[johnbb99]

PS I don't care how evenly the load is spread, 200Kg is definitely OUT!
PPS I've been using a Basato 3 for at least 10 years, and I don't want to have to deal with it's limitations (and maybe mechanical faults) anymore.

 

[Ttrees]

I run a 24" 300KG Griggio bandsaw, with near solid cast iron wheels, on a 13a plug, which would be trip my breaker
if I had a single phase motor on it.
And in my case runs from a thin ALDI extension reel, which I would heat up with a vacuum cleaner.
I'm not saying you should do this, I'm just saying I do.
My lights dim when switching on my 1hp single phase pillar drill, I wouldn't like to have a single phase 2HP motor for sure, where I am.
Three phase dual voltage machines can be got for half the price of single phase machines, and all you need to do is
buy a hundred quid VFD and you're away with it.
If you can see 240v on the motor nameplate somewhere, your good to go.
Never looking back
My Elektra Beckum 315 is the same effort to move as a startrite 502 200kg saw, table off and pull back the spine
these machines are not heavy on top and can be bench pressed with a few fingers easily as it is pivioting
you're not dead lifitng 200KGs as you seem to think
If I still had the 200kg machine I would make a video to demonstrate
Tom

 

[johnbb99]

< 24" Griggio bandsaw,> very nice no doubt.
Did you buy it new, and for how much?

I still don't know what you mean by 'three phase dual voltage' and I've never heard it said by qualified electricians.

If you're still there, SunnyBob, I'd like to know more about your issues with belts and bearings.

ATB
John

 

[Ttrees]

NEW you must be joking :lol: :lol: :lol:
500 euros that needed some fixing up.

Never mind talking to electricians, this is specific.
I dont even know what the term would be for a VFD installer...
All you need to know is if it says 240v (household voltage) buy that bargain and help is always here...
If you know no more than how to wire a plug, like I do, this fear that comes with not knowing will make you respect , and read up about VFD's, forget talking to an electrician about this, especially if you are allready running a 1hp motor that has no issues.
Read these links from this site, and that's enough to get you where you want to go.


can-anyone-fit-a-3-phase-inverter-for-me-t109500.html

huanyang-2-2kw-vfd-new-model-bought-in-2017-t107063.html

startrite-275-table-saw-conversion-3-phase-single-phase-t106896-30.html



Have fun
Tom

 

[MikeJhn]

The Record Power BS350S (I own one) is antiquated with its rubbing discs for blade guides, RP have recognised this, hence the new Sabre range, they should be knocking out the BS range at knock down price's, but seem to think they can get them all sold at the old cost, seems a no brainer to me with the upgraded range, don't waste your time with the old version, get the Sabre.

Mike

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Something like 3 tpi is a reasonable choice, which you wont get on with on a narrow blade, or source easily for good reason
Tom

Tuffsaws (other brands available ) do 1/4" x 4tpi and 3/8" x 3tpi - how much narrower do you want?

 

[colonel-cueball]

Never mind talking to electricians, this is specific.
I dont even know what the term would be for a VFD installer...

Industrial electrician territory, albeit I was a domestic spark and I could figure out its wiring and install one.

Basically UK 3 phase is 415V - 2 x 240 phases (albeit harmonised to 400v - more on that later) (UK houses are single phase, albeit often the supply cable in the street is 3 phase with houses being on a repeating pattern of phases - 1,2,3,1,2,3) and because the phases have a cross over point is why you don't get 480V out of it (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)

However there is a voltage tolerance +/- 10% of 230V (Harmonised european voltage), essentially means everyone should get 230V, but in reality our target voltage stayed at 240v and the continental European countries stayed at 220v (both being within the 10%, though if your next door to a substation you can get as high as 252v or if your at the end of a long cable run as low as 216v) (Continental Europe 3 phase therefore being 380v)

There are some countries though that have 240v 3 phase supplies, IIRC Finland is one of them, so some 3 phase motors are built to run on 380/400/415v AND 240v , changeable generally by moving links in the wiring terminal box thereby changing between star and delta configuration.

For those technically minded, it seemingly is possible to find the star point in the wiring and convert a purely 400v motor to 240 3phase - though I've never tried and haven't ever got into that.

 

[Ttrees]

Sorry Phil I stand corrected...
I should have said you won't get less than 3TPI with a narrow blade up to 3/4" to my knowledge.
Saying that you have heard advice to have 3 teeth in the cut you making, as anymore can lead to clogging
heating up your blade, and causing drift.
I think there's a 3TPI blade on the BAS 315 I have actually, but the fence would be only good if you were cutting thin soft stuff 1/2" and no more.
Clean softwood pallets are too much for it for example.

Colonel-cueball
The domestic sparky no doubt would be able to figure out the wiring in even the most complicated inverters ..
But there's Chinglish to learn if your on a budget, motor parameters to get your head around, and tin bashing to be done, and conduit squeezing to make a nice job....and those boys get paid by the hour, so I couldn't see them looking up this site for instance...
I could be wrong on that though. there may be patient sparkies about...I've never met one though.
I probably made work for myself with the conduit squeezing for the switches in the past, but I like custom switchgear
not really necessary for the bandsaw though.
All the knowledge about wiring and programming VFD's can be easily understood, especially to the layman, and universally agreed upon, compared to the technical knowledgable information you are talking about, which going by your statment possibly be debated on...
I haven't a clue about that :?

I would love to see a thread about this sometime, if you ever take a fancy to digging windings out of a motor
on some bargain which you might not be able to resist.
I've been looking for a motor to build a Pentz cyclone for a long time, with no findings reasonably priced, but these star wound
motors are ten a penny
Thanks
Tom