Sorry Lons, but I was a service engineer for Startrite for over 20 years, had a hand in developing a lot of the machinery, I also now work for whats left of Startrite manufacturing spares from the original drawings and tooling, I have swept a few body parts out of machinery belonging to people who either think they know better or are to tight to do things properly!
If the machine is set up properly and not pushed beyond its limits (its a tabletop saw aimed at cabinet makers) nothing should be an issue, and parts should be replaced within their natural life spans!
I hear what you're saying Jimmy especially your last sentence and for most items would agree that original parts should be used especially by a user who has neither the knowledge or equipment to modify and improve a machine but maybe you can explain why the instances of tips coming off the rods has never been properly addressed, I bought my 352 s/h but from a long term friend who had a cabinet making business, a one man band and I actually used to sell him blades we made up from Starrett coil. He set the saw up correctly but was regularly replacing rods and both tips were missing when I got the saw. Unless of course the brazing process these days is more effective.
We were selling Startrite bandsaws in the eighties when I was branch manager of a local company and it certainly wasn't an isolated case, there have also been comments on this forum about the issue so my opinion is not just something I read off the internet.
Why would a
correctly sized solid carbide rod be less effective than the tipped one supplied by Startrite? IMHO it is a better option and definitely cheaper to boot than the £28 tipped version from Startrite ( or presumably you)? I would also repeat that I consider my own solution even though it was initially a temporary fix to be perfectly safe and effective. If you feel it isn't then please explain as I'm open to listening. I use carbide and HSS on my small engineering lathe so I know what is effective.
On reflection I shouldn't have suggested a masonary drill shank would work (though it will
) as the OP is inexperienced but I stand by my comment that it's safe even without a rod, just not desirable.
Don't get me wrong, I love the bandsaw which I've had for about 8 years but it certainly isn't complicated in fact it's the simplicity and reliability that makes a 30 or 40 year old machine still desirable and sought after and why so many of the machines we sold into the trade in the eighties are still in use.
A bandsaw is easier to set up that many other machines in common use and unless the guarding has been removed the vast majority of accidents as far as I'm aware are down to user error, carelessness and blunt blades, These machines just need common sense to operate, you're much less likely to lose a digit or anything else compared to something like a table saw.
