Startrite bandsaw

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kityuser

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I have the opertunity to be paid for some work in machinery. Does anyone suggest the startrite 351SE as a good bandsaw??

I haven`t seen any reviews, but with a 300mm depth of cut and a 1.5HP motor it looks the biz :D

any comments???
 
Oh, rub it in!
The Startrite is a pro machine, so no problems there!
What have you got to do for it? Need a hand? :D
Cheers,
Philly
 
no no! no rub ins intended, I had an idea it was a pro machine, would have prefered the money (so would the missus!).


I really want to use it to resaw old timbers, I really like the idea of working with reclaimed stuff.

Will it take "thick bands" like norm uses for resawing?

I know very little about bandsaws, is a 20mm band width enough for resawing????

cheers
steve
 
I seem to recall that Startrite was reviewed somewhere recently and not entirely favourably. They used actually to make these saws themselves but no longer I think. When they were homegrown and talking several years ago they were a solid and very good machine.

I may have mis-remembered completely but I think it would be worth checking around before you proceed on the basis of its past glory.
 
Startrite have, of course, been taken over by Record Power. Up til recently, their bandsaws were still being produced in the UK, and were still considered top-notch. This may have changed, but if so only in the past 3 or 4 months.

Scrit had a lot to say on their quality, but I haven't seen him around for a while. I would bet, if the bandsaw was 6 months old or older, it's still a goodie to get. Newer than that, and you'd have to talk to Record Power - suspect they're now cheapo Chiwanese imports.
 
Might be wrong but I think Startrite machines (some of them, anyway) are now manufactured in Italy, as opposed to Chiwan. Maybe some connection to the factory that make Laguna B/Ss for the US market.

Rgds

Noel
 
If I were you, I would seriously consider the Jet machines - ask Alf.

For resawing, in theory the wider blade the better and the dedicated worksop size resaw mills have blades as wide as three inches IIRC. However, I doubt you really want one of these.

Trying to run a too wide blade on a saw that cannot tension it enough, you start to run into so-called "beam strength" problems whereby the blade buckles slightly as you apply pressure to the workpiece - and hence the blade. This results in a non-straight cut (ie. a straight edge laid across the cut surface, parallel to the blade will show a concave/convex surface, or one that is simply tilted.

For this reason, resaw blades for smaller bandsaws are rarely sold above a half inch wide (Dure Edge are now offering a two tooth per inch three quarter inch wide blade - very aggressive! ). My all time favourite for resawing has long been a blade called a Woodslicer, sold by Highland Hardware in Atalanta. It was recently reviewed by FWW as the best blade available. However, it is not cheap (ca $30 IIRC and then there is carriage etc to pay - buy three at once and you can just slip in under the duty barrier).
 
Kityuser the statrite is complete pile m8. I could take it off your hands for a couple o quid but you would have to spring for the coffee :lol:
 
I don't know about the Startrite woodworking bandsaws but their metalwork bandsaws were always the biz. I have worked on them since '65 in a toolroom & miss bandsaws having a blade welder, annealer & grinding wheel. On the occasions when someone did a 'foreigner' with wood in their dinner breaks they cut through timber like a hot knife through butter.
 
Hello Kityuser

I've had a 351SE for about a month now. Actually I've had one 351SE for a day and the second one for about a month. You can read my story about that on uk woodworking under "Record Power the state of the nation."

I need to give it some more use before i give a review but my initial impressions are a good functional design (if a little agricultural) but dubious build quality. Things like having to complete the drilling of holes in the table to move the Fence rail to the other side of the blade, a washer missing on one of the band wheel retaining screws don't inspire confidence. The table is a bit more ridged/bumpy at the very edge than I think it should be.

If you're wanting to resaw it has a good size table and excellent fence.

I'm happy enough with mine so far but reckon they were probably better when UK manufactured.

Unfortunately if you're in Kent it's a bit of a trip to my place in North Wales to see it.
 
many thanks for the words of advice roy.

I`ll give the machine a bloody good once over when I get round to going to pick it up.......
 
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