Startrite bandsaw

[kityuser]

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

any comments???

 

[Philly]

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?
Cheers,
Philly

 

[kityuser]

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

 

[Chris Knight]

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.

 

[Anonymous]

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.

 

[Noel]

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

 

[Chris Knight]

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).

 

[Anonymous]

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:

 

[Dewy]

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.

 

[Anonymous]

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.

 

[kityuser]

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.......