Delta Model 28-560 band saw - opinions?

This is a somewhat older model all metal construction bandsaw where the blade tracks on 3 instead of just 2 main guide wheels giving the over all housing a triangular configuration and a deeper throat.

Does anybody here own or have any experience with this model and can you tell me what you think of it pro or con?

I have the opportunity to pick one up for reasonable money but I'm wondering about the "non standard" 3 wheel configuration.

Thanks for any insight,

Dennis van Dam

PS

Oh yeah, obligatory metal content, I'm going to be cutting aluminium with it.

Reply to
Dennis van Dam
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I think the determining factor is the diameter of the wheels. I believe that some three wheelers used very small wheels so the blade flexed a lot and were prone to break. I could be wrong though.

The only other factor would be the blade length and if blades are available in that length.

chuck

Reply to
Chuck Sherwood

Thanks Chuck.

The wheels are definately smaller than typical so your description may be an apt consideration.

The blade length factor already occured to me. I've downloaded the parts list and the owners manual from Delta (a good sign that these are still available) and the one piece of info not found in either is blade length. If I have to have blades made up it wouldn't be worth it even if the saw was free.

Thanks for the reply.

Dennis

Reply to
Dennis van Dam

Reply to
jdownie

Why? I routinely get blades made up. The cost is trivial. In fact I have a blade welder on my big bandsaw but would still get blades made to length, it's simpler. Find a local supplier and ask how much they'll charge to make blades, you may well find they're cheaper than buying the same thing off the shelf.

PDW

Reply to
Peter Wiley

You think thats bad..Ive got a stubbie Jet, with 6..yes 6 wheels in it.

If its not throwing a blade..its busting one. And they are a bastard size too.

Thanks be for the Emerson...

Gunner

"This device is provided without warranty of any kind as to reliability, accuracy, existence or otherwise or fitness for any particular purpose and Bioalchemic Products specifically does not warrant, guarantee, imply or make any representations as to its merchantability for any particular purpose and furthermore shall have no liability for or responsibility to you or any other person, entity or deity with respect to any loss or damage whatsoever caused by this device or object or by any attempts to destroy it by hammering it against a wall or dropping it into a deep well or any other means whatsoever and moreover asserts that you indicate your acceptance of this agreement or any other agreement that may he substituted at any time by coming within five miles of the product or observing it through large telescopes or by any other means because you are such an easily cowed moron who will happily accept arrogant and unilateral conditions on a piece of highly priced garbage that you would not dream of accepting on a bag of dog biscuits and is used solely at your own risk.'

Reply to
Gunner

Dennis

Peter Wiley wrote:

I guess, without giving it too much thought, I just assumed having blades made up would be significantly more expensive. Glad to hear this is not neccesarily the case and I'll check locally to see what the deal is.

The other consideration with made up blades (and this one was definately at the forefront when I made the statement) is finding yourself desperately in need of a replacement on a Friday at 4:45pm (or anytime on Sat or Sun) and not being able to run down to Lowes/HD for a spare. True, this is nothing a bit of planning ahead couldn't prevent but we all know how that goes come 4:45PM Friday.

Peter, thanks for the reply.

Dennis

Reply to
Dennis van Dam

Now_there's_a parameter that had not occured to me at all! Now that you bring it to my attention, I can see what a pecker it would be if one idler wheel was trying to track the blade the outside and the next was trying to track it to the inside. Or even if both idlers where tracking the blade to run off the edge(s) the same way figuring which idler to adust is going to be more trial and error than typical.

Checking the downloaded PDF manual for this saw I'm noticing only one of the idler wheels (lower aft) has tracking adjustment. The other (top) idler never gets out of adjustment? I can see how this might be a problem.

Thanks for the heads up on this.

The band saw was available on a "Buy it Now" only eBay auction for $75. It needs a $24 drive belt and it was going to be a 3 hour trip one way to pick it up so I was already waffling. I think I'll give it a miss.

Thanks to all for the helpful replies.

Dennis van Dam

Reply to
Dennis van Dam

The point about the 3 wheeler being a PITA to keep tracking correctly is, I think, a good one. Never had the pleasure of finding out myself, but I can believe it.

My cheapo 4x6 H/V metalcutting bandsaw works ok and I keep a few extra blades about for it because the flexing of the blades makes their working life pretty short, IMO. The other trick is, it's not difficult to silver solder bandsaw blades to length. You grind tapers on both ends, overlap in a simple jig and silver solder together. Home Shop Machinist has had a number of articles on how to do this over the years. It's a useful thing to know if you break the one & only band you have at 4:45 Friday :-)

PDW

Reply to
Peter Wiley

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So -- does the bandsaw in question have a built-in blade welder? If so, just stocking some roll form blades would suffice. That's what I do.

It depends. If the wheels have crowned rubber tires, it should not be a significant problem.

And if your experience is with this, I can understand the concern with tracking, as the 4x6 does *not* have crowned rubber tires

-- it is all machined cast iron, with a flange to set the back edge of a single width blade (1/2") -- no others need apply.

I've got an old Emco 3-wheel bandsaw, with rubber tires (on fiberglass-epoxy wheels, I think), and have no problems with tracking. It is not an all-metal bandsaw, however, but rather has a mix of metal panels and chassis, with molded plastic end pieces.

Enjoy, DoN.

Reply to
DoN. Nichols

If the wheels are crowned (with rubber tires), this is not normally a problem two-wheeled or three wheeled.

[ ... ]

Hmm ... that sounds like a nice price -- depending on the construction.

Enjoy, DoN.

Reply to
DoN. Nichols

Installed a band saw for a customer..finished it today after 16+ hours of labor. I needed a 10ton jack, two cable come-alongs and pry bars to line up the table with the saw itself. Actually cuts pretty square, to small thousands. Course it does have a 2" wide blade...... the blade that is on it has a 1 tooth......

Gunner

Liberals - Cosmopolitan critics, men who are the friends of every country save their own. Benjamin Disraeli

Reply to
Gunner

As is my little Compact-5/CNC. The matching (but not CNC) mill (made by combining the milling attachment which bolts to the back of the ways for the Compact-5 with a much heavier X/Y table is pretty nice, too, but the spindle speed can't be cranked down low enough for some operations, and I had to design and build an A-frame bracket to hold the top end of the column from vibrating on heavier cuts.

Enjoy, DoN.

Reply to
DoN. Nichols

I have 3 bandsaws. A 12" 2 wheel woodcutting machine, the generic 4x6 metalcutting one and a 18" wood/metalcutting 2 wheel machine with blade welder that weighs close to 500 kg. Never owned a 3 wheel machine so while I can in theory see why they might be more finicky, it'd depend on construction.

Well, I've always been favourably impressed with Emco stuff. My Maximat

11 lathe is a gem.

PDW

Reply to
Peter Wiley

Three-wheel is not good for metal cutting. The three-wheel frames are not generally rigid enough to track well with any significant blade tension or loading. I have a very old Craftsman (>50 yrs old) cast iron frame three-wheeler that was a good bandsaw for wood but wasn't up to the demands of metal with a speed reducer. The blades just wouldn't stay on it when I pushed metal thru it.

I now have a Wilton 8201 that I've found very satisfactory for both wood and metal. Speed range of 39 to 3000 SFPM, 14" throat. It has

*never* thrown a blade. Delta made a saw like this; the Wilton is probably a knockoff. Made in Taiwan but it works OK.

Re blades: a saw shop will make blades for about what they cost readymade -- and they'll be better blades made with Sandvik or Do-All bladestock. The shop I use wants orders of 3 or more at a time, costs me a bit over $30 per visit and he wants a day or two advance notice. The three blades in a min order don't all have to be the same pitch. His welds are perfect; no "bump" when they go thru the saw, and the teeth even line up.

Reply to
Don Foreman

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