Griz bandsaw Extension Arrived! Question... - Page 2

Griz BS Extension Arrived! Question... · 03-25-2008, 02:08 PM

My Griz 6" extension arrived by Brown Truck yesterday, and I'm chomping at the bit to get it installed.

I notice in the instructions that they say that the top half of the saw "represents a heavy load" and to get assistance. My question here is, about how much does this part of the saw weigh? I just need an approximation. I've trashed my back in the past and don't like to abuse it, but lifting 50 lbs or so is not really a problem for me.

I know that the whole unit is about 175 lbs as it is, but that's the bottom, base, motor and table in addition to the top.

Is this something I can do without bugging my wife for help?

Thanks, folks!

Steve

CarvedTones · 03-25-2008, 11:11 PM

I prolly outa be more patient, but mine is in progress. I am waiting for kids to get to sleep right now to get back out there. The top half is off and hanging from a garage door support by a come-a-long (thanks for the tip, Ray). The alignment holes don't match up as perfectly as I thought. The casting may match, but the holes are drilled in a later step. Mine are very close, but I am having to make some adjustment.

Thanks, Scott (the scroller) - I should have waited and taken you up on the offer.

I will report later about whether or not the blade can fit. I fear it will not.

CarvedTones · 03-26-2008, 02:13 AM

It's later!

Well, thankfully I was wrong about the blade. I am awfully near the top of the adjustable range, but the 105" blade will work. I think I was misled about the saw; it isn't short, but just horribly out of alignment. I noticed that when I put the 91" blade on, but didn't worry too much since I figured I would tune it better when I put the riser on. I had to shim the front edge of the riser with thin sheet steel to get the wheels lined up. The rear blade guard is perfect, but I still have to do some adjustments on the front blade guard (over the table). But I have the wheels lined up, the blade riding the crown on both wheels with good tension and a little over 11.5" under guides (and upper and lower guides are adjusted properly). Between what I paid for the saw and the riser kit, I am still under $150. I am pretty pleased with that.

G'night all...

skysharks · 03-26-2008, 07:29 AM

Steve I have the same Grizly Model. When I got my 6" riser kit, it came with a round guide too. Call them back up and they will send you the correct one no problem.

Steve W · 03-26-2008, 09:54 AM

And I just reckoned "that was what it was today."

Thanks for the info, John. I'll be calling them when I get home (so I can pull the paperwork).

Steve

CarvedTones · 03-26-2008, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by skysharks

Steve I have the same Grizly Model. When I got my 6" riser kit, it came with a round guide too. Call them back up and they will send you the correct one no problem.

I just emailed them to ask for a hex one also. I feel a little awkward about that since my saw isn't really a Griz, but I referenced their parts diagram:
http://www.grizzly.com/images/partslists/g1127_pl.pdf
where they clearly show a hex rod in the kit.

I gotta find something big to cut!

The only thing I really need anytime soon is resawing a 7" spruce board to make some instrument tops. I am making a single point fence out of a plastic roofer's square, a scrap of half round moulding and a short board (to clamp).

CarvedTones · 03-26-2008, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by arbarnhart

I just emailed them to ask for a hex one also.

I already got a reply saying it is shipping out and to expect it in just a few days. They didn't say anything about the round one; probably costs them less than shipping, so I guess I get to keep it as an attitude adjuster.

Steve W · 03-26-2008, 03:58 PM

Well, I emailed them from work (was able to get my order info online). We'll see now how many of the hex shafts they have left.

I am still a bit mystified as to why the wheels appear to be coplanar with respect to a straightedge, but the blade is tracking near the edge of the lower (drive) wheel and the centre of the upper wheel. That would suggest that the upper wheel needs to move toward the direction of the centre of the lower wheel.

BTW, my instructions had told me to remove the alignment pins from the lower body of the frame and discard them. I would not have been able to align it had I not done that, so the newer and older saws do have some subtle dimensional differences.

Steve

CarvedTones · 03-26-2008, 05:29 PM

Did you get instructions inside your box? Mine had nothing but parts, so I had to look at the PDF online (which had those same instructions). I called the guy who sold me the saw. He has a newer one like it and I told him about the great deal and how it went pretty smoothly on my saw. I made nice about the wheel alignment (he only charged me $100, so I figured I had some surprises in store) but he never did tell me how it happened. I was hoping he would come clean when I told him I had it lined up and was happy with it. There aren't any cracks, welds or scars I can find, but my guess is it fell over and got whacked pretty good to get that far out.

Steve W · 03-26-2008, 09:24 PM

Nope, there were no instructions; I had to copy from the www just like you. Not really a problem for me.

I got an email about 20 minutes after I sent mine, saying that they were shipping the correct rod.

Their customer service is very good -- I've bought from them before. Unlike you, I paid what was probably an okay price for mine, then found that it needed a trunnion, tires, upper shaft and now it appears that ther's play in the trunnion (where the upper shaft pivots when adjusting the tracking). It'll be a good saw once I get it sorted out, but I started at $175 for mine.

My eyes are shot tonight, so no shop time and I'm not even going to stay on the computer for much longer. Working in front of a screen all day does that sometimes...

Steve

CarvedTones · 03-26-2008, 09:48 PM

I haven't used mine near enough to know whether I am done finding things out and I have only had little ones (a 3 wheel and a 9" two wheel) previously, so I am no expert. I do have a little bit of shakiness that I think is the sheet metal stand. I mounted it to a platform that I can move around with a hand truck and that helped, but I still want to make it a bit sturdier. I think it is the stand, because I can make it shudder even while turned off. I went cheap because my budget was low, so stuff like that is not completely unexpected.

The 3/8" blade that Grizzly provided works okay, but the 1/4" 6 hook I got from Raleigh Saw was a superior blade, no question. Unfortunately, that blade is now way too short. So I may have to plunk down a little more change for another blade or get patient - the Griz blade cuts clean, but I can't feed it wood as fast and it makes more noise cutting less wood - go figure...