BIG old bandsaw - need a little info

Unfortunately, this is the only picture I have of this thing, but I could really use some help ID-ing it. I'm guessing it's early 1900's (teens?). I'm a HUGE sucker for old tooling...

Any help and/or direction would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

Something that big should have a name on it somewhere,,during the industrial age big equipment generally had the makers name cast in the framework. HRP

You might find something here that looks similar

https://www.google.com/search?q=ima...w&biw=1656&bih=812&sei=v7O4UL-6LouW8gTz1YGICg

 

There probably is a name on the chassis casting, but unfortunately at the time I really wasn't paying much attention and it's several hours away from me so I'm stuck with the one picture. I'm kicking myself for not getting more pictures of it. I didn't feel comfortable taking a bunch of pictures on this persons property, though.

Not sure if it's 24" or 36". I don't remember it being much more than 6 feet tall, so it probably has 24" drive wheels.

 

Did you make your own bands for it from roll stock?

 

check out the old woodworking forum, great info on all kinds of tools and machinery. If you can't find info there, it doesn't exist.

Not only would that be a great restoration project, the frame could also be converted into a planishing hammer, English wheel or louver press. Check out KiwiKev's thread on his conversion, outrageously cool and way sturdier than pretty much anything you can buy now. I'd scoop that up ASAP.

 

i'm in the process of trying to get a similar machine. but, my plan is to make an english wheel out of it. i better check out KewiKev's thread for some ideas.

 

Scooter,
Great find. I also love old wood working machines. I presently have a 30" Cresent-just went out and looked at mine. Yours isn't a Cresent . I previusly had a 36" Oliver and it looked very much like yours.

Probably the best place to ID this saw is at Old Wood Working Machinery, com. This is a site much like the Jalopy Journal but for wood working machines. Both Cresent and Oliver had there names cast prominently on the main frame behind the lower band wheel.

Now go get it!

Ted H

 

I'll check out that forum. Thanks guys!

Yeah, I've seen Kev's louver press. I forgot about that thing. I'll go back and look to see if it bares the same resemblance before the modifications.

I would leave it as band saw and restore and use it. It WAS being used for metal cutting (thus the huge pulley and a gear box on the motor).

I LOVE old machinery! Now getting it... uhg.

 

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Were you trying to post an image or something? I don't understand. And when looking at the details of your post it appears you have a link embedded in the HTML code. What is that?

 

Very nice. Wonder how it has missed the "Scraper" !!!!!!

 

Went back and checked out Kev's louver press. It appears to be an Oliver. Little different casting.



This one looks a lot like a Crescent, but the casting has less of a "I" shaped cross section, and more rounded off like an Oliver chassis.

A 36" crescent...



Upper adjuster and a couple other details are a little different, but similar.

 

I have a bandsaw thats got a similar base, although the neck is much more shallow, maybe half the depth. Its from a Naval ship, WW2 vintage... if I get out to the garage this morning I'll snap a couple photos.

At the moment I dont know what brand it is either.

 

Cool! Thanks bud!

 

I would bet that it is a Cresent as they were the most popular bandsaw of that era. They also cast alot of the saws for other brands, so it gets difficult to ID them exactly. It is also common for them to not have a name on them. I vote for Cresent or Silver.

Check these two sites: www.vintagemachinery.com or www.owwm.org

 

I dont know the brand,but my bother has one.Heavy buggers.one day i was going to his place,lives in the country,one of his neibors has one outside.i thought it was bigger!

 

Here is the Crescent I had....I sold it about a year ago. They are great saws but really meant for wood. As you noted, yours is slowed up so that helps a lot.

These saws are unfortunately worth very little in terms of $$$. That one you show is like a lot of old cars.....$100 for the car and $55,000 to fix it up. If you buy it, pay very little....like maybe $300 max.

 

Looking at that website mentioned (http://vintagemachinery.org/) It doesn't appear to be any of the mentioned saws. Oliver appears to be very different overall, Silver is similar but has a flat base, and the Crescent appears to be most similar but the top adjuster is way different and the casting profile is slightly different.

Any other names to try??

 

You could have a Chinese knock-off! Oh wait, in 1905 China was still dormant.

It could be a later Crescent, I am sure they made changes over the years. Crescent later morphed into what we know now as Delta...those crappy little saws you see in high school shops.

The really bad-ass Crescents had a tilting 'C' - the entire frame would swivel in a clockwise manner to allow angle cutting. That was an extra cost option mine did not have.

I was told by an old timer the Crescents were considered standard equipment for wooden shipbuilders - they would use two or three guys to hold a beam as they fed it through to curve-cut it for ship staves.

 

You can find 32"ers, as well.

Could be a Silver. Looks like a Crescent, even though the base is covered.

I see a Model A piece of tin sitting there, too.

 

Could be an American (as in American Bandsaw Co.) but I don't think so.

 

Not much to add except for Way Cool!

Having been exposed to alot of old line-shaft driven industrial equipment I also have a soft spot for the ancient machinery. One of my drill presses is from a WWI shipyard.

.

 

This is the closest I've gotten so far... 27" American Sawmill Machinery Co.

http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=10661

This is REAL close! The front-top counterweight pulley looks slightly more forward, though. Could be an optical illusion, though. Wheels might be a different size, also. The frame looks just about spot on.

 

Neat old saw. There are a number of companies that can make up blades, this is a local one I've dealt with

www.detroitbandsaw.com

 

You're right, Scott. Look back at your original pic, beneath the wheel. You can make out the raised letters, somewhat.

 

Here is a tilt Crescent....the king of old-time bandsaws.

 

Great! Thanks!

If buying blades in rolls and cutting to length, can blades be simply TIG'd together and dressed? Looks like blade welders are pretty spendy.

 

That tilt saw is INSANE! The wheels are beautiful!

Yeah! I think we have a winner! The wheels look more like 32" than the 27" that are shown on the dark blue saw.


While looking through all those manufacturers, I ran across some AMAZING looking tools! So elegant and some could almost have been called "sexy". Too bad times have changed.

Now I'm faced with the task of actually getting this thing. Going to be tricky! Guessing it weighs about 700+ pounds.

 

I tig weld my own blades. It works fine. Anneal it after dressing and it will be good to go.

 

You can purchase blades cut and welded to the correct length.Some of our metal working saws have a welder on the side of the machine.May be able to find a machine shop with a welder to make to your desired lenght.