Clarke CBS45MD 6x4 Metal Cutting Bandsaw Modifications

[Wallace]

The frame brackets are threaded as per the uprights to ease assembly, the extra length acts as an outrigger to support the coolant tray and protrudes past the tray edge to add a protective bump strip as the tray is plastic. I bought the plastic seed tray to avoid having to fold a steel coolant tray as my bender will only do 600mm and would not need painting, that was quite some time ago and since then I have worked at a company with a brake press and could have had one folded out of stainless. Never mind, on with the plastic one as planned except this one has a hole and needs repairing, I could have sworn I bought two to use one as a drip tray and I looked everywhere, even the loft. One place I didn't look was in the Opel Manta that has a cover over it and bingo I found it! Sadly this one has been used as a parts washing tray so looks a bit used compared to the other but hey ho, it will not need repairing. The tray was easy enough to fit, remove the saw, line the tray up, clamp in place and spot through the threaded holes. Remove the clamps and tray, open up to 8.5mm clearance size then refit and bolt the saw down. I struggled to get the rear bolt in, only to find the tray had 5 holes and there are 6 mounts. Sealant will be added at a later date once I get the coolant system sorted and some paint applied.

Next job is the hydraulic feed control and make a couple of new blades as this one is old and lost it's edge.

 

[wyn]

On my clarke, i changed the vice angle bolt to a "t-bar" sort of arangement.
Extended the bolt up over the height of the vice and a sliding handle, short enough so it doesn't hit anything.
Makes adjusting cut angles a lot easier.

 

[Wallace]

On my clarke, i changed the vice angle bolt to a "t-bar" sort of arangement.
Extended the bolt up over the height of the vice and a sliding handle, short enough so it doesn't hit anything.
Makes adjusting cut angles a lot easier.

View attachment 221416

Nice addition, I like that.

 

[Normandy]

Hi all. I have the Clarke bandsaw, since new the blade will jump off, unless I stand there and take some weight off the bow. The spring arrangement is fully wound off. I have tried every permutation of adjustment in the manual. I have fitted a new blade. No chance new ge. If I start the blade with cover off and look I can get the blade to stay ion indeffinatly, if I try to cut it is off in a very short time, frankly it's doing my head in as I can't see what the problem is
It's been this way since new, I have recently retired and would like it to work properly. I would have taken it back, but not practical from France.

 

[Wallace]

If the spring is fully wound off the full weight of the bow will be on the blade. Mine is nearly fully wound in to take weight off.

 

[Normandy]

OK will try that in the am. Tho it seems it's lightest where it is now. Also I am going to reset the guide rollers as I noted one set has a good grip of the blade. Cheers.

 

[Wallace]

When you say "wound out", do you mean anticlockwise?

 

[DAPPH]

Setting the guide rollers. I never gave it any thought till a couple of weeks ago when I got rather miffed because the cut whilst OK on the top of the box section had wandered 1.5 mm towards the vice by the time the 50 box had been cut through .
I did another cut on some scrap & the same happened again .
Went and had a cuppa plus TEA .. Think , Evaluate & Act . After the cuppa yep there it was all the time … staring right back at me & has done for the three years I've owned the saw.

I move the rollers closer to the metal being cut to ensure there is little or no run off to one side or the other , set the band up to the vertical with a small engineers precision try square off the bed of the saw . Made a test cut ..Yippee ! A square , cut no cheese wedge.
I realised it's best to reset the distance between the rollers every time you change dimension of the metal being cut . I also found that changing the blade to a new one helps a lot as there is no excess wear to one side of the blade ( which had started to happen ).

Caution make sure the roller holder does not foul the vice jaw edges … it can occasionally happen if you're not paying attention to what your doing ( guess how I know ) .
Once you have set the guides as above re tension the blade .


Just reread your post , it sounds you don't have cut off safety switches if you can see the blade on the top pulley wheel with the doors open . Be careful

Switch it on and see which way the blade is tracking … if it's creeping to the front where there is no lip it can be adjusted so it runs further back against the lip . The adjustment device is on the outside of the case the blade is best then it is just about touching the lip on the pulley . Once you get it there try a cut and observe the band ... is it still creeping off. Put it a 1/4 of a turn back to the lip & try again , check the blade tension too as you'll need the right combination to get them to stay on

 

[DAPPH]

On my clarke, i changed the vice angle bolt to a "t-bar" sort of arangement.
Extended the bolt up over the height of the vice and a sliding handle, short enough so it doesn't hit anything.
Makes adjusting cut angles a lot easier.

View attachment 221416

I've set 30 , 45 & 90 degree lines on the saw bed and whilst th jaw was locked in place I used my engraver to make a strong visable lines at each point . It's even easier now to loosen the jaw and move the vice jaw up the angle line .

 

[Normandy]

When you say "wound out", do you mean anticlockwise?

Yup. Going to try other way at same time as blade guide roller adjusts. As said thinkbi have tried all ways except roller guides. I don't even believe old blade is a prob. Doubt it's ever run 30 min.

 

[Wallace]

Anticlockwise will add weight to the blade. What are you cutting? My original blades were surprisingly very good and lasted a long time.

 

[Normandy]

Anticlockwise will add weight to the blade. What are you cutting? My original blades were surprisingly very good and lasted a long time.

Mild steel. Occasionally alli. I will try the rollers and track again and wind fully clockwise. I can watch it track just fine watching with cover off and holding cover switch in. Prob comes as soon as sawing. Usually after about a min after starting.