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Mods to Grizzly 17 bandsaw GO513x2 - Printable Version

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Mods to Grizzly 17 bandsaw GO513x2 - barryvabeach - 04-20-2018

SpiderDave just bought a new Grizzly bandsaw, I offered to post some mods and tuning I did to mine.  Apologize for the long post, but this was the first new power tool I bought, and I bought it a long time ago, so I have done a number of mods.

In no order, 

I didn't like the way the handle on the fence got in the way of feeding stock when it was in the unlocked position - from a post here, I just tapped a new hole on a different face of the cam.[Image: ah8km6xaI0FUhZK8ELfGc17N_W3p7px1YUDlUgsM...86-h715-no]

I had trouble adjusting the upper thrust bearing to just miss the rear of the blade, so I cut a vertical slot in the blade guard - it makes it easier to see the bearing

[Image: xgi4rG7XNQTA2e48fcz40MXKoj0xLwpY_pZdqCHC...30-h715-no]

I normally have enough light, but based on a post here, I added a small led light stuck on with a magnet - it doesn't add much , but it is helpful sometimes.

[Image: FCLyd5aLK_mM1UgEaeDKrz3JrFVfolQaxleGqbG8...82-h715-no]


I also swapped out the original drive belt, and used this procedure to balance the wheels
vintage machinery

I wanted to store the tall fence and miter gauge on the saw, so added these pieces of plywood, mostly held in place by friction and double stick tape
[Image: htEZ2un4dxyWNT9K_Mf3al6I6RPVLxEsDtV0K23C...54-h715-no][Image: RJvtM3nwR1Vj3iOsNqsTLGpwP02byuxZWfrFr0Vw...54-h715-no]







 I didn't like the adjustments for the original ball bearing guides because you had to use an allen wrench .  
[Image: ukOH1oxdSdipiBNYj07_0OygIHO1kdmJbCKy215N...54-h715-no]

I especially hated the lower ones, hard to find them since it is dark beneath the table.  So my first mod was to paint them bright orange
[Image: UNqw6XGJOLIzdrAA5wHD0hWF3TYtmp-GyW8AXdjK...89-h715-no]

I realized I still hated the allen wrench, so I converted the upper adjusters to tool free.  It was pretty easy because I have a metal lathe, so I milled up a round of brass, knurled it, then drilled a hole exactly the same size as the head of the allen bolts ( called an interference fit ) , then cut off thumbwheels,  put them one at a time in a vise, and pressed on the allen bolt.  ( That brought my cost for thumbwheels down to about $50 per wheel , counting the lathe and tooling ) I know everyone does not have access to a metal lathe, but I think they could get acceptable results using some hard wood, cutting discs, putting hand holds in them  https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/how-to-lay-out-5-star-knobs-consistently-t110796.html   and then using a vice to press them in place. At worst some epoxy should hold the wheel snug.  Note that I still needed an allen wrench for a few of the adjustments, but the less the better. 
[Image: qGaphv0fh5EJv1zQLY7DhmMjy3QINRxfNykeTRMU...35-h315-no]

Note that I can still use an allen wrench if need be, the knurled wheel just surrounds the head.  I don't show the thrust adjuster, but i changed that out as well.
I tried doing the same thing with the lowers, but the area is a little cramped, so I ended up making some bolts and putting thumbwheels on them, though you should be able to just add the thumbwheels to several of the existing allen bolts.     The way I lengthened the adjusters, you can't tilt the table without unscrewing one, but I very rarely tilt the table.
[Image: oyHOa38nWY9VTf6OhniM_9TSx0Ss9d8PciYLue-a...75-h715-no]


Finally,  I decided I thought that I preferred a different type of guide, so I took some small square tubing, brazed on some round bar, and added a nut to the front of the square tubing and converted the top and bottom adjusters so now every adjuster is tool free.   It makes changing blades much easier.
[Image: xgi4rG7XNQTA2e48fcz40MXKoj0xLwpY_pZdqCHC...30-h715-no]

Dave,  hope you like your new saw, I have definitely modded mine a bunch since I got it, but it is still going strong.

RE: Mods to Grizzly 17 bandsaw GO513x2 - Arlin Eastman - 04-20-2018

I like your mods.  I do not like the guide wheels on my 0636x and wondering if I would be able to get the same guides you have to fit from Grizzly.

Also I like how you did the fence handle.  I will have to look and see if I can do the same thing.

RE: Mods to Grizzly 17 bandsaw GO513x2 - barryvabeach - 04-21-2018

(04-20-2018, 08:48 PM)Arlin Eastman Wrote: I like your mods.  I do not like the guide wheels on my 0636x and wondering if I would be able to get the same guides you have to fit from Grizzly.

Also I like how you did the fence handle.  I will have to look and see if I can do the same thing.

Arlin,  I have never seen the 0636x in person, or even photos of the guides, so I don't know, but the entire guide assembly on the GO513x2 is pretty simple, it mounts to the post with a stub that is in the shape of a hex