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Steel City Bandsaw Table Trunnions - Printable Version

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RE: Steel City Bandsaw Table Trunnions - mike4244 - 09-17-2018

(09-15-2018, 04:09 PM)Bibliophile 13 Wrote: So I have this old Steel City bandsaw, which was just given to me to replace my spindly little Craftsman bandsaw (which you can see in the background). 

[Image: 29764531957_d240496c6c_z.jpg]

It's a beast of a saw.  Only problem is, both trunnions on the table are busted.

Here's the damage:

[Image: 44652999312_07cceb75a3_z.jpg]

[Image: 29764530307_4c927217d3_z.jpg]

Looking at them, I can see why they broke.  A brittle casting has to both support the full weight of the granite table AND withstand the torque on the nuts that hold it in place. 

So, question is, now that Steel City is out of business, can I get replacement trunnions anywhere else?  Anybody else have his problem and come up with a clever fix?  I see there are some generic trunnions available on Amazon.  I wonder if they will fit?

What does the brain trust say?


Alan has the right idea, make your own from hardwood. I did just that for a friend that had a Reliant bandsaw. Reliant was the brand name for now defunct Wood Workers Warehouse. His trunnions were cast aluminum and quite flimsy. He had a few small pieces of Persimmon which I understand is similar to hickory. I use that to make the trunnions. I have metal working equipment too so milling wood or metal was easy enough to do. You can do this yourself with a drill press or and a router. 
Put as much of the broken parts together to get the dimensions. Draw them on your wood.  Use what ever tools you have to establish the slots, inner and outer arcs. 
I would slot the trunnion for a piece of metal for mounting. You show two mounting tabs. 1/8" thick x 3/4" wide x what ever long can be screwed to the slotted trunnions and holes drilled for mounting on the ears of the metal mounting . Hardest part will be the slots. Assuming you do not have a mill or an XY table on a drill press , I suggest you carefully cut the slot with a sabre saw after boring start and finish holes. 
I made these trunnions 11 years ago , they are still working on the old Reliant saw.
mike

(09-15-2018, 04:30 PM)Ohio Mike Wrote: The first thing I would do is to take an old trunnion to my local Harbor Freight to see if matches the one on their bandsaw. You can order replacement parts from them.

 Here's a pic from the Harbor Freight manual:

[Image: 30831727588_b255f9349b_c.jpg]

Also, Grizzly sells replacement trunnions for the G0555 for $7 each that look just like yours.   Their part number is P0555LA35101-TRUNNION.  But without being able to directly compare it to yours, it's difficult to be certain they'll fit.
[Image: 29765350407_626705800d_z.jpg]



Mike



RE: Steel City Bandsaw Table Trunnions - Bibliophile 13 - 09-17-2018

Taking the old ones off. Yeah...

You know how this pot metal is very brittle? I tried taking one off, and it literally crumbled. It's in about 20 pieces now. I'm going to try to remove the other one more carefully and see what happens.


RE: Steel City Bandsaw Table Trunnions - EvilTwin - 09-18-2018

(09-17-2018, 07:44 PM)Bibliophile 13 Wrote: Taking the old ones off. Yeah...

You know how this pot metal is very brittle? I tried taking one off, and it literally crumbled. It's in about 20 pieces now. I'm going to try to remove the other one more carefully and see what happens.

Even if they crumble, you can always measure the holes on the bottom of the table. I would guarantee that the radius of the curve and the other dimensions are probably identical to what you can find for other clone saws. That was the point of these clones, they didn't try and engineer, they just copied parts.


RE: Steel City Bandsaw Table Trunnions - Stwood_ - 09-18-2018

Surely they used some common trunions that fit other machines and didn't try to re-engineer all those parts.

Steel City was a spinoff from some other (I forget) machinery company. Bunch of employees bailed and started their own manufacturing.
I think most of their products came from the same sources that Grizzly and the like used.


RE: Steel City Bandsaw Table Trunnions - gov.cheese - 09-18-2018

I believe they were a spin-off from Delta.


RE: Steel City Bandsaw Table Trunnions - joespehar - 09-18-2018

Mike 4244 mentioned persimmon wood.  That "wood" be a good idea.  Wooden golf club heads are often made out of persimmon.


RE: Steel City Bandsaw Table Trunnions - Bibliophile 13 - 09-20-2018

The more I’ve looked at the parts online, the more I think the radius isn’t the same. And the more I think I could make some wooden replacements. I’m no pattern maker, and I don’t have machinists tools, but I do have some thick pecan heartwood that would be perfect for this. Very hard and split-resistant.

I have a good drill press, but no router. But I also don’t need this table to tilt. I’ve used a bandsaw for years without needing to tilt the table. In fact, I have more often messed up a cut because the table got bumped out of square with the blade. I’d much prefer a table that was fixed square to the blade.

I have an idea or two that I’m going to try out.

Stay tuned.


RE: Steel City Bandsaw Table Trunnions - Admiral - 09-20-2018

(09-20-2018, 06:20 PM)Bibliophile 13 Wrote: But I also don’t need this table to tilt. I’ve used a bandsaw for years without needing to tilt the table. In fact, I have more often messed up a cut because the table got bumped out of square with the blade. I’d much prefer a table that was fixed square to the blade.

Frankly, I've rarely, in 25 years, had to tilt my BS table.  I say go for it.  Having said that, the Griz trunions will likely fit, and are cheap.


RE: Steel City Bandsaw Table Trunnions - Stwood_ - 09-20-2018

I don't remember ever tilting my MM, nor the saw before this one.


RE: Steel City Bandsaw Table Trunnions - mike4244 - 09-25-2018

(09-20-2018, 06:20 PM)Bibliophile 13 Wrote: The more I’ve looked at the parts online, the more I think the radius isn’t the same. And the more I think I could make some wooden replacements.  I’m no pattern maker, and I don’t have machinists tools, but I do have some thick pecan heartwood that would be perfect for this. Very hard and split-resistant.

I have a good drill press, but no router. But I also don’t need this table to tilt. I’ve used a bandsaw for years without needing to tilt the table. In fact, I have more often messed up a cut because the table got bumped out of square with the blade. I’d much prefer a table that was fixed square to the blade.

I have an idea or two that I’m going to try out.

Stay tuned
You can use your drill press with a router bit or even better an end mill. For limited use the drill press  will suffice. If you are not familiar with end mills they are use similar to a straight router bit. Wholesale tools McMaster Carr, etc sell them. You would want a center cutting HSS  3/8 or 1/2" shank.  If you get an end mill with the 1/2" shank you can use it in a router if you ever get one. Take light cuts , clamp to the table when possible. The work tends to move around when free hand milling. Move the work from left to right , against the rotation of the cutter. If you move from right to left you will climb cut and may lose control of the work. This holds true for a router also. 
I mention this because I assume you have not used a router yet. You can rough cut the slotted arc with a saber saw. Leave the entire line for now. Depending on the radius you may be able to refine the arc by turning the trunnion on a pivot pin.
mike