Walker Turner 12" bandsaw

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I bought one that was maintained and in mint condition for $175.  The guy wouldnt take a penny less.  The machine was redone, is made of cast iron, has new tires, a custom made table and is flawless.  The problem is that it has a fixed speed.  Could I reduce the speed safely with a dimmer switch/outlet setup, or would that shorten motor life and be dangerous?  ThanksTA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:http://longisland.craigslist.org/tls/2871460768.htmlTA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:drf255 , killer deal on that saw man . the answer  to your question is no you cannot slow it down that way . you have 2 options 1) 3 phase motor and a variable frequency drive (VFD) or 2)use the same motor you have (if it's a single phase ) and use  a 20:1or 30:1 speed reducer and some pulleys and maybe a jack shaft . it sounds complicated but it really isn't i converted a 14" grizzly wood band saw  last winter using the speed reducer method because i didn't want to buy a different motor . the saw you bought for that kind of money it is well worth doing either one of these methods . if your saw is driven with a shaft directly off of the bottom tire it would be really easy to do a conversion of either method . if there is any way i can help you let me know . good luck Chris ..
Reply:The motor has a .620 shaft.  It keeps belt tension from its own weight.  It sits on a wooden plate hat is hinged to the stand.  I'm thinking of turning the motor around an making a shaft with a 6" pulley on one end and a 1" on the other.  Where can I get one of the gear reduction devices you are referring to and how do they work?TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:drf255,the one good thing is your motor shaft dia . is 5/8" that is very common that was one of the things i learned 5/8" bore pulleys came in many different sizes  and were very easy to  find 3/4and 1in.which is what i needed   were hard to find i don't know why they just were the reason i am telling you this is you will need a few pulley's i see you already know that. first of all how exactly is your bottom tire driven ? does it have a shaft that comes directly out the back in the center of the tire and is driven directly with a belt to the motor ? the reason i ask  is that will be important on how you will mount your speed reducer . how they work is if you have a 20:1 speed reducer and your motor turns 1725 rpm (which you will need to know ) divide 1725 by 20= 86 rpm  that's what your out put side of your speed reducer will be turning for example . turning the motor around will run your saw in the different rotation unless you can reverse the wiring  on the motor (mine you could not but some do ) so be aware of that . to give you example my  wood saw turned  at  1500 and 3200 fpm (feet per min)in order  to cut metal you need to turn at 45 to 75 fpm . with a different blade of course . look at surpluscenter.com   under gear reducers there are are plenty to choose from and be sure they have 5/8 dia  shafts  . and one other thing i used was 3"4"5"step cone  pulley's on the final drive on the output of the gear box and the shaft of the bottom tire  in order to have some adjustment in speeds you definitely want that . let me know if i can help .good luck ..  Chris
Reply:My bottom tire is directly driven by a shaft that is driven by the motor belt.  IIRC, the groove in the lower pulley is 1.5", and the upper 4.5".TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Drf255 isn't this stuff fun LOL ! okay  man you don't know how much easier your life just got because of that . you probably won't have to make a jack shaft  know . the 1.5" pulley on the motor you can keep that when you get your speed reducer just put the same size pulley on the input side of the gear box  that will maintain the same motor rpm on the input side that's important on achieving your final rpm or FPM  i believe i used two 3" ones but the end result is the same 3",6" 12" as long as they are both the same on the input side . and on the output side of the gear box  and the back of the bottom tire shaft i recommend using step cone pulley's in order to have some rpm adjustment unless you want just 1 rpm like you have now i recommend the step  cones in order to have some   rpm range you will be glad you did later . how long and what dia. is your bottom tire shaft and how is it connected to the bottom tire ? post pics if you can . good luck ..Chris