Got my Grizzly 531 bandsaw a couple weeks back. Adjusting blade guides results in the usual "oh hell no, I don't wanna" thing. More so because I have to grab one of the two or three Allen wrenches and loosen the locks to move the wheels in or out.
Did I mention I don't like having to find ANY wrench to adjust a bandsaw? Did I mention I am not alone in this and after market vendors sell thousands of dollars in guide kits that allow the likes of me and thousands of others to avoid tools?
ANYWAY, I bought a couple bags of special caps that press on to Allen screw heads to covert them into thumb screws for some projects I worked on. I'd only used a few, so had MANY left. I lost a few fighting the conversion to metric, but, so far they have allowed me to set bearing guides without seeking out the assistance of wrenches. The pressure they allow me to put on the screws have, thus far, shown sufficient.
P.S. The ones in the photo are not the ones I got. Their photo is offered as a jumping off place for those considering making their screws more "usable."
The ones I bought have ridges around the edges and offer a very good grip.
Just a tip. When installing the plastic knobs on cap screws, pressing them on ( as in a vise) works better than tapping them on with a hammer. I've broken them before tapping them on.
Yep. First saw them about forty years ago when a machinist used them for the locking screws on a tool I asked him to make me. Much prettier than wing or other types.
Yep. First saw them about forty years ago when a machinist used them for the locking screws on a tool I asked him to make me. Much prettier than wing or other types.
Very cool, thanks for this tip. I literally have a drawer full of allen wrenches and always have to try 10 or so different sizes before I stumble on the right size. Or worse, think its right, but its metric and then strips.
Did I mention I don t like having to find ANY wrench to adjust a bandsaw? Did I mention I am not alone in this and after market vendors sell thousands of dollars in guide kits that allow the likes of me and thousands of others to avoid tools?
I can't take any credit for the idea, but on my 18" Rikon, all of the allen wrenches are housed in a rubberized tool holder attached to the saw. No rattling away, always right there and waiting.
Lots of similar are available from HF up to high end wrenches, Super glue, and never spend a minute looking again.
I just sold a Rikon I bought from my buddy and upgraded to a bigger saw. It had the holder too.
For my little Powermatic, I use rare earth magnets to hold not just Allen wrenches, but, also, the stock guides (I'm running a Carter Stabilizer) and for pliers and open end wrenches too.
I had a couple flat rare earth magnets on the new saw, but, with the caps on the Allen screws, I haven't had to touch a wrench, which is far handier than a wrench holder.
Did I mention I don t like having to find ANY wrench to adjust a bandsaw? Did I mention I am not alone in this and after market vendors sell thousands of dollars in guide kits that allow the likes of me and thousands of others to avoid tools?
- Kelly
I can t take any credit for the idea, but on my 18" Rikon, all of the allen wrenches are housed in a rubberized tool holder attached to the saw. No rattling away, always right there and waiting.
Lots of similar are available from HF up to high end wrenches, Super glue, and never spend a minute looking again.
I just sold a Rikon I bought from my buddy and upgraded to a bigger saw. It had the holder too.
For my little Powermatic, I use rare earth magnets to hold not just Allen wrenches, but, also, the stock guides (I m running a Carter Stabilizer) and for pliers and open end wrenches too.
I had a couple flat rare earth magnets on the new saw, but, with the caps on the Allen screws, I haven t had to touch a wrench, which is far handier than a wrench holder.
I could see that the knurled, or knobby thumb hold knobs that would allow for easy grip, no slip, and may be a step up from dinkering around with an Allen wrench.
The ones in the initial pic looked smooth, and for my fingers might prove frustrating.
I'm in the camp that uses a magnet to hold the required tools to the saw. My saw has set screws that secure the guide bits and they need to be cinched up fairly tight.
That aside, those look like the cats meow for the other 100 places that have socket head cap screws!
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
LumberJocks Woodworking Forum
2.5M posts
96K members
Since 2006
A forum community dedicated to professional woodworkers and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about shop safety, wood, carpentry, lumber, finishing, tools, machinery, woodworking related topics, styles, scales, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!