WIP Converting Meber SR 500 bandsaw for home workshop

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sleake
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WIP Converting Meber SR 500 bandsaw for home workshop

Post by sleake » Wed Apr 13, 2022 8:41 pm

Hi everyone,
just thought I would share the trials and tribulations of my current bandsaw journey, as I have found very little information online about converting industrial bandsaws to single phase, yet hope it to be a straightforward process, as I recently bought a used, approximately 30 year old Italian Meber SR500 Bandsaw :shock: .

I have had a growing interest in typically European industrial style machines due to their impressive performance, however have been scared off based on their sheer size, potential lack of spare parts and 3 phase power requirements. However, the robustness of these machinery simply blows the typical 'hobby' brands away, in my view particularly when it comes to bandsaws.

Although I expect a fair share of headaches etc, the goal is to eventually end up with an 'industrial' saw for less than 2 grand total expenditure that can run on standard 240 volt wiring. Fingers crossed!

Cheers, Steve

sleake
Myrtle
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Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2015 11:36 am

Re: WIP Converting Meber SR 500 bandsaw for home workshop

Post by sleake » Wed Apr 13, 2022 8:59 pm

First job was moving it!

Huge thanks to the last owner John who had an engine crane and plenty of time and patience to assist me haul it onto a pallet inside a trailer. I the strapped it down every possible way and drove it up from the sth coast of NSW.

Long slow trip home and finish the day with a rainy night unloading it, with the help of a hastily built ramp, pallet jack and gravity.
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It squeezed under the roller door by a hair and I called it a day!
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Very happy to have moved 300kg of steel with no disasters!
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sleake
Myrtle
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Re: WIP Converting Meber SR 500 bandsaw for home workshop

Post by sleake » Thu Apr 14, 2022 6:57 am

Removed the old 3 phase motor last night, I strongly suspect it is not original, it has an Australian motor stamp, and an Ozzie Stenco pulley, plus the wiring is........... agricultural.
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Very simple process to unbolt, cut leads and pull off, leaving a nice clean slate for a single phase motor
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So far so good, total cost including transport is $1350, hopefully on track to stay under budget

Cheers, Steve

sleake
Myrtle
Posts: 55
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2015 11:36 am

Re: WIP Converting Meber SR 500 bandsaw for home workshop

Post by sleake » Sun Apr 17, 2022 9:30 am

With the old motor removed, I turned to a single phase replacement.

A quick google found a range 2.2 Kw singlephase motors in the 250 - 300 dollar range, so with a few phone calls to check availability I found a suitable frame mount motor, with taper lock pulley, belt and 15 amp lead for $340.

The pulley size calculation brought me back to yr 9 maths, but showed the previous 80mm pulley was far too small and was running a slow blade speed (recommended somewhere between 3500 and 4000 feet per minute)

Finding the original spec sheet of the saw showed a wheel rpm of 720, which showed I needed to reduce my 1410rpm motor by half.

The large pulley on the bandsaw wheel was 280mm /2 gave me a 140mm motor pulley and a final rpm of 705. Close enough! (Actual calculation needed 144mm pulley but that would obviously be hard to find!)

sleake
Myrtle
Posts: 55
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2015 11:36 am

Re: WIP Converting Meber SR 500 bandsaw for home workshop

Post by sleake » Sun Apr 17, 2022 9:35 am

Fitting the new motor was a fiddly but straightforward process, needed to extend some of the existing slots and drill 2 new mounting holes but nothing complex.
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Fired it up and it came to life! A few test cuts shows it has serious grunt, but I think the bearings might be due for replacement, will have a closer look after the Easter weekend.

Cheers, Steve

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kiwigeo
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Re: WIP Converting Meber SR 500 bandsaw for home workshop

Post by kiwigeo » Mon Apr 18, 2022 1:08 pm

Looks like a good score there Steve. There's something special about some of the old machinery.
Martin

sleake
Myrtle
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Re: WIP Converting Meber SR 500 bandsaw for home workshop

Post by sleake » Mon Apr 18, 2022 7:59 pm

Thanks Martin,

I've just done a basic set-up and am just blown away by the smoothness of the saw, even with a little bearing play in the bottom wheel it runs very quietly and vibration free. Looking forwards to new bearings and a 30mm carbide resaw blade!

I know this thread is a little left of field for the forum, but it might be the only way I can contribute something for the many expert builders here who might be unaware of how simple it is to make an industrial, normally 3 phase machine work in a 'normal' shed. Similar machines seem to pop up very regularly on scumtree or Facebook marketplace for a grand or so, with a bit of mucking about and moderate expenditure you can have a machine that kicks the a$$ of any carbatec.

The ability to get reliable and accurate resaw of guitar sized billets is something I am very much looking forwards to, though at my rate I'll be re sawing much faster than I'll be building!

Cheers, Steve

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