Photo Index - Walker-Turner Co., Inc. - BN725 12" Band Saw

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
Walker-Turner Co., Inc.
Jersey City, NJ; Plainfield, NJ

True Manufacturer:
Walker-Turner Co., Inc., Jersey City, NJ; Plainfield, NJ

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Wood Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Band Saw
Machine Size:	12"
Submitted By:	Jerry Kincade

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	BN725 12" Band Saw
Date of Manufacturer:	1935
Serial Number:
Last Updated	2/27/2004 12:00:00 AM

Comments:

Spotted this little saw (in terrible condition, but mostly all there) in the back room of a saddle maker's shop in the Stockyards City area of Oklahoma City in 1998. The owner had bought a new Chinese saw (shame on him) and had retired it. I purchased it very reasonably with the idea of restoring it some day for use in my shop. I recently retired, so I finally had time to actually do the restoration. The Moss Green paint is close, but not an exact match - not quite enough grey in it. The old 1/4 hp motor was running but very loose and noisy, and was mounted incorrectly because it's rotation was wrong for this application and it was not reversible. Rebuilt and rewired the wheeled stand, put on a new work surface top made from doubled 3/4" exterior plywood, added a dropleaf to one end for more work surface and a utility duplex outlet below the table edge. The motor is a new 1725 RPM 1/2 hp A.O. Smith reversible with sleeve bearings. The machine was completely stripped to individual parts, cleaned up, painted, and reassembled. New tires and a 78" blade were installed. The steel apron on the front of the table that the rip guide clamps to was missing, so I fabricated a near-exact replacement from 1/2" x 1-1/2" cold rolled bar stock. Saw bearings were still good, and the saw runs very quietly with 3/8" Cool Blocks installed. The upper wheel was slightly bent (I'll bet the saw was tipped over and dropped sometime in the past) so it tracks just a bit wobbly. If I can't find a replacement wheel, I guess I'll have to have a machine shop true this one up on a hydraulic press. It's aluminum, so I don't think the usual 3-lb hammer and eyeball technique would be a good idea for straightening it. Other than that, it was only missing two items: the little round aluminum logo disc on the top wheel cover, and the sliding vertical blade guard that fits above the upper blade guide. If anybody should ever part out one of these I'd sure like to obtain those parts to complete the restoration of this very high quality little saw. It works great, and is in daily use in my shop for wood, brass, and aluminum cutting. This machine takes a 78" blade. I tried a standard 80" blade, but there is not enough adjustment range available without interference with the upper wheel cover, so 78" blades are definitely needed. I made a couple by cutting 2" sections out of 80" blades and silver soldering, and they work well. I also have a couple of 78" custom blades from Suffolk Saw, which were reasonably priced at $14 or so. All in all, a fun project resulting in a very heavy and solid little saw of high quality, at less than half the cost of a new plastic and sheetmetal "modern" version, and I'll pass it along to one of my sons someday.

Photo 1:

Comments: Front Side, Driver Line BN725
Source: Jerry Kincade, Mustang, OK

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Photo 2:

Comments: Back Side, Driver Line BN725
Source: Jerry Kincade, Mustang, OK

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Photo 3:

Comments: Table/Carriage, Driver Line BN725
Source: Jerry Kincade, Mustang, OK

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