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carolina bandsaw

Bob Richards

Plastic
Joined
Feb 25, 2005
Location
Helper, Utah
A local small machine shop has a 7"x12" horizontal bandsaw for sale. The saw is in excellent condition and asking $300 for it.
A couple of questions since I am not familar with this menufacturer. Is Carolina Industrial Equipment still in business and is there a internet address for the company.
Thanks
 
Have a look at these threads. It may not be a bad deal, but look it over carefully. I had to square up the cast iron vise jaws on mine. If you're looking for advice before buying a machine tool, search the archives here first. There's lots of good info there, and the regulars (that is, those who know what they're talking about and whose perspective would be most useful) get tired of rehashing the same old subjects!

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=014122#000000

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=008976#000013

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=011319#000003

Andrew
 
I have one, It wears out blades fast it seems. Maybe I should stop cutting hardox and Ti.
I got it for removing it from a shop. They could never get it to cut square. It took a few hours of tinkering to get it right but its an ok saw.
 
I'd recommend you look for another brand, unless you are getting it cheap, or have seen it work. (and still might want another brand)

Those saws are some that were sold out of the back of pickup trucks by guys who "had to sell it and get back home" or "overstocked" or some other line they'd use to sell them. At least, I'm reasonably sure I got the brand right. We had one in the 1980's, and I didn't know how sorry it was until we got a decent saw. Never could get that thing to cut straight in any sizeable material. Of course, the world's full of folks lots smarter than I am.


Good luck,

Richard
 
I have one of their saws. I got it for about free in a package deal, and its worth both pennies. The major tune-up I gave made it an ok saw. The biggest thing was the head pivot axis wasn't parallel to the table. The pivot was bushed, so I made a pair of bushings with as much offset as I could, and installed them. This got the axis within 1/64 in 5". The other thing was to turn the hydraulic downfeed limiting cylinder over. The rod end needs to be on the bottom, this way the air in the cylinder is bled out at the top of the stroke where it doesn't matter rather than the bottom where it does. The idler wheel needs rebushed now and it needs new guide bearings, but it has done alot of cutting.

$300 seems a little high, but if you could get a few new blades with it it might be ok. It will be alot easier to move than a Doall.
 
I just picked up a HD10 for 100.00 It works but it also needs the idler wheel bushed and new bearings. My question is does any one have parts or a drawing of this saw? mine does'nt have a way to hold it up between cuts, and the spring seams incorrect. thanks Phil
 
I've got one of these things too. It represents my weakest moment in machine buying, selling & trading. I had a Johnson B Model that was a bit on the ugly side and had just broken a blade. I also didn't have a vertical saw, cutting torch or a plasma cutter like I do now. The Johnson and my hacksaw were my only means of cutting material for my Bridgeport and Southbend 9A.

A guy a couple of blocks over had the Carolina 7x12 relabled as STE (came with a Carolina manual). He wanted $300. I sold the Johnson for $350 and bought the STE.

Oh how I wish I could do that over! The Carolina get's the job done but it's creaky, squeeky, clangy, & jumpy. I honestly think the Johnson B was heavier than the 7x12 Carolina. My Carolina cuts pretty square, but it took some playing to make it so.

Now I'm on the hunt for a Johnson J or a DoAll to keep my 1978 20" DoAll Vertical company.

Ryan
 
"excellent condition" LOL..those things weren't in excellent condition when they were brand new !
 
I bought a Carolina HV20 (blade near 10'long)last fall from a machine shop that was selling out,250.00 . Sold my Jet (larger one)for 300.00. While it is not the Caddilac of saws, it cuts squarely and is a better saw than I thought I would ever have in my home shop.
 
""excellent condition" LOL..those things weren't in excellent condition when they were brand new !"

My thoughts exactly. I have one someone give to me, its better than nothing but not by much.

If I could get $300 out of it (or less), it would be gone.

Tim
 
Several posts on r.c.m have described Carolina Industries as a little company in South Carolina (A.K.A. Rebel Tool Company) that buys Chinese import tools, stamps "Carolina Industries" on them, and then sends them around in pickup trucks to sell to guys in parking lots.
Carolina Industries

Their modus operandi is to sell machine tools in a set of a 2-ton Arbor Press, a 2-ton engine hoist, and a bandsaw.

They may be related to the "Irish Travelers," and the parent company, "Titan Industries" happens to be located in Traveller's Rest, South Carolina.

Irish Travelers
 
lazlo, I don't know what they are doing these days, but in the past their bandsaws and arbor presses were made in "Carolina" USA.... but if anything, were made worse than Chinese equivalents, such that if they are now slapping "Carolina" on Chinese machines that might actually be an improvement !
 

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in the past their bandsaws and arbor presses were made in "Carolina" USA....
According to that link I posted, they assemble the parts of a Chinese engine hoist, bandsaw, etc and consider that the final assembly was done in the US, so their interpretation was that it was OK to put a "Made in South Carolina, USA" sticker on it.

Don, these guys are in your neck of the woods -- what's the scuttlebutt?
 
lazlo, nah...they are on the other side of the state from me...Jacksonville, Florida and Charlotte, NC are closer to me than those guys, just to give you some sense of the distance I'd like to put between me and them !

PM Member Metlmunchr has the scoop...search old posts on the subject...come up here many times already... (yawn)
 

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come up here many times already...(yawn)
I'll take your word for it Don -- doesn't seem worth the search
 

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