homemade bandsaw handcrank tensioner

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1,456
Location
Central (upstate) NY
With a little help from a machinist friend I whipped this together tonight.

handcrank.jpg

My friend had some spare stainless tubing that I used for the swiveling handle - I was going to use some spare 1/2" copper pipe. I threw a little caliper grease into the handle bit - just in case I get smokin' with the crank. :rofl:

It is a lot better than the little knob that didn't clear the top of the saw. And I spent less than $5 on it.

My friend helped with the bending of the threaded rod by supplying an oxy-acetylene torch. If I were to do this again I would have a bucket of water handy to quench the bent metal in while it is still cherry hot to retemper it to hardness.

Still, it works.
 
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