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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Carpentry Questions >> Elektra Beckum BAS 317 https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1151540556 Message started by Twobarrows on Jun 29^th, 2006, 1:22am

Title: Elektra Beckum BAS 317
Post by Twobarrows on Jun 29^th, 2006, 1:22am

Now I've swept up bagfulls of sawdust from the floor in my workshop I've realised there is room for another toy, so I'm looking at the Elektra Beckum BAS 317 band-saw. Has anyone any experience of this ? It seems it only recently replaced the 316, but seems terrific value for money at £300:
http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=136559&MAN=Metabo-Blue-Bas-317-900w-Band-Saw-240v-With-Stand-And-Accessories
p.s. It makes me laugh when I see people bidding nearly £200 for an old used BAS 315 on e-bay

Title: Re: Elektra Beckum BAS 317
Post by WOLF on Jun 29^th, 2006, 2:51pm

That is not a bad price... seeing as i paid £300 for my 316 a couple of years back now,..... as for the 317, i think you will find it is really a 316 EB with Metabo paint/stickers!!! there is so little difference !!

Title: Re: Elektra Beckum BAS 317
Post by woodsmith on Jul 1^st, 2006, 8:43am

I think I paid about £300 for my E-B bandsaw and that was about seven years ago.

For the money its a good machine, swap the blade though the original is rubbish and if you haven't used a bandsaw much get Mark Duginsky's DVD "mastering the bandsaw" from Axminster Power Tools.

Title: Re: Elektra Beckum BAS 317
Post by WOLF on Jul 1^st, 2006, 12:09pm

TSK! TSK! how naughty of me not to have added our standard reply re: the blade it comes with.. sorry all,

so..."Always replace the issuing blade once purchase is home"!!!!

Title: Re: Elektra Beckum BAS 317
Post by Twobarrows on Jul 3^rd, 2006, 2:53pm

OK, I've ordered the Bandsaw. I've ordered the DVD from Tescos DVD rental (free trial) as it's been a few years since I've used one, and then only for frozen meat.
So what blade do I need & where do I get it from ? I have no idea what brand would be a quality one.

Title: Re: Elektra Beckum BAS 317
Post by WOLF on Jul 3^rd, 2006, 4:14pm

what are you going to use it for, what material! are you going to cut,(hard/soft wood??) what thickness and straight or curved cutting...

and do you do "steaks" ........ or pork loin cuts!!! ;D

Title: Re: Elektra Beckum BAS 317
Post by Twobarrows on Jul 3^rd, 2006, 4:25pm

wrote on Jul 3^rd, 2006, 4:14pm:

what are you going to use it for, what material! are you going to cut,(hard/soft wood??) what thickness and straight or curved cutting...

and do you do "steaks" ........ or pork loin cuts!!! ;D

Well the project I bought it for will be 22mm ply, but I guess it will anyhow mostly be softwood. Oh, I'll be cutting a curve with about a 6' radius.

Steaks? No comparison mate, I used to cut up a lot of dog-mince, which was all the manky old bits of meat minced up and frozen in a large plasic container, basically it stank 'orrible! And so did I by the end of the day !!!

Title: Re: Elektra Beckum BAS 317
Post by WOLF on Jul 3^rd, 2006, 4:48pm

clean cutting would require a higher teeth per inch blade, and when cutting radii, a narrower blade will be required.............

so try...http://www.scosarg.co.uk

...or these......http://www.crowleysaws.com/

Title: Re: Elektra Beckum BAS 317
Post by Twobarrows on Jul 4^th, 2006, 7:32am

wrote on Jul 3^rd, 2006, 4:48pm:

Marvellous, thanks Wolf. So what would be a good starting point, I have no idea how many tpi I need. The Scott Sergeant blades seem very cheap starting at only 7 pounds! At those prices I'll order a few if they are any good.

Title: Re: Elektra Beckum BAS 317
Post by WOLF on Jul 4^th, 2006, 10:30pm

for every day work , a 6-8 tpi would do, and should you need to do any fine work a 10-14 tpi ... if they do a skip type blade then these assist in cutting by aiding the clearance of the sawdust, so i would get a couple (if affordable!) of each , say 1 x 6-8 tpi wide and 1 x 6-8 tpi narrow! that sort of way!!