Proxxon Bandsaw - Smoke Out!!!

It was Christmas night.  All silent and peaceful except the sound of the Proxxon MBS 240/E Bandsaw doing its work, cutting across a piece of aluminium 25mm thick.  It was a cut that I've been accustomed to making on the little machine since its acquisition when I smell something burning.  It started rather faint which I thought was the dye which was used to layout the cut lines reacting to the heat.  Smoke started when the smell got stronger.  The bandsaw came to a halt...

The bandsaw was dead...

I thought initially that it was time for me to start shopping for a new one.  Went around my favorite shopping district - Kelantan Lane to see what's available.  2 was found which would serve my needs for now.  Both Taiwanese and one cheaper by 1/2.  Both are much bigger than the little Proxxon and weigh a few times more.

The SGD400+ horizontal bandsaw is rather basic; fully manual except, of course, the movement of the blade.  Not very satisfied with what I saw, I went on my search.

At Hup Hong in Jalan Besar Plaza, I saw what I need which can still fit into my little study converted shop; the Waytrain UE-100S.  It features a automatic cut off at end of the job and auto-feed which is controllable.  Spotting a slightly bigger frame, it can be converted to a vertical bandsaw but with a tiny table.  The only thing that stop me from grabbing it on the spot is its price tag of SGD782 before tax; a little on the high side especially after going over budget for the month on the precision leadscrew conversion of the mill and the trips the family made.  Further, my beautiful wife wasn't impress with the price tag.

The last resort was to call in my buddy, Mike Kong of SG Tooling.  He is the local distributor of Sherline and Proxxon stuff.  Being an electrical engineer by training, he assured me that the bandsaw can be salvaged.  He did and delivered what was promised.

I heard from him a day after the New Year celebration.  He said that the motor has burnt.  Replacing the motor will get the bandsaw going again.  I picked up the bandsaw yesterday at his shop.  He was telling me that the blade I was using was blunt to a point where its not even cutting his fingers; I've worked the less than 1 year old bandsaw to death by pushing it beyond its limit on a blunt blade...

Next, he took out the burnt motor and opened it up.  Burnt smell filled the shop immediate.  I have not seen the internal of a working motor before but I can see that it was rather bad.

Some pics of the motor:



You can see soot all around the housing and whatever you can that in the foreground with the windings.



Closer look at the interior.  The 2 black halves are magnets.

Mike said that the stuff isolating the windings were burnt off. Soot can be seen at the bottom.

The electronics.  Don't know if it is still working.

Anyone out there know if I can make this motor to work again?  I can see if I can use it on some projects if it can be revived.

Anyway, I've a working bandsaw now.  Just cut a piece of wood to make a sacrifical board to continue my work on the leadscrew mod.