Maintenance and repairs log — EJCA BA45
Repair and maintenance history for the EJCA BA45. Routine checks, cleaning and operating instructions are on the machine page.
Dated reports describe what was known at the time. A reported repair does not establish the present condition of every part or resolve a later fault. Outstanding checks are collected in Woodshop open questions.
Machine identification: the EJCA is the green cast-iron saw. Before May 2026, “small/red saw” normally refers to the separate Pela; after the larger blue/yellow Basato arrived, “little saw” can mean EJCA. The September 2026 EJCA entries below are assigned from the actual photographs/video frames, not the size nickname alone. The current narrow-blade role supersedes earlier wide-blade notices.
20 September 2026 — Blade broke; table insert damaged
A blade broke during use; no injury was reported. The wooden table insert was damaged and a replacement was requested. The photographs clearly show the green EJCA, its fitted guide assembly and the broken insert; metal damage is also visible at the table opening. Status: no replacement/repair or completed setup check in the full thread. Incident and photos.
EJCA identification after the reported break | Broken insert and table opening |
|---|---|
Green EJCA BA45 photographed after the September blade break | Broken wooden insert and damage around the EJCA table opening |
Historical fault photographs, not an approved operating setup or proof of present repair.
17 September 2026 — Narrow blade wobble reported
A member stopped to ask about blade wobble. Advice to check tension was given remotely; the last reply says the member had left and would return to try later. Status: no completed adjustment or test reported. A frame of the attached video shows EJCA's distinctive replacement guides, split red guard and cast table, confirming machine identity. Full thread/video.
11 August 2026 — Blade instability after a recent change
The attached video again identifies EJCA from its guides, guard and table. A member asked how to stabilize the blade; replies said to stop before it breaks and that the blade had been changed and adjusted about a week earlier. Status: no subsequent repair/test recorded in this thread. Full thread/video. A still alone does not establish the vibration's cause.
4 July 2026 — Temporarily wide blade and abnormal noise
A photograph shows a wide blade fitted to the green EJCA while the larger saw had been out of service. A reply suggests the sound might come from the guides and locates narrower blades in a box above the mitre saw if none are hanging out. Status: no recorded corrective work in this thread; historical temporary setup, superseded by today's narrow-blade role. Discussion/photo.
7 June 2026 — Broken blade replaced and disposed of
The green saw's blade broke and was replaced with another member's help. The broken blade was initially hung with the new blades, then removed to the metal-room scrap. Status: replacement/disposal reported at that date. Full thread. The thread's CA-glue remark is not a repair instruction for saw blades; keep damaged blades clearly separate from usable stock.
8–11 May 2026 — Basato arrival changes EJCA's intended role
The arrival announcement photographs visibly label the blue/yellow new saw Scheppach Basato 5-2. Replies explain the larger saw is intended for wide-blade straight work while the green EJCA can take narrow blades. Wide EJCA stock was to be used up initially, with narrow blades on order. Status: role transition; user-confirmed current narrow EJCA setup takes precedence. Announcement and full discussion.
13 April–2 May 2026 — Poor cutting and blade procurement
Hard feeding and burn marks on 100 mm pine led members to stop and inspect; stock blades were reported unsatisfactory. New blades were ordered in late April and announced on 2 May. Status: dated replenishment, not current stock or blade-life figures. Full inspection/procurement thread, new-blade announcement.
1 March 2026 — Blade changed after poor cutting
The larger saw's blade was changed and adjusted after poor cutting on deeper stock; the reporter said it then cut well. This predates Basato's arrival, so “large saw” here is EJCA. Status: dated successful result, not closure of later wobble or breakage. Full thread.
4–7 January 2026 — Burning investigation and new blade
Burning/scorching on hardwood led to an out-of-order sign and isolation. Guide bearings were observed turning without stock load. A new blade was fitted on 6 January; the green EJCA was explicitly identified. Discolouration on the new blade's back edge was attributed to manufacturing/tempering, correcting an earlier heat-damage assumption. Status: new blade reported; do not diagnose every coloured blade edge as overheating. Burning, sparks and abnormal noise still require stopping. Full thread.
28 December 2025–5 January 2026 — Upper wheel tyre crept and was bonded
The blue tyre on the green EJCA's upper wheel crept. The tyre had been installed without adhesive according to the supplier's instructions. After discussion, the upper tyre was bonded on 30 December; the lower tyre was left alone. A 5 January check reported no further upper-tyre movement. Status: repair and later check reported; glue type, compatibility and present retention need matching to the actual tyre, not a blanket “always glue” rule. Full repair/check thread, bonding report.
15 December 2025 — 16 mm / 3 TPI blades stocked for EJCA
New 16 mm / 3 TPI blades for EJCA were announced, replacing the prior 19 mm ordering preference because the fitted guides were difficult to adjust for wider blades. This is historical stock/setup information, not today's narrow-blade width or teeth. Full announcement.
4–8 December 2025 — Guide setup discussion
A hands-on check reported over-tension and guide bearings touching the blade unloaded. Later local guidance favoured centring the blade on the wheel crown, matching the fitted guides so no teeth can reach side bearings and not forcing a cut. Status: historical clarification; current blade/guide-maker requirements govern exact tension and clearances. Full discussion. Forum/video alternatives and finger-deflection estimates are not a calibrated universal tension procedure.
11–26 November 2025 — Tyres, guide bearings and reassembly
New tyres were installed on 11 November; guide disassembly/bearing replacement continued. By 22 November tyres and guide bearings were reported replaced. The thread identifies the purchased tyres as Blue Max Crowned Polyurethane Band Saw Tires, with supplier instructions then reported as stretch-on without heat/glue. The December slipping/bonding entry above is a later local event. Initial work thread, reassembly/full replies.
The reassembly report lists a fragile lower-guide-housing attachment, a gap at the upper-wheel rear shield, a table insert too thin/slot too wide, and possible guide upgrades. The rear shield was reported refitted on 24 November and the general-maintenance task accepted on 25 November. These replies do not explicitly document every proposed structural upgrade. Another reply records deliberately forward blade tracking to avoid under-table interference and difficulty with 19 mm blades. Levelling/secure footing was also discussed. Status: servicing completed to the stated stage; present guide mountings, guard coverage, table insert and blade clearance still require inspection. 25–26 November discussion.
Blade procurement in this period uses bandsågblad.se and identifies 3090 mm. Suggested replacement guide kits were proposals, not confirmed installed components. Supplier link in full thread.
28–29 September 2025 — Blade came off tracking
A member reinstalled the green saw's blade and requested an experienced check. A mark on the red guard was then raised; replies state it predated this incident. Status: reported reinstallation; no detailed alignment check documented. Full thread.
31 March 2025 — Table-insert CAD reference
A missing insert prompted a replacement design, saved on the left-hand Big-room computer as “Bandsåg Platta.dxf”, with 4.2 mm thickness stated then. Status: design/reference only; completed manufacture is not reported in that thread. Re-measure the actual recess and make the replacement sound and flush rather than copying an old nominal thickness blindly. Full thread, CAD-file report.
4–6 February 2025 — Wobble, blade change and guides
The straight-cut saw shook and its blade appeared wobbly. A wider replacement was fitted and the guides adjusted; a subsequent reply said it worked well again. Status: dated improvement; the comment tolerating some machine imbalance is not permission to continue with a bent/wobbling blade. Full thread.
2 November 2024 — Lower guide bearings replaced
Lower guide bearings were replaced; upper bearings still needed attention at that point. Spare bearings were reported in the maintenance drawer and a box placed near the saw. Status: historical parts location, with later November 2025 service above; verify current types and stock. Full thread.
May 2024 — Wide-blade role
The older wiki records a permanent wide-blade setup after a second saw was added. This is superseded by today's narrow EJCA/wide Basato arrangement. Archived history.
6–30 April 2020 — Tyres and guide rebuild; return to use reported
New tyres had arrived by 6 April. The 8 April report put the saw under maintenance while replacement guide assemblies were being made. On 23 April the new tyres ran smoothly, but the upper wheel was still reported out of balance; on 24 April a moving blade guard that fitted the new guides was still required. The maintainer announced the saw running again on 28 April and reported a new blade cutting ash cleanly on 30 April. Status: a dated return-to-use and cutting report; no recorded balancing measurements or explicit closure of the earlier wheel-balancing TODO. These reports do not establish the current condition of those parts. Tyres and planned work, replacement guides, wheel concern, guard requirement, return to use, cutting report.
March 2020 — Urethane tyres and upper guides
New urethane tyres and replacement upper guides were recorded. The later service entries above supersede any assumption that these 2020 parts remain untouched. Archived history.
February 2020 — Extraction connector
A 100 mm dust-collection connector was added. Archived history.
2018 — Purchase and electrical controls
Makerspace purchased the machine; motor protection, emergency stop and start/stop buttons were added. The old page gives 446 × 32 mm wheels and 1.0 hk motor; these are unverified historical specifications. It records spare wheel bearings and a wheel-balancing TODO without a closure date. Verify the installed motor, wheel dimensions and parts before servicing. Archived history.
Adding an entry
Record the date, symptom, work performed, parts used, result and remaining checks. Include photographs and a link to the source message or service document. Describe any test and who performed it. Keep unresolved faults visible on the machine and the main guide; do not treat a dated working test as a permanent certification.