Bandsaw problems

We mentioned in an earlier post we had purchased and installed a new bandsaw purchased from Charnwood. We  went for their B350 model. Their ordering process is straightforward and delivery of the 100 Kg  pallet containing the box went relatively smoothly, though as with many delivery companies their courier (Palletways) was unable to specify a time of delivery so we had to have someone wait at the office all day to receive the delivery.

Manoeuvring the beast down to our basement  via twisting 2010 year old narrow stone stairs was challenging but we did it without injury to person or machine. We had to assemble the base, but other than that the machine was pretty much ready to go.

Unfortunately we have had problems. One of the inspection doors won't open because the hinge is rusted. These doors are vital to the operation of the machine. Without the doors you cannot check or change the blades. On first use the drive belt was slipping so we had to tighten it to get the saw to work. 

Rusted door hinge on a brand new Charnwood B350 Bandsaw

This morning two days after purchasing the machine the drive belt broke while we were running a test on a 1 inch (25 cm) thickness of softwood. The machine is specified to handle up to 8 inches thickness of wood, so a drive belt snapping on a new machine does not bode well. It points to poor manufacturing/inspection control. The drive band (PJ595) itself is quite weedy, it is rubber reinforced with fabric and is about 1 cm wide in a rectangular cross section about 2 or 3 mm deep. It is produced by an obscure Chinese manufacturer (Shanghai Wutong Belt PJ600).

Have we bought a "Friday Afternoon" machine? We've sent a report to Charnwood, so we'll see how well they react. Needless to say, the timing of these problems is not convenient. We'll maybe produce a review once Charnwood have had the opportunity to resolve these problems