Powermatic PWBS-14 User manual

POWERMATIC PWBS-14 Bandsaw
The versatility of the bandsaw has made it a favorite of woodworkers for
decades. The POWERMATIC PWBS-14 Bandsaw was designed to be
rugged, accurate and to bring a surprising array of user-friendly features that
make it the most capable machine in its class right out of the box. Because
several of our standard features are aftermarket, additional cost add-ons on
other bandsaws in this class, the POWERMATIC PWBS-14 Bandsaw is one
of the best bang-for-your-buck values on the market.
Solid Backbone
The POWERMATIC PWBS-14 Bandsaw is built around a pair of huge iron
castings that provide an extraordinarily rigid backbone. The lower box-
shaped iron casting surrounds the drive wheel and provides a super rigid base
on which the rest of the saw is built. The upper casting is equally oversized and designed with
flex-fighting rounded corners and an upswept arm that effectively resists the pressures of
tensioning ¾”-wide blades properly.
A huge iron casting provides a solid
foundation that keeps the PWBS-14
rigid and vibration free.
The heavy-gauge steel base cabinet adds to the
POWERMATIC PWBS-14 Bandsaw stability and provides a
solid, vibration-absorbing base for the motor. Because dust
collection does not pass through the base cabinet, its interior
remains virtually dust free, reducing routine maintenance
while enhancing the already long life of the motor and drive
belt. Brackets on the base
cabinet exterior provide on-
board storage for the miter
gauge, fence and extra
blades.
Dust Collection
Rather than routing dust down through the base cabinet we
form a port for a 4”-diameter dust hose in the lower cast iron
section of the POWERMATIC PWBS-14 Bandsaw. Placing
the port where the dust is created greatly improves its
effectiveness and eliminates the leaks found in through-the-cabinet systems. That makes even
marginal dust collectors perform surprisingly well.
A 4”-diameter port is cast into the
lower housing directly below the
blade for super-effective dust
evacuation.

To help capture dust from above the table we developed a special
insert plate with a grid of through holes. This creates a vacuum
source surrounding the blade at the table surface to catch much
of the dust other bandsaws leave on the surface.
A perforated insert surrounds the
blade with dust collection ports.
We also added a dust brush that helps keep the lower drive wheel
tire clean. This simple device limits the amount of dust that
transfers on the blade to the upper wheel tire and cabinet. The
result is cleaner, cooler-running blades and less dust
contamination of the drive wheel tires.
To help keep the cut line clearly visible we added an integral air pump that supplies pressurized
air to a nozzle attached to the upper blade guide. The air nozzle can be adjusted to keep dust
from obscuring cut lines to allow you to work more accurately with fewer stops.
Power and Drive
The POWERMATIC PWBS-14 Bandsaw is powered by a 1 1/2HP TEFC (totally enclosed fan
cooled) industrial-style motor that comes wired for 115V operation but can be converted to
230V. Because POWERMATIC motors are rated at the continuous duty horsepower they
produce and not a “peak” or “developed” number, blade speed remains stable and effective.
The motor power is delivered through a set of precision-machined multi-groove pulleys, driven
by a Poly-V belt, known for it’s smooth, efficient transmission of power with very little
temperature buildup. These qualities also give Poly V-belts a very long life.
Both wheels ride on power-
saving, high-quality ball bearings
that keep them tracking straight
today and for many years to
come.
The substantial motor power of
the POWERMATIC PWBS-14
Bandsaw allows using cast iron
drive wheels rather than
aluminum or cheap pot metals.
The additional weight of cast
iron wheels absorbs blade-
generated vibrations and imparts
a flywheel effect that stabilizes blade speed when the cutting gets tough.
The motor (left) is pre-installed in the enclosed base and sends its power
through machined pulleys and an ultra-reliable Poly V-belt. The 9-spoke
cast iron drive wheels (right) are fully machined, painted and fitted with
tires before being dynamically balanced.
Both cast iron drive wheels are fully machined, painted and fitted with high quality tires and then
dynamically balanced to insure smooth operation. The tires have a special crown shape that helps
stabilize blade tracking. The drive wheels turn on high-quality ball bearings for a long, smooth
running life.

An easy-to-use pushbutton on/off switch is mounted on the frame within easy reach from the
normal operating position. To ease assembly, the electrical connections between the bandsaw
itself and the closed stand involve a single three-pole plug.
Blade Tensioning
For bandsaw blades to perform correctly they
must be properly tensioned. The
POWERMATIC PWBS-14 Bandsaw system
allows precise blade tensioning of the blade
according to its characteristics. Handy blade
width markings on the tensioning block makes
adjusting the POWERMATIC PWBS-14
Bandsaw for blade widths from 1/8”to ¾”fast
and simple. The infinite adjusting system also
lets you dial in the correct tension for
specialty blades that may require non-standard
tension settings.
When not in use the tremendous forces of a
tensioned blade will shorten the life of the
blade itself, drive wheel tires and bearings.
The POWERMATIC PWBS-14 Bandsaw comes with the legendary Carterquick release
handle assembly that features three positions; full tension, relaxed tension and full release. You
can move the Carterbetween all three positions without losing the tension setting. Use the
relaxed tension position when the saw is not being used but when the POWERMATIC PWBS-14
Bandsaw is needed again, move the quick release lever into the operating position and the
original blade tension is restored.
A Carter Quick Release lever (left) is standard on the
Powermatic PWBS-14 and makes fully relaxing blade
tension quick and easy. The Quick Release lever works
independently of the blade tensioning block (right) so
the setting is not lost between uses.
Roller Guides
The most popular
aftermarket bandsaw
accessory is roller bearing
guides but the
POWERMATIC PWBS-
14 Bandsaw includes full
dual bearing upper and
lower guides as standard
equipment and takes this
concept a step further.
Easy to use finger-
operated dials make ultra-precise positioning of the side and thrust bearings fast, simple and tool
free. Adjusting the side clearances is also done quickly using a 3mm hex wrench.
Full roller guides upper (left) and lower (right) are standard equipment. Both
feature easy-to-adjust dials for making precise, tool-free adjustments of the side
and thrust bearings.

Roller blade guides eliminate substantial amounts of friction and the buildup of heat in the blade
generated by the friction of rub blocks. That allows roller bearing guides to be set closer to the
blade for more control and do not require frequent re-adjusting to compensate for friction-related
wear.
Table
The POWERMATIC PWBS-14 Bandsaw features a large two-
piece cast iron table with a finely ground surface and a
standard ¾”-wide by 3/8”-deep t-shaped miter slot. A 5 3/8”-
deep stationary table extension adds to the primary 15” by 15”
table for an overall useable surface of 20 7/8”by 15”to
provide plenty of support for large projects.
The primary table tilts 45-degrees to the right and 10-degrees
to the left. A pair of large diameter knobs secures the tilt
function and feature a rubber overmold surface for comfort and enhanced grip. A scale on the
operator-side trunnion makes setting precise table angles easy.
The combination of tilting and
stationary cast iron table sections
gives the PWBS-14 one of the
largest work surfaces in the industry!
The POWERMATIC PWBS-14 Bandsaw table surface is 44”above the floor, which eliminates
stooping to make time-intensive cutting jobs less tiring. With a full 6”resaw capacity below the
upper guide and a generous 13 ½”blade-to-frame distance, you will find this to be an extremely
capable bandsaw.
Versatile Fence
Though often considered an extra-
cost accessory, the POWERMATIC
PWBS-14 Bandsaw comes with a
full-featured t-square fence. For
maximum stability during the largest
of cutting tasks, the POWERMATIC
PWBS-14 Bandsaw fence locks onto
its guide rails at both sides of the
table with the flip of the single
locking lever.
The large 19 ¾”-long by 2 ½”-tall
extruded aluminum fence rail provides plenty of surface for guiding even large-sized projects
accurately. With flat faces on both sides, this fence can be used on either side of the blade plus
allows clamping shop-made jigs in place simple.
The full-featured T-square style fence (left) locks on both ends for
maximum stability. The resaw post (right) is included and attaches
to the fence with a finger knob.
We also include a 3”-tall resaw post that attaches to the fence with a simple finger knob. The
resaw post can be positioned as needed to the blade width being used for maximum accuracy and
ease of use. A dual range scale on the guide rail shows blade-to-fence cut widths and blade-to-
resaw post widths!

Miter Gauge
A full-featured miter gauge is included, sized specifically for use with the POWERMATIC
PWBS-14 Bandsaw. The miter gauge fence can be locked at any setting
up to 60–degrees to the left or right. The flat, machined aluminum fence face features screw slots
for attaching your shop-made faces or jigs for specialty jobs.
Work Light
We also added a handy work light, mounted on a flex shaft that
allows positioning it where needed to best illuminate the work. The
work light uses a 40-watt bulb that provides plenty of light on the
table without causing glares or introducing unnecessary heat. The
work light also has its own switch so it can be turned on only when
needed independently of the POWERMATIC PWBS-14 Bandsaw
motor.
We built-in a handy work
light on a flexible shaft to
make seeing what you are
doing a little easier.
Accessories
Mobility
Being able to move larger machines to the best open area within modern shops is important to
safety and productivity. The #2042377 mobile base has been specifically designed to fit the base
cabinet of the POWERMATIC PWBS-14 Bandsaw precisely
and to easily handle weight. A full swivel caster on one end
makes guiding the POWERMATIC PWBS-14 Bandsaw easy,
even through tight areas.
If being able to move your machines
is a priority, our fully-welded mobile
base rolls smoothly yet all three
wheels lock for maximum stability.
The caster wheel has a step-on locking lever while both fixed
wheels have knobs that when screwed in, firmly lock those
wheels. The result is a very stable platform when locked down
for use.

Extended Resaw Capacity
With the addition of our
riser block kit, the
PWBS-14 resaw capacity
increases to 12” from the
upper guide to the table
surface!
When large capacity resawing is required, the #1791217, 6”riser kit
increases the maximum clearance between the upper guides and the
table surface to 12”. The riser kit supplies all of the parts needed to make
the conversion including the 6”block, retaining bolt, extended upper
guide post, expandable upper blade guard and even a 3/8”-wide general
purpose 105”blade to get you started. A single instruction sheet walks
you through the process of installing the riser kit.