Kennedy Mini Power Hacksaw

Si Titor

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Kennedy Hexacut mini power hacksaw that will take standard hacksaw blades.

Picked it up last week, cleaned it up lubricated it etc, works a treat!
Just filled up the dashpot with Castrol EP90 oil before I took the video.


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I have one under the bench not used it for close on 25 years. The 2 sliders wore badly and I think it cuts about 5 degree off the square. Was going to put it on the miller and refurbish it but bought a horizontal/vertical bandsaw to tide me over and that has done so well that I never bothered with the Kennedy.
Keep your sliders well lubricated , wire rope/chain lube is ideal. Better than most mineral oils
 
I was lucky to find one of these old Kennedy saw's in good condition. Even though it had the original motor, the reciprical action just seems to be a little too fast for my liking, and there's no realistic way to reduce it. The nice guy I bought it from was retiring, and gave me a tray full of electrically related tools along with it. :)
PICT0009 (Medium).webp
 
I was lucky to find one of these old Kennedy saw's in good condition. Even though it had the original motor, the reciprical action just seems to be a little too fast for my liking, and there's no realistic way to reduce it. The nice guy I bought it from was retiring, and gave me a tray full of electrically related tools along with it. :)View attachment 775440
Could you not install a rheostat, in line, to reduce rpm ?
 
If a motor has brushes (DC or AC) it can be controlled by reducing the supply voltage. Yes a rheostat would do it as was done in theatres of old, but they were running a very stable and predictable load - light-bulbs. A motor in a tool will have to drive a varying load and still hold the selected speed. To slow it down and yet still provide torque when asked the supply voltage can be reduced with a transformer, or made variable with a special transformer with a variable output - a Variac. Obviously at lower voltage/speed the max torque available will be similarly lower.

An AC induction-type motor's speed can only be realistically controlled by changing the AC frequency (unless the load is very predictable and constant - a desk fan). The motor on the saw looks like an AC induction job.
 
If a motor has brushes (DC or AC) it can be controlled by reducing the supply voltage. Yes a rheostat would do it as was done in theatres of old, but they were running a very stable and predictable load - light-bulbs. A motor in a tool will have to drive a varying load and still hold the selected speed. To slow it down and yet still provide torque when asked the supply voltage can be reduced with a transformer, or made variable with a special transformer with a variable output - a Variac. Obviously at lower voltage/speed the max torque available will be similarly lower.

An AC induction-type motor's speed can only be realistically controlled by changing the AC frequency (unless the load is very predictable and constant - a desk fan). The motor on the saw looks like an AC induction job.
Just wondering - my benchtop band saw has a variable speed control, which I believe is a rheostat. 110- 120/V AC.
 
Just wondering - my benchtop band saw has a variable speed control, which I believe is a rheostat. 110- 120/V AC.
Could be a phase-angle control - a domestic light dimmer is such. I had a small bench pcb drill using that idea but yes it slowed down under load. Thinking about it, my Bosch hand-drill has phase-angle too, built into the trigger movement. Very handy but it slows down on load - If I need slow with torque I cheat, running it at full trigger but off a variac in an extension lead.

Being a nerd can be useful sometimes.
 
Looking at the size of the pulley cover, there doesn't look like there's much scope for altering pulley size - smaller drive and/or larger driven ........ both look at about the limit.
Not up on electrics but.......... If it's a 2 pole motor, a 4 pole motor would halve the speed Shrug tt
 
Kennedy Hexacut mini power hacksaw that will take standard hacksaw blades.

Picked it up last week, cleaned it up lubricated it etc, works a treat!
Just filled up the dashpot with Castrol EP90 oil before I took the video.


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View attachment 774995


View attachment 774996
That's a nice machine,i knew an oldschool upholsterer who had one of these in his workshop,he did machine work as a hobby,he specialised in restoring vintage car interiors & horse drawn cart seats etc,his work was absolutely outstanding,i tried to buy the hacksaw from him a few times but he wouldn't part with it,he's sadly long gone now & i've no idea where his tools would have went.

If you ever feel inclined to part with this give me a shout (y)
 
That's a nice machine,i knew an oldschool upholsterer who had one of these in his workshop,he did machine work as a hobby,he specialised in restoring vintage car interiors & horse drawn cart seats etc,his work was absolutely outstanding,i tried to buy the hacksaw from him a few times but he wouldn't part with it,he's sadly long gone now & i've no idea where his tools would have went.

If you ever feel inclined to part with this give me a shout (y)
You see them on ebay now and then and some with postage, but often or not they are collection only.
 
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