HS14 My Rapidor Manchester power hacksaw

A short video on my Rapidor Manchester. I've not found a lot of information about these saws on the web so this video could be very useful to anyone attempting a restoration.

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

What a fabulous machine. Beautifully restored and beautifully filmed and explained. If I had one, I would feed it and watch it cut all day long. Wonderful. Thank you. 👏👏👍😀

[@HaxbyShed]

Thank you Andrew. The saw appears in a lot of my videos. It is an essential tool in my workshop. I saw your channel. When I was a boy for a while I worked a linotype machine that cast letters in solder. The text was typed on a keyboard by the operator and the letters dropped down the chute to the casting block. When cast in sentences these were then mounted in a chase frame on the printing press. It's a long time ago, I hope I remember it correctly. It was very interesting. Cheers

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

@@HaxbyShed Hello there. I look forward to catching up on all your other videos, especially if they feature more of your fabulous machine. Thanks for taking a look at my little video. I must make more showing how I cast printing type. Yes, you describe the Linotype very well. Your recollections are spot on. My Monotype differs in many respects from the Linotype, but the end product is printed from in the same way. It’s the need to maintain the type casting machine which has resulted me in equipping my workshop with a Myford Super 7 and tiny mini mill. What a rabbit hole! All the best, Andrew

[@simthespark324]

Really nice restoration, I have one myself which I’m waiting to restore. Not the fastest saw but I quite like it and the way it works

[@HaxbyShed]

Thanks, for me there is an element of nostalgia but it is very practical and cuts at 90 spot on if I set it up right. Very robust and almost impossible to break a blade.

[@simthespark324]

@@HaxbyShed It's a pleasure to watch cut... I am now in the process of restoration, was wondering how you removed the end of the dog clutch on the shaft. I tried holding the shaft in a four jaw with packing and unscrewing the dog clutch end with stillsons (packing under them to avoid damaging it) and it seems to be absolutely stuck. Any ideas? Many Thanks.

[@HaxbyShed]

Hi, I think I removed the round dog clutch nut whilst it was on the machine. It was not super tight and I put a chock of wood under the crank arm against the bed. The taper between the crank arm and the shaft was tight enough to hold the shaft whilst I removed the dog clutch nut with the stillsons. Heating the nut might help if you have not tried that yet.

[@simthespark324]

@@HaxbyShed Okay thanks for the info. I’ll give it a try with some heat haven’t done so yet. Cheers.

[@hilltopmachineworks2131]

Sweet power hacksaw.

[@HaxbyShed]

Hi HTMW, it's slow, clanky, messy and reliable. Perfect.

[@manfacilitymetalworks1296]

Are the jaws marked for angle cuts or do you need a set square to set them up?

[@HaxbyShed]

Hi, thanks for your comment. They are not marked so you do need a square or protractor to set up the swivel jaws for the angle you want. But it's easy to drop the blade and set your angle against that and after the jaws are set they stay for cut after cut if the workpiece is long enough. If you have a short workpiece, where you can't use the full face of the jaw, then you need to pack the other end of the swivel jaws equally to make sure they don't rotate out of place. They are not indexed in any way and are just held in position by the bolts. Hope that makes sense.

[@manfacilitymetalworks1296]

Thanks for that. I had one of these when I was a kid but only ever used it for straight cuts. Wasnt as tidy as yours though. It had been converted from a line shaft belt drive to a motor with a leather belt to drive it.

[@Martin-y7t5g]

Good afternoon. We have purchased a saw which in every way seems in good condition but the jaws do not rotate far enough to allow a 45 degree cut. Have we been sold a problem or are we missing something obvious? The jaws look original with no obvious alterations/modifications. Hoping you can help. Thanks in anticipation

[@HaxbyShed]

You don't say Martin but is it a Rapidor, like mine? Cheers

[@Martin-y7t5g]

It is a Rapidor Major. Just seems strange to us that they would make a saw that couldn't get down to 45 degrees?@@HaxbyShed

[@HaxbyShed]

Ok, on my (smaller) Rapidor the jaw swivel mechanism is very crude. It's just two curved slots in the jaws clamped with a long 1/2 Whitworth bolt in each jaw. But it does allow me to swivel to 45 degrees just about on one side where the jaw supports are cut away to allow the 45 swivel. Looking at pictures online the Major jaws looks similar. These saws were heavy duty workhorses but very rough and basic in their design and construction. I could leave my Rapidor hacking through a 6in round bar all day and it would be fine (although the cut might not be very 90). If you want to email me I can send you a picture of my saw jaws, if that helps. My email address is in the 'about' section on my channel page. Cheers

[@carlkulyk366]

That is a very nice , heavy duty power hacksaw. I had a U.S. made Keller saw that was way lighter construction and more basic construction. British made machine tools are always well designed.

[@HaxbyShed]

Hi Carl, it's is a bit of a rough old dog but it will chew through big stock (up to 6in diameter) all day long. Cheers Paul

[@deanharris7149]

Awesome.

[@HaxbyShed]

Thank you Dean.

[@leinad.s]

I just brought something pretty similar to that, not quite as nice. I still have to drive to pick it up, 6 hours, but it's a good excuse for me to visit some people I know in that area.

[@HaxbyShed]

Hi Legbad, it was quite a mess when I bought it. The motor and pulley setup was not original (you could say improved). I was very pleased to get the guard. The design and construction are as basic and primitive as you can get, but I just love it. Cheers

[@MojoMachineWorks]

Hi Haxby Shed, I’ve just managed to get my hand on one of gear very saws! I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions in regards to the drive/engage power mechanism, as I believe mine has been tampered with by the previous owner.

[@HaxbyShed]

Hi HEX.MFG, yes I am happy to answer any questions that I can. Cheers

[@MojoMachineWorks]

@@HaxbyShed is there an alternative way to contact you as I’d like to send some pictures of the flywheel engagement so see if it matches yours! Thanks Matt

[@HaxbyShed]

@HEX.MFG_mph sure yes just email [e-mail]

[@elibaxter3646]

Hi I have one of these that is in as bad if not worse condition as yours and was planing to restore it at some point but I’m only 15 and am thinking it might be quite hard even thought I just want to get it running any advise I would be very grateful for Thanks

[@HaxbyShed]

Hi Eli, I was 16 when I first used a Rapidor saw and I think of that old saw very fondly. Clunky, noisy, oily, and slow thing that it was. The one I have now I bought from ebay. It was all there plus a few spare parts but the main bronze bush needed a bit of attention, although it would run ok. I am happy to help with any questions.

[@elibaxter3646]

Thanks

[@leopold7148]

I wish you goodluck with repairing that machine. It will probably last a lifetime if maintained correctly. :)

[@quadrapoint]

Hi just found this video I think I know this machine it was during your strip down I think I saw some areas that were familiar if I'm right it originally came from from a well known lawnmower manufacturing company it was well used by them and by myself. I sold it on ebay about 6 years ago . Good to see it all looking good now if it is my old machine

[@HaxbyShed]

Hi Quadrapoint I bought it on eBay from a man near Retford for £220 if I recall correctly. It was very very mucky and I replaced the main bronze bush but otherwise it runs well. Great to hear it may be the very same one!! Cheers Paul

[@diggmore1362]

I’ve got a rapidor saw like that a real old workhorse a bit on the slow side but just keeps going

[@allenhunt3070]

Nice restoration! Smart looking and running hacksaw.

[@HaxbyShed]

Thank you Allen, I'm very fond of my Rapidor.

[@stella563]

Hi, good video, informative. I'm restoring one of these as well. Lucky the crank and brgs, vice parts are all in good condition, my only problem is cracks in the 6 spoke flywheel (but that's another story). I write to ask what material you used to make new collapsible spacers that go under the sliders plate? The originals are wood and I only have 2 and a half, and they are very fragile. My options are wood, tufnol, plastic or plywood. What are your thoughts? Also my serial no is 3XM 59047, which i think is slightly younger than yours. Do you know a way of dating these machines. Thanks Rob.

[@HaxbyShed]

Hi Rob, my spacers are PVCu window trim strip. They are about the right thickness and will compress a bit. I've hunted all over the internet for the Rapidor serial number dates but I've not found anything at all. The Rapidor features quite a bit in my videos on various projects and I could not be without it. Its a true champion. Cheers.

[@stella563]

Thanks for that info. I like this old engineering, no electrical sensors, modules or software to deal with !!..cheers.

[@edwinmwila2360]

Hi, would like to get one of this kind, how do I get hold you Sir?

[@HaxbyShed]

Hi Edwin, these old Rapidor Hacksaws are still relatively common in the UK but usually need some servicing and repair. I got mine from ebay and I travelled about 90 miles to collect it. They are mostly cast iron and quite heavy. Cheers

[@MrHendrixForever]

Hi there what is the part number for the hacksaw blade?

[@HaxbyShed]

It came with a Starrett RS1410 which I'm still using. I've bought a spare which is an Eclipse 14in x 1in x 50thou (1.25mm) 10 tpi. Hope that helps. Cheers

[@munchegod]

Hiya, I've just been given one of these by a friend and it needs a bit of work, not sure what I'm going to find under the grime. I was wondering what oil and grease you used and where, in particular what you used in the dashpot, I had a smaller hacksaw where I just used the heaviest oil I had to hand for the dashpot.

[@HaxbyShed]

Hi Munchegod, I use ISO68 medium hydraulic oil, same as the oil in my lathe headstock. There is an adjuster rod in the dashpot which allows you to adjust the damper effect. It seems very basic but it works just fine. Cheers

[@munchegod]

@@HaxbyShed that's convenient that's what I use in my lathe too, thanks for the info. If you don't mind I have another question, what have you used for shims on those square bar slides, my one has some sort of mdf or hardboard which doesn't seem right to me.

[@HaxbyShed]

@@munchegod Well you might be surprised I think even from new it was something like hardboard. I used compressible uPVC cover strip - something like 4mm thick 20mm wide cut to shape. The engineering was pretty crude.

[@munchegod]

​@@HaxbyShed hiya, just got round to starting my restoration, I was wondering how you got that bronze bushing out? Mine seems fine so I really don't want to damage it on the way out but I think I really ought to get it out for a good clean.

[@HaxbyShed]

​@@munchegod sorry it took a while for me to reply. It's been a while since I dismantled my rapidor and my memory has faded. I don't remember it being difficult to remove the bronze bush. The bush is held in place with a screw with a square head. I know on mine the bush will rock if I don't keep that screw tight. Cheers