First Furniture Making Power Tool

It's true that I have a circular saw and a battery powered impact driver, but this is the first power tool that I can use for the kind of woodworking I do in my spare time, which tends toward more intricate stuff than framing walls.  

Last week I got my grimy mitts on a bandsaw.  It's a 1940's Craftsman bandsaw, with what appears to be the original 1/2 HP motor that was bought with the unit.  It comes with a custom made (cobbled together) wood base.  It works really well. 

I had to replace the tires, so I went with Urethane because I've read that they're good.  Mine are bright orange.  They cost $45, bringing my total investment in this saw to $45.  Yes, that's correct.  I met someone, and a few hours later they gave me this saw.  He said he never used it, and I looked interested.  Did I mention that it came with several brand new, never used wood and metal cutting blades?  Oh yes, this is the jackpot.  The upper guide is broken on one side, but I ran the saw anyways and it seems to cut flawlessly. 

It only has a 1/2 HP motor, but it didn't seem to struggle at all resawing some semi-green Maple (on the right in the picture below) at full cut capacity.  I think I can thank the sharp blade for that.

There is one bummer, and that's that this saw doesn't appear to accept a riser block, because the top and bottom halves are attached via a big pipe.  No big deal, I guess, because a 6" cutting height is more than I had before!  Oh, and spare parts don't seem to exist for this saw anymore, but with the way it's running, I think I'll be long gone before it needs any major repairs.

Some test cuts above.  Making some Krenov style veneer (or parts for a small box) from Curly Maple on the left, a whimsical curvy cut in the middle, and some more serious resawing on the right.