Tune your bandsaw

[TheCabinetmaker]

Alex was a speaker at our woodworking club in Columbus Ohio late last year. He is a great speaker with a lot of info on using the band saw.

[daddo]

What was your problem, and what did fix it?

I do think his advice is generally good, but doesn't make much note about the importance of the blade itself.


Also, does anyone believe his advice on blade position applies to flat wheels, as well?  (Inca or european saws?)
I believe these recommend running the teeth off the front edge.

Matt

 One of my band saws drifts left during a cut, no matter what I have tried, and I have meticulously and timelessly tried it all, beginning 4 years ago when I watched this video then. 


 His mention of making sure the back guide wheel does not touch the blade on set up or it will cause the blade to immediately "Deflect" during a cut is contradictory to the fact that as soon as you push material into the blade, the blade makes a 1/16th move into the wheel anyway, yet this will not cause a deflection. Perhaps I misunderstood?
 The second contradictory statement (Though understandably exaggerated), is the guaranty of .003"- .005" accuracy in the table top, using his method. (Which IS the easiest and best way to me)  I'm not sure he understands that a human hair is .003"- .004" thick.  Highly improbable to get that accuracy checking via a blade wide cut. But that is nit picking on my part.

[jteneyck]

 One of my band saws drifts left during a cut, no matter what I have tried, and I have meticulously and timelessly tried it all, beginning 4 years ago when I watched this video then. 


 His mention of making sure the back guide wheel does not touch the blade on set up or it will cause the blade to immediately "Deflect" during a cut is contradictory to the fact that as soon as you push material into the blade, the blade makes a 1/16th move into the wheel anyway, yet this will not cause a deflection. Perhaps I misunderstood?
 The second contradictory statement (Though understandably exaggerated), is the guaranty of .003"- .005" accuracy in the table top, using his method. (Which IS the easiest and best way to me)  I'm not sure he understands that a human hair is .003"- .004" thick.  Highly improbable to get that accuracy checking via a blade wide cut. But that is nit picking on my part.

Have you checked the alignment of the blade with the miter slot?  But let me back up first.  I know Snodgrass says not to bother checking if the wheels are coplaner but in my opinion it is critically important to success.  Sure, on a new saw the wheels should be close to perfect from the factory, but on an older or used saw they could be anywhere, especially if it's a two piece cast iron saw like the Delta 14" and clones.  So, assuming the wheels are close to coplaner and the blade centered on the upper wheel (for crowned tires), and the blade is sharp and with adequate tension, the last piece of the puzzle is the alignment of the table to the blade.  Put a straight edge along the edge of the blade, then measure the distance from it to the miter slot at the front and back of the table.  That distance should be equal.  If not, loosen the trunnion bolts and adjust the table until they are.  

BS's, like other saws, should cut straight and parallel to the miter slot.  You shouldn't have to accept less.  

John

[Timberwolf]

 One of my band saws drifts left during a cut, no matter what I have tried, and I have meticulously and timelessly tried it all, beginning 4 years ago when I watched this video then. 


 His mention of making sure the back guide wheel does not touch the blade on set up or it will cause the blade to immediately "Deflect" during a cut is contradictory to the fact that as soon as you push material into the blade, the blade makes a 1/16th move into the wheel anyway, yet this will not cause a deflection. Perhaps I misunderstood?
 The second contradictory statement (Though understandably exaggerated), is the guaranty of .003"- .005" accuracy in the table top, using his method. (Which IS the easiest and best way to me)  I'm not sure he understands that a human hair is .003"- .004" thick.  Highly improbable to get that accuracy checking via a blade wide cut. But that is nit picking on my part.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Use an old stone and take a little "set" off the left side of the blade...

[jteneyck]

,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Use an old stone and take a little "set" off the left side of the blade...

That would suggest every blade Daddo has put on that saw has had too much set on the left side.  

John

[Tapper]

Have you checked the alignment of the blade with the miter slot?  But let me back up first.  I know Snodgrass says not to bother checking if the wheels are coplaner but in my opinion it is critically important to success.  Sure, on a new saw the wheels should be close to perfect from the factory, but on an older or used saw they could be anywhere, especially if it's a two piece cast iron saw like the Delta 14" and clones.  So, assuming the wheels are close to coplaner and the blade centered on the upper wheel (for crowned tires), and the blade is sharp and with adequate tension, the last piece of the puzzle is the alignment of the table to the blade.  Put a straight edge along the edge of the blade, then measure the distance from it to the miter slot at the front and back of the table.  That distance should be equal.  If not, loosen the trunnion bolts and adjust the table until they are.  

BS's, like other saws, should cut straight and parallel to the miter slot.  You shouldn't have to accept less.  

John

John,

I watched the vide and thought it was "OK." Sorry but this guy, although obviously knowledgeable, seemed like a bit of a showman to me. Do you agree with his proclamation that the blade should not be centered on the upper wheel, but rather the rear of the gullet should be?

Thanks,

Doug

[daddo]

You name it- I've done it.  

But obviously there is something left to be done where somewhere in the universe that knowledge has yet to be discovered.  


 I have time today to look again and see if I can find something.

[Timberwolf]

That would suggest every blade Daddo has put on that saw has had too much set on the left side.  

John

.........
Nothing to lose...Try it and see....

[jteneyck]

John,

I watched the vide and thought it was "OK." Sorry but this guy, although obviously knowledgeable, seemed like a bit of a showman to me. Do you agree with his proclamation that the blade should not be centered on the upper wheel, but rather the rear of the gullet should be?

Thanks,

Doug

Snodgrass lost me when the video I watched (Sorry, I only watched the one linked to here until I saw it was him.) said not to even bother checking if the wheels on the saw are coplaner, that that had been addressed by the manufacturer and however they had set them was correct.  That might be OK with a brand new machine that runs OK but is poor advise for used machines or ones that don't run correctly despite following his or the manufacture's instructions.  


His advise to put the rear of the blade gullet at the center of the upper wheel is OK for narrow blades, but won't work for wide ones.  Try putting the rear of the gullet on a blade 1-1/2" wide on a wheel that's only 2" wide.  Doesn't work very well.  But yeah, if we're talking about blades 3/4" and less it probably works OK, and that likely covers 99% of his audience.  On the other hand, you'll never go wrong by centering the blade on the upper wheel, which, FWIW, is exactly what Grizzly says to do for my 17" saw. 

John

[rwe2156]

IMO the best way to adjust the TABLE, not the fence & certainly not tinkering around with factory wheel settings.  Michael Fortune has an excellent video on this.

Messing around with factory wheel settings trying to achieve the Snodgrass standard *can* lead to problems. Don't ask me how I know this :-)

And BTW the "gullet in the wheel center" doesn't work with flat tires.

Bottom line you can't apply it to all brands of machines.