As I understand it, BS adjustment can be tricky. My first 3 cuts were perfect in 4" thick oak. After that, the cut kept drifting left. I've played with the bearing adjustment without success. Tension is set to 3/8" (like the blade). What can be the problem ?
Try adding a bit more tension and/or slightly dulling the side of the blade where the cut it drifting to.
You can also adjust the fence to match the drift, or use a single point fence.
I often use slightly more tension than the scale says. On my Delta I'll typically run a 3/8" blade between the 3/8" and 1/2" scale marks. Don't forget to round the back of the blade with an old stone, grinder wheel, sandpaper, or purpose built blade rounding tool. If I've got a blade with a lot of drift, I'll often lightly rub the drift side with the stone to dull it as I've mentioned above.
Barry
There is definitely a debate about the tension issue. Lonnie Bird's book basically says that you can never get enough tension, especially in most 14" models. IN a recent mag. it said that that was a myth. That same magazine article suggests that you can correct drift by tracking the upper wheel perfectly in the middle.
I found Duginski's recommendation about plucking the blade while tightening works well. You hear a clear tone at some point during the tightening, then stop. No visual needed. Check your wheels for co-planar positioning. Check bearings and guide blocks.
On another tack, what's the blade brand? Also, how much length of 4" stock did you cut? Was this purchased wood or yard tree?
If the first few cuts were "perfect" then all went south, I'm wondering if the blade sharpness is the culprit. Is it merely wandering left or do you think it requires a bit more pressure to push the wood through? If it were mine (and not a carbide tipped blade), then I'd consider touching up the underside of each tooth with a Dremel and a chainsaw stone and then seeing how it cut. It doesn't take much to dull a blade sometimes if there's enough grit or dirt embedded in the wood.
I don't agree.
I keep my saw well tuned and center tracked but still see some blades that lead. Those are the blades that get a light touch with an abrasive on the leading side of the teeth.
FWIW, I've used Timberwolf, Woodslicer, and many other brands. Once I really learned how to keep the saw tuned, I've settled on $10 Olsen (from Ballew Tool) and BC Saw blades. I've got no reason to spend $30 on a band saw blade.
Barry
Ok, found the problem, the problem came with the original blade. After checking every adjustment, I decided to change the blade and guess what... everything is back on track. It's a swedish blade purchased at a specialty tooling store (20$Cdn). I cut mostly hard wood and the first cut was with 4 to 6" thick along the grain.
My first touch with a BS tells me that it's the most sensitive tool I get on my floor but many hours of fun in front of me !
thanks all
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One thing I've noticed in discussions here is that while people use carbide blades on table/chop/etc saws, they don't bother with them on band saws. Is there any reason for that other than cost ?
I've never tried a carbide band saw blade, as I've never had a reason to spend the money on one.
Barry
Just for grins, since your tossing the original blade, try lightly touching the leading side of the teeth with an abrasive with the saw running, and see what happens with the cut.
The abrasive can be a grinding wheel, sharpening stone, emery board, sandpaper glued to a stick, etc... Anything that won't get caught and sucked into the saw will work.
Besides, the practice of mounting and dismounting blades is good for ya'.
Barry
But you'd buy a carbide blade for a table saw ?
Absofrigginloutlely!
Table saw blades are easy to get sharpened. Band saw blades are not only a pain to get sharpened, but they break, get kinked, etc... I get plenty of use out of a $10 blade, where I don't mind tossing it when I'm done.
The cut quality of carbide BS blades that I've seen does not seem to be all that better than a plain steel version. Carbide table saw blades cut better from day one, and keep going and going.
Barry
That sounds like that recommendation to touch up jointer knives with a sharpening stone and the jointer running - IOW, sounds more dangerous than my soundly condemned technique of lowering a zero clearance table saw insert onto the moving blade to cut the kerf slot.
I could see doing this under power if you turn the blade inside out so that the teeth are pointing upwards. I've turned mine inside out to clean them while running with emery paper or steel wool when they got really gunked up when cutting green wood.
Not at all, maybe I didn't explain it correctly.
You are LIGHTLY touching the SIDE of the teeth on a moving blade with a hard abrasive. This is done to the side the cut leads toward. The abrasive used should be BIG ENOUGH, or mounted to wood, so that the fingers are comfortably distant from the blade.
This is no more dangerous than rounding the backs of the blades, and the same tool can be used. Some blades lead because one side is much sharper than the other, or the set is off center, even on an anally accurate set-up saw.
Dulling a side or rounding the back of a band saw blade is no more dangerous than actually band sawing wood, if the operator thinks things through.
You do round the backs of your blades, no?
Barry
Nope, mine have no burr from being stamped out, and I keep my guides tight, so I don't turn one.
I don't understand what you're saying. None of my blades have a burr, and I run Cool Blocks right up against the blade.
Every blade I've ever bought had square back edges, making the backward move difficult. Rounded rear corners work very well. If saw is used only to resaw and rip, the rounded edges probably wouldn't add much, but they sure do when cutting tight curves or backing out of a cut.
Barry
just bought a good size stone (3" x 10") for knife sharpening. Dulling the back blade is done (new one). Now, when I'll change this blade, I'll try on the old stock one. I have my doubts about it's quality anyway and ilt will be done with ABSOLUTE security in mind. I play piano so need all those fingers around....
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Best thing for cutting tight curves is the proper size blade. But maybe that's another reason why I haven't found it necessary. Better to never back out of a cut, rather make relief cuts.
The basic need is (was) to remove an artifact of stamping, or a burr turned by overfeeding and overturning. That's why I said what I said. Understandable enough?
I typically back out of cuts where the waste may be vee shaped, or if I'm cutting notches or squared corners. It's frequently easier to back out of a quick cut with a 3/8" or 1/2" blade, than to mount a
1/16" or 1/8" blade for a one shot deal.Absolutely. As usual, you know everything.
I again understand why I rarely bother to reply to your posts.
Barry
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