I have an old Delta bandsaw. I had put carbon guides in a while ago and have noticed that they are badly worn. Considering how little I use the machine, I guess they don't last very long.
I saw that a place sells ceramic replacements.
Thanx
Laguna uses only ceramic and I am a big fan of them also.
Does that cause any excessive wear on the blades?
Coolblocks are pretty cool. They're a lubricant-impregnated reinforced plastic. Work well, last well, bit less picky over adjustment than the really hard blocks like ceramics.
I have an old Rockwell bandsaw that I did Coolblocks. I do not use it a lot but they seem to work well.
None that I have been able to detect. Laguna claims that you can even have the guides actually touch the blades on both sides for more control. With the Laguna guides you have 4 ceramic guides on each side of the blade top and bottom for a total of 8. The back upper and lower ceramic guides are larger and bring the total up to 10 pieces of ceramic guiding the blade. The back guides actually tend to smooth/round the back edge of the blade. They do help keep the blades clean of build up and rust free. Strangely, when a new blade is mounted you do get some "normal" sparking.
I bought a set of "cool blocks" for about $15 when I got my 14" Ridgid about 5 years ago, thinking that I'd go through a set every 6 months or so.. Still using them, though I've rotated and flipped them several times..
mac
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"KIMOSABE" wrote
Ugh ...
I've used both cool blocks and ceramics on my 14" Delta. Though either do an excellent job, I personally prefer the ceramic. They last longer when used closer to the blade, IME.
YMMV ...
Never having owned a bandsaw, I can't state from experience, but I did read one time that ceramic guides are nosier. Do you notice any difference like that between ceramic and cool blocks?
I was cutting green wood, and the back bearing was getting clogged. So I now use ceramic for the back, and coolblocks for the sides.
Ceramic may be noisier than cool blocks but they are much quieter than roller bearing guides. I really saw no appreciable difference between ceramic and "regular" friction type not cool block guides.
Huh?
You asking me? Who has stood in close proximity to a drummer onstage for a good part of his life, not to mention being in the Artillery, in earnest! :)
Actually, I have excellent hearing (... that is until just recently, according to SWMBO) and I have not noticed a big difference in the sound level between cool blocks and ceramic blocks. AAMOF, my Delta 14" still has "the sound" with either ... that unique sound of a Delta bandsaw that one can identify in the dark, blindfolded.
My LT16SEC came with the euro guides - beariings on either side of the blade and a thrust bearing behind. They were easy to set up and great for wide blades - but kind of a hassle for 1/2" blades, which I use more often. Got the LT ceramic guides at their "introductory prices" from Torben at a WWing show. He's a Bandsaw Phreak and is always working on ways to make bandsawing better (Resaw King blades which are reputed to be pretty amazing, the 10 points ceramic guides).
The LT ceramic guides work really well on 1/2" and 3/4" blades (and probably just as well on 1/4" blades). BUT - they are a royal PITA to set up - at least on an LT 16SEC, especially the ones UNDER the table. The side guides mounting set up allows them to swivel - and that means it's tricky to get them parallel to the blade without touching it. When you go to tighten their set screws they rock out of alignment easily. AND tightening and loosening those little set screws on the thrust block - with an allen wrench ain't fun either, especially under the table - lots of fishing around to find the set screw and then working in a tight space. Why they didn't go with small knobs is a mystery to me.
All that said - having four guides, two on each side of the blade, both top and bottom does reduce blade twist.
Though they say sparking is normal with ceramic guides I still worry about sparks and saw dust being sucked into the dust collection system. Seems like a recipe for a problem. So far though, no BOOOOOOOOOOM!
I have the LT16HD and between the time I ordered it in early 06 IIRC and the time I received it the guides indeed have been equipped with thumb screws. The whole guide must still be adjusted with a hex wrench to insure proper location of the side guides in relationship of the front of the blade.
You might want to look into getting the 6 thumb screws to replace all of the veramic guide adjustment screws. I simply "lightly" press the ceramic guide up against the blade and tighten.
I'd probably be more concerned if the sparks lasted but I have not observed any sparks lasting much more than a flash. If there were big chunks of metal being heated up there might be more of a problem.
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