A book recommended teak or lignum vitae blocks. Anyone tried them? How do they compare to cool blocks?
I have scraps of both, but before I got to the trouble of cutting them and getting them into the bandsaw (speaking of which, any tips on changing the lower blocks on a 14" Delta would be appreciated...) I thought I would find out what others have tried. Thanks.
I'm running red oak soaked in oil right now. seems to be working fine.
If you have it to hand, then either should work. They're both inherently oily. Maple is another favourite, but needs soaking first.
IMHE, the advantage of Cool Blocks is their easy setup. They lubrcate well, so you can run them on a tighter spacing from the blade. Wood blocks can perform just as well, but you're forever having to re-adjust them.
I use lignum vitae, have as long as I've had the saw (10 years). Work fine, never replaced, wear very little.
Depends on what you're cutting. If you're using narrow blades in narrow spots, throwaway guides of wood or phenolic are a good solution. You have to be very careful and resurface them if you're chewing them, else they become ineffective, with the blade suffering the consequences. I've used both kinds, no particular advantage to either that I can see.
What's on my saw now, because it's cutting green wood for turning, and when resawing in straight lines, are ceramics. Slicker than snot, so they can touch the blade if the weld is smoothed properly without heat, don't wear away noticeably after two years, but don't recommend on blades narrower than
1/4.I am sure you're speaking of the grub screw on the lower left guide, which is almost impossible to reach, and whose recess is always packed with dust. I ground the short end of an "L" Allen wrench to make it just about a quarter inch shorter, then stuffed the long end into a wooden handle to make holding it easier. Seems to help the two problems I had.
But if you think _that_ one's tough to get to, wait until the one on the lower guide adjustment comes loose!
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