Bandsaw blade drifts

Jeff.. Unless you jammed the cardboard in a guide or something, I'd suspect the blade, but I've never had one suddenly drift a lot.. it's usually a gradual thing..

Check both wheels and all the guides for bits of cardboard and buy a box cutter..

mac

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Check tooth set? Tom

Check all your adjustments and check in particular check where the blade is tracking on the wheels. If the blade tracks too far forward or back on the wheel it can drift more than normal. Running the saw can also decrease the tension on the blade and allow it to go off center and or drift.

First, check the guides and make sure that they're at the proper clearance--some saws have enough free movement that raising or lowering the guides can put pressure on the blade.

Second, were you sawing the same species before and after? My saw tracks nice and straight in maple and walnut and douglas fir and poplar but drifts all over the place in lyptus for example.

I don't think the guides moved. The blade is not touching them.

I was sawing plywood templates before and after. (Well, after it was

I checked tracking. The blade is right in the center of the top and bottom wheels.

By chance did you happen to hit a staple while cutting up the cardboard?

I thought I was careful but I'm beginning to think I did hit a staple. Let's put it this way: If it's not the blade, then I have NO IDEA how to correct this problem. Everything else seems fine.

Three most common causes of blade not tracking properly:

1. Blade too loose
2. Upper wheel not properly adjusted
3. Improperly adjusted blade support bearing

If none of those, then I'd try a new blade. Especially if it takes more than normal effort to push the plywood through the blade when cutting..

In that case, I'd change the blade before changing a lot of setting on the saw..

Sort of like having a computer problem and reformatting your drive to try solving it.. might have just been one little setting or something and it could have been corrected without drastic methods..

mac

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I don't know this term: "blade support bearing" do you mean the thrust bearing, i.e., the bearing behind the blade?

Yes.. Good luck..

It's the weird name Delta uses in its owner's manual.. Those were the three causes, it listed and what I've gone by in the past..

I changed the blade and my cuts were fine. Must've hit a stable. There's probably a lesson here ... nah.

Jeff

Never pass up an opportunity to buy a new tool..

There must be an expensive cardboard cutting system out there..

Someone gave me a box cutter with a light... like I'm gonna be out somewhere in the dark cutting boxes open??

Makes as much sense as drive-up ATMs having the Braille on them..

mac

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mac davis wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

There is, it's called a "bandsaw." See how well it worked with the cardboard? It wasn't until the guy hit a stable that the thing stopped working. I'd stop working too if I hit a stable. Poor animals...

I'd prefer a lantern myself, but then again I don't go sneaking around at night cutting boxes.

You can still walk up to them.

Ow. Ow. Ah... that's better.

Puckdropper

Puckdropper wrote in news:47958c52$0$47152$ snipped-for-privacy@authen.yellow.readfreenews.net:

What, you're supposed to cut bands with it? Actually, very specialized bandsaws are used in commercial bakeries to slice bread just before its bagged up. And you know they're used in butcher shops too.

don't rule out the cause ,to be the cardboard, it is very abrasive. use a box knife next time.

KK

Or a plasma cutter.. that might be cool... ;~)

mac

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