Bandsaw Issue

[Sonny]

This is the knob for adjusting the top wheel on my bandsaw, to maintain its being coplanar with the lower wheel.

c/

There is no locking mechanism for this knob, so it moves, unscrews, because of vibration, as the saw is operating, hence, the wheels become out of pla ne. The saw blade tracks too far off center of the wheel. It would event ually track off the wheel, if I let it.

I taped it, but I thought to apply something like the rubbery stuff that's on some nuts, to keep them snug onto their bolts. What is that stuff, tha t's on those nuts?

Is cosmoline, that's on saw blades and router bits, the same stuff? If so , I could melt some, for coating the coplanar knob threads?

If cosmoline is not the same stuff, might there be something more readily a vailable, in my/anyone's shop, that can be used for a permanent application ?

I suppose teflon tape could be used.... and easily reapplied, when needed.

Sonny

[bnwelch]

ts being coplanar with the lower wheel.

se of vibration, as the saw is operating, hence, the wheels become out of p lane. The saw blade tracks too far off center of the wheel. It would eve ntually track off the wheel, if I let it.

s on some nuts, to keep them snug onto their bolts. What is that stuff, t hat's on those nuts?

so, I could melt some, for coating the coplanar knob threads?

available, in my/anyone's shop, that can be used for a permanent applicati on?

[G Ross]

It's not something that should have to be adjusted often, so why not replace the knob with a bolt of the same thread with a jam nut as suggested. Adjust it with a wrench, hold it in place and tighten the jam nut. You might also use thread-lock in the little tube. I use that a lot in places that do not require often use.

[-MIKE-]

As other have suggested, use a jam nut. I suspect there was one on there originally.

[Unquestionably Confused]

That looks suspiciously like a vintage Milwaukee/Delta 14" bandsaw with a repaint job. ;-) I have one in my shop that's about 6 months older than I am.

All the suggestions posted thus far are good one's that I would consider IF I was experiencing the problem you describe (but I'm not, so I won't)

One more to consider: Remove the bolt and drill a small hole perpendicular to the axis of the bolt and thread it for an hex plug. Pop a small length of nylon rod in there followed by the hex plug to create an "internal" jam that will prevent the bolt from backing out with vibration. This way you won't need to grab a wrench every time you need to adjust it nor will you have to find your tube of Blue Thread Loc.

[Sonny]

On Wednesday, August 2, 2017 at 3:00:13 PM UTC-5, Unquestionably Confused

Duh! I feel like a jam nut. I'm slow today. Thanks for waking me up. A regular nut, sliced in half, should do the trick.

It's a 20" Davis & Wells. It's in good working order. Picked it up for $

500 maybe 2 years ago. It was used at Lambert's Prosthetics & Orthotics, here in town. Lambert closed his shop, here, sold all the equipment and moved to Baton Rouge. I bought his flammables cabinet, $50, as well.

Lately, I installed and crowned new tires. Today, I'm adjusting the motor mount (jury-rigged onto the bracket) and pulley alignment. Lambert had in stalled a Dayton motor that didn't quite align with the machine's bracket.

Sonny

[G Ross]

Don't feel bad. I have been known, in a stupid fit of desperation, to deform the threads of a worn bolt with a judicious rap with a ball peen hammer a quarter inch from the end. A sure sign of a "shade tree" mechanic.

[Leon]

Not a problem if you do not take the tension of the tires between usage. For those that do, more trouble.

[Leon]

In many similar cases a spring around the screw applies tension and restricts rotation.

Or maybe dome pipe dope.

[Leon]

And now having said that....... my Laguna uses a jam nut, Doh!. A jam nut with a lever on the side for easy adjustment without need of a wrench. Obviously I was picturing the tension knob.

[-MIKE-]

If you need to release the tension regularly, you could do what I did to mine.

[Leon]

Wow that is pretty darn cool! Fortunately mine has a 6" dial to turn about "a" revolution to tension.

[Bob La Londe]

Vibra-tite

[Sonny]

That's neat. Not sure I can adapt a hand lever to this saw. The tension mechanism is inside the upper casing, a spring loaded hand wheel/screw/adju ster out the top of the casing. What I need is a tension gauge. Right n ow, I just eyeball or guess at an appropriate tension... fingering the blad e laterally.

I release the tension after every use, on the Delta 14", also.

Sonny

[Ed Pawlowski]

I use this

When done with the saw I just crank it out four turns. When I want to use it again, just four turns to tighten.

[-MIKE-]

That looks very handy (PUN!). Is it four revolutions just to un-tension the blase or can you also change it with four?

[Ed Pawlowski]

Four is just an arbitrary number for tension. Takes a few more to change blades, but is goes quickly. Beat the hand knob that was original.

[Unquestionably Confused]

As do I (when I remember) ;-) and I was going to ask you, Sonny, do you typically have to adjust tracking every time? The only time I wind up having to adjust my Milwaukee Delta is when I change blades (or when I screw up, release tension, and then forget to re-tension the blade before turning the saw on again). Of course, some tweaking of the tracking is also required when changing blades.

P.S. One other thought with regard to your loose bolt. Do you have enough room for a small spring to keep tension on the bolt?

[Unquestionably Confused]

Bought one of those a couple years ago. Great investment. "Too soon old, too late smart!" ;)

[G Ross]

Mine works the same but home made.