bandsaw problem

[Mike in Mystic]

Hi everyone,

I have a Jet 14" bandsaw with the riser block, which I've had for about 1.5 years. When I first bought it I put a 1/2" Timberwolf blade on it and in all that time have not had to change the blade (I usually resaw with it and/or make reasonably large curves, plus I have a scroll saw for really tight radii).

Anyway, for my current project I decided to switch out the 1/2" blade and put a 1/8" blade on it. I have a quick-tension lever and so I removed the

1/2" blade just fine and put the 1/8" in place and put tension up to that point using the JET tension scale. I was rotating the upper wheel by hand to check the tracking when the blade suddenly jumped off the wheel with a horrendous BANG!

When I examined the situation, I found that the blade had become wedged between the upper wheel and the housing. What's worse, the upper wheel had somehow been pushed ABOVE the housing - not good. I was able to extricate the blade easily enough, but when I removed the tension with the tension lever, I found that the entire wheel assembly was moving (which I thought was what always happens anyway?), including the tension scale.

I'm not sure if I'm explaining this very well, but the problem that now stands is that when I turn the tension lever, the tension scale which used to be stationary (relative to the little indicator washer) is now moving and the upper wheel is moving all the way until it wedges against the upper wheel housing.

I took the wheel off and there doesn't seem to be any means of clamping the tension scale/wheel assembly in place (which wouldn't make sense to me anyway, as if done, how would you put tension on the blade?). I looked at it from every which way for about 45 minutes and I can't see what the heck is wrong.

Anyone every have this happen or can tell me what I'm missing and how to fix it??

Thanks!

Mike Mystic, CT

[George]

It seems you are describing the way things are supposed to work when there is no blade on the saw. It is the blade which resists, limiting the travel and compressing the spring.

If you have a blade in the saw, it's too long.

[Don Sforza]

I also have the 14incher with riser block and had a similar experience with the 1/8" blade. I think there is supposed to be that movement in the upper area... I got the blade to track by adjusting the tracking. The blade ended up tracking on the edge, not the center, but it worked OK.

I would be curious as to other's experiences.

Don Sforza Middlebury, CT '58 Alfa Spider Veloce '74 Triumph TR6

[Mike in Mystic]

Thank George,

I was overlooking the obvious. I was so consumed with how the wheel had been thrust up past the wheel housing, that when I was retensioning the blade I didn't even notice that the blade had fallen behind the lower wheel and no tension was being applied to it. The way the tension scale thing had been wedged up to its limits made, as well as the very loud noise when the blade slipped off the wheel, made me think something had to have broken. Anyway, thanks for reminding me to look for the simple solutions!

Mike