Carter Electronic Tension Gauge?

[Lee Michaels]

"mac davis" wrote

Stainless steel pick?

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Not really. The 3/4" blade is six times wider than the 1/8" so it takes more spring tension to get the same psi.

[Robatoy]

It shouldn't be running, silly!

[Bruce Barnett]

On a guitar, if you tune the big fat string to match the same frequency as the skinny one, you will likely break the guitar.

[Mark Wells]

When I started using a bandsaw, I read Duginske's book and worried all the time about blade tension, distance to guide blocks, getting the wheels perfectly parallel, etc. I also worried about what blade to use for different tasks, etc. Then I read Lonnie Bird's book, who is much more relaxed on all those topics.

Over time I've learned that most of those things don't make much difference. Now I just use a Lenox 1/2", 4pi bi-metal blade and set the factory guage to 1/2". If it flutters, I adjust it a little up or done. I use that blade for everything -- ripping, resawing, and dovetails. Works great. (I do have the Iturra spring because I bottomed out the original obsessing over blade tension and it failed.)

You only need to worry about tension, etc. if your bandsaw doesn't actually cut the way you expect it to. The bandsaw is a simple machine. Using a sharp blade is probably what is most important.

Mark

[Doug Miller]

Probably not - I'm picturing a chart taped to the back of the bandsaw that looks something like

1/2" resaw blade - Bb 1/4" utility blade - E 1/8" scroll blade - G#

[mac davis]

mark.. Maybe you can clear something up for me.. (I feel about the same as you do about setup) What IS fluttering?? I keep seeing it mentioned, but not described..

mac

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[Pat Barber]

[Mark Wells]

Suffolk Machinary (Timber Wolf blades) suggests using a "flutter" method to set the bandsaw tension. They say you should let the tension off until the blade flutters. In other words, it oscillates back and forth about 1/4". Then you increase the tension until the flutter is gone. I found that process very time consuming, and and easy way to ruin a blade because the tracking can change as you change the tension.

The flutter I'm talking about is that sometimes there can be a harmonic oscillation in the blade after setting the tension. If that happens, then you just have to change the tension slightly and the flutter will go away.

When you see flutter, you'll know what it is. It's pretty obvious that something is wrong because the blade will be vibrating back and forth as opposed to just running straight down.

Mark

[mac davis]

ok, I'm pretty sure that I understand that, but on the basis of "there are no stupid questions", I've had both "side to side" movement and forward and backward" movement.. (improper roller bearing adjustment).. are these both flutter, or are we talking something else?

BTW: I'm on my way to the saw shop to replace the blade that I broke last night, trying to make it flutter.. lol

mac

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[Patrick Conroy]

mac davis wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Side to Side. When my blades flutter, you can actually hear them slapping the sides of the return channel on the left. Pretty loud. It usually goes away with a turn or two of the tension knob.

I gave up on the Suffolk Saw flutter approach. I could never find the flutter spot. In the end, I end up tensioning the blades to the saw's gauge marks.

[mac davis]

Thanks, Patrick... I've only had what you describe as flutter once, and it was (as usual) stupidity on my part... I put a 5/8 blade on and was thinking 3/8 when I set the tension...

I spent a few hours cleaning and setting up the BS yesterday... added cool blocks and a new blade.. Set it on the line for it's size and starting cutting bowl blanks, and my wife asked what was wrong with the BS.. it was so much quieter that she thought that it was messed up..lol

mac

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