I am trying to cut out the slot used for the plastic bill on some fishing baits. I am using my 14" bandsaw with a 1/2" coarse tooth blade to do this and cannot get the cut to be square with the wood. I first cut the shape of the lure out from 1" thick maple and then while the wood is still square I cut out the lip slot. I have squared the blade to the table from the front and side....just eyeballing it. But every single time the bill will tilt just a little down and to the right while looking at it from the front. Anyone know how to correct this?
Had you thought of squaring the blade to the table by actually using an actual square? I'm guessing that your "eyeball measurement" is not nearly as close to square as you think it is.
snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote: > I am trying to cut out the slot used for the plastic bill on some > fishing baits. I am using my 14" bandsaw with a 1/2" coarse tooth blade > to do this and cannot get the cut to be square with the wood.
I wouldn't use a bandsaw, I'd use a router with a slot cutter aand a jig to hold the lure while cutting.
If you don't mind can you post a link to the type of bit you are talking about? Sorry, I live in a very small town with one mom and pop hardware store so getting this kind of info is via the internet mostly.
Odd... I could've *sworn* you said you eyeballed it. Oh, well. Never mind.
If you used a square to square the blade to the table, then check for the following:
Your square isn't square. If it's one of those three-for- sets of "engineer's squares" imported from India or China, or if you bought it at Harbor Freight or Home Depot or Sears, it's probably not. OTOH, if it says "Starrett" or "Incra", it almost certainly is.
You're not being as careful aligning the square to the blade and table as you think you are.
Table shifts when you tighten the adjusting knobs. Check for square, tighten the knobs, and re-check.
Upper blade guide is set too far above the work. This allows the blade to drift excessively. The upper guide should just clear the work.
Upper and/or lower guide blocks or rollers are set too far apart. This also allows the blade to drift excessively.
Feed rate is too fast.
Blade is dull.
Blade is damaged (teeth sharper on one side than on the other, usually the result of hitting something other than wood). This will cause the blade to not cut straight.
Blade is a POS. If you're still using the blade that came with the saw, this is likely to be the case. Until recently, I would have recommended using a Timberwolf blade. No more: I recently bought some Olson blades, and I'll never go back to the Timberwolf. The cut quality of the Olson is noticeably better -- at *half* the price.
Saw is a POS. (You didn't say what it was, or how old it is.) I really hope this isn't the problem.
Hope this helps... Good luck, and let us know what the problem turned out to be.
If your guides are properly adjusted your bandsaw will cut straight - but it won't cut square. Bandsaws are subject to "drift". That's why bandsaw rip fences have to be set at an angle to the blade and not parallel like on a table saw. Now, if you're only cutting a slot in a piece, there isn't much opportunity for drift - that's more of a factor on longer cuts. I would go back to your guide blocks and thrust bearing and make sure they are properly set.
I could write out the whole procedure for you, but that's a lot of typing. Maybe someone has a link to a website with all the details? If you own a bandsaw this is stuff you need to know, so consider a book like Duginske's "The Bandsaw Book" or a similar one by Lonnie Bird. You might find one or the other at the local library.
The saw is a 14" version and made by Ridgid...I bought it a few months ago at Home Depot. It is possible that the square is not "square"...I bought the square at a local hardware store and have no idea who made it.
I have adjusted down the blocks to where they are just above the working surface.
I have adjusted the top and bottom blocks so that they are gently touching the blade on either side, no wobble or drift is visible.
The blade I am using is a replacement I bought made by Ridgid. I am thinking more and more that it's the blade that is giving me the problem. The blade is only a month or so old but it's cut a fair amount of wood already.
The thrust bearing (if that's the one right behind the blocks) is adjusted so that it's just barely away from the blade. It will spin slowly as I slowly move the water past the blade.
One way to check if it's square: hold it against the edge of a board like so |_ and make a mark along the blade with the point of a *sharp* pencil (or a knife) then flip it over like so _| It should align with the mark. If it doesn't, either the board isn't straight, or the square isn't square.
Another, more reliable way: find a Starrett or Incra square somewhere. Use it to check yours. If they don't match... it isn't the Starrett square that's out of whack. :-)
If there's a Rockler or Woodcraft store anywhere near you, they should have a few in stock. Or if you know anybody who's a machinist or tool-and-die maker, ask him. *Whatever* square he uses will be square.
You live anywhere near Indianapolis? Drop by, and I'll check it for you.
.. Not good. Probably wasn't a real super good blade to begin with, and if it's worn, well...
Good...
Ballew Saw & Tool in Springfield MO
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ordered two blades from them on a Monday morning, and received them on Wednesday afternoon. (Indianapolis, as noted above)
Hope you get it working the way you want. Good luck!
You can check your square for square. Put it on the edge of something you know is square - tablesaw table for example. Draw a pencil line along the ruler then flip the square over in the left/right sense and draw another line starting at the same point. Doing this will effectively double any inaccuracy in the square. If one line is right on top of the other along the whole length then you're square. If they diverge then you'll be able to see how much it's out by and decide if you need to get a better square.
I got it figured out guys. I changed the blade and while adjusting the blocks and wheels I discovered something. If I looked straight down on the blocks from above while slowly spinning the wheels by hand, I could very clearly see the path of the blade. I noticed that the blade would at times be tweaked just a little right at the blocks. I continued to adjust the blocks until I could see that the blade left the upper wheel and continued on a perfectly straight path through the blocks and down to the next wheel. I then squared the table and it cuts perfectly.
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