I Set My Teeth, Again

[J T]

I did this once before, with good results, but the blade later broke.

I've been having problems making decent cuts with my bandsaw blade. Nice thin cut, but it'd quickly curve to the left, and unless it was just a short cut, the blade would bind. Noting I did made any significant difference. When I pinched the blade and slid my fingers donw it couldn't feel any set at all. Hmmm. I've got a nifty old Stanley saw set. Heh heh.

So, decided to set every tenth tooth (it's 4 TPI). Got half the teeth set and quit because I was tired. Next day decided to try it before I set more teeth. Well, the cut was considerably straighter, but it angled to the right, but no significate binding. OK, set the rest of the teeth, and tried again. Still cut pretty straight, but still at an angle to th eright, just not quite as acute angle.

OK, set some more teeth, the same way as last time. Tried it. This time marked a line on a piece of 1/2" plywood about 5" wide, and used my new bandsaw sled. Very interesting. It followed the line right on track, up until about 3/4"-1" from the end, then it went off track to the right again about 1/16" I can't figure why it would cut most of the piece so precisely, then start to angle off in the last inch or so. I'll give it another try to morrow, and if I get the same results, I won't leave well enough alone, I'll set a couple more teeth, then try it again. I figure I'll either get the damn thing cutting straight, or ruin it. I will say tho that free-handing it and cutting on a penceled line I can easily get the cut to follow the line quite nicely - sure wouldn't do that before. Still can't really tell there's any set in the blade.

When I set the teeth before I'm not sure what I used, but could have been pliers, and I set every tooth. Noticeable set, noticeably wider cut, but no hint of binding at all, and very nice straight cut, altho not quite as smooth a cut, fast cut too.

JOAT Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal

[Paul D]

Hi Joat I hope that you are setting each adjacent tooth in opposite directions. Just from the way you described it in your post it sounds like you weren't. ALL the teeth will need to be set by the same amount (in opposing directions)for the blade to cut properly.I find it hard to believe there is no set on the blade. 4TPI should have a reasonable set. How old is this blade? The most common reason for the cutting symptoms you are describing is if you have hit a nail or something and upset the tooth sharpness and or set on one side of the blade. Are your blade guides adjusted properly? I have always found bandsaws tend to wander when using fence/sled as guide unless the blade is in near perfect condition.

[bf]

Wow, I'm impressed (and I don't mean that sarastically). You are really hardcore. I would've just bought a new blade.

[J T]

Wed, Jul 26, 2006, 9:22pm (EDT+14) [e-mail] (Paul=A0D) doth put out: Hi Joat =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0I hope that you are setting each adjacent tooth in opposite directions. Just from the way you described it in your post it sounds like you weren't. ALL the teeth will need to be set by the same amount (in opposing directions)for the blade to cut properly.I find it hard to believe there is no set on the blade. 4TPI should have a reasonable set. How old is this blade? The most common reason for the cutting symptoms you are describing is if you have hit a nail or something and upset the tooth sharpness and or set on one side of the blade. Are your blade guides adjusted properly? I have always found bandsaws tend to wander when using fence/sled as guide unless the blade is in near perfect condition.

Yeah, they're set in opposite directions. They wouldn't be set otherwise.

The teeth that are set are set the same amount. Don't need ALL the teeth set. Didn't say there was no set on the blade, just didn't feel like it.

Dunno how old the blade is, couple of years maybe, but not used much. I don't feel that has much bearing. And haven't hit anything but wood with it. Blade is good, guides set - just sucked from day one. No prob..

JOAT Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal

[J T]

Wed, Jul 26, 2006, 6:27am (EDT-3) [e-mail] (bf) doth exclaim: Wow, I'm impressed (and I don't mean that sarastically). You are really hardcore. I would've just bought a new blade.

You may have the wrong idea. This is not the same blade that broke then repaired, it's a new one. The old one I shapped into pieces 2-3" long, glued the pieces between scrap pieces of wood. Grind the blades to shape, sharpen them, and you have handy little knives, for marking, whittling, chip carving, whatever. Keep teeth on a few and you have tiny little saws.

Hardcore? About woodworking? Hah! But if I'd just bought a new blade I'd never have known if doing this would work.

JOAT Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal

[Donna]

[J T]

Wed, Jul 26, 2006, 6:03pm (EDT-3) [e-mail] (Donna) doth query: I'd be interested in knowing the brand of blade you have been using. Have you ever used a Timberwolf blade? They are very good. Donna Menke

Dunno. Possibly a Sears brand. Not used a Timberwolf yet. Doesn't matter what brand it is, because I'd be willing to do the same to any blade if it didn't work as I wanted. I pay for it, I can modify it - that's one of my mottos. Beats tossing it and paying good money to buy another one, then hope that one works like I want. Besides, doing things like that is good for the soul.

JOAT Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal

[Paul D]

I was just making sure you understood the process of setting

The point I was making here was that if there in a minute difference in the amount of set in each direction it throws the centre of the blade off which will cause the problem you described. Sorry to dissapoint you here but ALL the teeth on the blade need to be set. Exagerating the motion that is occuring when you only set every tenth tooth You are using a 4tpi blade so we will cut a piece of 1/4" stock for sake of simplicity first tooth set to left .... 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 no set or minimal set ...... tenth to right ... etc etc first set tooth passes through timber .... places pressure on blade and flexexes blade to the right next 8 teeth pass through timber .... blade returns to centre tenth tooth passes through timber ... places pressure on blade and flexes blade to left etc ... etc

A 4TPI blade is not made for intricate cutting. It is designed for heavier cutting so therefor is designed with considerable set which should be very obvious to feel if you slide your fingers up the blade. If you can't feel it then somthing has caused your blade to loose its set, or it was never set properly from the start

don't feel that has much bearing. I was asking the blade age because some people think that a blade should last a lifetime or untill it breaks, whichever occurs first, regardless of how much use or how hard a use its had.

That eliminates one cause of upset set

JOAT Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal

[J T]

Thu, Jul 27, 2006, 8:00pm (EDT+14) [e-mail] (Paul=A0D) doth sayeth: I was just making sure you understood the process of setting The point I was making here was that if there in a minute difference in the amount of set in each direction it throws the centre of the blade off which will cause the problem you described. Sorry to dissapoint you here but ALL the teeth on the blade need to be set. If you can't feel it then somthing has caused your blade to loose its set, or it was never set properly from the start

Unless you're about 58, or older, I've probably been aware of the principles of saw setting since before you were born.

Well of course there's going to be a minute amount of difference. That's why I used the saw set, to minimize it.

Sorry to disapoint you, but I decided to do some on-line research on setting bandsaw teeth before I started on this. "Nothing" I found indicates ALL the teeth need to be set. I found new blades sold with every 10th set (didn't check on how many TPI); one tooth partially set, the next fully set, then some skipped, until the next pair which were set the opposite way; and so on.

Whatever, on the last two blades I bought couldn't feel any discernable set. Which is why I set them in the first place.

It may surprise some of you, but if I'm not really familiar with something, I do research before jumping in. I sift out the obvious BS, ponder over the rest, and decide my next move from there. Which sometimes turns out to be more research. On the other hand, I've had a diverse background, so there's one Hell of a lot of things I don't need to research. My mind is a cluttered storehouse of obscure, sometimes useless, information.

Life is basically good.

JOAT Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal

[drifwood]

Is tooth setting the problem or is it your saw guides? In particular, for cuts that veer off to one side or other, check the roller bearing behind the blade. On my Delta 14" there was so much slop that the blade would slip off the face of the bearing and angle sharply to the left (my left when facing the saw). I inserted a brass shim on the inboard side of the hex rod (or is it octagonal?) that holds the bearing so it will face square to the back of the blade. Also, binding could be a result of too little tension on the blade.

I'm thinking of ordering Carter's guide assembly. It's about a third of what I paid for my saw, but it would allow me to set the guides with much more precision than the stock setup on the Delta 14". These saws (Delta, Jet, Grizzly) are built to sell for a price... they lack precision in important areas. Upgrades like Carters are a good compromise between a cheap saw and a premium priced 16", 18" saw.

Cheers

[Paul D]

well actually you are very close with the age ... but I am third generation in the trade, so I guess thats nearly 100 years of 'secrets' passed on totally wasted

Unless you're about 58, or older, I've probably been aware of the principles of saw setting since before you were born.

Well of course there's going to be a minute amount of difference. That's why I used the saw set, to minimize it.

Sorry to disapoint you, but I decided to do some on-line research on setting bandsaw teeth before I started on this. "Nothing" I found indicates ALL the teeth need to be set. I found new blades sold with every 10th set (didn't check on how many TPI); one tooth partially set, the next fully set, then some skipped, until the next pair which were set the opposite way; and so on.

Whatever, on the last two blades I bought couldn't feel any discernable set. Which is why I set them in the first place.

It may surprise some of you, but if I'm not really familiar with something, I do research before jumping in. I sift out the obvious BS, ponder over the rest, and decide my next move from there. Which sometimes turns out to be more research. On the other hand, I've had a diverse background, so there's one Hell of a lot of things I don't need to research. My mind is a cluttered storehouse of obscure, sometimes useless, information.

Life is basically good.

JOAT Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal

[Locutus]

Aren't you full of yourself?

Paul was simply trying to offer some advise.

[J T]

Thu, Jul 27, 2006, 9:13pm (EDT-3) [e-mail] (drifwood) doth queryeth: Is tooth setting the problem or is it your saw guides? In particular, for cuts that veer off to one side or other, check the roller bearing behind the blade.

Like I' said, I've fiddled with everything possible on the saw - buides, bearing, tension, , etc. Zip worked. Until I set the blade. No biggie, I don't use it that much anyway, but now I'll use it more. When I get a new blade, I'll fine-tune the saw first to see how it works, and if need be I'll set the teeth again. No prob.

JOAT Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal

[J T]

Fri, Jul 28, 2006, 9:33pm (EDT+14) [e-mail] (Paul=A0D) doth sayeth: well actually you are very close with the age ... but I am third generation in the trade, so I guess thats nearly 100 years of 'secrets' passed on totally wasted

Can't claim I know any "secrets", but do know what's supposed to be needed to fune a bandsaw. It this case that didn't work. So thought about it, came up with a possible solution, tried it, and it worked. Comes from many years of Army problem solving. Next guy's saw might be tunable, seemingly mine wasn't. No prob.

JOAT Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal

[J T]

Fri, Jul 28, 2006, 1:16pm locutus [e-mail] (Locutus) Aren't you full of yourself? Paul was simply trying to offer some advise.

It's called self-confidence, and a history of problem solving. I'll work on outgrowing all that.

I didn't need any advise in this case. Are you saying I should have let him advice me?

JOAT Politician \Pol`i*ti"cian\, n. Latin for career criminal

[Locutus]

You must know some secrets, as you're probably the only person in this group who knows how to "fune" a bandsaw.

See what happens when you make fun of someones spelling/typo errors? Comes back to bite you in the ass!

lol...

[Lee Michaels]

Maybe he was just a funnin' ya.....

[Dave Balderstone]

The mistake many people with JOAT's posts is thinking he actually wants some sort of response to them.

99 times out of 100, he wants no such thing but is just posting for the sake of posting.

Unless there's actually a "?" in his post, assume he wants no reply whatsoever and that he will respond snarkishly to same.

[Locutus]

Well that's a great way to be!! :)

[Dave Balderstone]

He was a lot more fun a few years ago. Then he got pissed off at the group, told us he was leaving, and didn't.