Thread: truing (?) up a bandsaw

There are many threads here about setting up bandsaws. Not sure about Woodfast but most bandsaws seem to come with a useless blade that wont cut straight until it is replaced.

Might be a good start. C&S Saw Service, Melbourne - see other threads in the last couple of weeks.

Hope that helps.

Setting up a bandsaw is a simple task as long as you understand what is going on and adhere to the basics.

AS you know the blade is continuous band of teeth that rides along an upper and lower wheel. In essesnce that is all you need to saw, Get the tracking and tension correct, and all will work out fine (*untill you start to feed the wood.) when you feed wood into the saw you have a tendency to push the blade away from its tracking. That is where the guides and bearing come to play, to keep the operator from muckin' up the works.

Basicly, back off the upper and lower thrust bearings and the upper and lower guides so that the blade can move freely. Apply enough tension where if you pluck the blade, you get a musical tone not a clunk or rattle. (some prefer one note over another but I fee to the point where it makes a tone. ) Adjust the tracking where the blade rides on the apex of the crown of the tires. The teeth should be just shy of the crown and allowed to be free of the tire.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...knee/drift.jpg

When the blade is tracking fine, it is time to adjust the thrust bearings, slide them till the thickness of a US$ Don't touch but ride clear. Both upper and lower, the same. You will find that due to the weld of the blade it will touch then not touch and so forth so Dollar Bill at the not touch position is best to correct.

Now bring in the guides (upper and lower) to the same thickness clearance with the guides behind the set or teeth of the blade.

Remember that it is the tracking and tension that keeps the blade where it goes , NOT the guides or bearings, they are ther to keep YOU from pushing the blade off its given course.

You need to do the entire process whenever you change blades, Even the same blade from the same manufacturer and same box will track differently and the guide settings for one blade will screw up the setting for the next.

Even Bad blades as discribed by previous poster will run true if you follow these simple directions.

I think Termite had a good thread for setting up the tracking on a BP16a Hafco??? Someone else here could confirm that for sure.

I think the main thing that most dont realise is that the tracking position of the blade on the wheels is responsible for balancing the tension front to rear in the blade and in turn the way the blade cuts, as in neutral or to the left or right, caused by the blade being to far forward or to far back on the wheels.

Personily i find that my bandsaw (BP16a) cuts much better (smoother) and with less chatter if i rest the guides against the blade rather than setting it up with the small gap that most recomend. I found this out while making a Wallnut chair recently, the difference must have been as small as 0.003" or 0.004" but the difference in performance was huge!

I also have the original blade that came with my saw (amoungst others) and it still cuts straight and i'm happy with it, so dont be too quick to throw it away...


Good luck.

Mick, you are right, If the blade is true and all things in perspective, as close as possible is a good standing for the guides. I use the Dollar Bill as a comparison as it is a few thousands thick and makes a great guage.

When using cool blocks you can even get closer, problem with direct contact is friction and the heat that follows. But each of us have a preferance. The setup is the key and the minor differences make it personal.

Tony,

One of the better books is "Bandsaw Handbook by Mark Duginske". Pretty comprehensive and well worth a look.