Thread: Bandsaw blades breaking

Since my last post I have given my saw a good going over. I have found enough little items wrong / not working that I am prepared to try another blade. The main failure was the lower rear blade guide. The guide/bearing had jamed and the blade had cut a grove into the face of the metal. As a tempory measure, to finish an urgent / overdue order, I have lubricated the bearing and turned it about on the shaft. I'll buy and fit a new one on Monday.

By experience I have found horizontal band saws are high maintenance or it is high expense. It is beginning to seem that small vertical band saw are the same. Only difference is that the expense is a lot less on the smaller machine when things go wrong.

I would still be interested to hear from any one with a similar saw and how often do they 'service' the moving parts.

John

John

I have a 14 inch Leda brand, made in Taiwan, so I imagine just a bit smaller than yours. I check fairly often that my side and thrust roller bearings, top and bottom, are free to spin. Sounds like your lower thrust bearing was jammed, and maybe a bit forward so that when you were cutting there was a lot of pressure backwards on it causing the groove to be worn into it. This might also explain why the front of the blade has cracked if it were being forced into a sharpish curve by a too far advanced bottom thrust bearing. Replacement ball bearings are not all that expensive, I bought two sets and have one set spare for when they get clogged. Try to get bearings that are designed to keep sawdust out of their inner workings. Good luck.

Originally Posted by Fencepost2

I bought two sets and have one set spare for when they get clogged. Try to get bearings that are designed to keep sawdust out of their inner workings. Good luck.

The ones I use on my bandsaw have a code ending in 2S, they have a rubber seal on each side. Cost a couple of dollars more, but well worth it.

See also here

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f27/bl...s-350-a-99572/

and there are more posts on the 608-2RS rubber sealed bearings

Thanks bigshed.

Seems like great advice. I followed the links and learnt a lot. I agree it's hard to understand why manfactures want to save $4 or $5 in machines that sell for around $1000 when it would make them so much more reliable. I'll replace all the guides in my saw on Monday if I can buy 2RS type bearings locally.

John