Thread: Bs-350

My Method for what it is worth

Assemble with a new blade preferably the widest one that will go on the saw and fully tensioned.

Leave the table securing bolts loose.

Track the blade to the centre of the wheel with all blade guides not on the saw...does it go to centre now? If it does go to the next step.

Place a magnet on the blade just above the table and attach a steel rule to it with the rule above the table so it is free to move. Make sure the magnet is behind the gullet of the blade.

Align the fence parallel with the mitre slot.

Now measuring from the rule to the mitre slot get the mitre slot parallel with the rule and tighten the table bolts. Hopefully the rule is straight to give an accurate measurement at each end. A straight edge while desirable is simply too heavy for the magnet and will slide down and rest on the table.

The above should eliminate any drift and cut parallel to the fence. Somewhere in the past I posted some pics of this but it was quite some time ago.

I gave up trying to source blade guides for my bandsaw, an older 18" Carbatec branded saw with round guides on top and square ones below, and just cut them out of wood now. Something 'greasy' and hard seems to work well, currently using Spotted Gum.

Link to post with pictures

Bandsaw Drift and Correcting It

Thanks Chris I’ve seen that vid and it makes sense. I’ve ordered a 1/2” blade. We’ll see what happens.
TT

Originally Posted by Chris Parks

My Method for what it is worth

Assemble with a new blade preferably the widest one that will go on the saw and fully tensioned.

Leave the table securing bolts loose.

Track the blade to the centre of the wheel with all blade guides not on the saw...does it go to centre now? If it does go to the next step.

Place a magnet on the blade just above the table and attach a steel rule to it with the rule above the table so it is free to move. Make sure the magnet is behind the gullet of the blade.

Align the fence parallel with the mitre slot.

Now measuring from the rule to the mitre slot get the mitre slot parallel with the rule and tighten the table bolts. Hopefully the rule is straight to give an accurate measurement at each end. A straight edge while desirable is simply too heavy for the magnet and will slide down and rest on the table.

The above should eliminate any drift and cut parallel to the fence. Somewhere in the past I posted some pics of this but it was quite some time ago.

Originally Posted by aldav

I gave up trying to source blade guides for my bandsaw, an older 18" Carbatec branded saw with round guides on top and square ones below, and just cut them out of wood now. Something 'greasy' and hard seems to work well, currently using Spotted Gum.

I’ve got some merbau around the place. Would that do?

TT

I used to use wood blocks on my old bandsaw that had blocks. An oily wood was what people said was good and lignum vitae was recommended. Seriously where are you going to find that so I had some jarrah. Any hard wood will do . Harder the better. If it has no natural oil in it then a dab of candle wax now and then. I liked the wood blocks better than the metal ones and that saw ran nice and quiet. You do have to square them up as needed when they ware.
Regards
John

I use two blocks of HDPE. The bottom bearings died (not really sealed bearings) so in trying to do the right thing and not going out unnecessarily I scrounged around in my "It will be useful someday" bin and found the left overs from another job. Blocks are only slightly thinner than the bearings they replaced. So far they have not visibly worn, use has been pretty light. I have probably only cut 5 or 6 thick veneers from pieces approx 220 (H) x 650 (L).

For info its a BP355 saw sporting a 25mm 3TPI Bi-metal blade. The blade tension is released in the pic.

When the top bearings die I will be cutting more HDPE. At the current rate of wear I probably have enough for the rest of may days.20200412_135633_resized.jpg

That a good idea. Well worth a look.
TT

Originally Posted by Jasethebeginner

I use two blocks of HDPE. The bottom bearings died (not really sealed bearings) so in trying to do the right thing and not going out unnecessarily I scrounged around in my "It will be useful someday" bin and found the left overs from another job. Blocks are only slightly thinner than the bearings they replaced. So far they have not visibly worn, use has been pretty light. I have probably only cut 5 or 6 thick veneers from pieces approx 220 (H) x 650 (L).

For info its a BP355 saw sporting a 25mm 3TPI Bi-metal blade. The blade tension is released in the pic.

When the top bearings die I will be cutting more HDPE. At the current rate of wear I probably have enough for the rest of may days.20200412_135633_resized.jpg

Hare & Forbes sold something identical to that machine. I had one until I sold it to a friend. He is still using it.

It was a definite step above the cast iron frame machines of the same vintage but limited by the power available.

There are 1/2" guide blocks with bearings in them available to fit these guides. I've never used them so I cannot comment on how good they are, just that they exist.

Originally Posted by Chris Parks

Link to post with pictures

Bandsaw Drift and Correcting It

Here is a gadget to align the fence to the blade, it does the same thing as my rule and magnet but looks better and he shows how to do it.

YouTube

Originally Posted by Chris Parks

Here is a gadget to align the fence to the blade, it does the same thing as my rule and magnet but looks better and he shows how to do it.

YouTube

Here's an alternative method of removing drift which I use successfully.
Michael Fortune's method - YouTube (taking a lesson from Chris' post about the YT code not carrying over the start time.)

Lance, that is the 2nd step I mentioned in post 2 though reading it back I was most probably not precise enough with my wording.

Originally Posted by Chris Parks

My Method for what it is worth

Assemble with a new blade preferably the widest one that will go on the saw and fully tensioned.

Leave the table securing bolts loose.

Track the blade to the centre of the wheel with all blade guides not on the saw...does it go to centre now? If it does go to the next step.

Place a magnet on the blade just above the table and attach a steel rule to it with the rule above the table so it is free to move. Make sure the magnet is behind the gullet of the blade.

Align the fence parallel with the mitre slot.

Now measuring from the rule to the mitre slot get the mitre slot parallel to the rule by swinging the table and tighten the table bolts. Hopefully the rule is straight to give an accurate measurement at each end. A straight edge while desirable is simply too heavy for the magnet and will slide down and rest on the table.

The above should eliminate any drift and cut parallel to the fence. Somewhere in the past I posted some pics of this but it was quite some time ago.

I can't edit it so this will have to do, edit added in bold for clarity.

Originally Posted by markharrison

Hare & Forbes sold something identical to that machine. I had one until I sold it to a friend. He is still using it.

It was a definite step above the cast iron frame machines of the same vintage but limited by the power available.

There are 1/2" guide blocks with bearings in them available to fit these guides. I've never used them so I cannot comment on how good they are, just that they exist.

I’ve got a set of them and they don’t work too well on the narrower blades. I’m still waiting for my blades to arrive from QLD. they were posted on 9th April and have been languishing in an Aus Post clearing house since. Hopefully they will arrive this week.

TT