Thread: Carbatec 17" Bandsaw Wheel alignment

Hi Robert

To get the guide post even from top to bottom you'll need to shim the mounting. Or, if you hardly ever change it, then ignore the shimming and keep adjusting the rear guide. You can also align it side-to-side if it varies along its travel. Again though, it's nice to not have to adjust the guides but not necessary to operate the machine. The cheaper the machine, the more likely these little set-up steps need input from the end user rather than the manufacturer. I own one of these as well, and took a little fine tuning, but I didn't want to spring twice the price for a hammer. As for the tracking, if the blade runs in the centre of both wheels, you're good to go. I might ask though, did you use the straight edge with the blade under tension or not? You really want everything co-planar in its 'ready to go' state, not when relaxed and no blade tension.

Hi,the wheels on a bandsaw don't have to be co-planer and the blade doesn't have to run in the middle of the wheels. All you need to do is use the top tilt to stop the blade running off and to keep it from fouling within the machine then when full tension is applied you can use the top tilt to make fine adjustments so that the blade is square or close to square with the table (front to back not side to side). I don't know where this idea that the wheels have to be co-planer came from. I've had eight different bandsaws and they have all had adjustable tilt wheels. If the wheels had to be co-planer the machines would just be made with the wheels co-planer and no adjustment. Is it in some book?

Robert, is the back of the blade, when under tension, perpendicular to the table (check with a square). if so then its your upper guide that is out. if its not perpendicular and I suspect it isnt, this is most likely the cause of the widening of the gap as the guide mounting should be moving perpendicular to the table top.

If I am right, the reason the blade isn't tracking perpendicular to the table is that the top wheel is out of alignment. that is, not coplanar to the bottom wheel, which, in turn, should be perpendicular to the table.

I hope that makes sense. I think the two issues are related and tracking the blade with the top wheel coplanar to the bottom one should get the blade perpendicular to the table, problem solved all round

Hi Everyone
Thank you very much for the replies. Very have been extremely helpful.

I think a friend of mine has found the problem with the saw. I found it impossible to keep the back of the blade perpendicular to the table. After 15 minutes operation it was had drifted and was no longer perpendicular. I asked a friend of mine who is a retired tool maker to come over and have a look. He put a dial indicator on the wheels and found that they were not running in a true circle.

He pulled the top and bottom wheels off and by careful measurement found that on both wheels the holes bored in the wheels were oval and not parallel to the axis of the wheels. He said they were quite a way out of true. He took the wheels back to his place and bored them out and manufactured a press in sleeve the correct diameter for the bearings.

When he returned he checked the axles that the wheels ran on. He decided to remove ad machine these as well putting sleeves on both to ensure the diameters were correct.

This morning I purchased new bearings as he said that the bearing provided had worn slightly. We reassembled tonight and adjusted the blade.

After 60 minutes of running it’s still square.

He also helped me makes some thin brass washers so the top guide now runs parallel to the blade right through its travel.

I am going to cut a pile of timber in the morning to test if it is really fixed

Thanks again for all the help

Regards
Robert

Robert,
that is very interesting as it is a good pointer as to where the quality isn't present on Carbatec bandsaws. Keep us posted on how well the saw works now.
Paul.

Originally Posted by paul.cleary

Robert,
that is very interesting as it is a good pointer as to where the quality isn't present on Carbatec bandsaws. Keep us posted on how well the saw works now.
Paul.

Paul, one can hardly judge the quality of all Carbatec bandsaws on the basis of a probem with one example.

I have a Carbatec 17" bandsaw and it doesn't have the above problem.

If you do a search on almost any machine you will find there is a problem every now and then, even with the more expensive brands/models.

Originally Posted by robert4wd

He pulled the top and bottom wheels off and by careful measurement found that on both wheels the holes bored in the wheels were oval and not parallel to the axis of the wheels. He said they were quite a way out of true. He took the wheels back to his place and bored them out and manufactured a press in sleeve the correct diameter for the bearings.

Robert, can i ask how old your saw is and how much work has it done? This sounds more like a major rebuild of an old and tired saw, not simple realignment of a serviceable tool when changing the blade.

I have a 21 inch carbatec bandsaw and cant imagine how a tool of similar construction could get into that sort of condition without a lot of timber having passed through it, unless it had been subjected to abuse or poor setup in the first place.

Hi Doug

The saw was 18months old when I brought it. It looked in very good near new condition. I saw the original receipt. The chap I brought it off said he had had an alignment problem since new but that he had fixed it after Carbatec failed.

I must admit that the prospect of owning a 17" saw for under the price of a 14" made me probably not as careful as I should have been. I agree with you that the saw looks very well made and I was surprised that so much was wrong with it.

My tool maker friend, Dan, felt the wheels had probable been bored incorrectly when manufactured and that the axle & bearing damage was some amateurs attempt to fix it. He felt this as the oval and the angle to the axis in both the wheels were identical. He admits that he could be wrong.

I have spoken with the original owner but he was not very helpful as to what he did or what Carbatec did in response to his complaint.

I think the saw is now perfect, I have done a lot of cutting with it and am extremely happy. Even with what I spent on it to fix it, I have got what I feel is a well made high quality saw at a bargain price.

I personally would not hesitate to look at Carbatec gear in future. Without a full and honest history of the saw I cannot comment on the quality when delivered or on how/if Carbatec tried to fix it under warrantee.

I am sorry I did not provide a history of the saw at the start; I was focusing on getting it fixed as I rather suspected I had brought a lemon.

Regards
Robert

Originally Posted by robert4wd

My tool maker friend, Dan, felt the wheels had probable been bored incorrectly when manufactured and that the axle & bearing damage was some amateurs attempt to fix it. He felt this as the oval and the angle to the axis in both the wheels were identical.

Now it all makes sense. Second-hand tool that had been in the hands of a "tool butcher". I am please it has come to a good outcome for you thanks to your friend Dan. I take it that the blade now tracks straight on the top wheel and the blade is now parallel to upper bearing guide's range of movement as it should be.

I'm glad it turned out to be a bargain in the end.

Doug

I think Toymaker Len makes a very good point about coplanar wheels and blade tracking. (several posts above).