Thread: Lower guide bearing help!

The blade normally runs of to the side of the face of a bearing . If the bearings mounted that way , spinning in the same plane direction but back a bit as the band saw wheels . What you have looks strange. Running off to the side is what makes it spin when the blade touches it .

Wheres the bearing ? And your saying it wants to run off center but it looks centered on that rod with a clip behind it . That round machined piece behind the rod doesn't look like a bearing, or is it one ?

What do you have as guides and thrust bearing up above the table ? They usually look matched if their original .

Perhaps you could tell us your location in case there is a member local to you willing to assist setting it up?

You have no guides on the machine, so there is nothing to guide the blade, what determines the blade position is the size of the wheels, although there will be some leeway that is why you have adjustable guides.
The saw was designed for vulcanised and ground tyers urethane tyers are not anywhere near as accurate.

Forum member Bueller has restored one of these; I would PM him directly for advice.

I think China might be onto it, the wheel OD is not correct.
H.

I have the same saw, my “ tyres” are flat vulcanised ones, and it has bronze blade guides on it, i will take some photos next time I’m at the shop. That one looks like it’s missing something definitely.

Thanks riverbuilder, I'd really appreciate that.

The top guides have a similar thrust bearing as well as the blade guides (mine look like brass), I had no issues fitting the upper guide and the blade is nicely centred off the wheel.
IMG_0468.jpgIMG_0469.jpg

I read through buellers restoration thread as I was working on my bandsaw, this is where I got the idea to use urethane tyres - the original vulcanised rubber ones were long gone. For reference, the urethane tyres are about 2mm thick.

Had a thought on this
The shaft that the bottom bearing sits isn’t eccentric is it for adjustment?
I do think you’ve got parts missing but worth a look and fiddle.
H.

The lower bearing is mounted to the centre of the shaft - it's a round shaft with a flat section for a grub screw to set the position of the thrust bearing.

It's been so long since I took it apart to start the resto I almost forgot how to put the bloody thing back together, so there's a good chance I've missed something!

Do you have the bottom guide, if so fit it then see how the blade sits, you can not set it up with only one guide fitted

Originally Posted by China

Do you have the bottom guide, if so fit it then see how the blade sits, you can not set it up with only one guide fitted

As far as I can tell, the lower guide consists of only the thrust bearing with this particular saw. At least that's all mine came with. At any rate, correct me if I'm wrong but the objective of the guide is to support the blade in its natural position under tension, not necessarily to pull it one way or another.

I'll wait and see what Riverbuilder comes back with when he gets a chance to look at his Jr, I'm definitely missing something here..

At the risk of being howled down, Michael Fortune, king of the bandsaw, owner of more than most of us have got toes and fingers, reckons you don't need bottom guides. At all.

The tracking on the top wheel and the top guides pretty much do all the work.

A sharp blade is the key and having watched boofheads create enough smoke to qualify for SummerNats as they try force hardwood through a blunt blade, well.

You are missing the bottom guides.I have been a Cabinet maker for well over 45 years and I have never seen a Bandsaw without bottom guides, I don't know who Michael Fortune is, but I disagree.
I have owned three 10" Woodfast bandsaws they all had bottom guides. I would also be checking the wheels to make sure they are both the the same diameter, when fitted with correct vulcanised tyres the tyres are then ground to ensure they are the same diameter and are concentric.

Both wheels measure 10", I noticed no difference when fitting the PU tyres so am confident they are the same diameter. I'm reluctant to change them back to vulcanised rubber - for one I don't even know where I would send them and secondly given the value of this tool I don't think I could justify the expense. Several members seem to have replaced perished rubber tyres on their bandsaws with PU and seem to be working so I'm not convinced that is the issue.

Doing a bit more digging through the forums, I've found a few interesting things

Buellers bandsaw does indeed appear to have upper and lower guides - however the guides look identical, and he started out with two bandsaws, using some parts from the first. I wonder if he just used the second upper guide from the parts machine as a lower guide. Space is quite tight under the table and I don't think there is even enough room for a guide as there is above the table. I've sent a PM to clarify, but not sure if he is still active here. Will wait and see

Another forum member a few years ago started this thread, their Junior has no lower guide or thrust bearing at all! It's not that it's just gone missing, the mount for the lower guide is missing completely in the main body casting.
Woodfast Junior Bandsaw- lower guide

My guess is that Woodfast might have done a few tweaks to the design over the years. It's possible they went from having no lower guide, to just a thrust bearing, to a proper lower guide (or in reverse, possibly in an effort to cut costs). I think in any case I will see how the blade tracks with no lower guide, and if needed I may have to source a spare part from somewhere or make something up myself.