Thread: Please Explain - Guides Position Influancing Cut

I have a Hammer 4400 Bandsaw with ceramic guides and on the weekend I took of the top guide assembly for a quick clean. Dust and stuff.

I then remounted the guides, however after remounting the guides the saw developed an extreme drift. Franticly I researched around what I have done wrong to no avail.

I have had this machine for three years and never had it not cut perfectly.

I then realized that I had positioned the ceramic guides forward of were they were before. My reasoning had been to give the 27mm blade more support in its width.

However as soon as I moved the guides back to about the half way mark the saw started cutting strait again, no drift.

Why did reducing the support offered by the guides eliminate the drift?

As you can see in the photo the blade has a clear line were the guide had been positioned by the Felder technician when he delivered and installed the bandsaw three years ago.

I feel like I have been smoking something as it makes no sense why this little change would have such a major influence on the machines performance.

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