FWW had a great video that showed how to coil a bandsaw blade. The video is no longer available on the website. Does anyone know where I can view it again??? I googled the topic and it is amazing how many web sites are linked back to the now missing FWW video. (I know it is FWW’s policy to remove videos after “about 6 months but this doesn’t help me now).
Question Number 2.
I have an old Delta 20″ bandsaw. Great machine. It only has one quirk I haven’t figured out how to get rid of. The upper blade guide assembly does not move parallel with the blade when it is raised or lowered. This requires resetting the blocks everytime the hieght is adjusted. There does not seam to be any method of adjusting this out. The guide can be adjusted front to back (toward and away from the teeth) but not side to side. I could drill out the holes to allow adjustment. The whole assemble is mounted to a six sided rod. I have tried reinstalling the bar after rotating it. This does not have any affect (therefore the bar is not bent).
Am I just missing an adjustment somewhere?
Replies
Christop,
The wheels may be out of alignment which is causing your blade to run out of square with the table. If you put a square on the table behind the blade what do you see. If there is a gap at the top or bottom the wheels may be out of alignment. You will need a long straightedge to see if they are coplaner. If you remove the table and are able to place a straightedge across the top wheel and bottom wheel , see if there is any gap where the wheels touch the straightedge. If so you will need to adjust accordingly to fix the problem.
There was an article in FWW about this vey issue. I think it was about bandsaw tune up in general. John White was the author and he posts here as well so maybe he will see this post and be able to help. Otherwise you could look up the article in the archives.
J,P,
I have a Delta 20" band saw also. I'm going to assume by "old" you mean something like the 28-350 model made from at the 40s to the 60s. There are two adjustments that you can work with. For small adjustments, you can loosen the bolts that hold the upper guide bracket in place and shift it back and forth slightly. It sounds like you need more movement than that though. If you open the top door, you'll find the upper wheel carrier is supported by two pointed bolts. By tightening one and loosening the other, you can shift the top wheel back and forth. A little goes a long way.
If this doesn't match your machine, post your question on the forum at the Old Woodworking Machines site: http://www.owwm.com/ Someone there is sure to know your machine.
Pete
I can show you how to do it, and I might be able to describe how to do it, but right now I have to get out of here. If you're still in the dark when I get back I'll have a crack at it.
Even if he figures it out, the rest of us are listening... if you're willing to take a crack at it, you'll have folks reading. :)
The second time you coil a BS blade it's ridiculously simple.With your palms facing upward, and the teeth pointing away from you, grasp the sides of the blade with each hand, at 10 and 2 o'clock.Catch the far end of the loop just under your shoe.Next, cross both hands over each other, while turning your palms downward. The blade will self-coil into 3 loops. Wrap a bread bag twisty at 12 and 6 o'clock and you're done.Opening the coil is not quite that easy. I do it outside and at arms length.Arlington, Texas (The dash in Dallas-Fort Worth)
Practice...'till you can do it right the first time.
Rich and Dunwright
Thanks for the tips on coiling but. . . I haven't got it yet. The frustrating part is that after viewing FWW's video a while back I did do it once or twice. I guess it's not like riding a bike.
Chris,Keep at it. It'll work.Rich
As for UNcoiling, I just toss mine gently on the ground a couple of feet in front of me and twang, it pops out.
Joe
Joe,Yeah, I was going to mention that some people do it that way. I don't think that's a good idea. It's just a matter of time before you get bit, and I suppose a tooth can get nicked. But maybe not. In any case, it's a matter of experience. It seems a bit scary at first to handle the coiled band to let it unwind, but it can be controlled to open up without any fuss at all.Rich
Practice with an old V-belt .... it doesn't hurt when it gets away from you.
The bandsaw adjustment is likely described in the installation setup manual for that saw ... available & downloadable on-line from the old woodworking machine website.
http://www.owwm.com/About/Default.asp
Chris,
About folding a bandsaw blade - this is one of those things like riding a bike - you can't do it, you can't do it, you can't do it - then, suddenly you can do it, and you simply can't belive it was once impossible.
Hold the blade in front of you, both arms outstretched, both thumbs pointing up while pressed against the back of the blade. The teeth are pointing away from you. Your hands are on the blade at the 3 O'clock (right hand) and 9 O'clock (left hand) positions. Your thumbs and the heels of your thumbs press against the back of the blade. Your fingers curl around the front of the blade and the teeth. Your knuckles point forward, away from you.
The "width" of the band is on edge toward your body, in both hands.
Rotate your right hand "downward" so that your upward pointing right thumb moves away from you and rotates forward and toward the ground. Do exactly the opposite with your left hand. Keep your fingers firmly wrapped against the teeth and keep the width of the band oriented in your hands so that it stays on edge toward your body.
As you rotate your hands enough, the band will suddenly curl into 3 loops that will just quietly nest into each other. The folded band can be stored just like that. Some people like to put a piece of masking tape at 2 positions on it.
Uncurling the band can be, um, "exciting" if you just let it spring out from its folded state. It's possible to get bitten by the teeth as the thing bounces back to life. Just hold it firmly and unfold it slowly. If you hold it firmly, the teeth will not hurt you, but holding it loosely can give a nasty result.
As far as the upper guide staying in position, all along its travel. I have never had one that really did. Some are better than others, but I have always had to make major adjustments of the guides to the blade after setting the height.
Rich
That's the way I do it (I think ;-) ) I actually learned the technique by doing it with bicycle tires. Same technique for the same reason. I had no idea I'd use it again for BS blades.
There is another technique in which one holds the blade with one hand, and lowers the lower portion down until it just touches the floor, whereupon a foot is placed upon it to hold it in position. I think then one just twists the blade and it tends to pop into the 3-circle configuration. Undoubtedly someone here will know that method. Whatever works!
See if this helps.
http://www.woodshoptips.com/tips/090604/index.htm
Joe
All-
I want to thank everyone for their help and words of encouragement. I finally coiled a 144" long 1" wide bandsaw blade!!! and without injury too.
Most people explained using a two hand approach at 9 & 3 o'clock or 10 & 2. I went with the single hand approach. My method:
Put heavy gloves on.
step on the bottom of the blade with the teeth away from you with your right hand palm up at 12 o'clock.
Rotate your right hand while lowering it toward your foot.
You get the standard 3 coils
Fortunately, I had an old blade that I could use without concern for damaging it.
Thanks again for all the help.
Chris
Like riding a bicycle!Before, it knew you didn't know.Now, it knows you know. And will behave.You'll find you can grab the thing any which way and make it coil. Don't be surprised if you find yourself looking for things to coil.Rich
Wait til you try to uncoil that large blade. The first time I did it (a 156"x 1-1/4 blade) it started to uncoil and go in every which direction as it came undone, biting me along the way. You don't want to let go because it will jump out and get you, but if you hold on, it pulls your arms into the teeth. Those big blades are powerful.
I wish I could give you a technique on howto uncoil them, but just be careful and keep the teeth pointing away from you as best you can.
The "toss it on the floor" method for uncoiling always worked well for me.
Marc
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