Hi Everybody,
I just wanted to put up this post to thank everyone for the great advice they gave me for tuning and getting rid of the wobble in my Ridgid bandsaw. I combined both the technique of drillling out holes in the heavy portion of the wheel and wrapping bailing wire around the light portion. I tuned up the tires as instructed and I was able to reduce the vibration in the saw about 50%. I’ve tracked the other 50% to the motor and belt set-up. The motor itself isn’t well balanced and the pulleys are the crappy cast ones. I’m going to upgrade to a good quality 1.5 HP motor and machined pulleys. Also the stand for the saw is very flimsy and help to exagerate and echo the effect of the wobble. My shop space is somewhat limited so I’m going to build a rolling stand for the saw and get rid of the crappy base.
Thanks again for all the help, when I get everything modified I’ll post some pics.
By the way, while fixing the saw I noticed that the tires have a couple of high spots that I wasn’t able to fix. If anybody knows of a tire manufacturer that makes a quality tire to fit my saw I would appreciate the tip? (Ridgid 14″)
Brian
Replies
Brian,
I was in Woodcraft today and noticed they sell Carter urethane bandsaw tires to fit delta and other 14" bandsaws. Hope that helps.
Birdseyeman (my real name is Lee, in case anyone is offended)
I don't know if you bought this saw at Home Depot but if you did,take it back.I just took back my Maytag air conditioner more than a year later because it was crap.I talked to Maytag service people,they said it's not a Maytag.As it turns out, Home Depot & Fedders paid Maytag to use thier name to sell cheaply built machines for more money.They did the same thing the buying the Ridgid name.
The screw you're looking at is there to keep the two sides of the table in alignment on each side of the kerf. The kerf is there to allow you to thread the blade through the table. You may be able to make this bandsaw work relativly well.If you have more money than time, put it up on ebay and buy a good one. Otherwise, tune it and it'll work fairly well. Adjust the wheels so that they are parallel and inline - the manual should describe this. Then, remove the blade and use sandpaper and a block to flatten the table. Use a straight edge to find the high spots and sand with 220 silicon carbide paper until you've flattened all the high spots.Good luck.
Okay so don't everybody start laughing at me....but I'm new at this alright?
I've got a brand new 9" Crafstman.I'm real tempted to just say "it's a piece of crap" (actually I did say that in another disc.) but the truth of the matter is I barely know how to switch blades...and I'm pretty much a moron.
So....with that said....there is at least one thing that I know is'nt right. And that is the table.Everything is still factory stock stuff on it....including the blade guides of which one I over tightened and stripped the threads INSIDE the screw housing. I guess that means it needs to be re-tapped right?
Anyway....the table.........LAME!!It's a single piece of die cast monkey turd as far as I can tell. It's got this ridiculous little 'micro adjustment screw' right at the beginning of the channel that runs through the table to the blade. Now I may be wrong but I am under the impression that this rinky dink screw at the end of this glorified high tech 'crack' in my table is supposed to allow you to level out both sides so that they are uniform. Problem is....you can micro adjust your life away 'till the cows come home but on a table that seems to have more than a couple of bulges and a random dent ( barely visible but definitely there) or two.....it just ain't going to happen.
Do people make their own tables? That is what I feel like I should do. Wouldn't a nice piece of american black cherry walnut fomican curly African snake lipped crotch cut quarter sleeved hard skinned rip torn soft peach pit pine maple do the trick?
If someone would help me out here I'd be happy to ask another question
thanks.
Hey there Zen,
Ever been to the toy store with the kids and seen in the boy's toys section the little box full of nifty plastic tools so that the little fella can pretend he's working along with Dad. Your bandsaw is just a notch above these tools, I had one for years, it now hangs out in the corner under some other crap waiting to be garage saled or given away. These bigger saws are capable of alot more, even though my saw is a Rigid and it's not the best amongst the 14"crowd I did just resaw a bunch of hardwood about 6" thick really effortlessly. Once I change a couple more small details I'll have a pretty decent machine.
And then oneday I'll have a Laguna and all will be right with the world.
Don't let me discourage you,I'm just playing around, even though you have a beginner's saw it will teach you many valuable lessons about tuning and caring for your tools. Then when you use one of the larger machines you will have developed some good skills that will let you appreciate the larger tool all that much more. Build yourself some adirondack chairs with that little saw, it's a great project for learning bandsaw skills and you don't need to make them from hardwood.
Keep having fun,
Brian
Your bandsaw is just a notch above these tools.. Oh geeee.. I thought we were sort of friends in here?
How crule....
Sorry, I was just playing around, maybe that was kind of a sh!%y thing to say. Sorry if I offended you friend but I just had so many problems with one of these little saws that it left a really crappy impression. I did follow up with some nice things to say though I thought???
(Ashamed and red faced)
Brian
Geee..
Sorry if I offended you .. NEVER... It was just my way of jokin' with ya..
I get junk sometimes too.. To often....
"It's got this ridiculous little 'micro adjustment screw' right at the beginning of the channel that runs through the table to the blade. Now I may be wrong but I am under the impression that this rinky dink screw at the end of this glorified high tech 'crack' in my table is supposed to allow you to level out both sides so that they are uniform."
Zen,
You've gotta quit shopping for tools while you're drunk, man ; - )
The screw you describe is just a spacer - there to keep the kerf in the tabletop from pinching closed, which would cause the table to distort further.
If you're interested in having a flat table, I'd position a piece of plywood on top of the factory table.
If you haven't already, you way want to pick up a copy of one of Mark Duginsky's (sp?) bandsaw books; in cases such as the one in which you now find yourself, knowledge really is power!
Good luck,
-Jazzdogg-
"Don't ask youself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled