I own a Laguna LT16 SEC which is equipped with Euro Blade Guides. I have had ok results resawing in the past but have never been overly pleased with the Euro Blade Guides and feel that I should be able to get more out of this bandsaw. P.S. I use a Timberwolf 1/2″ or 3/4″ 3TPI blade for most resaw applications. I typically use Flutter to set tension, Turn tension wheel two turns once the blade stops fluttering.
I know that there are many things that go into getting good resawing results from tension, to properly setting drift and other Bandsaw set up, having tried just about everything I don’t feel the stock guides provide adequate support for the blade. I really have problems with 1/4″ or smaller blades doing radius work. Has anyone else had this problem and gone with a upgrade in glade guides and had better results. I am open to suggestions.
Aaron
Replies
Hi Aaron,
We run several Laguna bandsaws at school, and have not experienced problems resawing or cutting curves. Inasmuch as I don't know exactly what kinds of problems you are experiencing, what condition your blade guides are in, how they are mounted and adjusted, etc., it's very hard to prescribe solutions.
Saw adjustment and blade selection are important, but without additional information, it's difficult to help. Can you provide additional information of a descriptive and objective nature?
-Jazzdogg-
"Don't ask yourself 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
Last night i was again trying to figure out the problem and i think my next step will be digging back in the FWW archives to the bandsaw tune up article and retune the saw. Something is causing the blades to track off course while resawing or cutting anything thicker than 3" in thickness. During test cutting the blade drift appears to be only slight, but once a fence is set, the blade is wandering off-course near at the bottom of the cut and continueing to wander until. I am obviously fighting the blade more than necessary and may have a bad batch of blades or a combination of something out of whack on the saw and some blade problems.
Aaron
Hi Aaron,
Since you're going to review the excellent Fine Woodworking article, I won't try to re-hash all of the details, but a few comments may help:
Before you remove your blade, remove and inspect both the upper & lower blade guides; don't reposition and tighten them until the new blade has been installed and is tracking properly - under hand power - right down the center of the tire.
Remove and inspect the old blade - there may be clues you can see or feel that will help explain why your saw isn't tracking properly.
Carefully inspect the tires on your bandsaw's wheels - damaged or improperly installed tires can cause mis-tracking. Do you have a wheel brush installed to clean your lower tire? An accumulation of crud on the lower tire can contaminate the blade and blade guides and carry pitch, sawdust, etc. to the upper wheel; the result is mis-tracking, sometimes subtle, sometimes pronounced. If they're funky, clean them.
Use a precise straight edge check to ensure the upper and lower wheel are co-planar - if they're not, and using the adjustment mechanism doesn't bring them back into plane you may have to remove the upper wheel and insert appropriate shims.
Carefully inspect the entire length of your new blade (both sides) before installing it. I once received an entire batch of new blades that had been poorly welded. Before sawing anything, make sure the blade you have mounted is appropriate to the sawing you're about to do; e.g., a blade with 10-tpi isn't recommended for resawing.
As to blade tension, we use the factory installed Laguna tension scales - unless we're using a blade that specifically calls for low tension. I find it helpful to bring the blade up to tension slowly, while rotating the upper wheel by hand.
I use a fine sharpening stone to hone the face of each piece of ceramic blade guide to ensure it is perfectly flat and smooth before reinstalling them; to hold them in place when they have to be replaced, I use Loc-tite because it cures anaerobically.
Unless you're cutting pine, or another pitch-laden species, pick up some rolling papers - the kind used to hand-roll cigarettes - to set the gap between the blade guides and blade.
Good luck. Please let us know what you discover,
-Jazzdogg-
"Don't ask yourself 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
Edited 8/2/2006 12:08 pm by jazzdogg
Thanks for your advise, i will run through the paces and retune the saw. I will keep you posted. thanks again.
Aaron
Aaron -- I believe I have the same saw you have (made by Meber in Italy?) When I first got it, about six or seven years ago, I set it up according to the [terrible] instructions that came with it. Specifically, they said to run the blades on the upper wheel so that the teeth just came past the edge of the rubber. Well, that was exactly wrong, but I had limited experience with bandsaws and kept trying to make it work. When I finally learned to adjust the tension with the blade running in the center of the wheel, as Jazzdog said above, most of my problems were over. However, on the back of the upper wheel housing there is an adjustment knob that changes the angle of the axle of the upper wheel. When you loosen the locking nut and turn the knob, it moves the top of the wheel down or up (in or out) which affects the way the blade tracks on the wheel. This is called the tracking adjustment and may or may not be set right on your machine or, more likely, may not be set right for the blades you're using. Once I get the tracking correct for, say, a 3/8 or 1/2 inch blade, it seems to perform about right for all of the smaller blades. However If I switch to a 3/4 or larger blade, I may have to change the tracking once the tension is set to keep the blade centered on the upper wheel. I have no idea why this is true, but I'm more interested in doing good work than trying to analyze the design of the equipment. As stated above, the guides have to be set right as well, and I use the "flutter" technique for Timberwolf blades to set the tension. Once the tension is right, I put a piece of masking tape on the tension knob with the number of turns needed to detension/retension the blade. Hope this helps. If I had it do over, I would buy this machine, but it can perform well if you keep at it.
Thanks for the advice Jimma. I do use the upper wheel adjustment and set my blaes to the center of the wheel. I hand track the blade to the center of the upper wheel, then perform the flutter test for tension. I think that follows with what your advise is, is there another step i am missing?
Aaron
If you're OK with a slightly risky step, you might open one or both of the wheel covers while the machine is running and observe how the blade is running, but this may or may not be an adequate way to diagnose the issue. I'm not one to be bashful about asking for help if I can find someone who might be able to solve the problem -- do you have that possibility? Otherwise, the Taunton book on bandsaws does give great information on tuning up and using the saw. That's what gave me the clues to look for. Have you tried Laguna -- is yours a new machine?
Thanks Jim,
My machine is only 3 years old, purchased new. I recently moved into a new shop this winter and it hasn't functioned well since. I'm afraid that if I call Laguna, all they will want to do is sell me something. Its been a nice saw, but as you alluded to the manual is worth crap and some of their ridiculously priced accessories such as the mobility kit is absurd, but that is just a side note.
I have the FWW article from a few years ago that goes over the BS tune up.
Aaron
OK. I wish you luck. I just noticed, incidentally, that I mistyped that last line. I would NOT buy the Laguna again. From what I've read here, the Mini-Max would be a better choice. But that dosn't mean the Laguna (Meber) can't be made to run well. If you live near Orlando, I'll come over.
I got the feeling that you were trying to say "would not buy Laguna Again". I have heard good things about Mini Max also. Minneapolis area for me.
"I really have problems with 1/4" or smaller blades doing radius work." Methinks you need to give us a list/description of the problems you're having. While you are assuming the source may be the guides, it actually might be something else.
An aside: For the first time, last night, I put a 3/4" blade (Timber Wolf) on my saw. Chickened out on the "flutter test" -- for some reason, with that wide blade, I just got nervous. ;-)
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
FG
Chickened out on the "flutter test"
So, if I understand you correctly, the blade did not flutter, but your heart did?
;o)Regard it as just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral. Frank Lloyd Wright
You bet! The thought of that 3/4" blade fluttering off the wheel stop me in my tracks. I just tightened it up as far as seemed "reasonable." I'll do a couple of test cuts and see how it performs.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Aaron,
I can sympathize with your problem, using relatively narrow blades with Euro guides. It sounds like the same experience I had with an 18" Agazzani I bought about 3 yrs ago. Using wide blades (1/2" plus) this saw is a dream to use, for contour cutting, resaw, etc. But when I put a 1/4" blade on to do work that required tighter turns, it did not want to track. The blade wandered back and forth (front to rear) just enough that I could never set the guides quite right, for fear the teeth would contact the guides.
What I did was to remove the Euro guides (including housing) and install a shop made guide block unit that I made from a 6" long section of aluminum square tubing and 2 short sections of hardwood guide blocks that are sized to fit exactly inside the square tubing. They act like cool blocks: the aluminum holds the wood blocks which are set right up against the blade (actually in contact with the blade, just like cool blocks); the blocks are kept in place with thumb screws. I only made one set to replace the top guides, didn't bother replacing the bottoms, just kept them in place but out of the way. This helped a lot. But it was a hassle to have to replace the guides every time I switched to a narrow blade. So my ultimate solution was to just keep my old 14" Delta which I had been half-heartedly trying to sell after I bought the Agazzani. I keep a 3/16" fine tooth blade on the Delta and use it for the tight stuff, keeping the big saw for resawing. Hope this helps some, good luck with it. Gary
Try posting on the Laguna message board on their website. I check this site Monday thru Friday, and you can always find answers to your questions. There is even a Laguna rep that reads the messages as well, and provides answers.
I have had a LT18 since 2001 and have used 1/4" blades with no problem. The blade tracks in the middle of the upper wheel, tension is set per the scale, and usually no problems with curve cuts. My machine came with the original Euro guides that I eventually changed to the ceramic guides. Much improvement.
Good luck and watch those fingers.
I have had an 18 Laguna bandsaw for about 8 years. Although I like the machine I have had continued difficulty with the Euro guides. Last winter I spoke with a Luguna rep at a woodworking show about my problems. He suggested the new ceramic guide set up which I purchased as a package with one of their resaw blades.
I am totally impressed. Like a new machine. Exceptionally smooth, vibration free, very quiet. Although I detested spending more $ on an already expensive bandsaw, I must say the cash outlay was totally worth it. I am very pleased.
Try them, you'll be pleased also. Glenn
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