Got a new Delta 14″ bandsaw for Christmas. After getting it set up to the best of my knowledge, I started playing with it. I clamped a fence on and attempted to resaw a piece of scrap walnut, about an inch thick and 3.5 inches wide. I got MAJOR blade drift, to the point that it almost cut a wedge out of the wood instead of cutting right down the center of the board (the blade damn near drifted out the front of the board).
So, is this to be expected? Should I draw a straight line down the side of the board and eyeball it? Or should I not use a flat fence to cut against?
Thanks!
Jeff
Replies
What kind of blade did you use? Did you use a resaw blade? How did you set up your saw? Did you have the blade tensioned correctly? Hopefully, you are not using the blade supplied with the saw. For bandsaws you need special blades for different operations. There is no one "all purpose" blade.
If you are new to bandsawing I strongly recommend you get Lonnie Bird's Bandsaw Book from Amazon. It will tell you what you need to know to get the most from your new saw. It will talk about the blades you must have to do various types of cuts, how to set up and align your saw and then how to make the cuts.
Make sure there's enough tension on the blade and it's centered on the tires. It's also possible for the wheels to be out of alignment, meaning that if a straightedge is placed horizontally on each wheel, the lines would cross instead of being parallel. The two bolts that hold the upper arm to the base would need to be loosened and the upper turned so it's set correctly. A little drift can be OK, but if you have as much as you said, something is off. Timberwolf makes good blades, as do some other companies. I made a few calls here in Milwaukee and found someone who makes them up as needed for very reasonable prices. The blade stock he has comes with the back edge rounded, too. Saves an operation. I have the Grizzly G0555 (really the same saw as yours) with the riser block and can resaw white oak to less than 1/16" thick. Surprised the @%#$ out of me, I would have been happy with 1/8". My blade is 4 TPI, hook, 1/2". There are some websites that have good information about blades, machines and accessories. Some have been listed in other posts and threads in the forums.
You need a high quality blade for resawing -- not the blade that came with the saw, for sure! And the saw needs to be tuned properly. Follow the advice about getting a (1 or even 2) good bandsaw book(s). I am of the camp that believes there is no need for blade drift. If I can tune and slap a blade on a Grizzly 1019Z 14" saw and cut without drift, then it should be doable with any decent band saw.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
PS, since this is your first band saw, treat yourself to an Iturra Design catalog, which also stands well next to the band saw handbook you'll get -- full of good info. Their phone number is 1-888-722-7078.
If you want to get some good blades without fretting too much about "which one, which one?" give the folks at Suffolk Machinery a call. Simply tell them what types of cutting you want to try (e.g., resawing dried wood, general cutting to a radius of whatever, maybe some tighter curve cutting) and they'll suggest the appropriate Timber Wolf blades. They have a special (buy 3 get one free. They are very helpful! And the blades are wonderful. You might end up going to a different brand eventually for resawing, there are 2 or 3 big favorites out there, including the Timber Wolf, but I doubt you'll regret trying theses. (800) 234-7297 You'll need to give them the length of blade your saw uses.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
I had the same issues with my Jet, when I first got it. As noted above the stock blade is not a good choice for resawing ( or really any serious cutting as they are usually of poor quality) I tried several dedicated resaw blades with results ranging from okay to disastrous. All the frustration ended when I slapped on a bi-metal 3/8" wide 4 pitch, hook tooth blade by Starrett. I also found that I could go to a straight fence and eliminate the single point fence. People may disagree, but I don't think the average 14" bandsaw has the "intestinal fortitude" to properly tension wide blades, I know my Jet didn't even after changing the spring out for a high quality after market one. One of the dedicated resaw blades I tried was designed to run at low tension, and it did an admirable job, but dulled very quickly.
Rob Millard
Thanks everyone, excellent information here. Yes, I was using the stock blade, so I will remedy that situation quickly. Honestly, other than having different widths of blades, I didn't think there was that much difference in band saw blades. I'm glad I posted, learned something new.Other than the blade, everything else seems in order with the saw. Blade tracks well, it is riding on the center of the wheels, tension is set correctly (I think ;-) So, I'll throw a new blade on it and see how that goes. If I have any more problems after that, I'll be back with more questions.Thanks again!
Highland hardware tool.You can find it in the internet.sells one of the best resaw blades that I have ever used.It is called the wood slicer.I put it on a small delta last year and have been resawing 7" boards with it.My saw only takes a 72" blade and it cost me 29.00.Might want to give it a shot.Makes one heck of a smooth cut also.
Good luck
Ken
There are three types of blades for bandsaws- skip, raker and hook. Also, when you get the new blade, look at the back edge to see if it's flat or has a radius. If it's flat and sharp where it transitions to the sides, create a radius to round it over. This will make cutting curves a lot better because the blade won't bind and heat up. Remember to release the tension on the blade whenever you're done using the saw. Better for the tires and blade.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
jhounshell,
I got my Delta two years ago and the initial results were similar to yours. The critical elements that turned things around were a good appropriate blade that tracked on the center of the upper tire. A table top that was perpendicular to the blade(it easily goes out of adjustment) and a fense that is parrallel to the blade. The fense really helps as long as you keep the stock flat against it...mine is a full 6" height and I use push pads to keep it against the fense.
Yeah, I guess the one thing I was not really impressed with on this Delta was the table. I've had trouble getting the alignment on the table right. It's still not perfectly level, although It seems like the blade is running 90 degrees to the table. But the table tilting mechanism seems really screwed up. The table does not want to tilt evenly, the front left corner tilts down more than the front right, so it's all out of whack. Something else I need to work on, but I thought I'd tackle one problem at a time. Thanks!
Loosen the trunnion bolts on one side and tilt the table so the loose bolts are closest to their limit, check/reset the limits (if needed) making sure the table is level along the lower edge and at the correct angle to the blade , then retighten them. Do the same for the other side. IIRC, this is covered in the manual, or should be. If you still have trouble, go to the Delta site and contact their technical support staff.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Another point that hasn't been mentioned: Don't force the cut! You shouldn't have to use more than 1 finger's worth of pressure to feed your stock through. Too much force and any blade will walk. Take your time, let the blade do it's job, and you'll resaw 1/16th all day once your machine is tuned.
I've been playing with the stock blade, getting ready to order a new blade this week. I don't think the tension was set right originally. But when I adjusted the tension up some and tried to resaw about a three inch piece of scrap, the blade is very loud. Screeching loud. Is that normal? I was afraid the blade would snap, so I quit.Thanks.
You should easily be able to find a better blade locally and it's good to know what you can find quickly, so you can have a spare or finish a project if your other blade fails. Remember, if the blade is wider, it needs more tension and smaller bandsaws aren't made for blades wider than 3/4". 1/2" can resaw well if it's a good blade, the saw is set up right, you don't force it and the blade has the right pitch and tooth type. Resawing won't get you a glass surface. There will be cleanup required but it will allow you to bookmatch and use wood in ways that would be difficult, otherwise.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
It shouldn't be that loud. I couldn't believe the difference when I replaced my stock blade with a Timber Wolf (3 years ago). Be patient, wait for the new blades, and have fun!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
and i have read and seen on woodworks that after you put the new blade on the saw and everything is set up nice you should round over the back of the blade. not exactly sure why. maybe someone else could explain that.
kenney66
I already explained it. When you cut a tight curve, the back edge wants to dig into the outside of the curve and this causes a lot of friction, which can mess up the blade's tempering or the weld at the joint. This causes premature blade failure and/or damage to the wood if the hot blade stays in contact too long. There are stones available for easing the blade back, IIRC, from WoodCraft and Rockler. If they have them, other places will, too.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
If you're not doing radius cuts it's probably not necessary.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
No, screeching is not normal. The sound my saw makes is more like a slightly loud version of my wife's sewing machine. I have a 14 inch Delta with Carter guides. Normally the blade should not touch the guides when you are not sawing. My previous bandsaw, the three wheel kind, had metal blocks as guides. Doing something that made the blade press hard against the guides would make a screeching sound. You might want to check that the guides are not contacting the blade when you are not feeding stock. My experience is that no matter how much you spend on blades or how much time you spend setting up, the blade moves a little side to side and front to back. I think you'll find that if you set up the guides on one part of the blade and have a few thousandths clearance you'll find it may not be clearing it all the way around. I usually spin the blade slowly by hand to find the extremes of the blade movement to set the guides.
I got Cool Blocks when I started doing some work with a 3/16" blade and they're great. Squish 'em right up against the blade. Rotate them every once in a long while if the face gets a groove in it.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
I agree with you on the Cool Blocks. I got a really good deal on my bandsaw at a local tool store. It was the last of some premium marketing version that already had the Carter guides on it, which prevents me from using Cool Blocks. The Carters are good for a lot of things including resawing but not good for everything. They are not good for very tight turns because the smallest blade they accommodate is 1/8" and because the point of contact is higher on acount of the radius of the bearings. I think Cool Blocks are the way to go. I eventually got some for my previous saw. And I agree you can push them right up against the blade because of the self lubrication. I wouldn't do this with the metal blocks that come with most saws, the source of screeching on my old saw. One of these days I hope to find the standard Delta guide hardware on eBay. If I do, I'll fit them with Cool Blocks for more intricate work. I have seen 1/16" blades that can cut incredibly small radius turns and I'd like to play with that. My understanding is the only way to use a 1/16" blade is to use Cool Blocks and let them go past the teeth.
Hi have you concidered useing a scroll saw far those small blades.I tried a 1/16 bade on my bandsaw and it was a pain to get accurate cuts with it.So I just stuck with my scroll saw and it works great with the tight cuts.Plus with the scroll saw there is no sanding to do when done.Good luck.
Ken
Ken
Hi I don't use a 16 blade on my bandsaw,I use a scroll saw for that small of a blade,but I use the cool blocks for all my other blades and yes you just set the blade right in the center of the blocks and they work great.I also make my own cool blocks as they will wear out pretty quick, depending on how often you use the saw.My bandsaw only takes a 1/4 square block so I just buy 1/2 blocks and cut them down and they work great.
Ken
"I also make my own cool blocks as they will wear out pretty quick, depending on how often you use the saw." You might want to look for a piece of lignum vitae somewhere and try making them out of that wood. I understand that it is extreeeeeemly hard and somewhat self-lubricating. I hve a pretty big piece of it, but since my guides are round and I don't have a lathe, I'm not striving to make my own. Click here for a description.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Hi Forestgirl,
Why not try using a plug cutter into the end grain.
Thanky maam,was gonna get some of that wood one time,but found out that I would have to mortgage the house an sell the motor home to afford it.(Just kiddin),but it is rather pricey wood.I got two packages of four 1/2" cool blocks per pack at a tool store in pigion forge tenn.an all I do is cut one block into 4 pieces and I am good to go.I think I pd 6.00 a pack fo them and they last a pretty long time and I use my bandsaw quite a bit.Thanks for the tip though.Have a great day and be safe.
Ken
You know, I don't have a scroll saw. I've considered it but don't want to add anything else in my small shop. Way back in school I had access to one and remember it as really fun.
I agree that it would be a very useful tool and in some ways better that the bandsaw, like you said smoother cuts and interior cuts too. A friend of mine told me about a guy that had access to a bandsaw with a blade welder built right in. The purpose was so you could make interior cuts. I won't every be making interior cuts with my bandsaw. I don't really have any projects in mind that require really tight curves. What I have is a book on bandsaws by Duginski with photographs of some incredible cuts. One is a freeform cut the long way through a piece that looks to be 2x2x10". I don't know why, I'd just like to be able to do that.
I've been thinking for some time about reorganizing my shop. If I free up some space, do you have a recommendation on size or make of a good scroll saw?
"I agree that it would be a very useful tool and in some ways better that the bandsaw...." If you can afford one of the big ones. In thick wood (e.g., >3/8" or so), with a smaller scroll saw, it's really a chore compared to using the bandsaw. forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Hi I have about 4 scroll saws,I think.I have a $900.00 Hawk and 3 little ole craftsmen that you can pick up for 50.00 or less used and they do a nice little job,so that would be my recomendation for the amount of work you would use it for.Sorry but the hawk in my opinion is way overrated.Plus with that little craftsmen you can put it under the work bench or up on a shelf when not in use.Good luck and keep on sawin.
Ken
Yep, I love the Cool Blocks. How much might the guide hardware cost you when/if you find it? Did you know eBay has a "wanted" section now? Don't know how well it works -- I just submitted a listing the other day.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Yes, I have heard about the want it feature on eBay. Thanks for the suggestion. I'm not in a big hurry to get the Delta guides though. It isn't a high priority for me right now.
Mostly I use my bandsaw for ripping and resawing. Now don't everyone get mad but my first stationary power tool was a Craftsman radial arm saw. I used to do all my ripping on it. Not to long ago, there was an article about milling stock, I think by Gary Rogowski, that said start by cutting the board roughly to length. I wish I would have been taught that a long time ago. I used to start by ripping everything and then cutting to length. Anyway because of the way my basement shop is set up, I can't rip anything longer than about four feet on the band saw. The size of the band saw table isn't good for ripping long stuff either. Now that I cut boards roughly to length first, I rip everything on my bandsaw. I hardly ever change the bandsaw setup. I have a half inch wood slicer from Highland Hardware in it. I don't change except for very special curved cuts because the best I can do for changing a blade on the bandsaw if about fifteen to twenty minutes. So, I'm happy mostly with the Carter guides because they serve me well the way I use the bandsaw.
The other thing that came up in this discussion, is centering the blade on the wheels. There was an interesting article in issue 173, which is Nov./Dec. 2004 about setting up a bandsaw by a guy named Michael Fortune. In it he says to roughly center the blade on the wheel then make a test rip. He then says to adjust the blade centering based on the direction of the cut to compensate for lead. When I first read this, I got angry because, I've seen numerous other articles that said the only to compensate for lead is to angle the fence. I thought, who does this guy think he is. Anyway, I tried it and it seems to works. Has anyone else tied this? Did it work for you?
jhounshell, resawing is easy......if your saw is set up right. Fist back off all the guides and backup bearings. Make sure the blade is in the middle of the tires (most important for resawing) and that you have the recommended tension on the blade. Turn the machine on AFTER handspinning the wheels to be sure the blade is in the center and turn it off. Bring the guides in close to the blade but well behind the teeth and then adjust the backup bearing to just behind the blade but so that it isnt turning. Your saw should now cut that size wood with just about any blade.
I always turn my saw on and shoot a little WD onto the blade and let it rotate for a minute before cutting.
Also, if you are going to cut circles take a file to the back of the blade with it turned on and remove the bur from the blade stamping process and the saw will cut smoothly at its tightest radius. Have fun. aloha, mike
You can adjust for drift two ways; adjust the fence or better than that adjust the tracking on the upper wheel. The books on the subject recomend adjusting the tracking. The blade dose not need to be centered on the upper wheel. Also the stock blade is crap compared to a good task specific blade.
Mike
"The blade dose not need to be centered on the upper wheel." I had a problem awhile back with the blade tracking behind the centerline of the wheel, and it really contributed to blade drift. When my Grizzly 1019Z is tuned properly, there is no blade drift . IMHO, woodworkers in general are way to willing to accept blade drift in their saws. (Oh, once I tightened the nut holding that wheel on the shaft, the tracking problem corrected itself)
PS: What I noticed during this blade tracking problem was that it caused the blade to run at an angle (say, SE to NW) rather than straight (S to N). Pretty easy to see where this would cause problems.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Edited 1/10/2006 12:30 pm by forestgirl
I added a couple of posts at the bottom of this page that I thought were getting a little off the topic, so I checked your original question. I also have a fourteen inch Delta. Before that, I had a 16" three wheeler. My initial attempts at resawing on both saws were dismal, as bad as you describe or worse. I had problems with barrel shape as well. The good news is, your saw will be able to do what you described. Bandsaws are very useful but have a bigger learning curve that most other power tools I can think of.
To answer your question about drawing a line and free handing, it depends on what you are trying to do. If you are trying to get two boards out of one piece of stock, I'd use a single point fence and do what you said about drawing a line the length of the stock. If you are going to be planing the boards anyway, the single point will get you close enough. If you are trying to make veneer, I think you need to work on the setup until you can use a tall flat fence.
Good luck
Yeah, I'm basically trying to take one large board, split it and plane it so I'll have something close to two bookmatched boards.I really have not had time to fool with this bandsaw since my last post. I'm going to contact the Timber Wolf people pretty soon and have them send me what they recommend for this kind of work. Hopefully I can get this running soon, I have a new WoodRat on the way thats gonna monopolize much of my time.I've appreciated all the input everyone has given here, its been most helpful.Jeff
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