Replies

1. 
   9619 | Feb 15, 2010 08:59am | #1

   Hi Reel,

   I got a 14" Powermatic bandsaw a few months ago. I also work at a Woodcraft, and have assembled a few at the store. Like you, I had to align the pulley. I found it a bit of a pain because of the contortions you need to get into in order to get the wrench in there on a few of the bolts. You can loosen the bottom nuts and move the bottom back or forth a little bit. I didn't have any trouble with this.

   I did have a few other questions, so I called the help line. The number is right there on the instruction manual. The tech guys were excellent. I suggest you call them. A conversation will let them figure out exactly why you are having a problem with aligning the motor.

   The other issue that you mentioned was how to align the back part of the table. I gotta tell you, I found this to be non-intuitive, but after a bit of trying, I was able to do it. Someone else told me that they had trouble with it. You do need a straightedge. Now try some "trial and error". I found that I when I went to tighten a nut after adjusting it, it went out of alignment. This is a typical problem in machines. So I just compensated in my initial adjustment. With some trial and error it worked.

   The back table doesn't have to be "perfectly aligned. It doesn't come into play much in the work that I do. One way that you can use to save time is: If you can't adjust it perfectly, then adjust it so that it is a bit lower than the front table than higher. But there is no doubt in my mind that with some perseverance, you can get it pretty close.

   When you call Powermatic tech support, ask for Danny Duncan, and tell him that Mel recommended you ask for him. Danny gave me great advice on the questions I asked him.

   I really like my Powermatic 14" bandsaw. It just hums. I can set it up to resaw beautifully, although I did need to buy a better blade.

   Please write back to me after you call Danny and give it another try. I would like to make sure it works out for you. The first time I tried to adjust the motor pulley at Woodcraft, I did have a difficult time, but after I thought about it, I just figured out how to do it. Everybody who tries to adjust the rear table has problems initially. It is a complex setup, so getting it right takes some time. Once you get a "mental picture" of how to do the adjustment,it is easy, but still a bit time consuming.

   Have fun. You will love the machine. Let me know how it goes. Tell Danny that I said "Hi". To get to Danny, call Tech Suport at 1 800 274 6846 and when it asks for the extention, it is 1306. If he is on the phone when you call, he'll get back to you quickly.

   Mel

1. 
   reeltime1 | Feb 19, 2010 12:09pm | #2

   Because of my work schedule I never did get to call Powermatic.  I finally got the pulleys aligned, but I had to use a length of scrap wood to tilt the motor straight while I tightened the bolts.  Not easy.

   So I've learned a few things in my first week of bandsaw ownership: 

   1) Never hit a set screw with a 3 TPI 5/8" ripping blade.  You will dull and stretch the blade, causing you next cut to be bowed.

   2) The wheels on the Powermatic are offset by 3/8".  Learn to live with it because shimming the wheel is impossible because the shaft isn't long enough.

   3) The saw doesn't work as well if you forget to raise the tension arm.

   4) To square the fence to the table, you adjust the table, not the fence.

   5) You really need the riser block.  (Mine is on backorder-- though I found a free promotion online through Powermatic-- I won't be paying for one.)

   6) MOST IMPORTANT:  Wear gloves when changing your blade.  I now have a hand that looks like it was the victim of 1000 house cats.

   But I cut 8 straight cuts on my 4" maple glue-up yesterday.  I screwed (set the screws away from the blade! See lesson 1) my glue-up to a router straightened length of plywood and used the plywood edge as a guide against the fence... who says you need a jointer!!

   I'm learning-- but the process is slow.

   Thanks Mel!

1. 
   9619 | Feb 19, 2010 02:13pm | #3

   Reel,

   Thanks for responding. I am very glad I was able to help.  Sounds like you are learning fast.  One really has a lot of learning to do to put a bandsaw together and to use it well. 

   You and I came up with the same trick on aligning the pulleys.   BUT IT WORKED. 

   You said the wheels are off by 3/8".   I am more than a bit surprised by that.  It is not easy to measure wheel alignment. If the two wheels are not in parallel planes, then one of them is on an angle compared to the other.  That will cause you to believe the wheels are not coplanar.   Do you have an angle measurement device, such as a WIXIE?   If so, you can get the top wheel at 180 deg to the ground (table) and the bottom wheel should already be at 180 degrees.  Fix the top wheel by adjusting the wheel angle, so that the top one is at 180 also.  Now put a straightedge up against one wheel or the other and check to see how far out they are. 

   It is possible that when they bolted the top to the bottom of the saw (one big bolt), it was put in on an angle.   There are little male and female parts that fit together.  The are supposed to put the top and bottom in line but there is a small chance that they were drilled wrong.    You will learn about these little nipples and holes when you add the riser block. I have already done that.   

   I know of people who have drilled out those holes so that they could adjust the top of the saw to make the top wheel coplanar to the bottom.    BUT I URGE YOU NOT TO DO THAT.  I gave you the name of a GREAT guy who works in the tecn services part of Powermatic/JET.     Tell him that you think your two wheels are out by 3/8" and he'll ask you some questions, and I believe he will be able to help you.   His name is Danny Duncan.  I gave you his phone extention.   This guy is really good and very nice.

   Please keep me posted.  If you have questions when you put the riser block on, please give me a call. I'll give you my number.  Of course, you should call Tech Support first.   THERE IS ONE THING TO REALLY WATCH OUT FOR, but it is easy to do if you watch out for it.  You will have to replace the vertical black rod that holds the top guide blocks with a longer one.   THERE IS ONLY ONE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT.  You put tne new one on top of the old one, and you push the bottom (old) one out with the new one.    THE REASON TO DO THAT  is that that rod holds a spring and something else.  If it falls out, it is a pain to get back in.  But if you push the old one out with the new rod, then the two pieces stay in place.  I did it, so you can do it.  It is simple as pie.  BUT if you just push the old one out, the spring will go flying and you will have to order a new one, and you will have to install it. You don't want to go through all of that.

   Keep me posted.  Sounds like you are having fun.  When you go to make a real resaw fence, write to me.  I'll give you the results of my experience.  Basically it is just a tall fence. Use Melamine coated MDF because wood slides nicely along it.   Or use Baltic Birch ply.  Screw it to a bottom piece, and then put some triangles between them and screw the thing together.  The traingles are just to keep it square.   BUT IT WONT CUT SQUARE on first try, even if you measure it square to the table.   Get some scrap to practice on.  You can shim with blue masking tape.   Once my fence was perpendicular to the table, which is perpendicular to the blade, I had to add three strips of blue tape to get the saw to cut so that the output piece is as thick on top as it is on the bottom.      MAKE THE FENCE half as tall as the riser block will allow you to go.  That would be six inches.   If you  make it taller, and you want to rip four inch material, then the top guide blocks are very far away from the bottom ones.

   Hope that helps.  You got a great saw.  Have fun.  Keep me posted. 

   Mel

1. 
   reeltime1 | Feb 19, 2010 02:45pm | #4

   Thanks Mel.

   The way I measured the wheel offset was to lay a straight edge vertically along the top and bottom rim of the upper wheel, then straighten the wheel with the tilt knob.  I watched the distance between gap at the top of the lower wheel and the bottom of the lower wheel.  when the gaps were even, I knew the wheels were aligned.  Use a caliper to measure the gap between the straight edge and the wheel, and you've got the co-plane offset.  

   But in reading about this machine, this problem is on many of the Powermatic band saws.  Fine Woodworking had the exact same issue with their test unit, and write about it in the 2007 14" band saw test, and the offset was identical to mine.  They also ran into the same issue with shimming the wheels, the lower spindle isn't long enough to shim behind the wheel with washers.  I had the whole assembly apart and the lower wheel is the only logical place to shim.  

   In the end-- it's not a big deal.  The machine cuts straight (as long as you don't cut into metal screws!).  The blade tracks straight by adjusting the tilt knob.  What it means is that I will wear out blades and tires sooner.  It's probably not worth the hassle of fixing-- and when I install the riser-- the problem may clear itself up, who knows?  The riser will be sent to me early next month, so I'll give you an update with that.

   Great tip on the resaw fence.  There's an article on Fine Woodworking that describes something similar.  I won't be needing it until I get the riser block-- not enough room with my piddly 6" of clearance!

   Thanks for the heads-up on the riser installation.  I will take note of the upper guide replacement when I get my riser block kit.

   I'm still learning what I can accomplish with this machine.  After a bad experience with a cheaper brand of drill press, I decided I am not willing to skimp on machine quality any longer.  Better to save and wait-- buy a quality machine than suffer through difficulties cheaper machines bring to the table.  I still need a jointer and a planer.  

   Michael

2. 
   reeltime1 | Apr 08, 2010 01:43am | #5

   Riser Block Is Here!

   Hi Mel,

   My riser block arrived today-- Free from Powermatic-- part of their special promotion.  They were really good about getting it out to me with almost no questions.  Good folks there.

   I am reading your tip on the upper guide post-- how it holds a spring in it.  Assuming I keep the guides in place and unscrew them from the post before removing the post-- to do the replacement without shooting a spring around the room-- do I replace from below-- pushing the existing guide post up and out-- or do I put the new one in from above, pushing the old out of the bottom.  I can see how this might work either way.

   Any tips on this procedure are appreciated, and thanks for the good advice here and in other knots posts.  I look forward to hear what you have to say about topics.

   Michael

1. 
   9619 | Apr 08, 2010 04:19am | #6

   Michael,

   glad you got your riser block.  Attaching it is not a problem.  Just be sure to have a friend there to help, because the top half of the saw is heavier than you think.  Trying to hold the top half of the saw and then inserting the bolt by yourself is asking for trouble. 

   The round black rod which goes up and down as you raise and lower the top guides is where the little spring is.   First take the top guides off of the black rod.  You will attach it later to the new rod.      Now "unlock" the black rod so that it travels freely.   I think it is easier to insert the new rod if you remove the table, but I am not sure.  If the table is in the way, just remove it.  That is very easy to do if you have to.          Now push the black rod almost al the way down.  Now put the new, longer black rod directly on top of the old one.   There is a groove on each of the black rods.   Make sure the groves are aligned.   Now just smoothly push the new black rod down, which will push the old black rod down and out.   The spring will stay in its little hole and you won't even notice that there is a spring in there.     

   I don't think you'll have any problem.   I didn't.  But I would have if I wasn't told about that little spring.      Let me know how it goes.   

   When you get the new rod in, you have to reattach the upper guides.   You need to get them so that they point forward, so that the blade is point toward the front of the saw.  That is not difficult.   Just use your judgement, and a square if it makes you feel better.   Tighten everything down and you are set to go.  

   When you first put the riser block on, you will see the little nipples that make it go in the right place.  It doesn't have any choice.  That is pretty easy.

   I really enjoy my saw.  I use it for resawing mostly.  I made some veneer just for practice.  Mostly I use it for dimensioning wood.   Have fun.

   Thanks,

   Mel

2. 
   oldnubie | May 20, 2010 10:59pm | #7

   PWBS-14's Main Table

   Mel and Michael,

   I am just completing the assembly of my PWBS-14.  Had to work through some tough problems: adjusting extension table, getting proper tension on drive belt (couldn't push the motor down enough AND tighten screws with ONE hand!)... Plus I installed the riser block as part of the assembly.  I can't wait to use it, but here is why am I am writing:  My main table is lined up so that the blade is touching (rubs against) the right side of the blade slot in the table insert.  Now the table insert IS just plastic, but it will wind up getting messed up with the blade pushing against it that way.

   Maybe I should call Danny at tech support too, but the guy I spoke with said to unscrew the trunion and nudge the whole table too the right -- nope! the trunion sits on metal nipples and isn't moving. 

   Either of you having any suggestions?

   Thanks,

   Karl

   UPDATE: Did talk to Danny.  He's sending me a new table insert, then we'll talk again about what to do next.

1. 
   JohnWW | May 21, 2010 07:50am | #8

   On most saws of this style if you loosen the bolts holding the trunnions to the underside of the table, not the trunnions to the frame, you will find that you have a lot of movement available to get the blade centered in the insert.