Replies

1. 
   alias | Nov 30, 2003 04:36am | #1

   there is something called drift that is innate in bandsaws. take a piece of 5/4 x4or 6 scrap draw a parallel line to the edge of he 5/4 run through the band saw with out the fence following the line when your about 8-10 " into the cut stopthe saw. leave the scrap in mid cut take bevel square from the edge of the table align the bevel square with the table and the scrap. and when you go to rip anything on the fence align the angle of the bevel square. the angle changes w/ blades, tension etc. (moderately).

   if the drift is real drasic you may have to re-align the table. i'm not familiar with the rigid saw... check the tension w/ ####meter if it at's your disposal. you could check the condition of the blade. bearings are are aligned properly. i hope i wasnt condesending at all ....slainte' bear

   "expectations are premeditated resentments"
1. 
   nohrn | Nov 30, 2003 04:44am | #2

   I tried realigning the table but  is at it's max adjustment. I;ve read the other technique you describe but the drift is quite ponounced. There would not be enough available adjustment in the fence to compensate.

1. 
   jimswoodworks | Nov 30, 2003 04:52am | #3

   If you are talking about the Ridgid bandsaw sold at Home Depot, I own one also & follow the drift adjustment previously mentioned & it works good. I would recommend that you contact Ridgid & have them help you. Go to the Ridgid website for contact info. I also work for H.D. part time in the tool department & have not heard of anyone complaining about the problem you are referring to. Good Luck...

1. 
   nohrn | Nov 30, 2003 04:55am | #4

   thanks I'll try the web site

2. 
   JohnWW | Nov 30, 2003 08:21pm | #7

   Bob,

   Very few bandsaws come with fences that can be properly adjusted to deal with a large drift angle.  The Ridgid has one of the better bandsaw fences over all, but it has very limited range for drift adjusting.  If you take the fence apart, the sides of the cast iron head, the part that goes into the fence extrusion, can be ground down a bit which will allow the fence to be adjusted to a wider range.

   P.S.: I just went back to your original message, do you have a 12 inch saw or a 14 inch model?  The advice I gave applies to the 14 inch saw, I didn't even know that there was a 12 inch model.

   John W.

   Edited 11/30/2003 12:24:29 PM ET by JohnW

2. 
   gpwest | Nov 30, 2003 07:24am | #5

   I use the method described by bear on my saw, but you can also use what's called a "single point fence."   You attach a wooden auxiliary fence to the regular fence. To make the aux. fence, you resaw a board a few inches high, leaving a bulge in the middle which will be adjacent to the blade when attached to the regular fence.  (Imagine a band-aid laid on edge, with the blister in the band aid being the bulge in the aux fence.) The workpiece touches only the bulge when you push it thru the blade.

      On my saw (Delta) I use Bear's method to align the fence for drift, but I had to take a file and elongate the attachment holes in the fence to get it to angle off far enough.   GP

1. 
   nohrn | Nov 30, 2003 07:09pm | #6

   i'll give ita try/ or maybe buy a Grizzley

3. 
   forestgirl | Dec 01, 2003 01:11am | #8

   Excessive blade drift can be related to a poor blade, insufficient tension or both.  What type of blade are you using?  How much work has it done?  How do you set your tension?

   forestgirl Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   CharlieD | Dec 01, 2003 02:43am | #9

   I agree. I think a dull blade is the most likely culprit. Before trying some expensive fix--like a new saw(!)--try a new blade from a reputable company like Timberwolf.

   CharlieI tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut

1. 
   nohrn | Dec 01, 2003 05:27am | #10

   Thanks to all . i think I may have nmost of the problem corrected by readjusting the guides. i did'nt have good light on them initially and that may have been part of the problem.. The blade is the koriginal but has had practically no use. I have tension a lot higher than the sale says for that size blade. I will get a new blade to do some serious work. Thank all for your help-...

1. 
   CharlieD | Dec 01, 2003 07:06am | #11

   Stock blades are usually pretty worthless, I've found. I've even bought inexpensive blades--Ridgid, as a matter of fact, from HD--that have crazy drift right out of the blisterpack. But be advised--they ALL, and I mean ALL have some drift. Miter guages for a band saw never make sense to me 'cause they don't cut straight anyway (although I suppose you could set the guage a bit off to compensate for the drift.) So, your rip fence needs to adjust for drift, and there are procedures for setting up a straight cut, be it resaw or whatever. I got a lot out of books after I bought my saw; Lonnie Bird's is a good one.

   Stick with it, you'll get it cutting the way you want (or more acurately, you'll get the hang of how it cuts. And remember, you have to start all over every time you change blades.)

   CharlieI tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut

1. 
   nohrn | Dec 02, 2003 07:49am | #13

   will et new blade for serious work.. thanks

2. 
   CharlieD | Dec 02, 2003 09:28am | #16

   Best of luck. If you're short of cash the Olson blades are affordable ($12) and decent. AllPro, too. Both available at WoodCraft.

   CHarlieI tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut

4. 
   BobSmalser | Dec 01, 2003 07:24am | #12

   Get a better blade...the usual culprit if the guides are adjusted correctly...and make you a single point fence (ignore my bit about the resaw blade):

   Quote

   Resaw Fence

    

   Get a new blade...the widest one you can find...tension it taut and reset your rollers for the bigger blade...set 3/4" X 3" board on edge and eyeball dead center as you resaw it right down the middle...with a light bandsaw you'll have to squirrel the board around to keep the cut centered, and a fence will just get in the way....then clean the rough edge to desired thickness in the planer....for 3/16" finished stock you have a whole 1/8" tolerance on the cut....and you can put the rough side down if you don't get it all.

    

   Easier to freehand it, giving yourself enuf starting thickness for tolerance, than to mess around with resaw fences....they only really work well with big bandsaws using real resaw blades.

    

   The 5 3/4" wide stock for these 3/8" bookmatched panels was done freehand from 4/4 roughcut Red Oak...with a skinny blade, as I recall, too.

    

   If you must have a fence, then the single point ones work the best....those that I have made have been a simple 5/4 X 6" block set on edge, ripped to match the height of and fastened to the saw's existing fence at 90 degrees with threaded steel inserts and machine screws.

    

   You can slot the holes in the bandsaw fence to provide some fore and aft adjustment.

    

   Taper and bullnose the blade-side edge of the block, and you have a resaw fence that's adjustable 4 ways.

    

   If you are more comfortable with a fence, then make one....less than an hour's job. Don't try to fix the board so's ya can't move it, or try the existing fence w/o the resaw block attached....even the stiffest blade on a small saw grabs some grain and wanders and ya gotta have room to move the board to compensate.

    

   Unquote

    

    

1. 
   nohrn | Dec 02, 2003 07:50am | #14

   Thanks.. will give it a try

1. 
   BobSmalser | Dec 02, 2003 08:07am | #15

   My pleasure.