Replies

1. 
   highfigh | Dec 01, 2004 03:58am | #1

   I was watching Wood Works on DIY last weekend and he showed the way he does it. He drew a line on a board about 1/4" from the edge and resawed it freehand, stopping about 1/3 the way through. He then used a bevel to find the angle and locked the bevel. He resawed to the 2/3 point and checked the bevel against the board angle to see if it had changed. He loosened the adjusting bolts on the fence and set it to the same angle as the board and bevel. Then he tightened the bolts and sawed the rest of the way through to make sure the new fence angle let him resaw without drift.

   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
1. 
   scadaboy | Dec 01, 2004 07:08pm | #2

   Thanks for the reply. I have seen that technique used and it has been the one I have been using. But when I read the FWW article about tracking adjustments to change drift I was inspired. You wouldn't think getting a saw to cut straight would be such a tough thing, but apparently bandsaws are the bad boys of wandering cuts; kings of the crazy kerfs!

    

   Regards,

    

   Doug

1. 
   highfigh | Dec 01, 2004 07:50pm | #3

   It's easier to work with the way the saw cuts than to adjust it. If the blade is wandering or off center on the tire, it needs to be addressed, but the blade may not have been cut straight across and this makes one edge slightly longer than the other.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

2. 
   user-450633 | Dec 02, 2004 04:13am | #4

   Assuming good bearings and tension I always grind crown on glued on rubber tire which is not easy to do without lathe and grinder mounting.

   The new glueless tires seem to be good if wheel is balanced and surface of od is machined by factory or you properly.

   You have  side bearings, good ceramic or phenolic zero clearance guides??

    

   Good luck

3. 
   Peter36 | Dec 20, 2004 04:35am | #5

   I too own a Jet 14" a 86 model. I read the article as well and it worked like a charm. It works because your tires have a crown to them. If it is not working for you I would check to see how your saw tracks with the blade centered on the top wheel, and see if your tires do have a crown. I do have to adjust my tracking a fair amount to get the correct drift.

4. 
   JeffHeath | Dec 24, 2004 10:46pm | #6

   Scadaboy

   I do a lot of resawing.  The tune up procedure in the article is meant to handle blade tracking properly more so than blade drift.  The blade drift will change a little every time you change the blade.  As long as it tracks well on the wheel, then you're o.k..  If you are resawing, you should make an auxiliary fence out of mdf or plywood that is very ridgid, and as tall as the stock you are resawing.  Those crappy aluminum fences they give with the 14 inch bandsaws are good for beating the neighbors dog, and that's about it.  Use your method described for finding the drift angle, set your fence, clamp it to the table, and now you will get terrific results, without spending 3 hours disecting your bandsaw.

   JC

1. 
   whitehawk | Dec 26, 2004 07:43pm | #7

   Does anyone know anything about the Hitachi benchtop band saw? Lowes has it for 299.00 and I wonder if it is a good performer.