I’ve got an old (2001) 14″ rigid bandsaw that I can not get to resaw wood (6″ soft maple). I haven’t put a riser block on it and don’t seem to be asking it to do too much. I’ve balanced the wheels (used JB Weld) and checked them for warping, installed new urethane tires, replaced the belt, aligned the pulleys, replaced the guide blocks and have gotten the bottom wheel shimmed to perfection (coplaner wheels). There is still a lot of vibration but that is not my problem. When I try to cut anything thicker than 3″ nothing much happens. If I push hard the blade will suddenly bite and run through about a half-inch of wood in a couple seconds while squealing and vibrating something awful and then it will either bog down the motor or go back to just bouncing off the wood without cutting.
The fence is aligned to the blade and the blade is square to the table. The ceramic guide blocks are as close as I can get them and the thrust bearings are about one-thirty second back of the blade. I’m using a timberwolf 3 tpi hook-toothed blade. I spent four of the precious few and far between evenings I get to work in the shop adjusting this bandsaw to do this simple resawing job and I’m ready to chuck it all.
Any ideas?
Andy
Replies
Andy,
I think either the blade tension is way off and/or somewhere along the line you've dulled the blade and/or knocked the set out by allowing it to hit something metallic. Do you have metal throat blade insert or has the blade jumped either the wheel or the guides? If, so, odds are that is is your problem. One other thing to check is the motor belt tension. I would suggest that you try another blade that you know is sharp with a good set.
An observation: I wouldn't automatically assume that your fence should be parallel to the blade until you've checked for drift. The fence should be parallel to the angle of the drift.
I think you've hit on it. When I sprayed pam on the blade as the manufacturer suggests it immediately jumped off the wheels and cut into the blade cover. The aluminum table insert was also in backwards and did contact the blade several times. I figured that because the metal was soft in both cases it wouldn't have done too much damage.
Likewise I left the old blade fully tensioned for about 3 years so it is possible that my spring is shot. Timberwolf gives suggestions for tensioning their blades and I had to almost max out the spring to get the blade to stop fluttering as they prescribe.
I did align the fence for blade drift though this isn't as easy as the books make it out to be. Have you tried an alignment tool like the one offerred by Ittura? This clamps on the blade and supposedly indicates blade alignment and drift.
Thanks,
Andy
Andy,
Several suggestions: first, replace the metal throat plate with one made of wood or nylon. Even soft metal will affect the set and sharpness. Second, I would buy an aftermarket tension spring since the one you have has probably lost its usefulness after being compressed for all of these years. With these item replaced and with a new blade, you may find that there is no drift. Oh, check the planar of the upper and lower wheels to make sure they are perfectly aligned.
You may want to research the different designs for resaw fences: most stop about the middle of the blade and some are not traditional fences but tall pivot points.
Doug
Will do.
Thanks again.
Andy
Pivot point fence works best for me.
Joe
One other item to check... the blade speed. Some bandsaws don't have sufficient blade speed to cut well. I changed my Delta and it's like a new saw! The number I was given was 10,000 fpm, but perhaps someone else has some more knowledge on correct speeds..
Keep in mind that the Pam is to be applied very spariingly. I suspect that between the tension being low (probably) and too much Pam, the blade had more freedom than it could handle.
The after-market springs have their pros and cons. I noticed that the one from Carter comes with a disclaimer, something to do with "if your bandsaw can't handle this spring, it's not our fault." Still, it my be your only option.
As for drift, I use Timber Wolf blades on a Grizzly 1019Z and I get zero drift when everything's adjusted properly.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" .... :>)
did you check to see if the blade is running in the center of the wheels? I had to adjust my bandsaw for that before it would resaw with out wanting to drift-----I too am using TW blades.
Respectfully, Jerry
Andy
I resaw ALOT! Make yourself a tall (taller than stock resawing) auxiliary fence. Make sure the blade is square to your table top. Take a piece long scrap stock, and draw a straight line on it with dark pencil that you can see easily. Cut this piece on the line and try very hard to stay on the line about half way down the piece. Stop the saw, and when the blade stops turning, clamp the stock to your table top. This is the drift. Now clamp your aux fence at the proper distance away from the blade parallel to the stock, and voilla, your ready. By the way, I like to resaw with 1/2 inch blade.
Jeff
Andy, sounds like you did every thing correctly. I believe the blade is dull, you can look at the teeth and see if they are dull. Also ,you can feel the points to determine sharpness. Sharp teeth tend to catch on your finger, dull teeth feel dull.I sharpen regular carbon steel blades myself on the saw with a Dremel tool. I have not used the Timber wolf blades but I understand they are excellent quality. If the blade is dull get it sharpened or replace it.Sharpening a 3 tpi blade is not difficult. The teeth are sharpened like a ripsaw, straight across,at 90° to blade.Use a Dremel tool with a 3/16" chainsaw grinding cylinder or a small round file. Hold file or dremel level and take 4 strokes into gullet.If the file is the correct diameter it will file the point and the gullet at the same time.Remember ,with a file, only use push strokes. Files cut in the push direction only. The dremel fitted with the chainsaw grinding cylinder cuts in both directions. After doing one tooth, look at it closely.If the tooth point is sharp after 4 strokes, continue to sharpen the entire blade. If not, take enough strokes to sharpen the point, then do the entire blade with this amount of strokes.
This is one those jobs that is easier to do than to describe.I do this all the time with 113" blades. I only sharpen blades with 6 teeth or less.Usually takes me about 15 to 20 minutes.
mike
mike
Andy and all:
I use a Highland Hardware wood slicer blade on a Delta 14 w/riser. Oddly, it did a beautiful job resawing 8" wide New Guinea rosewood. Immediately afterwards, it would not do a good job on tulip poplar about the same width. It jammed and rippled the surfaces at an angle. HH tells me that 3/4 horsepower and a 1/2-inch wide blade is adequate for the job. I bought a 1.5-HP motor anyway and changed to a link belt. The belt damps a lot of vibration. Saw and blade are quite new. Should I buy a 3/4-inch wide blade before trying again? Does grain orientation affect blade behavior?
RoRo
I use LENOX blades.. Just me..
I order.. I cut!.. I'm happy!
I'm glad you are happy. Do you use 1/2- or 3/4-inch blades? What is the associated equipment? Have other brands failed to please? Who supplies this brand?RoRo
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