Set the Tension on Your Bandsaw

Use a commercial gauge or a shop made one to measure the tension of your bandsaw blade. In this video, John White, former shop manager at Fine Woodworking, details how to make his handmade tensioning guide and demonstrates how to use it to tune up a bandsaw. The jig is inexpensive to make but will yield machinist-quality results.

Questions about this technique? Read John’s companion article below for plans and detailed instructions.

Shopmade Tension Gauge by John White Built-in bandsaw gauges are notoriously inaccurate. Here’s an inexpensive tool that eliminates guesswork