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Band saw blade drifting toward fence.

4K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  Joeb41 
#1 ·
I have a 14" 1/2 hp bs with a new 3/4" 3 tpi blade. The make and model are unknown due to the previous owner who saw fit to remove all identifying decals. I have googled and looked and while it resembles an old Central Machinery or Grizzly I have yet to see anything that matches exactly. I was running a 3/8" 4 tpi and it worked fine but was slow on anything thicker than 1 1/2" thick stock. Once I installed the 3/4" wide blade it was cutting very well through anything I could put through it. When I set up my fence and tried to get some 1/2" thick rips through 2 1/2" thick stock I ended up with badly angled wedges. As I cut the blade wants to migrate toward the fence pulling the work piece away from the fence and giving me a far from straight cut. I have checked my cool blocks and thrust bearings and they are all running where they should be.

Is there a easy fix for this or is this a sign that something is fundamentally wrong with the saw?
 
#2 · (Edited)
it's the set up

That blade needs a lot of tension to maintain a stiff plane. The stiffer the blade is in tension the less it will distort under load. In my opinion it's too wide for a 14" saw. The next thing is the blade needs to be "centered" on the wheels as they rotate, but not in the middle of the blade. The gullets should ride on the center of the wheel, not the center of the metal.
You can make those adjustments, increase the tension and locate the blade and see what that does.
A properly set up bandsaw will not drift with a sharp blade. I resaw all the time using the fence and can get 1/16" slabs if I need them.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/band-saw-tune-up-u-tube-video-40292/

 
#3 ·
In your thread from the other day I included a link about bandsaw tuning. You did not mention in the later replies if you had re-checked all the settings shown in the video.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f12/band-saw-blade-issues-50082/

It sound like the saw needs to be tuned for this blade. How is the blade positioned on the top wheel, centered or with the crown of the tire just behind the gullet as Alex recommends in the video.

After I re-checked my saw, I also had the blade appearing to drift. I was not able to move the table enough, I also have to loosen the trunnion to be able to get the blade to cut parallel to the mitre slot. A bit of effort, but very worth my time.
 
#4 ·
After seeing Alex's seminar twice I realized I had been adjusting my bandsaw all wrong for alot of years. Watch the video and set it up as he says and you should be fine. As Woodn says a 3/4" blade is too wide for that saw. If you track that blade like it should be the backside will be too close to the back of the wheel.
 
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