with the power OFF at the wall.... grab the blade with finger and thumb at the middle of the exposed area above the tabel, and try to twist it. You should not be able to move it more than an 1/8th of a turn. Quarter or more is too loose.
Open the top compartment, and where the blade comes up the column and before it reaches the wheel, twang it like a guitar string. You should get a clear musical tone. I have put a digital guitar tuner on the blade and it rings a D note on my machine (yours will most likely vary, but the note should be clean.
Once you have that right, start the machine and look at the blade front on (teeth facing you). The blade should show no sideways movement (flutter). If it does, slowly tighten until the blade stops fluttering and looks completely still.
Job done.

These adjustments should be started with the blade obviously loose so as to not completely overtighten and snap the blade.

If youre cutting curves and circles, the blade WILL twist, you have to learn how to match your pushing movements with the blades capability.

 

If the blade is tensioned tight, it is your technique.

Hard to explain without being in person. But when you start to twist the wood you are cutting a radius and you have to spin the wood around the center of that radius. Same as if you are cutting a large round disk.

You can't jut twist the wood an expect not to twist the blade. Feed rate is important too cutting a curve. I is not a natural feel to do but it doesn't bend the blade if you do it right. I see it all the time.

People do that same thing with jig saws and end up pushing the blade sideways and having the cut at an angle.

 

Hi, my Ryobi BS 900 Bandsaw blade twists when turning wood material to cut an angle in the wood. Is there a way to fix this? I know it is not supposed to happen otherwise it will be impossible to cut angles, the blade cuts fine and is thin which I understand is supposed to allow for tighter turns in cutting angles in wood. The machine was used and I am not sure what the previous owner did, I followed the setup instructions from this video on Youtube

There is a chart that shows what size radius an specific width of blade will cut without excessive twisting which causes the side guides to come into play.
Here is that chart and another one:

Choosing the Right Bandsaw Blade

Choosing the Right Bandsaw Blade Choosing the proper bandsaw blade for your saw, or application, is as simple as answering a few basic questions: 1. What is the proper blade LENGTH? Most often the length of blade for your saw can be found in the User’s Manual. If you do not have a User’s...

www.woodcraft.com

The wider the blade the larger the radius it is meant to cut.
A sharp blade must be used at all times, and if the teeth have worn so there's little set left on them, it won't make a radius cut easily!

A blade that is not under proper tension will twist more readily also.
Sunnybob and I use the "pluck the band" system and listen for a clear tone.
As I increase the tension slowly, I keep plucking the band as I go. I know by the sound when it's right for my saw.
I also have a metal cutting saw so it's a different tone.

 

Just so we are on the same page what do you mean by "cutting an angle" in the wood, you can cut curves, as has been mentioned the radius of the curve will depend on the width of the blade.

 

Just so we are on the same page what do you mean by "cutting an angle" in the wood, you can cut curves, as has been mentioned the radius of the curve will depend on the thickness of the blade.

No, not the thickness, the width. The thickness is typically .032" or .035" and for very thin blades .025"

https://www.olsonsaw.net/shop/band-saw-blades/flex-back-band-saw-blades/82in-long-2/

 

That’s a liitle bandsaw. You probably can’t tension the blade enough. But ... blades are cheap, crank it tighter than normal and try again.

 

Good luck with this one. The BS 900 was never a very good bandsaw even when new. We had many complaints about it on the old Ryobi Tool Forum. I should have the Operator's Manual on my PC, but it's tied up right now doing a full system backup.

 

There is no cutting angles with a bandsaw. You can only cut radiuses allowed by the width of the blade. That same guy does another video where he's showing a specific product (replacement for some of the standard bandsaw parts) that allows tighter cuts on the bandsaw. Make sure you're not trying that on an unmodified bandsaw.

 

Agree with the others, probably a tension issue. No offense, but the lower end bandsaw frames simply don't have the strength and will actually bend with increasing tension. A way to test that is tension it up and pluck. Listen to the tone and tension more if the tone doesn't change the frame is flexing. Or measure from the guide head to the table. Had an old C'man BS long time ago did that.

Check the guides. Guides made of steel blocks can develop a groove. You can usually turn them around if that's the case. Take a look at cool blocks I use them on my little Jet 12" and they work pretty well. I grind a new surface when they get worn.

 

Wow, thank you all for your help input and suggestions. So I took the blade off and reinstalled it so I can try the tension issue many of you spoke about, and like many of you said can't really get the blade tensioned good enough, the tension knob stopped turning at a point, as if I reached the max tension. But sense doing this and also resetting up the block guides as instructed, I was successful in turning a "curve/radius", thanks for the correction on terms, not angle. It cut a curve though the second time I did it, it left some small burn marks on the wood, which of course at that point I stopped the machine. I also purchased this POWERTEC 13150V 59-1/4" x 3/8" x 6 TPI Band Saw Blade, for Ryobi 9" Bandsaw from Amazon and it came in today so I will try it out when I can and see if I am more successful in cutting curves, if I am able to get the tension correct before the tension knob stops turning. I really greatly appreciate you all and all your help and assistance. I do recognize and acknowledge that I will probably have to get a more high-end bandsaw eventually to be able to take full advantage of the benefits of a bandsaw.

 

Found this discussion at exactly the right time. A friend just gave me the same Ryobi BS (my first time using a BS) and I’m having exactly the same issues. I even bought the same 3/8” Powermatic blade, which arrives tomorrow. Were you ever able to cut really steep curves, or cut through hardwoods?

 

You can use a file or sandpaper on the BACK EDGE of the blade to round off the back corners. That sometimes helps with burning issues when cutting curves.

 

It is a sad state of affairs when one has to go back two years just to pontificate on something that was said in jest.

 

Said in "jest"?
Then why did you correct the statement? No one understood that you were joking.
I thought you were just mistaken. Settle down, relax. Put you jokes in the joke thread.
Pontificating?
Read my signature line....

 

Actually I corrected misprint 2 years ago, then posted comment in jest just after, you really need to get a life.

I have a great time tracking down what you write!
Then you make derogatory comments on my post!
My post # 6 quotes your exact wording ,,, "thickness", not width.
Then you corrected it .... "edited".
Then your post #10 says

Not really, I am now making up new definitions as that seems to be a trend around here lately.

You keep digging a deeper hole. Get a life, Pal.
FWIW, I'm retired with plenty of time to do what ever I choose. Thanks.

 

The blade width would determine the kind of use you use. A 3/8" wide blade is intended for little or no radius to be cut. I don't use more than a 1/4" wide blade. If you are wanting to do radius work, especially short turns you might consider an 1/8" blade.

I’ll have to try a 1/8. The 1/4 on the BS right now really won’t cut a radius at all. For example, I’m doing some practice cutting the letter C, and a snake which has tight and wide radiuses, respectively. The 1/4 wouldn’t turn at all on the C, but dI’d ok on the snake until I hit a knot and then it got stuck. then I tried some cherry scrap and it laughed at me when I tried to cut a radius. Maybe it’s me as I’ve neverr used a BS before, or maybe this BS is just no good.

 

It’s worth noting that I want to cut hardwoods once I get the right blade, and the right technique down.

 

Good luck with the BS900. It never was a good performer, even when new. I saw many owner's complaints on the old Ryobi tool forum. If you can only have a bench top band saw, I would suggest stepping up to a good quality 10"-12" machine. The BS900 may be free, but the frustration may not be worth the effort. A good quality band saw is a joy to use.

 

Good luck with the BS900. It never was a good performer, even when new. I saw many owner's complaints on the old Ryobi tool forum. If you can only have a bench top band saw, I would suggest stepping up to a good quality 10"-12" machine. The BS900 may be free, but the frustration may not be worth the effort. A good quality band saw is a joy to use.

I hear ya man. After one day I’m not impressed. I’m going to try a new blade tomorrow for ten bucks and see if it’s better. I have the thing to cut curves and if doesn’t cut curves it’s just a paperweight.

 

A friend of mine has a no name 3 wheel band saw. Did not track correctly and the blade twists. I aligned the guide blocks and removed the cool blocks, installed hardwood dowels instead. Cool blocks were fine , I installed dowels because the narrow blades used had a tendency to dull the teeth. I did this with my own bandsaw which is a 16" Grizzly .
Check the guide blocks to see if it is possible that they may not be aligned correctly. Dowels installed were about 2" long,
push them in when needed to close the gap. Probably will last several years with occasional use.

 

A friend of mine has a no name 3 wheel band saw. Did not track correctly and the blade twists. I aligned the guide blocks and removed the cool blocks, installed hardwood dowels instead. Cool blocks were fine , I installed dowels because the narrow blades used had a tendency to dull the teeth. I did this with my own bandsaw which is a 16" Grizzly .
Check the guide blocks to see if it is possible that they may not be aligned correctly. Dowels installed were about 2" long,
push them in when needed to close the gap. Probably will last several years with occasional use.

Mine has two wheels. It could be it is tracking incorrectly, or the blade is way more than a decade old or the machine is crap. Any pics of what you did?

 

My 10" bandsaw came with 1/4"square metal guide blocks that didn't work too well. I made replacements from white oak and soaked them in Danish oil for a week or so to completely infuse the wood with the oil. After curing, they worked much better than the original and the thin blades can be buried in the blocks. I painted the bottom of the upper guide assembly with red nail polish as a warning to keep fingers away from that area.

 

That usually happens when the blade tension, tracking, or guides aren’t dialed in quite right. Even a thin blade should track straight if everything is set up properly. I’d double-check that the upper and lower blade guides are snug (but not pinching), the thrust bearings are just behind the blade, and the blade tension matches the width of the blade. Also, make sure the blade isn’t dull or warped, since a used machine might still have the old blade on it. A fresh, properly sized blade and a careful setup usually solve that twisting issue. Have you checked Sawblade.tv?

 

That usually happens when the blade tension, tracking, or guides aren’t dialed in quite right.

Yes, it may be the machine OR it may be the blade is dull and it won't cut as tight a radius as needed because it's too wide?
I'm going with replace the blade, adjust the guides and tension it as suggested above.