Bandsaw Issues?

[Delaney]

I’d try a new blade - I don’t have any flutter side to side - on my own bandsaw I set the side guides a paper thickness from the blade so any side wobble would be noticeable hence being fairly confident

Unfortunately this was the new blade but I can try another. It can’t hurt.
Thank you for your suggestions.

 

[Delaney]

my thoughts:

1) check the top wheel and the bottom wheel for runout -ie have a dial gauge against the wheel and rotate it by hand
on a new machine it should be pretty close

2) if you are using a blade as wide as say 20mm you might find a modern welded bandsaw is unable to tension it sufficiently

3)if you have a narrower blade try that and set it up on the crown -that will help to determine if the blade position or size is the culprit

4) a new bandsaw should not have vibration -almost none at all

Thanks Robin.

1) I could do that. I’ll post results.
2) This bandsaw has 710mm wheels so should cope with a 20mm. 25mm might push it.
3) I had the same blade riding on the crown and then moved it over as Felder suggested.
No real difference in wobble though as tech was hoping.
4) Yes it is to be determined wether that is an ideal, or a practical reality. The more data I collect, the more we’ll know,

I’ll post some videos tomorrow and will attempt to address your first point.

 

[Jake]

If you prod the blade as hard as you can with two fingers on the side of it, do you have any movement, if so how much.

The blade positioning suggested by Felder is orthodox btw.

 

[Ttrees]

Below is a machine from the best, one from a time when their best line of saws were worth studying.
If you look up these specific saws in particular, then you likely might find your answer.

All the best

 

[pgrbff]

I have the smallest Felder/Hammer saw. It has a tension meter so I guess yours will too. I find I can't actually get as much tension as the gauge suggests but the blade should be hard to deflect when you push against it with a single finger.

 

[Jester129]

I'd get a new blade from Tuffsaws for a start. What are you planning on cutting with it? Hardwoods? Logs? Just get a low tpi Tuffsaw for a start, it will stand you in good stead for thick wood, maybe 15mm 3tpi? My guess is that the blade supplied has a thick weld on it. blades supplied with machines are notoriously poor quality as a rule of thumb.

 

[Chubber]

My Axminster B1950 set up instructions on blade tension state the blade should deflect sideways no more than 1cm at its longest free part with moderately firm finger pressure. This needed far more tension than I first imagined and resulted in very smooth running.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Mine is up and running. The blade is loose as I need to fix the tensioner, but here are a couple of pics of with it running. The top tyre and bearings were fine, the bottom were replaced (tyre missing, one bearing rough the other seized) as was the drive belt (missing). All six guide bearings were replaced. I had to take the table off as I couldn't adjust it - the Bristol lever was stripped, the whole mechanism was full of crud and the heavy plastic washer inside had split and jammed in the slot. It was replaced with a coach bolt. No flutter even when loose.

 

[Ttrees]

Bit more of a clue for those interested