Axminster AW HBS450N bandsaw

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

DomD

Established Member
Joined
10 Feb 2019
Messages
171
Reaction score
8
I have been looking for a new bandsaw for the past few weeks and was considering a small new record power one when a used low price HBS450N came up in my area. It seems they are reasonably well regarded so I picked it up today:
JzZvW9Al.jpg


It appears to be in reasonable condition and is built like a tank with a thick welded frame. Even with the table and both wheels out it took four people to carry it up the garden into my workshop.
This model has:
  • 2.2kW motor, which seems a bit over the top
  • 3405mm blade length
  • 460mm max width of cut
  • 280mm max depth of cut

A few photos:
UqRNjsJm.jpg
upper wheel - both are 19" cast iron
aKltppkm.jpg
lower wheel and drive belt

There are some issues though:
1) The rack attached to the guard is worn meaning it slips when being moved up and down; this isn't critical for saw functionality but I'm going to see if anyone has spares for this saw or similar.
n3zYzcsl.jpg

2) There is some side to side play on the upper wheel (within the red box below, left side only). This is looseness in the block that slides up and down. I'm unsure if this is an issue as it doesnt seem to matter once the blade has been tensioned, but I thought I'd mention it in case anyone who has a similar saw knows otherwise!
s1WY40gl.png

3) The blade tracks to the outside of the bottom wheel when the tilt has been adjusted on the top wheel to keep the blade central. Again this may not be an issue, does the blade need to track centrally on the top and bottom wheels? You can see the teeth overhanging in the above photo of the bottom wheel.
4) The bottom blade guide doesnt fit blades specified to work because the blade back guide can't go far enough back. You can see why here:
byiAY1Cl.jpg

5) The bearings screech when the motor is running. I imagine I just need to clean/lubricate them but will have a look online to see what others have done.

If anyone has this model or has any ideas regarding the above issues I would appreciate your input.
I haven't been able to fully test the capabilites of the saw as I need to get a new blade - I will update on arrival! Eventually I hope to make a single drawer roller stand for the saw so the table is brought up to my elbow height.
Dom
 
Working backwards down (up?) your list.
5.
Bearings are dirt cheap and I would not bother trying to clean but just replace them as a matter of course. NOT FROM AXMINSTER though, manufacturers bearings appear to be made of solid titanium according to the prices.
4. no immediate answer.
3. The all important criteria is that the blade tracks square to the fence. Provided the blade doesnt actually fall off while being operated,or flex so much that it affects the cut I would consider that minor.

2. Sounds like manufacturers tolerances from a distance, If it becomes an issue it might be quite easy to shim the slack out of the system.
1, That looks like wear on the teeth as a direct result of fault no.2. It may be possible to reshape those blunt teeth and adjust it closer on the screws.
 
Hello
I'll give you my opinion on some things which may be controversial !
1 Don't bother trying to buy anything for the rack system, see if you can adjust it.
If it can't be done, then don't bother as it's not important.
I leave my guidepost about 6 or 7 inches tall and very very rarely change it...
A 3/4" blade....
(which is about the very maximum for sub to 200kg saws if you are wanting ideal blade tension, so that blade is a bit much for that saw)
.....will not need the guides so close as the blade has enough beam tension unless its a really tough job you'v got planned for it.

2. Side to side play seems normal.
3.Blade tracking forward on lower wheel is common enough, a different brand blade might track differently, big difference on flat tires but maybe not since the tires are crowned,
I wouldn't try adjusting unless you have a noticeable problem with many blades.
Its a much better case than the opposite, and where I'd want/do have a 3/4" blade to track on the bottom wheel.
Don't do any adjustments without trying at least one new different brand of blade.
My saw is a much different machine with stout Axi blades.
4. My saw came with ceased rollers, and had a few very deep cuts on them, I welded a new face on them,
Learning welding at the time and melted the bottom roller off the shaft :oops:
...never bought or made a replacement as I can rely on blade beam tension,
Refer back to my comment about blade tracking on bottom wheel.
Question for your own curiosity ...
Do you reckon the lower guide was used?
If you didn't see any narrow blades, then it might not have had use.

What's the max blade width you can run with the bottom thrust roller installed?
You could weld up a bracket that would fit in between the gap in the trunion and the table if you needed to have a blade somewhere between curve cutting and ripping.
Read underneath incase your thinking of writing anything...

Do you have a want for very large gradual curved ripping operations like shipwright templates or something?
Or do you want to silver solder your own blades from cheap blade coils?
Guessing not just yet for either of those things :roll:
So you can make do with a 3/4" or the BIG blade you have now (as long as you don't try to get mega tension on it) as it should have enough beam tension to cope with what you can throw at it,

and you can stick the lower thrust guide back on, when you want to cut curves and are installing the narrow blade.

As Sunnybob said buy good bearings, they are only about a fiver each.
I replaced mine with SKF, but the screaching/moaning was coming from elsewhere
Very noticeable when coming to a stop :lol:

A different brand blade would have made this problem go away, as it didn't like the blades.

I will say if I ever get another saw for whatever reason it be...say something that would be super profitable to do up, I would want a stout blade (gauge) with a good bit of set to it, as some delicate blades can be a bit unreliable for setting a machine up.
Flat tires are more temperamental though I have experienced this with a smaller 20" saw with crowned tires also.

Why do you wan't the table to be at elbow height?
Bandsaws are quite tippy, this being more noticeable when off of the ground.
It would make using it dustier aswell.
Your saw and all that though.



Enjoy the saw Dom! :D :D :D :D :)

Tom
 
Thanks Bob and Tom - looks like replacing the bearings is the best route.
I've seen Simply Bearings reccomended - any idea what kind would be most suitable? Just from observation they look like "Deep Groove Ball Bearings" but will need to measure them up to make sure. Does paying £5/bearing make sense over cheaper ones if they can easily be replaced (I believe I need 10)?

sunnybob":2haaa3hz said:
3. The all important criteria is that the blade tracks square to the fence. Provided the blade doesnt actually fall off while being operated,or flex so much that it affects the cut I would consider that minor.
Ttrees":2haaa3hz said:
Blade tracking forward on lower wheel is common enough, a different brand blade might track differently, big difference on flat tires but maybe not since the tires are crowned, I wouldn't try adjusting unless you have a noticeable problem with many blades.
That is reassuring - I have not fully squared the blade to the table yet but I will see if it works out. I was worried the blade might continue moving and fall off but it seems to drift to the front and stay put.

sunnybob":2haaa3hz said:
Sounds like manufacturers tolerances from a distance, If it becomes an issue it might be quite easy to shim the slack out of the system.
Ttrees":2haaa3hz said:
Side to side play seems normal.
Thats good, because I couldn't notice anything obviously missing or bent out of shape!

Ttrees":2haaa3hz said:
Do you reckon the lower guide was used?
If you didn't see any narrow blades, then it might not have had use.
Perhaps not - it only has this large blade but was not set up correctly for it (bottom guides far too far forward). The previous owner said they didn't ever properly tune it, though I think it probably had owners before that too.
This is the diagram for the bottom guide assembly:
FLJezVem.png

You can see the guide (171) moves in and out of a hole in the trunion base (188) to allow for forward back movement. The back guide can then move independently (125). I had to move the guide back so the blade would sit between the bearings, but this has left too little space for the back guide bearing holder. One option would be using a hacksaw to shorten the back guide.

Ttrees":2haaa3hz said:
So you can make do with a 3/4" or the BIG blade you have now (as long as you don't try to get mega tension on it) as it should have enough beam tension to cope with what you can throw at it.
Yes - I did a few test cuts without the back bearing and it worked out fine. I am going to discard this blade as it seems pretty well used. I'm thinking of getting a M42 6/10 vari-tooth 1/2" in its place - it's probably been asked before but is there a 'general purpose' blade? I will want to do some curves but mostly straight cuts.

I've read elbow height is the most comfortable and it does seem low at the moment compared to what I am used to. I want to put it on wheels anyway so maybe I'll try the 10cm height increase or so from the wheels first. The large metal base makes it very stable - I struggle to tip it when I want to!
Thanks again for the help,
Dom
 
DO NOT BUY CHEAP BEARINGS :shock:
Their life span can be measured in hours, and not many of them.
I believe my axminster wheel bearings lasted less than the first month from new, and I'm only a small time hobbyist.
For the sake of another quid (or even two) a time its false economy.
Decent japanese bearing life is years, not hours.
Get shielded, which helps to keep sawdust out for a while.

I also dont see the need for those giant blades. :roll:
 
DomD":3kc0ncs1 said:
5) The bearings screech when the motor is running. I imagine I just need to clean/lubricate them but will have a look online to see what others have done.
You know you don't have to have them set that close if you don't want to.
A choice thing, I choose not to wear my guides and pick a 3/4" blade for ripping with.
They shouldn't be screeching at all with the motor running and only make contact when the blade deflects.
Presuming the blade tracks well with all guides backed out of the equation?
Guides should have no influence regarding tracking.

DomD":3kc0ncs1 said:
Thanks Bob and Tom - looks like replacing the bearings is the best route.
I've seen Simply Bearings reccomended - any idea what kind would be most suitable? Just from observation they look like "Deep Groove Ball Bearings" but will need to measure them up to make sure. Does paying £5/bearing make sense over cheaper ones if they can easily be replaced (I believe I need 10)?

My SKF bearing comment was referring to the pair of wheel bearings, and not guide rollers/bearings.
Small bearings wouldn't be that much to buy.
Listen to Sunnybob about cheap bearings.
Look for the markings on the race and type that jargon into the bearing site of your choice if you need new ones, they may have been replaced with good'uns.
If you really have need for them doing curve cutting.

If you plan on ripping, then get a wide blade preferably 3/4" and don't try to cut any curves with it, as the set of the blade become different on one side if you do, and cause the cut to wander ...
either ending up with the timber jamming inbetween the blade and fence, or just ruining your
timber.
P.s
I wouldn't cut that shaft for the thrust guide, as a new blade (even the widest @3/4" you would use for a saw that weight)
There might be just enough clearance if the blade tracks the same with a 3/4" blade,
but may track entirely different on the wheels (much further back) so you have ample space for adjustment.
Even if you try a 3/4" blade and it tracks the same, and you have no space for the thrust guide...
A different 3/4" blade might track much differently, and you might wish you never cut it if you did.
The beam tension in a correctly or closely tensioned 3/4" blade may not really need that lower thrust.
I suggest you see if you encounter any problems first without it installed on a 3/4" wide blade
if it won't fit.

I suggest not getting a more expensive M42 blade just yet, and buy two different blades
for your operations.
You may have to learn the hard way lesson about installing different blades and swapping them about regularly leaves more chance of slightly kinking one.
Every machine has its own niggles to be aware of, and learn from "the last time"

"All rounders" refers more so to stock height that you are cutting.
"They" don't mean you can use one blade for both curves and rips.
There are no combination bandsaw blades, like on a tablesaw.

I choose a 3/4" 3TPI for ripping as an "all rounder" for the varied thickness stock I'm usually cutting.
A good balance between finish and speed for the no more than 4" tall stock I would work with
I.e, I wouldn't expect to get really good results on taller stock than this with 3TPI.

That's not to say that a three quarter inch 3TPI blade wouldn't be used for cutting very gradual curves on industrial applications/machine that's the size of a house though,
but not for cutting maximum resaw height curves on your machine, that would spell the end for your motor, and you would be better suited to a narrower blade in that theoretical scenario.
That's tough work for any saw to handle!

Can't really comment on what TPI curve cutting blade you should go for
That will depend on your work.

Tom
 
Ttrees":1dtaxlb4 said:
They shouldn't be screeching at all with the motor running and only make contact when the blade deflects.
I re-installed the blade today and correctly set up the bearings and it is now much quieter. The noise is still very loud when the blade deflects though - do you think that warrants replacement? If I do replace them I will get more expensive ones in line with SunnyBob's advice.

Ttrees":1dtaxlb4 said:
My SKF bearing comment was referring to the pair of wheel bearings, and not guide rollers/bearings.
Ah right - these seem okay so I will probably leave them for the time being.

I will go for two different blades then. For the straight ripping blade I'm not sure about TPI as I envision cutting a fair amount of plywood (12mm and 18mm). For this I suppose a 6 or 10 TPI blade would be ideal, but I could end up using it for other things too. I've read a 4TPI handles thinner sheet material reasonably but can also be used for fairly deep resawing.

Unfortunately I recalibrated the saw today and issue 2) seems to be more of an problem than I thought. When running and without the bearings screeching I noticed an 'oscillating' sound and upon inspection through the window, it seems the top wheel is rocking back and forth. This can also bee seen on the blade which moves back and forth slightly when spun up (I'd estimate at least a few mm).
I suppose this could be a tensioning issue but I have tensioned the blade in accordance with online information (so at the spine it deflects ~5mm with slight force). To me it seems more likely it is due to the loose slide block.
See video of oscillation here https://i.imgur.com/fLwIFWa.mp4
I realise again that this could be normal but due to the movement in the blade I was having to move the bearings a fair distance away (2mm each side) to prevent contact while idle.

I've taken out the slide that the block moves up and down in, and it doesn't look like it has been bent so it seems the factory tolerance is ~2mm. Here is a photo down through the slide:
GiQXj29l.png


Any ideas on how I could shim this slack out would be appreciated. Problem is I have no metalwork tools!
Dom
 
Hello again Dom
A golden rule with bandsaw fettling is always suspect the blade, and suspect the new one when you get that too!

It sounds like the blade has a misaligned weld, a very common occurrence,
but it could be due to tracking, bearing in mind when you tension the blade more than the last time
the blade will track towards the front of the wheel more.
You might have felt that you gave it enough tension and no more!, which I'd say is spot on,
the blade is just too much for the machine, and the previous owner might have been a gorilla with it.
You can adjust the tracking on the top wheel, take most of the tension off beforehand!
Allow for the difference that the tension makes, and track it by way of tensioning for the last bit to get it spot on.

Tom
 
If youre bending the frame of a saw that sturdy then theres way too much force on the blade. (hammer)

I worry when someone says they have "calibrated" the machine. What exactly does that mean? :shock: :roll:

You need to understand that the wider the blade, the more force is required to deflect it. I worry about your "measuring" system.
After the makers spending a fortune to get all the wheels in line, why would you want to deflect them?
I tighten blades one of two ways. If its wide enough that I can hold it between thumb and finger, I tighten so that I can only twist the blade about 30 degrees at the most at the table top by hand (seriously, hurt your fingers to see how far it will twist, no movement is too tight, 45 degrees is way too loose))
If its too small (I use a lot of 3/16" and even 1/8" blades) I tighten it untill I can get a nice clear musical note from the blade just to the bottom left of the top wheel.
In other words, open the top cover, and "pluck" the blade as though its a guitar string, just an inch or two before the blade reaches the top wheel.

Any "doinnngggg" noise and the blade is too loose, tighten slowly until you get a musical note. A high "ting" like a piano high note is too tight.
This will work on any blade.
I even have a digital guitar tuner device that I attach to the blade at the table and it tells what note is reached by the string.
 
Ttrees":2jyxalqq said:
A golden rule with bandsaw fettling is always suspect the blade, and suspect the new one when you get that too!
Yep, this blade could definitely be causing the issues. I think I am going to leave it until my new ones arrive, but they might take up to 10 days.

sunnybob":2jyxalqq said:
If youre bending the frame of a saw that sturdy then theres way too much force on the blade. (hammer)
I worry when someone says they have "calibrated" the machine. What exactly does that mean? :shock: :roll:
I don't think I'm bending the frame - at least I hope not! By calibration I mean realigning the bearings, making sure the blade is tracking properly and retensioning the blade.
I retensioned the blade with your twisting method today, which is good and easy to remember but unfortunately didn't stop the vibration.

There is also a little slack in the drive belt, I don't know if this could be causing any issues. Here is a video of the blade where you can see the back and forth movement: https://i.imgur.com/o7jCicD.mp4

Anyway I will let you know what what happens with a new blade.
Thanks for the advice so far,
Dom
 
repeating the above, every adjustment is only as good as the blade. :lol:
If you still get vibration after tensioning to the method I described, and with the bandsaw running, view the blade from the front on and slowly tighten the blade. You will see it "flutter" more and less, and then suddenly it will seem to have stopped dead.
Thats what the americans call "the sweet spot" :roll:

I use tuffsaws blades, and so far have never had a bad or dull blade. =D>
 
Hello again
It sounds like the insert in the table is interfering with things..
You might as well use the saw if the teeth are still in good nick, which may be unlikely, but being a
blade this wide, the chances of that are somewhat less hopefully.
If the guides/side rollers were set close beforehand, and made contact with the teeth it would have destroyed the set, hopefully this never happened.
Adjust the table before running the machine again, as the set might get some issues with it.

Did you try tracking the blade a bit further towards the front of your top wheel, unplugged and turned by hand of course...
That is, if the tension was tighter when you received it, compared to what you refer as adequate?
Give the blade a once over for any cracks while your at it.
Try it for 1 second and switch off again aferwards.

You could run that blade with just the one thrust guide if you get that possible tracking issue sorted,
that is, if there is much reduced wandering of the blade.
Keep those side rollers a good distance away from the gullets to allow for that wandering.
Saying that, I would back them off for now completely and not try to hide any problems.

The one thrust bearing is all you really need for keeping the blade from falling off the wheels
for me this is fine anyway on two saws.
Not in contact with the blade though.

I don't think the drive belt has any influence on things, but I could be wrong.
Mines really shoddy, I've found out lots more things have much more influence over things.
Above all the new blades will be the answer or make a problem more obvious.

Ps
If your cutting unknown scrap timber for testing, you HAVE to have a cheap metal detector handy.
:oops:
Good luck with the saw
Tom
 
I got the new blades from Tuffsaws and fitted them. These cut very nicely but the blade is still moving back and forth (not side to side). Now this doesn't really matter as when cutting the blade is pushed back, but it does mean the saw vibrates. I shimmed out the play in the part mentioned in 2) and that is not the issue.
I now suspect it may be due to the wheels not being coplanar. I have some washers so will see if shimming it out helps. This may be related but the blade always tracks to the front half of the bottom wheel: it doesn't go too far forward though so doesn't cause issues.

sunnybob":l5wvpkju said:
If you still get vibration after tensioning to the method I described, and with the bandsaw running, view the blade from the front on and slowly tighten the blade. You will see it "flutter" more and less, and then suddenly it will seem to have stopped dead.
Thats what the americans call "the sweet spot" :roll:
For me, this works with the side-side movement (and I have tensioned it so it is dead flat head on) but I am still getting the forward back movement.
Ttrees":l5wvpkju said:
You might as well use the saw if the teeth are still in good nick
Unfortunately it doesnt seem so - oncomparison with the new blades it seems much more blunt. I have a 10tpi 3/8" for cutting curves and a 6tpi 3/4" for straight cuts: both primarily for plywood medium thickness rip cuts. If I ever need to resaw boards I will get a lower tpi blade.
Ttrees":l5wvpkju said:
You could run that blade with just the one thrust guide if you get that possible tracking issue sorted,
that is, if there is much reduced wandering of the blade.
The new blade doesn't really wander, but the top wheel does seem to vibrate back and forward. When I ensure the blade is central on the top wheel it cuts straight.
Ttrees":l5wvpkju said:
The one thrust bearing is all you really need for keeping the blade from falling off the wheels
for me this is fine anyway on two saws.
Not in contact with the blade though.
My smaller blade fits with both but I am going to stick to one bearing when I use a thicker blade - I'll keep an eye on it to make sure its not moving back!

Thanks again for the ideas
 
Because I want to be able to move the bandsaw out when cutting longer boards, I made a rolling cart for it. This makes the vibration slightly, but not significantly worse.

LZ4lY7cm.jpg
First I bolted some spare batten timbers onto each side.

kzPhWQ2m.jpg
Then I screwed in 6x2s and the castors.

vlraITUm.jpg
This is the end result - I think it is going to sit in this corner for now but might put it against a wall if I find myself moving it often.

k3kNzbXm.jpg
Some quick push sticks - the first 'functional' use.
 
If your talking about coplanar adjustment, you often hear of folks shimming the wheels on smaller saws, but that is not an issue with a bigger saw like what you have.
If it is side to side adjustment of the upper wheel bracket,
i.e being able to adjust the guidepost without having to adjusting side roller guides then you know that is ruled out.

So you tracked that narrow blade on your top wheel ...
Does the narrow blade have any back and fourth movement?

If you can indeed track this narrow blade so you can set the thrust guide close, then you can progress further, after which
I suggest you try tracking your 3/4" blade on the top wheel more forward than you want to...
Just saying incase you are adamant to keep the gullets on dead centre...

Either way, If the narrow new saw blade won't track on the wheels without back and fourth movement then it suggests that your lower wheel could be adjusted.

If your having trouble with the wider blade, but not the narrow one
That dosen't mean that a wider gauge or kerf blade would be the same, the saw could be specifically set up for those blades, compared to the narrower gauge blades.

This is probably what you want to hear, should you wish to do this bottom wheel adjustment malarkey ...
If you are adamant to adjust tracking to suit those thin gauge wider blades, (presuming the narrow runs great)...
Make sure you take photos of the original position of the shaft, so you can adjust it back if you want to try that other wide blade again, say if you hit a hidden staple.
You should only need adjust the north and south.

There is a Rikon lower wheel adjustment PDF you can download for tips on adjusting the lower wheel incase you also get fluttering happening!
There is sequential adjustments that can be made.
https://www.highlandwoodworking.com/lib ... _guide.pdf

I went through all this before and pretty much ended up where I started, light gauge blades can be unreliable to set up.

This will take much time and all that and might not be an issue in the end of the day.
I'll say it again, don't adjust that tracking with tension on the top wheel!

Tom
 
You said the wheel bearings were screeching. Have you replaced them?
It's possible that the top wheel bearings are so far gone that the wheel will tip forwards under tension, causing the blade to run forwards on the lower wheel.

I really strongly suggest that adjusting the lower wheel should be an absolutely last ditch resort when you have replaced everything else. Its one of those adjustments that could take days to get right.
 
Sunnybob aint lying :wink:
You could spend days at this with your thin gauge wide blade.

I would personally get an Axi blade when you need to rip timbers and that would probably track nicely without any lower wheel adjustment, or at least do the process quickly if you did choose to do this.

Saying that, I'll bet the narrow thin gauge blade tracks nicely, so its great for plywood or thin stuff.
When the time comes to rip timbers, finish quality is not as important as tracking.
As long as there's no twisting or flutter and it tracks nicely,
and giving reliable rips on what you are cutting then that's what counts.


All the best
Tom
 
Ttrees":3qqih1ay said:
If your talking about coplanar adjustment, you often hear of folks shimming the wheels on smaller saws, but that is not an issue with a bigger saw like what you have.
If it is side to side adjustment of the upper wheel bracket,
i.e being able to adjust the guidepost without having to adjusting side roller guides then you know that is ruled out.
Can confim - I tried this before reading this and it had no effect.

Ttrees":3qqih1ay said:
So you tracked that narrow blade on your top wheel ...
Does the narrow blade have any back and fourth movement?
It seems to move back and forth just like the thicker blade. To clarify I have now tried this with a standard guage 3/8" and a standard guage 3/4". I have a thin guage 3/4" (tuffsaws premium range) that I am yet to test. Are you saying it is easier to track a thicker guage blade?

Ttrees":3qqih1ay said:
https://www.highlandwoodworking.com/library/manuals/rikon/rikon_lower_wheel_adjustment_guide.pdf
This looks really promising as it desribes the exact issues I am having! :D
- "If a blade is tracking forward on the lower wheel toward the door follow these steps"
- "If a blade is moving back and forth (wobbling) follow these steps:"
I recognise your warning that it might be a tedious job with the potential to mess something up - perhaps why it is nowhere to be seen in the Axminster manual for the saw. The older Rikon saws seem incredibly similar to mine - perhaps from the same factory!

sunnybob":3qqih1ay said:
You said the wheel bearings were screeching. Have you replaced them?
It's possible that the top wheel bearings are so far gone that the wheel will tip forwards under tension, causing the blade to run forwards on the lower wheel.
I really strongly suggest that adjusting the lower wheel should be an absolutely last ditch resort when you have replaced everything else. Its one of those adjustments that could take days to get right.
The wheel bearings do not screech, that's the guide bearings (when cutting) - the guide bearings are unrelated to the movement back and forth of course. The wheel bearings seem to be in reasonable condition but is it worth replacing 'just in case' before giving bottom wheel adjustment a go? Perhaps I'm underestimating how hard bottom wheel adjustment will be! I'm willing to spend a fair few hours on it.

At the moment I am getting straight parallel plywood cuts, but the blade isn't at an exact right angle to the table because it is tracking to the centre of the top wheel but tracking to the front of the bottom wheel. This would only be a problem if I wanted to cut a tenon or something similar.

Appreciate your advice,
Dom
 
I would replace the wheel bearings as a matter of course. Good japanese bearings are normally less than a fiver a time and will last for many years.

If the blade is swaying back and fore, its possible your squealing is a result of the set teeth being squeezed between the bearings. If so, the teeth will no longer cut properly.
On all this testing, I would wind the guides completely out of the way to save the blades teeth.
 
sunnybob":2i2qtkhb said:
I would replace the wheel bearings as a matter of course. Good japanese bearings are normally less than a fiver a time and will last for many years.

If the blade is swaying back and fore, its possible your squealing is a result of the set teeth being squeezed between the bearings. If so, the teeth will no longer cut properly.
On all this testing, I would wind the guides completely out of the way to save the blades teeth.
I don't think that has happened, the squealing only occurs when I do a sharp curve and the side of the blade body spins the bearings.

The wheel bearings are 6005RS. Simply Bearings stock them from Nachi, Koyo and NSK from Japan and some other (cheaper) european brands. Do you reccomend a specific brand or are the high end ones all much the same?
Thanks
 
Back
Top