axminster awesbs bandsaw blade guides

[roby]

Hello i have one of the above bandsaws and have allways found the setting of the guides very frustrating and time consuming to get right,does anyone out there know if there is a replacement product available anywhere with a better adjustment system that would fit this model.Thanks Rob

 

[Benchwayze]

Hello i have one of the above bandsaws and have allways found the setting of the guides very frustrating and time consuming to get right,does anyone out there know if there is a replacement product available anywhere with a better adjustment system that would fit this model.Thanks Rob

Hi Rob,
Welcome to the forum.

Take a look at this thread. You might find something there.

bandsaw-guides-t15254.html

HTH

 

[roby]

Thanks for the reply John have emailed axminster and their own upgrade won't fit my saw, there must be something out there these things are driving me crazy, apart from this i've found this a great saw,would be interested to hear if anyone else is having these problems.Thanks again Rob

 

[Benchwayze]

Thanks for the reply John have emailed axminster and their own upgrade won't fit my saw, there must be something out there these things are driving me crazy, apart from this i've found this a great saw,would be interested to hear if anyone else is having these problems.Thanks again Rob

YW Rob.

The guides on my Startrite are not the best in the world, but I have managed to master their adjustment. I do know though that there are replacement guides out there. It's been a long while since I looked though, and I can't find anything. One man who might know is Ian, from Tuffsaws. He's a helpful chap, and incidentally, his blades are second to none.

http://tuffsaws.co.uk/

HTH

 

[paulm]

What type of guides are they Rob and what problems are you having ?

Cheers, Paul

 

[roby]

Hello Paul they are bearing guides and they are fixed by a allen bolt and square nut into a slot in the housing the problem is when you tighten them up they tend to move ,very frustrating Rob

 

[RogerP]

I think these are the guides which are similar to those on my Axminster 350N which I don't really find much of a problem - except reaching the the lower one is a bit awkward.

 

[roby]

Roger that's the ones Thanks Rob

 

[Benchwayze]

The biggest problem with my guides is the rear blade guide. On the Startrite 351, it's just a case hardened rod that takes the strain, as the blade flexes backwards under load. It was weeks before I could get it adjusted so that deflection was minimal, yet sparking was zero. It's stood up to the wear over the years extremely well, but I would have preferred a roller bearing, at least at the back. But as I said, there isn't any problem now, and replacement would be over-kill, as the standard guides function perfectly.

Best of luck Rob. Glad to see your problem is sorted.

 

[paulm]

Would it help putting a piece of paper between the blade and the loose bearings then pinching both bearings together onto the blade and holding while tightening up ? Then the bearings have nowhere to move to whilst tightening, and you have a small amount of clearance when you remove the paper. It's what I do with ny block guides on my startrite which are different but same principle and problem otherwise.

Cheers, Paul

 

[roby]

Thanks Paul i'll try that, Rob

 

[Benchwayze]

Would it help putting a piece of paper between the blade and the loose bearings then pinching both bearings together onto the blade and holding while tightening up ? Then the bearings have nowhere to move to whilst tightening, and you have a small amount of clearance when you remove the paper. It's what I do with ny block guides on my startrite which are different but same principle and problem otherwise.

Cheers, Paul

+1 =D>

 

[Steve Maskery]

Once you have got it right, try to keep the left bearing in position when you change blades. Just undo the right one. That way, you have a fixed datum and can clamp the blade up tight (with the paper in place, and the action of tightening will press the bearing onto the blade, not away from it. So when the paper is removed you have exactly the same setup as you had before changing the blade.
+1 for Tuffsaws.
S