Bandsaw guides for a narrow blade

[ScouseKev]

Hi Gents.

I don't have much experience with the Band saw and i'm looking to use a 3/16" blade on a Metabo 317.

The minimum size it recommends is 1/4"

I'm ordering the blade from Ian at TuffSaw.
He said i could get away with the 3/16 as long as the blade had enough support from the side guides.

At the moment it has bearing side guides but i think i'd like to change this.

Any thoughts on what would work best? I may also use 20mm blades on occasion.

Many thanks.

 

[marcros]

I would keep the bearing guides.

Can you post a pic. There are a couple of methods that the bearings use depending on the bandsaw manufacturer. You could add a bit of mdf when using narrow blades. Steve maskery has done a thread on this.

 

[woodpig]

Carter make the "Stabilizer" for narrow blades.

http://www.carterproducts.com/band-saw- ... stabilizer

 

[Steve Maskery]

Keep your guides.
Just cut a couple of thin (2mm, for example) discs and stick them, using DS taped to the surface of the disks. The blade will cut into them, certainly, but only so far, and the body of the blade will be well supported but the teeth of the blade will not get damaged. I have used this for cutting dovetails using a 1/16" blade, yes, 1/16th", and I show it in detail on my DVD Workshop Essentials 5, Bandsaw Jigs and Advanced Techniques.

It really does work very well and the cost is negligible.

S

 

[ScouseKev]

Thank you for those replies.... i assume the discs are just made out of any soft wood or ply?

 

[Steve Maskery]

You can use anything that you can stick to the guides and which will not damage the blades. 2mm MDF is ideal. It is used as backing board for picture framing. But you could use lots of materials. Nylon, for example, would be excellent if you could get it it to stick.
S

 

[user 19915]

Iv'e also purchased the same blade and from tuff's so would like to know how you get on as iv'e got a startrite 351 with a wedge shape guides and was wondering if i could change them for the roller type and if so would there be any benefit by doing so
Mock

 

[woodpig]

Here's the Carter guide.

http://youtu.be/5EexhzUmXL4

 

[user 19915]

Do you know if they fit a startrite 351 plus would they only be used with the small blade

 

[woodpig]

No idea on fitting, best check the Carter site. They are for blades from 1/16" up to 1/4".

 

[Solicitus]

+1 for Steve's suggestion. I am currently running a 1/8 inch blade in my Record BS350 using Steve's technique of mdf and carpet tape, works a treat. Bought his bandsaw essentials DVD recently and wish I had invested in it ages ago. Can't recommend it highly enough.

Robert

 

[Alexam]

This is the video about bandsaw blade setup that Carter products use. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGbZqWac0jU

 

[user 19915]

YES i have seen the video ps are those band saw boxes the one's you made =P~ =P~ =P~

 

[Alexam]

YES i have seen the video ps are those band saw boxes the one's you made =P~ =P~ =P~

YES. Our web site tells you about them........ see link below