Bandsaw setting

[Anonymous]

Hello people.

Sorry to post a question on my first post but im having problems with my bandsaw...

Im trying to centre the blade on the wheels with the tracking knob but cant seem to get it balanced. The top wheel tracks over left to right ok, but it does not seem to effect the bottom wheel no matter how much i move it.

Unfortunately i cant check to see if the wheels are co-planar as the case is in the way.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Bandsaw=Perform ccbb

 

[Aragorn]

Welcome to the forum dustraction!

Not sure I can help much as I don't really need to use the tracking knob on my bandsaw.
I thought it was only supposed to adjust the top wheel to stop the blade from riding off the wheel. I don't believe it specifically needs to be centred - just staying in the same place on the wheel.
I think if you run the machine for a 15-20 secs and the blade hasn't moved, then it's OK, otherwise adjust the tracking a bit and run it again to check.
Anyone else confirm??

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi dustraction

Welcome to the forum. Just keep asking all the questions you want, that's how we learn.

As Aragorn said. I have no experience of your bandsaw, but as long as it's all running on the bottom wheel then, I believe, that you're ok.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Anonymous]

HI dustraction

Welcome to the forum

I would say that you should lossen the tension on the blade, move it to the centre of the bottom wheel and then re-tension. You say that the blade is not moving across the bottom wheel, and so it should remain centred whilst you use the adjuster to set the top wheel.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Hi Dustraction
One thing has occurred to me, have you released both top and bottom thrust bearings? If the bottom one is pushing the blade forward, I can see how that might prevent the blade from settling nicely on the bottom wheel. For my part, I don't worry about it sitting centrally. On the contrary, I try to make it so that the teeth run on the very front edge of the wheel, so they don't chew up the tyre. You can't do that with a 1/8" blade of course, but anything bigger than about 8mm can be tracked that way.

BTW, I can recommend Mark Duginski's Bandsaw Handbook. Rather American, of course, and has an important typo in the section on cutting dovetails (the text is right but the picture caption is wrong, IIRC), but otherwise the content is excellent.

HTH
Steve

 

[RogerS]

There was also an excellent article recently in Fine Woodworking IIRC on five tips to setting up your bandsaw.

 

[Anonymous]

Wow ! ... thanks for all the replies. This is my first bandsaw so its a bit of a learning curve at the moment (also got their planer/thicknesser at the same time! ). In response to your replies :-

Aragorn : Never thought the tracking would only effect the top wheel, (so obvious when you think about it !) I centred it with just a bit of tension on the blade, then set the guides only to see later that the bottom blade was off centre.

Tony : Thats right, it was centred when I first started setting it up but became un-centred later (think I might have found the problem(see below)).

Steve Maskery : That could be it ! I was tinkering with the bottom guides not long before I noticed it off centre (I was trying to set the thrust bearings top and bottom when the height adjuster was in the down position, unfortunately when it was raised to full height the top thrust bearing was fouling the blade). Thanks for the book reccommend, I lurked here for a bit and bought the book at the same time.

Once again thanks for all the replies, and I will try out these suggestions later tonight.

 

[RogerS]

I bought a cheapy from Axminsiter (AWSBS) and must say that I think it's a little gem. It's turned out to be one of those tools that you wonder how you ever got on without one.

One thing to look out for on your machine (if it's anything like mine) and that is that the vertical guide that slides up and down...hasn't any real register...in other words, there is a lot of play...you just need to make sure that the locking nut locks in the right position for your guidewheels...as you adjust it from height A to height B.

And if you haven't I can recommend (as have many others) the Duredge blades.

 

[Anonymous]

Roger, yes there is a fair bit of play in the vertical guide on this one too, but luckily it tends to pull it straight again when the lock nut is tightened.

Surprisingly enough I just received a price list & info from Dure Edge today.

Looks like ill have to wait til payday before i can put an order through

 

[Vormulac]

Hi Dustraction,

I recently bought exactly the same saw and am having exactly the same issue

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5090

Have you got your blade running true now? How much tension do you have on the blade and have you tried a Dure-Edge blade yet?

Sorry about launching so many questions at you, but this is my first reasonably serious bit of kit and I'm pretty disheartened by this tracking problem.

Cheers,

Vormulac.