First go at replacing bandsaw blade

[UTMonkey]

Dear all,

After reading a little bit about replacing blades I thought I would have a go at installing my new Tuffsaw blade.

It must have taken me about an hour, I am not sure it is right but I can tell you now that the new blade is amazing.

Not sure even now if I set the blade up right and I suspect that when I come to do this again I will be in for the same fun and games.

I have the axminster 250, any advice is very welcome.

Regards

Mark

 

[RogerP]

You could invest in these Workshop Essentials DVDs all you need to know and some good viewing

 

[UTMonkey]

Lol, I was waiting for someone to suggest that.

Thats my strong hint to swmbo for Christmas, I was hoping for a few hints....

 

[RogerP]

Keep on hinting

I have a Axminster 350n which is similar to your 250 but a bit bigger. One thing that annoyed me was having to remove the four machine screws and fence guide every time to change the blade. So I sawed the guide rail in half, filed the ends and remounted it with a gap in the middle sufficient for the blade to pass through. Saves quite a bit a blade changing time - which encourages me to swap blade type, as one should, for different sorts of job.

 

[Grahamshed]

I have the Axi 400 which sounds much the same. The first time I changed the blade it also took me about an hour. I have done it half a dozen times now in the couple of months I have had it and it is down to about 5 minutes. It is just practice,
Having to take the fence off is a pain and I am thinking of getting a different fence that is quick release, Hadn't thought of cutting it in half.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I think they're all like that, Sir.

On my (very similar) SIP, I've noticed that putting tension on the frame can pull the two sides of the table out of alignment with each other - if you slide wood right-to-left across the front of the blade (i.e. not into it), it will catch on the slot.

The fence rail helps to stop this happening, so I wouldn't cut it, personally. It doesn't take that much longer to replace it afterwards. Also, if you heed the wise words of Mr. Maskery, you'll end up with a largely drift-free bandsaw, so the rail can just be square to the table, and there's no messing about that way either.

E.

 

[RogerP]

I think they're all like that, Sir.
On my (very similar) SIP, I've noticed that putting tension on the frame can pull the two sides of the table out of alignment with each other - if you slide wood right-to-left across the front of the blade (i.e. not into it), it will catch on the slot.
The fence rail helps to stop this happening, so I wouldn't cut it, personally. It doesn't take that much longer to replace it afterwards. Also, if you heed the wise words of Mr. Maskery, you'll end up with a largely drift-free bandsaw, so the rail can just be square to the table, and there's no messing about that way either.
E.

The alignment of the table is not held by the fence guide rail but by the table stabilising bolt. See the following from Axminster.

When the table was cast it was a pretty stable lump, however,
bolt and weathering, machining, drilling and boring etc set up varying
stresses in the table which, if given the opportunity, (like with a long
slot cut across more than half its width) will cause the table to ‘move’.

To counteract this possibility a small housing is machined at the front of
the slot into which the stabilising bolt is fitted and clamped with the
butterfly nut. This ensures that the two most vulnerable parts of the
casting are clamped together in a single plane, to prevent warping and
twisting

 

[Eric The Viking]

Cor. Good, that

Kudos to Axminster, obviously.

 

[Grahamshed]

My Axi table has the stabilising bolt but it is not threaded to take a nut.

 

[Nick Gibbs]

I've never heard that tensioning the blade can twist the table. Is that common?

Nick

 

[RogerP]

My Axi table has the stabilising bolt but it is not threaded to take a nut.

Same as mine - but it does have a taper.