Help! Bandsaw tracking

[Jensmith]

I am stuck with this problem - I've not had this happen before with my old bandsaw...

I got a really old Startrite 3 wheel bandsaw a while ago and it's been running ok with the first blade I used (6tpi 1/2" Premium from Ian) which was a half inch though it did come off a couple of times put down to the blade stretching. I had it tracking in the center of the wheel and seemed to run pretty straight when the blade was in the center.

I have swapped the blade today as I want to do some finer cutting and I can't get the blade to track properly - it's a 14tpi 3/8” SuperTuff Carbon from Ian. I've not used this thin a blade before.

What's happening is I set up the blade in the center of all 3 wheels and I've set the tracking on the top wheel so it's straight ie no bias to either front or back.

When I turn the top wheel by hand to check the tracking the blade moves to the front of the wheels. If I turn the wheel the opposite direction ie backwards or anti-clockwise, it moves back to center and then to the back of the wheels. This happens the same on all 3 wheels so the tracking of the lower wheels must be ok.

If I turn the tracking knob it doesn't move the blade so I turn it more, and more and then suddenly the blade is at the back of the wheels. The same happens if I do the opposite where it moves to the front.

I've tried adjusting the tension more and less but it's still doing the same thing.

Any ideas? I'm stumped.

 

[Racers]

Hi,

I think you need to turn the tracking knob a little then spin the wheels quite a few times to see where the blade moves to.
I think you are over adjusting the tracking.
My Startrite 352 is very sensitive to tracking only a small movement of the tracking knob moves the blade alot.

Pete

 

[Jensmith]

Thanks Pete.

After half a day of messing about with it I think the bandsaw and I have come to a compromise. It will choose where the blade should sit and I'll go with it!

Joking aside, it's been the most frustrating few hours ever and my arm is knackered spinning the wheel. Anyway, I tried everything, tiny adjustments, bigger adjustments and either the blade didn't move at all or it moved very quickly to either the front or the back of the wheel.

Eventually, after much pain, I thought I'd cracked it so switched on the bandsaw and the blade promptly moved to the front of the wheel so I adjusted it in tiny amounts while the bandsaw was going. Didn't really see much other option as it blatantly wasn't working otherwise.

The blade seemed to chose a spot where it stayed, just back of center, so I locked it off at that, put everything back together and tried cutting with it and it seemed to be cutting straight. It's only fractions of a mm off so I can live with that.

Just have to see if it stays cutting ok as with the previous blade I think it stretched and came off the front of the wheel after a few weeks.

Fingers crossed! I hope it's not this hard every time I change blades!

 

[Racers]

Hi,

That sounds about right for the adjustment, nothing then lots of movement.


Pete

 

[Jensmith]

Hi,

That sounds about right for the adjustment, nothing then lots of movement.


Pete

In that case how do you adjust it without it taking ages? I'm obviously lacking the knack!

 

[Racers]

Hi,

Once you have it right its easy to tweek the tracking when you change blades with small adjustments, but if you go to far you can start over correcting one way then the other, and end up in a mess like you did.


Pete

 

[Jensmith]

OK, thanks Pete. Obviously there's quite a difference between the Startrite and my old bandsaw where corrections were instant and less severe so it was quite quick to set up.

I'll know for next time!

Thanks for your help

 

[Racers]

Hi, Jen

Possibly takes longer with 3 wheels for the tracking to settle down, the only other thing I can think of is the bearings might need changing.
Any play in the wheels? if you rock them do they clunk like they are a little loose?

Pete

 

[Jensmith]

Hi Pete,

No, they're all solid. I checked them earlier. Yes, perhaps that's it with the 3 wheels or the thin blade maybe makes it harder as I didn't have this problem with the 1/2" blade.

Jennifer

 

[9fingers]

Hi Jennifer,

This all sounds very familiar from when I got my three wheeler Startrite. Pete is dead correct, it only needs small tweaks to make a difference. One method you could try is to drop the speed right down low with the inverter and then open the door slightly whilst standing the other side of it like a shield, and then as you tweak the tracking you can watch what is happening.

Bob

 

[Jensmith]

Hi Bob,

Well, at least it's not just me then! It must be really small tweaks as I felt like I was only turning the knob a cm at a time.