Kity 613 Bandsaw tune up

[Charlie Woody]

I will shortly need to re saw some oak and not having used my Kity 613 for some time thought I should seek some guidance on tuning it before use.

So having seen great comments about Ian at TuffSaws http://www.tuffsaws.co.uk/ I contacted him for recommendation on a new blade. He recommended a "5/8" SuperTuff Fastcut", which I have now ordered.

Next I spent some time on you tube looking for tuning tips and enjoyed watching The Wood Whisperer episode 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JowHmdihl-Q. Whilst I found this helpful I was unsure about a few suggestions in the video, so would like peoples thoughts please.

1. Is it beneficial to replace the guide blocks "cool blocks" or "ceramic blocks"? If yes are these available in UK, could not find them when I Googled, only USA?
2. Is it necessary to round over the back of the blade with a silicone carbide stone? If yes are these available in UK, could not find them when I Googled?
3. I did not quite understand the "drift adjustment" part of the video: he suggests moving the fence to compensate for the drift for each blade, but then says fence needs to be square to the table. If you adjust it for the drift why would you then put it square again? Maybe I have misunderstood.

Any suggestions would be welcome please.

 

[davem62]

hi , have you seen the excellent videos by steve maskery of this site,very good source of tuning and set up info.They are also filled with tips and jigs,well worth considering if your having problems.
dave

 

[Steve Maskery]

I will shortly need to re saw some oak and not having used my Kity 613 for some time thought I should seek some guidance on tuning it before use.

So having seen great comments about Ian at TuffSaws http://www.tuffsaws.co.uk/ I contacted him for recommendation on a new blade. He recommended a "5/8" SuperTuff Fastcut", which I have now ordered.

Very good idea.

Next I spent some time on you tube looking for tuning tips and enjoyed watching The Wood Whisperer episode 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JowHmdihl-Q. Whilst I found this helpful I was unsure about a few suggestions in the video, so would like peoples thoughts please.

1. Is it beneficial to replace the guide blocks "cool blocks" or "ceramic blocks"? If yes are these available in UK, could not find them when I Googled, only USA?

I had Cool Blocks on my little Elu BS years ago and they were great. I've not seen them for sale in the UK for a long time. But if you can find a supplier of Tufnol, it is not difficult to cut your own.

2. Is it necessary to round over the back of the blade with a silicone carbide stone? If yes are these available in UK, could not find them when I Googled?

It is beneficial and you don't need a SiC stone. I use a diamond file. I think you could use an old oil stone equally successfully. The backs of blades are not usually hard.

3. I did not quite understand the "drift adjustment" part of the video: he suggests moving the fence to compensate for the drift for each blade, but then says fence needs to be square to the table. If you adjust it for the drift why would you then put it square again? Maybe I have misunderstood.

This is common practice - if the blade runs off, twist the fence to match. It's also a very second-best solution, as it does nothing to make cross-cutting very successful. It's much better to adjust the machine to ELIMINATE drift, rather than just compensate for it. There are a number of steps involved in tuning the BS, none of them actually difficult. They just need to be done properly and in the right order. Some iteration my be necessary, too. The "square" refers to being upright, square to the table, I think.

have you seen the excellent videos by Steve Maskery of this site, very good source of tuning and set up info. They are also filled with tips and jigs, well worth considering if you're having problems.

Thank you, Dave, much appreciated.

S

 

[dickm]

As an alternative to CoolBlox (yuk - that's one US spelling), you can make your own equally effective ones if you can get hold of a small quantity of Lignum vitae (pm me if you are interested, I might have some, as supplied to the editor of a well-known wood mag ). I had the Coolblox on my Kity, and they were OK-ish, but not outstanding IMHO.

 

[Charlie Woody]

Thanks guys for all of your suggestions.

Dick and Steve I have sent pm's to each of you.