New Bandsaw Set-up Recommendations

[Pompeyexile]

Since breaking my elbow and finding any major sawing with a handsaw not as easy as it once was, I've been wanting a bandsaw with a decent cutting height for over a year now and the one piece of advice that many seem to agree on (apart from buy a Startrite) is buy the biggest you can afford. Well I couldn't afford much (£400) and for that pittance even on Ebay or Gumtree, there wasn't anything going that would cut over 6" in height, that didn't requiring major work on it and that wasn't also 300 plus miles away and needing a van to collect it... until today.

I have just managed to bag what I think and hope is a bargain. A brand new, still boxed Sheppach Basa 3.0 with stand for £350, only a couple of hours drive from me and because it is still boxed, will fit easily into the back of my Kia E-niro.

So, my question is, what do you recommend I need to do/change to get the best out of it? I'm guessing a Tuffsaw blade would be my first port of call.

Many thanks

 

[MarkAW]

Got a dust extractor?

 

[Pompeyexile]

Yes I do which I got when I got my planer thicknesser a few years ago.

 

[Spectric]

You will need to try different setup methods and find the one that suits you and your bandsaw, changing to a decent blade like TS is a good start. Look at some vids, the snodgrass one worked for me but I had tried the P Sefton and S Maskery ones as well.

 

[Pompeyexile]

Just watched the Snodgrass video. Brilliant! I'll be using that for sure.

Thanks Roy.

 

[mikej460]

A Tuffsaw blade and the Snodgrass video transformed my BS305

 

[mikej460]

Another tip is to wipe the table over with ACF50 then a coat of Axminster Machine Wax

 

[Spectric]

Yes I think what sorted mine was having both wheels set to run true with each other, so why do they give you a tracking knob so you can tilt the top wheel out of line with the botom.

 

[MikeJhn]

Different width blades need to be set to the top wheel, in the Snodgrass video positioning the gullet needs some fine adjustment occasionally.

I feel you pain, I had my elbow reconstructed due to Arthritis a few years ago, no chance of sawing or planning without some kind of powered assistance.