Recently got the BS400 Bandsaw after reading the favourable reviews on the forum I cant seem to get the thing to cut straight I was splitting some bits of 4x2 about 15 inches long and what appears to be happening is the blade wants to pull the wood away from the fence if I managed to keep it hard against the fence I would still end up with at least an eighth of an inch taper over the length not sure if I have enough tension on blade but am off the scale going by the tension meter any owners suggest where I am going wrong I have a couple of Tuff saws blades but am using the Record one.
Rcord bs 400 Bandsaw
- Thread starter themackay
- Start date
Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:
Have a look at this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGbZqWac0jU very informative on how to set up your bandsaw.
And this one to test for tension: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8zZuDosSy0
Change to the Tuffsaw blade and try again?
Mike
EDIT: Credit where its due, it was Alexam who put me on to these video's which transformed my bench-top bandsaw.
And this one to test for tension: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8zZuDosSy0
Change to the Tuffsaw blade and try again?
Mike
EDIT: Credit where its due, it was Alexam who put me on to these video's which transformed my bench-top bandsaw.
Alexam
Bandsaw Boxmaker
Mike is a convert, as so many of us are. You will soon be a happy bunny for Easter Mac.
Malcolm
Malcolm
Random Orbital Bob
Established Member
Pretty much all blades that are shipped with the tool are complete rubbish and should be hurled from the nearest satellite into deep space!
Install the Tuffsaw blade, go through your normal setup and you simply wont believe the difference. If you're like normal folk, you'll then get very indignant as to why the manufacturer includes a "free" blade that makes you think their machine is rubbish! It's a pretty good question to be honest.
Install the Tuffsaw blade, go through your normal setup and you simply wont believe the difference. If you're like normal folk, you'll then get very indignant as to why the manufacturer includes a "free" blade that makes you think their machine is rubbish! It's a pretty good question to be honest.
undergroundhunter
Established Member
I thought the balde that came on my BS400 was cutting fine until it fitted one of ian's blades! If you are ripping dry wood then this is what I have been using http://www.tuffsaws.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=2_4_15_43&product_id=164 and it works great, fast cut and no drift.
Matt
Matt
Sheptonphil
Scrumpy junkie
Same with the Jet 16" saw. £1200 and a blade that can only be described as packaging. I couldn't cut 9mm ply straight with it, t'was a big disappointment and kind of ruined the initial experience. Changed to a Tuffsaw blade and instantly can resaw 6" stock as 2mm veneers true as a die. I really did believe at first I had bought a dud, for the sake of £18 at retail price, just add it to the cost of the saw and let buyers revel in their purchase.
Phil
Phil
After buying the axminster 350n I found the same. i had some issues with the machine and had a fairly long but very helpful conversation with them which solved or at least answered all of my questions. except i asked why every bandsaw came with a rubbish blade that puts people off the products.
There was a complete silence as a reply.
Then i asked why dont they fit their own decent blade before it leaves the warehouse. At the very least its an advert for their own blades. they came back on that one and said the R&D department were looking into the costings. So maybe, soon, their machines will actually be usable from the box.
In all other respects, axminster came out tops for service and just plain helpful advice.
There was a complete silence as a reply.
Then i asked why dont they fit their own decent blade before it leaves the warehouse. At the very least its an advert for their own blades. they came back on that one and said the R&D department were looking into the costings. So maybe, soon, their machines will actually be usable from the box.
In all other respects, axminster came out tops for service and just plain helpful advice.
Random Orbital Bob
Established Member
It does beg the question, how much money do their businesses waste responding to unhappy new customers as they go through a protracted technical support process trying to "fix" a cutting problem with saw setup when it was the blade all along! Apart from the actual cost of their time, the goodwill impact on the business reputation has to be factored, all of which are hidden. Yet the actual cost of the blade is clear and measurable, so doubtless bean counters focus on that!
I think it was a very sad day when accountants started running engineering businesses!
I think it was a very sad day when accountants started running engineering businesses!
from my own experience. when I complain about stuff (and I do), the most common answer I get is "youre the first to tell us that".
i read the same posts again and again on here and other forums about blades (in fact any edged tool) not working properly, but it seems people complain to their friends and on web sites, but not to suppliers.
i've got a victor meldrew reputation now, but I dont care as it has paid off far more times than its failed.
i read the same posts again and again on here and other forums about blades (in fact any edged tool) not working properly, but it seems people complain to their friends and on web sites, but not to suppliers.
i've got a victor meldrew reputation now, but I dont care as it has paid off far more times than its failed.
I have adjusted the saw pretty much as per the video changed the blade much better than it was cut up some 9 inch Elm into slabs they were reasonably straight but affected by the fact their is still a tendancy for the saw to pull the wood away from the fence
Zeddedhed
Established Member
Have you levelled in the table?
When I got my BS400 I didn't bother - just got on with using it and although I was pretty happy with the results when I eventually got around to levelling in the table properly and locking it off I was able to cut 1.5mm veneers from a 300mm maple board about 1 metre long - I was astonished.
When I got my BS400 I didn't bother - just got on with using it and although I was pretty happy with the results when I eventually got around to levelling in the table properly and locking it off I was able to cut 1.5mm veneers from a 300mm maple board about 1 metre long - I was astonished.
A couple things to think on.
You say you set it "pretty much" as the video.
Thats not good enough if you want the saw to cut straight. Its either set up correct, or its not set up.
Go back over it all again, paying special attention to the teeth on the top wheel .
you have to realise that the rubber tyre is crowned. If the teeth are not aligned exactly, the crown will tilt the blade out or in, and the cut will go whichever way the blade is pointed. If the wood is coming away from the fence after cutting, then the blade is angled in to the fence. Try a very minor adjustment to take the blade back a tiny fraction. this might cure the angle.
Your fence has an adjustment for angle. (Think of it as angle, NOT as drift. Drift is the blade wandering from side to side. If its doing that then either its not tight enough or its blunt).
If the ANGLE is consistent, and the blade is correct on the top wheel, theres no shame in adjusting the fence to make it square to the blade.
You say you set it "pretty much" as the video.
Thats not good enough if you want the saw to cut straight. Its either set up correct, or its not set up.
Go back over it all again, paying special attention to the teeth on the top wheel .
you have to realise that the rubber tyre is crowned. If the teeth are not aligned exactly, the crown will tilt the blade out or in, and the cut will go whichever way the blade is pointed. If the wood is coming away from the fence after cutting, then the blade is angled in to the fence. Try a very minor adjustment to take the blade back a tiny fraction. this might cure the angle.
Your fence has an adjustment for angle. (Think of it as angle, NOT as drift. Drift is the blade wandering from side to side. If its doing that then either its not tight enough or its blunt).
If the ANGLE is consistent, and the blade is correct on the top wheel, theres no shame in adjusting the fence to make it square to the blade.
It is a curious bit of logic. I first bought a certain brand of carpet shampoo on the theory that the people hiring out carpet cleaners wouldn't supply poor quality shampoo as they would only get complaints about the cleaner. I was right in that instance). My bandsaw came with a pisss poor blade (the saw actually needed work done on it, but by the bye) and the last drill I bought came with bits that wouldn't drill a decent Cheddar. Why can't manufacturers and agents see that this just makes the machine look poor? It wouldn't cost much to include first class extras.
Just a thought for the OP - you haven't inadvertently blunted one side of the blade, have you?
Just a thought for the OP - you haven't inadvertently blunted one side of the blade, have you?
