hi guys, I have a record power bs350s bandsaw have adjusted tracking as best as possible and the two wheels do not co-plane, it's tracking as should be on top wheel with the backside of gullet very close to centre of wheel, the bottom wheel has the blade closer to front of wheel.The bandsaw still produces relatively good cuts, my question is to other owners of record power bs 350s bandsaws, is this consistent with your bandsaws?
record power bs350s co-planing issues
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RogerP
Established Member
My bandsaw is not a Record but they're all much the same. I set the blade to run centrally on the top wheel tyre and don't worry where it is on the bottom wheel so long as it's within the tyre. If this is not achievable then one might add a spacer behind one wheel but really this should not be necessary and it may be best to see if there is an problem with the bearings or something else.
I don't own the BS350 but I bought the BS250 last week and I remember the bloke from Record that was demonstrating the bandsaws saying that the lower wheel shouldn't need adjustment as it was factory set.
Having just swapped my 1/4" blade for a 1/2" blade I too noticed that the blade was towards the front on the lower wheel. Reading up about it last night, I came across some info that suggested that this was perfectly normal, i.e. adjust the tracking for the top wheel and the blade will automatically find the optimum position on the lower wheel by itself.
Having just swapped my 1/4" blade for a 1/2" blade I too noticed that the blade was towards the front on the lower wheel. Reading up about it last night, I came across some info that suggested that this was perfectly normal, i.e. adjust the tracking for the top wheel and the blade will automatically find the optimum position on the lower wheel by itself.
Random Orbital Bob
Established Member
I used to own a BS300 and upgraded a year ago to the 400. In both cases (and also the 350) just ignore the bottom wheel and set the tracking using the top wheel to calibrate. The blade should run centrally, that's why the wheels are crowned.
Echoing the above I have the BS350 and find the same thing (towards the front on lower wheel) as you said it seems to cut fine.
I had a really good look at my BS300E when I first got it and found its not possible to get the wheels in line, at least on my one.
As long as the blade isn't damaging the bottom tyre the position shouldn't matter too much if you're getting a good cut.
As long as the blade isn't damaging the bottom tyre the position shouldn't matter too much if you're getting a good cut.
Alexam
Bandsaw Boxmaker
This is what you need https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGbZqWac0jU
You will not have a proble if you follow these instructions
You will not have a proble if you follow these instructions
Random Orbital Bob
Established Member
At the risk of being slightly antagonistic.....that Snodgrass piece recommends you centralise the gullets. Various reports from members have endorsed that method (& Malcolm who posted it is an accomplished bandsaw user himself).
Just bear one thing in mind, bandsaw wheels are crowned (ie they have a camber in both directions from the middle ridge outwards to the edge). The reason for that is to enable the blade to run without falling off (ie centrally). The usual engineering technique to allow that is to have a vee belt running in a channelled pulley. Of course, you cant do that with a bandsaw because the blade needs to be flat, it being metal and having teeth on one side. But, be under no illusion, the reason the wheels are crowned is to facilitate the central running of the blade. When you read any of the Record Power bandsaw manuals, they all recommend the blade is tracked (upper wheel) so the distance from the edge of both sides of the blade to the wheel edge is the same. In other words it's centred, not on the gullets but on the actual centre of the blade.
All I'm saying here is I am pretty convinced that's the optimal way to fettle the blade. The two primary pieces of logic driving that is 1) Startrite (RP) tell you to do it and I trust their expertise and 2) Crowned wheels are designed specifically to centralise a non poly vee belt type arrangement.
Having said that...Snodgrass is pretty convincing in his piece and a number of people on this forum who are credible support it (Alexam being one of them). But if it doesn't work then just roughly centralising it as they say in the manual without too much stressing about mm accuracy...will work.
Blade tension and blade quality (get one from Tuffsaws) are infinitely more important to the outcome of a decent cut.
Just bear one thing in mind, bandsaw wheels are crowned (ie they have a camber in both directions from the middle ridge outwards to the edge). The reason for that is to enable the blade to run without falling off (ie centrally). The usual engineering technique to allow that is to have a vee belt running in a channelled pulley. Of course, you cant do that with a bandsaw because the blade needs to be flat, it being metal and having teeth on one side. But, be under no illusion, the reason the wheels are crowned is to facilitate the central running of the blade. When you read any of the Record Power bandsaw manuals, they all recommend the blade is tracked (upper wheel) so the distance from the edge of both sides of the blade to the wheel edge is the same. In other words it's centred, not on the gullets but on the actual centre of the blade.
All I'm saying here is I am pretty convinced that's the optimal way to fettle the blade. The two primary pieces of logic driving that is 1) Startrite (RP) tell you to do it and I trust their expertise and 2) Crowned wheels are designed specifically to centralise a non poly vee belt type arrangement.
Having said that...Snodgrass is pretty convincing in his piece and a number of people on this forum who are credible support it (Alexam being one of them). But if it doesn't work then just roughly centralising it as they say in the manual without too much stressing about mm accuracy...will work.
Blade tension and blade quality (get one from Tuffsaws) are infinitely more important to the outcome of a decent cut.
Alexam
Bandsaw Boxmaker
Bob always makes a good point and he is certainly someone who know about bandsaws. In what I have found, it is my belief that when using smaller blades, as I do more often than the larger blades, the deepest part of the gullett positioned in the centre of the top wheel works bes for me. It doesn't matter where it sits on the lower wheel since the position of the blade as it comes down to the work is the most important factor.
Checking that the blade is running verticall at at 90° to the table in every direction is key and something that I always check when setting up.
I know that Bob tends to use the larger blades to cut his turning blanks from huge logs and perhaps it may not be so critical with the larger blades, but with a 1/4 and 1/8" blade, it does seem to cut better when the set up is as Alex Snodgrass shows on his video.
Again when using the Carter Stabilizer I have, where the setting is such that the Stabiliser is 'loaded' against the back of the blade, pushing it forwards on the top wheel, there is a need to reset the wheel balance leaver to bring the gullet back to centre.
I am getting very true verticle cuts in my boxes with deepish drawers and when I cut that large drawer block out of the box and it slides in and out of the box without difficulty, I know it has to be to do with the set up.
fanta0575 could perhaps try both settings and see what suits best on his machine for the work he has to do. Trial and error is always the way we all get there in the end and what works for one may not work for someone else.
Alex
Checking that the blade is running verticall at at 90° to the table in every direction is key and something that I always check when setting up.
I know that Bob tends to use the larger blades to cut his turning blanks from huge logs and perhaps it may not be so critical with the larger blades, but with a 1/4 and 1/8" blade, it does seem to cut better when the set up is as Alex Snodgrass shows on his video.
Again when using the Carter Stabilizer I have, where the setting is such that the Stabiliser is 'loaded' against the back of the blade, pushing it forwards on the top wheel, there is a need to reset the wheel balance leaver to bring the gullet back to centre.
I am getting very true verticle cuts in my boxes with deepish drawers and when I cut that large drawer block out of the box and it slides in and out of the box without difficulty, I know it has to be to do with the set up.
fanta0575 could perhaps try both settings and see what suits best on his machine for the work he has to do. Trial and error is always the way we all get there in the end and what works for one may not work for someone else.
Alex
Random Orbital Bob
Established Member
The point you make about blade width is a good one Malc. I've never actually used a 1/4" or less, lowest I've gone to is 3/8. With the big bertha on (the 1" 1.3tpi ripper) it occupies nearly all the tyre 
