Bandsaw Table Mounting Shim washers

[Eaglefixer]

My Sister gave me an Mark 5 that has the Bandsaw and has never had the table installed. I when to Lowes and got some 5/16 x 18 1/2 long bolts and some flat washers and mounted the table but the parts manual show 4 thin shim washers. Not should the size or thickness. any ideas?

Thanks

Steve

[dusty]

I believe the (4) thin shim washers are to be used to level the table on the trunnions. You might not need them at all but then again you may need more than you have. I have one table that I never bothered to shim and the other has many. If you find that your table needs a lot of shims just use regular flat washer of the needed quantity.

Remember - the table tilts so you only need to shim for level front to back. Actually, you are shimming more for "flat" then level.

[Eaglefixer]

Thanks for relying. I was hoping that i could use flat washers and thanks for the tip about leveling front to back

[algale]

Incidentally, it isn't very important to level the table for resawing or flat work. But if you are cutting shapes in thick work, it is very important!

[chapmanruss]

Shim Washers are very thin as compared to standard washers which can also vary in thickness. If you cannot adjust your table to 90 degrees of the blade with standard washers you can try actual shim washers. Depending on the thickness of each, about 10 shim washers can equal 1 regular washer. I buy them at my local Ace Hardware store but other hardware stores with a selection of specialty hardware will likely have them. Remember this is only to square the table to the blade front to back or another way to describe it is in-feed to out-feed.

[reible]

Just to be clear, the blade needs to align to the miter slot, or at least be pretty close. This is a rotational adjustment so no special washers needed.

The tilt of the table can adjust the squareness in one direction or the other so washers don't effect those settings and again they are not needed.

The band saw is designed to have the angle of the table to the back of the blade to be just off 90 degrees. This helps with cutting and especially when re-sawing.

In some cases like scroll work on thicker stock this might need some attention. My manual calls for using brass shims under the loosened trunnion bolts to do this adjustment and then re-tighten bolts. Shim washers can also be used here but it up to you if that is how you want to go. I personally think the washers are more work but hey that is just me.

I normally don't worry about that adjustment and leave it with the slight angle as it is rare for me to scroll cut really thick wood where this would make a difference.

Before you do this sort of adjustment I would read and understand the alignment and adjustment section of the manual.

Ed

[jsburger]

Just to be clear, the blade needs to align to the miter slot, or at least be pretty close. This is a rotational adjustment so no special washers needed.

The tilt of the table can adjust the squareness in one direction or the other so washers don't effect those settings and again they are not needed.

The band saw is designed to have the angle of the table to the back of the blade to be just off 90 degrees. This helps with cutting and especially when re-sawing.

In some cases like scroll work on thicker stock this might need some attention. My manual calls for using brass shims under the loosened trunnion bolts to do this adjustment and then re-tighten bolts. Shim washers can also be used here but it up to you if that is how you want to go. I personally think the washers are more work but hey that is just me.

I normally don't worry about that adjustment and leave it with the slight angle as it is rare for me to scroll cut really thick wood where this would make a difference.

Before you do this sort of adjustment I would read and understand the alignment and adjustment section of the manual.

Ed

We all know the SS bands saw is like no other in design. We had this discussion about the front to back tilt in the table years ago. As I remember it was said back then that it was a design feature. It would be interesting if that "feature" is in the original patent that Everett has studied.

If you want to use the SS band saw to cut tenon cheeks and shoulders the tilt is unacceptable. I squared up my table front to back years ago for that reason and have never had a problem.

[JPG]

. . .

We all know the SS bands saw is like no other in design. We had this discussion about the front to back tilt in the table years ago. As I remember it was said back then that it was a design feature. It would be interesting if that "feature" is in the original patent that Everett has studied. . . .

Yes the 'off 90' blade angle front to rear is a 'design feature' but, not for the reasons stated.

The blade angle is a result of the blade tilt created by the beveled wheels and the upper wheel cant.

[jsburger]

. . .

We all know the SS bands saw is like no other in design. We had this discussion about the front to back tilt in the table years ago. As I remember it was said back then that it was a design feature. It would be interesting if that "feature" is in the original patent that Everett has studied. . . .

Yes the 'off 90' blade angle front to rear is a 'design feature' but, not for the reasons stated.

The blade angle is a result of the blade tilt created by the beveled wheels and the upper wheel cant.

That is what I thought. So, why is it a "feature". What reference point is the table aligned to so it is not square with the blade? I want my table square with the teeth of the blade for the reason stated. Why would Magna align it in any other way?

[JPG]

. . .

We all know the SS bands saw is like no other in design. We had this discussion about the front to back tilt in the table years ago. As I remember it was said back then that it was a design feature. It would be interesting if that "feature" is in the original patent that Everett has studied. . . .

Yes the 'off 90' blade angle front to rear is a 'design feature' but, not for the reasons stated.

The blade angle is a result of the blade tilt created by the beveled wheels and the upper wheel cant.

That is what I thought. So, why is it a "feature". What reference point is the table aligned to so it is not square with the blade? I want my table square with the teeth of the blade for the reason stated. Why would Magna align it in any other way?

We shall never 'know'. Perhaps an oversight? Perhaps it was not considered important(the angle is quite small). Perhaps keeping the table level was considered more important(think in/out feed support).

No I agree it is NOT a 'feature'.

Shimming the infeed mount can eliminate it, but then the table is not 'level' with the rest of the world.

So which anomaly does one wish to tolerate?