Bandsaw wheel alignment

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:39 pm

dusty wrote:The blade was tensioned. I had just finished re-sawing some pine molding.

SEE #9.10 and 12 - 14 below.
https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=3160

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:02 pm

JPG40504 wrote:SEE #9.10 and 12 - 14 below.
https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=3160

Yes, I participated in that discussion. However, I do not have a tracking problem (see where the blade is in the photos). My blade does not walk off the front of the wheel even though the wheel seems to be tilted wrong in the photos.

Tomorrow I will move the straight edge to the lower wheel as described by Bill Mayo. Photos to follow.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 11:48 pm

thejimster wrote:Hi, ....and understand that the top wheel should be about 1/8 of an inch back from the bottom wheel, but when I place a straight edge on the bottom wheel, it shows that it is at least 1/2 of an inch out from the top wheel.

I first noticed this because the bottom wheel is rubbing on the faceplate of the bandsaw.

In case it matters, this bandsaw was made in 1993.

Any hints on how to adjust the bottom wheel?

Thanks,
Jim

Wait a minute here! It sounds to me that things are all backwards and upside down here.

Fact - with no blade therefore no tension, the drive wheel (bottom wheel) should be firm with no bearing looseness. It should also spin freely.

The upper wheel also should not wobble at all on its bearing. The upper wheel's bearing is removable by the operator and should be greased (if I remember correctly) every 50 hrs of operation.

As for the two wheels being out line with each other - A straight edge should be laid across the UPPER WHEEL. At that position the straight edge should protrude about 1/4" in front of the LOWER WHEEL. When a blade is on and tensioned, the two wheels come nearly in the same plane.

This from earlier: http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpos ... ostcount=2

thejimster · Post by **thejimster** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 12:47 am

Thanks everyone for your replies. I got my problem fixed!

It turns out that the retainer for the bottom wheel was not on properly and the bottom wheel had come out about 1/4 inch. Once I took it off, cleaned it up and put it back in ALL the way, everything is working great!

I intend to do a "tune up" to make sure everything else is adjusted properly, but at least it is up and running.

In reguard to the tilt of the top wheel, from what I've read, the top of the top wheel should be angled a bit in (away from you). This pulls the blade toward the back of the wheels and against the rollers. Aparently this is unique to the Shopsmith bandsaw.

I have not done any woodworking since I was a kid in the late 70's. Boy was it fun to fire this up tonight and make some sawdust!

Thanks again,
Jim

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 1:10 am

dusty wrote:Yes, I participated in that discussion. However, I do not have a tracking problem (see where the blade is in the photos). My blade does not walk off the front of the wheel even though the wheel seems to be tilted wrong in the photos.

Tomorrow I will move the straight edge to the lower wheel as described by Bill Mayo. Photos to follow.

Yes you were participating, not because you were having a tracking problem but because you wanted to understand 'what was the right setup'. I think Bill covered that in those posts I mentioned.

The thing that stands out to me re your pix is that the upper wheel seems to lean in the wrong direction relative to the lower wheel.

If I understand what Bill is telling us, a straight edge laid against the UPPER wheel should extend OUT beyond the top of the lower wheel about 1/8". Charlese (last post)says 1/4".

Your pix seem to indicate a tilt of the upper wheel top out further than its bottom. If you place a straight edge on the UPPER wheel, it will hit the lower wheel, not just clear it.

After a look at my band saw(not that it IS correct) ,the straight edge clears the top of the lower wheel about 1/8" and this is NOT affected by tension on or off.

Charlese: If yours changes(decreases with tension) I would take a close look at the upper wheel bearing or the linkage. The tension bar exerts pressure on the arm supporting the bearing shaft, causing the bearing to try to move in a straight upward direction. If your wheel changes angle, something is moving the bearing/shaft in a direction other than vertical.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 1:14 am

thejimster wrote:Thanks everyone for your replies. I got my problem fixed!

It turns out that the retainer for the bottom wheel was not on properly and the bottom wheel had come out about 1/4 inch. Once I took it off, cleaned it up and put it back in ALL the way, everything is working great!

I intend to do a "tune up" to make sure everything else is adjusted properly, but at least it is up and running.

In reguard to the tilt of the top wheel, from what I've read, the top of the top wheel should be angled a bit in (away from you). This pulls the blade toward the back of the wheels and against the rollers. Aparently this is unique to the Shopsmith bandsaw.

I have not done any woodworking since I was a kid in the late 70's. Boy was it fun to fire this up tonight and make some sawdust!

Thanks again,
Jim

HURRAH! Glad you 'got it fixed' Everything you said in regard to the tilt of the upper wheel is consistant with my understanding of 'what should be'.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 6:12 am

JPG40504 wrote:HURRAH! Glad you 'got it fixed' Everything you said in regard to the tilt of the upper wheel is consistant with my understanding of 'what should be'.

Good. Now that everyone's bandsaw is working correctly we can close this thread.

I'm going to close my up, after blowing out the saw dust, and go back to re-sawing the molding pieces I was doing when this thread started.

I happy you got yours fixed, thetimster.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:46 am

dusty wrote:Good. Now that everyone's bandsaw is working correctly we can close this thread.

I'm going to close my up, after blowing out the saw dust, and go back to re-sawing the molding pieces I was doing when this thread started.

I happy you got yours fixed, thetimster.

While you were 'blowing it out', did you figure out why the pix appeared as they did? Although the 'original poster' has his 'problem' fixed, this thread IMHO summarized how the SS wheels relate to each other(in a manner different from most if not all bandsaws). We ARE confused about your pix which SEEM to be contrary to the 'norm'

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 9:16 am

JPG40504 wrote:While you were 'blowing it out', did you figure out why the pix appeared as they did? Although the 'original poster' has his 'problem' fixed, this thread IMHO summarized how the SS wheels relate to each other(in a manner different from most if not all bandsaws). We ARE confused about your pix which SEEM to be contrary to the 'norm'

Don't be confused. The conclusion is pretty obvious. The pictures do depict a relationship between the wheels that is not ideal. My bandsaw is not performing exactly as one might want.

However, I am a firm believer that you should not attempt to fix that which is not broken. When it begins to track abnormally - I'll do what is necessary to fix it.

I must do that - I use my bandsaws a lot.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 12:02 pm

dusty wrote:Don't be confused. The conclusion is pretty obvious. The pictures do depict a relationship between the wheels that is not ideal. My bandsaw is not performing exactly as one might want.

However, I am a firm believer that you should not attempt to fix that which is not broken. When it begins to track abnormally - I'll do what is necessary to fix it.

I must do that - I use my bandsaws a lot.

For your sake, I did NOT want to draw THAT conclusion.

Hope it keeps on tracking!!!!!:)