Bandsaw Alignment

mrhart · Post by **mrhart** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 10:02 pm

Success.

I never knew bandsaws could be adjusted like 1753 ways. It's a blade that goes around 2 wheels......... anyway thanks to all. I've got it almost perfect. I was making a bandsaw box becasue I heard they were a great way to familiarize myself with the bandsaw, and becasue those boxes are cool

There was still a combination of adjustments mostly in the upper section that needed to fall together. Also I did see the "drift" you were all talking about. Loosened the table and adjusted a degree or two maybe. I think with the old cast table and my greenie miter with my new pine rip fences (made a couple from the pages in the SS bible), there is a little slop as well.

Can someone tell me which sawdust session has the bandsaw adjustments in it.
Thanks all.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 10:37 pm

Another tip!

If you are using carbon guide blocks, the distance to set them away from the flat part of the blade is the thickness of a piece of paper. You can fold a piece of bond paper around the back of the blade and touch the blocks to the paper.

If you are using "cool blocks" - touch the blocks directly on the blade.

O know nothing about ceramic blocks.

beeg · Post by **beeg** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:38 pm

Here's some info on the ceramic blocks.

https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?p=26033&postcount=2

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:43 pm

mrhart wrote:Success.
I never knew bandsaws could be adjusted like 1753 ways. It's a blade that goes around 2 wheels......... anyway thanks to all. I've got it almost perfect. I was making a bandsaw box becasue I heard they were a great way to familiarize myself with the bandsaw, and becasue those boxes are cool
There was still a combination of adjustments mostly in the upper section that needed to fall together. Also I did see the "drift" you were all talking about. Loosened the table and adjusted a degree or two maybe. I think with the old cast table and my greenie miter with my new pine rip fences (made a couple from the pages in the SS bible), there is a little slop as well.

Can someone tell me which sawdust session has the bandsaw adjustments in it.
Thanks all.

I do not think there is one! #15 however should interest you!

A bandsaw manual is your best source for the adjustments. However the following are basic:

All the 'bearing' adjustments are done with the blade 'guides' moved away from the blade.

The dual bearing(upgraded version)blade guide near the top left (below the upper wheel) need to center the blade between the two bearings as the blade comes towards the upper wheel. The blade should track a straight line from the lower wheel to the guide and upper wheel. The bearings should also be aligned so the bearing rotate about a horizontal(front to rear) axis(mounting bolt) and the gap between the dual bearings is vertical(parallel to blade).

The lower bearing is only adjustable left to right(centering the blade to the bearing).

The upper bearing is accomplished by tilting the guide post.(two screws securing the guide post retainer(mounting bracket). It is adjusted so the bearing 'just' clears the back of the blade. This is the PITA adjustment since it requires simultaneously loosening one screw and tightening a second to insure no 'slop'. This must also provide the same 'clearance at any vertical position of the guide post. Annnd it also must tension the lock properly(tight to hold position loose to allow moving). A course tension is adjusted by the single screw that moves the locking spring to/from the back of the post.

After all that the guides(blocks) should be adjusted to just clear the sides of the blade and be positioned just behind the bottom of the gullets. Each guide is adjusted in to just clear the blade.

Then there is the table to blade adjustments.

This is intended only as an overview to what must be done. I strongly recommend obtaining a manual!!!!

mrhart · Post by **mrhart** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 12:33 am

I found the manual in the binder I got from the seller. It has all the manuals for each SPT:)
Thanks sir

foxtrapper · Post by **foxtrapper** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 10:49 am

No bandsaw expert am I, but I've learned a few things about mine, and about bandsaws in general.

The guide thingie is very wiggly on the shopsmith. That's ok, because when everything is working right, there is very little, if any, side force on the blade.

If the blade isn't tight, it twists and wanders all over the place.

If the bearings and guides aren't right, the blade deflects, and then wanders all over the place.

No force! This one might almost be the most important, and it's only the clue. If you are pushing the wood, something is wrong. It should just glide through the blade.

Dull blades. The root of all bandsaw evils? And a lot of them come new dull. Then you push to shove the wood through, the blade deflects, and the cut goes drifting off. Sharp cuts wood!

Wrong blade. None of us change blades as quickly as we should. The fine tooth blade you use for cutting slices of trim for the jewelry box is not the blade to use for whacking off sections of 2x4's. Change the blade to the right one.

Slow down. The bandsaw is fast, but it's not greased lightening. If you push the wood through, the blade deflects and the cut goes wandering off. Don't push. Just feed the wood and let the saw set the pace.

terrydowning · Post by **terrydowning** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 11:50 am

Great tips for most cutting tools foxtrapper.

As dad always calmly instructed
"Let the tool do the work"
"Don't force it"
"If it's not going easy something is wrong"

and of course my favorite and one I use when teaching other people (In a variety of endeavors not just woodworking because it always seems so right).

"Gently, Gently...." in a calm soothing voice.

keakap · Post by **keakap** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 1:06 pm

pennview wrote:If the stock pulls away from the fence you're using, you likely are suffering from "drift" and that simply means that the blade is sharper on one edge than the other and therefore cuts more aggressively on one side of the blade than the other.

Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone (either hardcopy or the on-line version) will describe drift and how to deal with it by adjusting the angle of your fence in relation to the blade.

Or adjust drift by making the blade equally sharp on both sides. It works.

But as to the wobbly post-- you are using the post lock, right? And it isn't broken?

keakap · Post by **keakap** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 1:12 pm

foxtrapper wrote:...
No force! This one might almost be the most important, and it's only the clue. If you are pushing the wood, something is wrong. It should just glide through the blade.
...Then you push to shove the wood through, the blade deflects, and the cut goes drifting off. Sharp cuts wood!
...
Slow down. The bandsaw is fast, but it's not greased lightening. If you push the wood through, the blade deflects and the cut goes wandering off. Don't push. Just feed the wood and let the saw set the pace.

Thank You! for the reminders, which I apparently need just about everytime I use my bandsaw. "Easy does it" makes all the difference in da world.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 9:46 pm

keakap wrote:Thank You! for the reminders, which I apparently need just about everytime I use my bandsaw. "Easy does it" makes all the difference in da world.

If you have to push - your blade is probably dull. Try a new. sharp blade.