Shopsmith Forums

The question has come up about blade size and the carter guides, I use mine down to 1/4", I have no blades in 3/16" size so I would have to pass on answering if they would work. When I get to 1/8" or 1/16" I switch to my other carter Stabilizer Guide which is made for that size of blade and for doing the cutting you want to do with that size blade. See here:

http://www.carterproducts.com/band-saw- ... stabilizer

For additional information on the carter guides and more explanations you can do a search for carter guides and if you want just my posts add reible to the advanced search.

Ed

Do you use only one stabilizer or is there an upper and lower?

Only one stabilizer is used, and it "spring loads" the blade. With it you can use your band saw as a scroll saw (well almost). It's rather incredible!

ChrisNeilan wrote:Only one stabilizer is used, and it "spring loads" the blade. With it you can use your band saw as a scroll saw (well almost). It's rather incredible!

????

If it means pressing against the back of the blade, it would mess with proper tracking onto the lower wheel and one could likely remove the lower guide bearing.

Jack, Sorry about the late reply. I see Ed answered you though. Thanks, Ed.
I don't remove the lower Carter guides when I use the stabilizer for 1/4" and smaller blades. I've had no problems with tracking.

Okay, once again you are making me a potential convert.

I have two band saws. One gets used almost exclusively for resaw like work. The other is just a band saw.

If I was to convert, budget prevents me from doing it all at once. Is it feasible to do this in steps? If so which should be done first? Do you use both the stabilizer and the guides simultaneously?

If no, the decision is much easier. I'll equip one with the Stabilizer modification and the other (the one with the Woodslicer) with the Guides.

Stabilizer first because I would like to do some "scroll saw like" work on the band saw.

Thanks Gene!

Hi again, just a few more points on the carter guides and how I use them.

My other bandsaw can have both types on it with a simple change out of the upper end. It also is used as a general purpose machine so most often it has the carter guides in use. When I want to change over to the stabilizer I simply remove the top set and replace it with the stabilizer top. The bottom bearings I move away from the blade, it only takes a few minutes to change over. This saw uses 1/8" blades and I have never attempted to find anything smaller. It does not become a scroll saw but it does a pretty good job of making believe it is. It does have a learning curve but not a long one.

On the shopsmith I have dual bearings in the back (non-factory)and ceramic guide blocks. I keep it like this for all general cutting. If I want to use the carter stabilizer I swap out the top bearing system and back the bottom ceramics off. I have one 1/16" blade that shopsmith use to sell, because it now one of a kind I'm saving it. The 1/8" blade is my go to blade. I've found that I can get the "angle" right when the blade becomes vertical. If you have shimmed your table to vertical then of course this will not work. The smaller blade is nice but I haven't taken the time to try and find someone who still makes them....

Again the swap is pretty easy to do so if you want to add just the stabilizer you can keep swapping the top and save some money that is if you are happy with the set-up you have on your shopsmith bandsaw.

Ed

I have had excellent results using 2 higher quality bearings for each of the upper and lower bandsaw blade guides. After lightly honing the back edges of the bandsaw blade and with a good alignment, The bandsaw blade will track between the two bearings acting like a Carter Stabilizer for each set of bearings. I do use cool blocks on my bandsaws. Over 50 sets of these bearings have been installed in the past 2 years without any reported failures. I am using ABEC7 rated (34,000 RPM) bearings made is Sweden.

I can attest to Bill's bearing upgrade. Very inexpensive, very effective!