Shopsmith Forums

I am having some problems with my bandsaw - it's not the newest one but not the oldest, I purchased it in 1997 with my model 510. The problem I am having is a wandering blade. I have the urethane tires and no matter how tight I get the blade the blade moves side to side with the cool blocks almost touching the side of the blade. Also the blade will twist when resawing, bad enough that on a piece of pine the top cut was at 3/8" and the bottom varied from 3/4" to 1 1/8". I noticed that the upper blade guide system can move side to side about an 1/8" but when I tighten the nylon screw to take up the slack it is either to loose or it locks the guard assembly and I can not adjust it. While I have owned it for more than 10 years I have not used it that much, but have had nothing but problems - in fact Shopsmith just replaced the urethane tires because while cutting a 2" diameter circle with a 1/8" blade in a 1 1/2" piece of white oak the blade got hot enough that it melted a channel in the urethane more than 1/16" deep. Any help given by people would be appreciated.

Many Thanks in Advance.

You don't say what blade you are using for re-sawing, I assume it is 1/2" or 5/8". I have replaced my cool blocks with Carter Bearings for re-sawing for blades 1/4" of larger and a Carter Stabilizer for fine cutting with very narrow blades.

I was having tremendous blade wander using the Stabilizer with a 1/4" blade until someone hear pointer out it was not designed for that.

Sorry I was using a 3/8" for the resawing and have since went up to a 5/8" and while the problem is better it still does it. But even using the smaller blades for cutting curves the bandsaw acts more like a scroll saw with the blade jumping all around.

ramcam - Make sure your cool blocks are sanded flat and will square to the blade. Then, snug the blocks up against the blade. Leave no space between the blocks and the blade. This will work better for you. The cool blocks will 'lubricate the blade as it turns. On the smaller blades you can even snug the cool blocks up to the blade including the teeth. The teeth will saw a kerf wide space in the blocks - then re-snug!

For re-sawing always use the wider blades. Also - remember that blade tension after being set properly to specs will not again be an issue that will cure wandering. A tighter blade does nothing but put unnecessary stress on on your wheels, especially the upper one. You may have to adjust for uneven set, or sharpness of the teeth, or re- adjust your blocks, but this should have nothing to do with blade tension. Wandering is usually fixed with blocks. Drift is compensated for by adjusting the fence.

Have you adjusted the resaw fence to the blade lead, or are you using a pivot to resaw against?

Good article about Bandsaw Fences in Woodworking Magazine http://popularwoodworking.com/articledisplay?id=17581

You write that it drifts like a scroll saw. If the scroll saw is tensioned correctly and you feed your work at about 4 degrees off the center of the blade, you should be able to follow a line dead on. Thats sort of what I do for fun.

If I read the original post correctly, the problem is the cut is not square to the table surface. When I have seen this the blade is usually not in the lower guide. This was happening to be alot until I got the lower bearings and used a large blade.

ramcam11 wrote:... I noticed that the upper blade guide system can move side to side about an 1/8" but when I tighten the nylon screw to take up the slack it is either to loose or it locks the guard assembly and I can not adjust it.
Many Thanks in Advance.

Let me address this part of your original question. The nylon bolt you mention only does one thing. It tightens or loosens the "Blade Guide Column Post". (5025549) or part no. 71 on the exploded diagram. This shouldn't effect you re-sawing as the height lock handle assembly will lock up the column even if it is a little loose. If your "Guide Column Bracket" (part no. 70) is loose (but I doubt it) it needs to be tightened and the adjustment procedure followed.

There are several things that will cause a blae to wander back and forth in a cut. They are:

1. The blade is dull or damaged.
2. You've chosen the wrong blade for the job and it's not clearing the chips properly. The gullets between the teeth are filling up with sawdust before they clear the cut, the blade drags in the cut, tension increases in front of the drive wheel, decreases after is, and the blade goes wonkers.
3. You are hogging the cut -- feeding the work too fast. The blade bends backwards between the upper and lower guides, the tension on the back increases, the tension on the front decreases, and the blade goes wonkers.
4. The blade guides and rollers are misaligned and are not properly guiding the blade.

If you sure that #1, #2, and #3 are okay, then your problem is most likely #4. I suggest you read and carefully follow the directions under Adjusting the Blade Rollers in your owner's manual. If you have misplaced the manual, you can find the pertinent pages here: http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/attachm ... 1201102926

I also suggest that you give some serious thought to whether or not it's a good idea to use Cool Blocks for resawing. They are made from a soft material that wears away much faster than steel, especially if the guides and rollers are misaligned. And with the surface of a 5/8" blade rubbing against them, the guiding surface wears all the faster.

I know a small war will erupt in this Forum when I say this, but I personally believe that Cool Blocks are completely unneccessary and that the original equipment is much better, provided you know how to match blades to the job, how to properly align the blade guides, and how to prepare new blades before you run them.

With all good wishes,

Nick wrote:
I know a small war will erupt in this Forum when I say this, but I personally believe that Cool Blocks are completely unneccessary and that the original equipment is much better, provided you know how to match blades to the job, how to properly align the blade guides, and how to prepare new blades before you run them.

With all good wishes,

Unneccessary perhaps, but they are way cool.