drive shaft/band saw alignment

dulcimerguy · Post by **dulcimerguy** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 7:05 pm

I've got my Mark V restoration project nearly done, but the most serious remaining problem is that the lower drive shaft in the headstock does not line up with the band saw shaft. They're out of horizontal line by about 1/4 inch--plenty of skew to shred the plastic power coupler, as I've discovered. What controls this alignment? Thanks in advance for your advice!

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 7:55 pm

dulcimerguy wrote:I've got my Mark V restoration project nearly done, but the most serious remaining problem is that the lower drive shaft in the headstock does not line up with the band saw shaft. They're out of horizontal line by about 1/4 inch--plenty of skew to shred the plastic power coupler, as I've discovered. What controls this alignment? Thanks in advance for your advice!

The band saw should be aligning with the 'upper' shaft.

Loosen the bench tubes and the headstock lock, rotate the entire left end(legs, casting etc.) to get alignment. The headstock lock will probably need readjusting.

Other suggestions is the tie bar stop screw, but IMHO that is for something else(tube twist)!

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 8:05 pm

I'm confused. What are we trying to get into alignment. I thought that the issue was drive shaft to drive shaft via the plastic coupler. I do that using the offset (eccentric) tubes.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 8:16 pm

dusty wrote:I'm confused. What are we trying to get into alignment. I thought that the issue was drive shaft to drive shaft via the plastic coupler. I do that using the offset (eccentric) tubes.

OK my 'history' is showing.

Originally the mounting tubes were straight.(no eccentric adjustment possible)

So I answered the ?? assuming straight spt mounting tubes.

Hopefully one of these days I will be able to take pix of how the tubes should be aligned(I have learned much since my initial Mark V reassembly thread). I believe it is possible to achieve left end/ right end compatibility of the extension table and rip fence. A simple alignment 'jig' makes it possible to get both ends correct. It does need to have the way tubes parallel, not 'helixed'.<<<<< I believe the new double tilt castings eliminate the possibility of the tubes 'twisting'.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 9:41 pm

dulcimerguy wrote:I've got my Mark V restoration project nearly done, but the most serious remaining problem is that the lower drive shaft in the headstock does not line up with the band saw shaft. They're out of horizontal line by about 1/4 inch--plenty of skew to shred the plastic power coupler, as I've discovered. What controls this alignment? Thanks in advance for your advice!

Whichever you have - straight or eccentric mounting tubes, the bandsaw drive shaft must line up with the UPPER auxiliary drive. I use a scrap board placed beneath the bandsaw to raise it to the proper level.

With the eccentric tubes - From there it is a matter of twisting the eccentric mounting tubes to get horizontal alignment. It may take several tries to get perfect alignment.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 9:49 pm

charlese wrote:Whichever you have - straight or eccentric mounting tubes, the bandsaw drive shaft must line up with the UPPER auxiliary drive. I use a scrap board placed beneath the bandsaw to raise it to the proper level.

With the eccentric tubes - From there it is a matter of twisting the eccentric mounting tubes to get horizontal alignment. It may take several tries to get perfect alignment.

??????????????

If yer tubes are 'eccentric', they should be adjusted to rest on the 'offset' of the tubes. If straight, there are collars.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 9:53 pm

JPG40504 wrote:??????????????

If yer tubes are 'eccentric', they should be adjusted to rest on the 'offset' of the tubes. If straight, there are collars.

Absolutely!!! Tryin' hard not to make this complicated!

I use the scrap board like a pry bar to raise the bandsaw to the proper height.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 9:57 pm

charlese wrote:Absolutely!!! Tryin' hard not to make this complicated!

I use the scrap board like a pry bar to raise the bandsaw to the proper height.

A board should only be needed to facilitate 'adjusting' the tubes heightwise IN the bandsaw housing. Then it all just drops into the holes each time properly aligned.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:02 pm

JPG40504 wrote:A board should only be needed to facilitate 'adjusting' the tubes heightwise IN the bandsaw housing. Then it all just drops into the holes each time properly aligned. horizontally

Yes. Correct!:)

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:08 pm

charlese wrote:Yes. Correct!:)

Vertically also!!!