Band Saw Frustration And Seeking Blade Recommendati
Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2016 6:07 pm
From the time I first mounted it, my 5/8ths Shopsmith resawing band saw blade has always insisted on pointing noticeably to the left from the operator's vantage point (I think I said right in a recent post, but I meant left). This has been an annoyance but not a source of trouble because once I have adjusted my band saw fence (a Kreg) for drift, the blade has always cut as straight as an arrow on the kind of stock I typically cut on a band saw, say up to an inch and a half in height.
I have an upcoming project where resawing up to the 6 inch capacity of the band saw is a necessity. But when I try to resaw taller stock, say up to 5 inches tall, I'm getting a concave cut once the blade gets a few inches in. I am running at the Shopsmith-specified speed (slow ~700 RPM) and not forcing the stock through. Tension is set for a 1/2 inch blade (which is what Shopsmith says is the appropriate setting for this 5/8ths blade). Even giving it another full turn on the tension gauge, I am still getting a concave cut.
I have torn down and rebuilt the band saw twice in the last two days. I checked the tension gauge to make sure it was properly set, made sure there was adequate cant on the upper wheel, adjusted the autotrack bearings so the blade is riding in the groove between the two bearings and the groove is parallel to the blade, rechecked the the upper back up bearing to make sure it is running parallel to the blade and is riding about 1/64th from the back of the blade (when it isn't cutting) and I rechecked to make sure the the lower back up bearing is in contact with the blade at all times. I've adjusted the Cool Blocks and snugged them up to the blade making sure they aren't distorting the blade's travel in any way. And I've reread numerous threads on the Forum about the band saw.
In short, pretty much everything you can do to the dang thing I have done. The 5/8ths blade still points left, still cuts straight as an arrow on thin stock (once the fence is adjusted for drift) and yet makes concave cuts when resawing.
I'm thoroughly out of ideas so I am going to try another brand blade for resawing. Probably Wood Slicer or Timberwolf. Taking recommendations.
I have an upcoming project where resawing up to the 6 inch capacity of the band saw is a necessity. But when I try to resaw taller stock, say up to 5 inches tall, I'm getting a concave cut once the blade gets a few inches in. I am running at the Shopsmith-specified speed (slow ~700 RPM) and not forcing the stock through. Tension is set for a 1/2 inch blade (which is what Shopsmith says is the appropriate setting for this 5/8ths blade). Even giving it another full turn on the tension gauge, I am still getting a concave cut.
I have torn down and rebuilt the band saw twice in the last two days. I checked the tension gauge to make sure it was properly set, made sure there was adequate cant on the upper wheel, adjusted the autotrack bearings so the blade is riding in the groove between the two bearings and the groove is parallel to the blade, rechecked the the upper back up bearing to make sure it is running parallel to the blade and is riding about 1/64th from the back of the blade (when it isn't cutting) and I rechecked to make sure the the lower back up bearing is in contact with the blade at all times. I've adjusted the Cool Blocks and snugged them up to the blade making sure they aren't distorting the blade's travel in any way. And I've reread numerous threads on the Forum about the band saw.
In short, pretty much everything you can do to the dang thing I have done. The 5/8ths blade still points left, still cuts straight as an arrow on thin stock (once the fence is adjusted for drift) and yet makes concave cuts when resawing.
I'm thoroughly out of ideas so I am going to try another brand blade for resawing. Probably Wood Slicer or Timberwolf. Taking recommendations.
