Shopsmith Forums

Question for anyone who has installed a Carter Stabilizer on their Shopsmith bandsaw.

Per the instructions, move the stabilizer forward until the blade is seated between the two bearings, then forward another 1/8th of an inch. Even after doing that, I notice that the bearing don't always seem to be spinning. Spinning seem to occur when the blade is turned, but not when it is straight on. Is that normal?

Yes. Only when stock is pressed into the blade does the blade contact the bearing. It's just a hair's width off the back of the blade surface when stock is not being cut.

I like to take a small hone to the back of the blade and tweak the corners on the back side ever so gently to insure the back of the weld bump that might exist is removed, regardless of what system I use.

Everett

Carter makes two products for the shopsmith, the stabilizer is just the single arm with bearing on the top, and yes it should be in contact all the time. If you have not adjusted your table to square the blade then it is normal for shopsmith blade position then I've found that the blade is pretty much at 90 degrees rather then tilted with this installed and adjusted. I'd check that and see where you are.

This also is only for thinner blades, I've never tried it with say a 1/2" blade but my guess is that it would not work well.....

I also have this attachment for my "other" bandsaw and it works the same way. If you have a lot of curves to cut it does really well.

For those that don't know what these are here is a place to start looking:

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

Ed

algale wrote:Question for anyone who has installed a Carter Stabilizer on their Shopsmith bandsaw.

Per the instructions, move the stabilizer forward until the blade is seated between the two bearings, then forward another 1/8th of an inch. Even after doing that, I notice that the bearing don't always seem to be spinning. Spinning seem to occur when the blade is turned, but not when it is straight on. Is that normal?

everettdavis wrote:Yes. Only when stock is pressed into the blade does the blade contact the bearing. It's just a hair's width off the back of the blade surface when stock is not being cut.

I like to take a small hone to the back of the blade and tweak the corners on the back side ever so gently to insure the back of the weld bump that might exist is removed, regardless of what system I use.

Everett

No, the Carter Stabilizer bearing is different. It has to be "spring loaded" on the blade. Always in contact. I found on mine that if you deflect the blade by about 3/16 to 1/4 inch it works better. Experiment to see what works best for you. Don't forget to remove the lower bearing...
The Stabilizer is great for making tight scrolling cuts with a narrow blade.
It functions to allow the blade to twist when cutting tight curves.

reible wrote:Carter makes two products for the shopsmith, the stabilizer is just the single arm with bearing on the top, and yes it should be in contact all the time. If you have not adjusted your table to square the blade then it is normal for shopsmith blade position then I've found that the blade is pretty much at 90 degrees rather then tilted with this installed and adjusted. I'd check that and see where you are.

This also is only for thinner blades, I've never tried it with say a 1/2" blade but my guess is that it would not work well.....

I also have this attachment for my "other" bandsaw and it works the same way. If you have a lot of curves to cut it does really well.

For those that don't know what these are here is a place to start looking:

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

Ed

Correct, I'm talking about the stabilizer and I'm using a 1/8th inch blade. This is a bandsaw that I never shimmed, so I'll check how it is doing now relative to the blade.

ChrisNeilan wrote:
No, the Carter Stabilizer bearing is different. It has to be "spring loaded" on the blade. Always in contact. I found on mine that if you deflect the blade by about 3/16 to 1/4 inch it works better. Experiment to see what works best for you. Don't forget to remove the lower bearing...
The Stabilizer is great for making tight scrolling cuts with a narrow blade.
It functions to allow the blade to twist when cutting tight curves.

I do have it in contact and spring loaded, but I'm not seeing movement unless I turn the blade left or right for making a curved cut. I will see if increasing the amount of loading helps. I do have the lower guide guides backed up all the way and wide open. The old bearing is there, but not touching anything.

Check to see if when under load the blade contacts the lower bearing. There can be quite a lot of give in the blade under pressure. (try this with the machine off so you don't take your eyes off a moving blade!)

I know that's what they said. I wore out bearings loading mine in less than a year. Asked the Carter rep at a trade show and told him it was for Shopsmith. He said despite the loading instructions for other bandsaws that my Shopsmith would track fine at a hairs width and no pre-loading. Here's what the instructions said which included the pre-loading.

I haven't stressed it a whole lot, but I haven't worn out a bearing either.

It does say to pre-load and that's what I did until their rep told me to back off the pre-load.

If I were cutting a Reindeer out of Oak, I might pre-load it again.

Everett

Interesting. Was that rep Alex Snodgrass? I've had mine loaded for two years and have had no issues. I will say that I have three bandsaws (only one with a stabilizer) so this one is not my primary go to machine. I'll try backing off next time I use it and see what happens.

As I mentioned I have two of these, one for the shopsmith and then for another bandsaw. The older bandsaw has had the carter system for years now, maybe 2005 or so and the shopsmith since maybe 2011 and I have not worn out the bearings by preloading them, I can't picture them working well without this.

When I first got them I played around and found that their instructions are more guidelines and I now do it by sight and feel but if it is too loose you will notice pretty fast it just doesn't feel as stable while cutting.

BTW the shopsmith is really no different then any other band saw when you have just this single bearing controlling the blade........

Ed