Band Saw Drift
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Band Saw Drift
I am having a problem with bandsaw drift and need a refresher. Anyone?
Pj,
I just went through this and got terrific results. Previously I had awful and disapointing cuts. I have pretty bad short term memory. So for what it's worth, here's what I remember.
1) I spent an agonizing amount of time precision aligning my table, fence, and blade. (that I remember well).
2) After all the above adjustments are locked in, take a board about 12" long and roughly 3 inches wide, with at least one real sharp straight edge. (I think i used a jointed 1x4).
3) draw a straight line down the face of the board, parallel to the straight edge.
4) With the straight edge to the left but without the fence, by freehand cut along that line, adjusting the piece as you go to keep on the line. Cut about half way down the board.
5). Stop the machine and keep the cut board in place.
6) Soft slide the fence up to the left edge. You'll see how much the board now angles away from the fence. That's the drift.
7) adjust the screws on fence handle to now perfectly touch the jointed edge.
8) Lock down those screws and your fence should be pretty well lined with with the blade drift.
9) you might have to do this a couple of times to fine tune the fence alignment.
Since I'm mostly interested in resawing, I was anxious to see how uniform and thin I could cut a piece.
I was absolutely astounded when I sliced a 4" tall board into uniform 3/64" thick pieces, top to bottom, over the entire length. And I've done it repeatedly over and over again. The time taken to painstakingly align the table, guide blocks and rollers really paid off.
I'm sure others with more experience will jump in here and correct or refine my description. No matter the above description, I did follow the process described in the manual.
Good luck,
Hal
I just went through this and got terrific results. Previously I had awful and disapointing cuts. I have pretty bad short term memory. So for what it's worth, here's what I remember.
1) I spent an agonizing amount of time precision aligning my table, fence, and blade. (that I remember well).
2) After all the above adjustments are locked in, take a board about 12" long and roughly 3 inches wide, with at least one real sharp straight edge. (I think i used a jointed 1x4).
3) draw a straight line down the face of the board, parallel to the straight edge.
4) With the straight edge to the left but without the fence, by freehand cut along that line, adjusting the piece as you go to keep on the line. Cut about half way down the board.
5). Stop the machine and keep the cut board in place.
6) Soft slide the fence up to the left edge. You'll see how much the board now angles away from the fence. That's the drift.
7) adjust the screws on fence handle to now perfectly touch the jointed edge.
8) Lock down those screws and your fence should be pretty well lined with with the blade drift.
9) you might have to do this a couple of times to fine tune the fence alignment.
Since I'm mostly interested in resawing, I was anxious to see how uniform and thin I could cut a piece.
I was absolutely astounded when I sliced a 4" tall board into uniform 3/64" thick pieces, top to bottom, over the entire length. And I've done it repeatedly over and over again. The time taken to painstakingly align the table, guide blocks and rollers really paid off.
I'm sure others with more experience will jump in here and correct or refine my description. No matter the above description, I did follow the process described in the manual.
Good luck,
Hal
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dusty
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 21481
- Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 6:52 am
- Location: Tucson (Wildcat Country), Arizona
Bandsaw Drift
Hal:
This subject was presented at the Traveling Academy in Tucson earlier this month. I could not have recapped what has taught there any better than you just did.
Some recent research indicates that "drift" is more correctly referred to as "lead" and is caused by the way a blade is "sharpened/set". Quality bands (so they say) do not exhibit "lead".
Good job. This thread will go into "Dusty's Shop Notes".
___________________
Making Sawdust Safely
This subject was presented at the Traveling Academy in Tucson earlier this month. I could not have recapped what has taught there any better than you just did.
Some recent research indicates that "drift" is more correctly referred to as "lead" and is caused by the way a blade is "sharpened/set". Quality bands (so they say) do not exhibit "lead".
Good job. This thread will go into "Dusty's Shop Notes".
___________________
Making Sawdust Safely
Bandsaw Drift
Thanks a lot for the recap. I know what you mean about the short term memory. I went to the three day SS course recently but forgot how to correct the drift and, of course, didn't take notes.
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paulmcohen
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 1577
- Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:10 pm
- Location: Beaverton, Oregon
- Contact:
Dusty,dustywoodworker wrote:Hal:
This subject was presented at the Traveling Academy in Tucson earlier this month. I could not have recapped what has taught there any better than you just did.
Good job. This thread will go into "Dusty's Shop Notes".
___________________
Thank you! Those are very encouraging words indeed. I'm putting your comment in my "Keep trying - see you can do it" folder
As to the actual results of the alignment, some say if there's no picture it didn't happen. So here's the proof!
[ATTACH]69[/ATTACH]
Take care,
Hal
- Attachments
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- first%20resaw%20thumb.jpg (20.29 KiB) Viewed 30425 times
Band Saw Drift
Hal,
Thanks a lot for the solution to my bandsaw drift problem. It worked perfectly.
Paul
Thanks a lot for the solution to my bandsaw drift problem. It worked perfectly.
Paul
bandsaw drift
Dusty,
Thanks for your comments also. The instructor in my travelling SS class told us that all blades have a "drift" or "lead". All of my blades are SS brand and I haven't tried any others although there are some that fit the SS.
Paul:)
Thanks for your comments also. The instructor in my travelling SS class told us that all blades have a "drift" or "lead". All of my blades are SS brand and I haven't tried any others although there are some that fit the SS.
Paul:)
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dusty
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 21481
- Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 6:52 am
- Location: Tucson (Wildcat Country), Arizona
Band Saw Drift (New Fence)
The fence was just featured as a special in the email flyer. It looks neat but it is just another item that seems to negate the value of good old know how. See "Woodworking Tool Review" on this forum for the new fence designed to resolve this problem.
The procedure that Hal presented earlier in this thread works great. After reading it I went out to the shop and resawed several pieces of scrap. I didn't need a calibre to measure the thickness of my ultimate success but it certainly works.
However, one recommendation - build a fence attachment with an extended surface about two feet long and at least as tall as the stock being resawed. Adjust this so that it forms a perfect 90 degree with the table top and aligns with the drift angle. Clamp it GOOD to the fence and saw away.
___________________
Making Sawdust Safely
The procedure that Hal presented earlier in this thread works great. After reading it I went out to the shop and resawed several pieces of scrap. I didn't need a calibre to measure the thickness of my ultimate success but it certainly works.
However, one recommendation - build a fence attachment with an extended surface about two feet long and at least as tall as the stock being resawed. Adjust this so that it forms a perfect 90 degree with the table top and aligns with the drift angle. Clamp it GOOD to the fence and saw away.
___________________
Making Sawdust Safely