In a nutshell: Tried aligning the fence by the book. Wanders way off. Tried aligning by setting the fence to the slits in the table, figuring they're machined parallel. Still wanders. The blade moves over to the side, towards the rollers, and the cut becomes way off.
Blather: Got the upgraded bandsaw table, fence, extension & circle cutter. Fence was already assembled from SS, so I aligned the table according to the book, trued the miter slot all by the numbers. When it came to the fence free cut I noticed that even though I fed the board four to five inches on my marked line, the board was not angled, and clamping is out of the question. Tried eyeballing the blade to the center and then butting the fence up to the stock. No go. The blade has about 1/8" play from center, so it is not too lose. Any suggestions would be most appreciated.
Bandsaw Fence Alignment
Moderators: HopefulSSer, admin
I'm not sure what you mean when you say it wanders. Are you speaking of the blade or the fence. If it's the fence, check the lock. If the blade is wandering, then check the guides and be sure to check both the upper and lower guides. You should have ceramic or graphite guides on either side of the blade and a thrust bearing (is that what SS band saw uses?) at the rear of the blade. Too much clearance on either side or the rear of the blade will allow the blade to move, ruining your cut. Also, check the blade tension and tracking. When you check the tracking, be sure to back the guides and thrust bearing away from the blade so it will turn freely without interference from the guides.
I'm with BATG on this.
If you've checked your tension and find that it really does have ONLY 1/8" of movment side to side, and if your sidewise controllers (cool blocks on mine) have less than 1 sheet of printer paper's thickness space, AND if the bearing at the back of your blade is keeping your blade to the front of your blocks (both top and bottom sets), You've got some issues for sure.
Some blades, especially those that are punched out and not ground, have a strange edge on the back side of the blade, away from the teeth. Look at a cheap washer from your local box store. Notice that one side has rolled edges and the other side has sharper edges. It's punched. Where the punch enters, you have a nice rolled edge. If you feel that back edge of your blade and sense that you have a punched edge, you need to "tune" your blade by taking some kind of stone and removing that nasty sharp edge. That will help. same with most scrollsaw blades.
If your blade is running smack center on your tire, it should run pretty true. If it's running on the back or the front, that CAN alter it, but if your guides and bearings are properly adjusted, they should keep your blade straight.
Traditional bandsaw blades and scrollsaw blades are both recommended to be tensioned to a point where you can pluck it and get a clear note. Doesn't have to be a specific pitch, but it has to be a clear pitch.
Timberwolf says, for THEIR blades, put it a little below what your bandsaw recommends and turn on the machine. Reduce speed until the blade starts to flutter. Tighten until flutter disappears and then back off a prescribed amount. Worked really well for the blade I have on there right now.
Hope it helps. Keep us posted, sir!!
If you've checked your tension and find that it really does have ONLY 1/8" of movment side to side, and if your sidewise controllers (cool blocks on mine) have less than 1 sheet of printer paper's thickness space, AND if the bearing at the back of your blade is keeping your blade to the front of your blocks (both top and bottom sets), You've got some issues for sure.
Some blades, especially those that are punched out and not ground, have a strange edge on the back side of the blade, away from the teeth. Look at a cheap washer from your local box store. Notice that one side has rolled edges and the other side has sharper edges. It's punched. Where the punch enters, you have a nice rolled edge. If you feel that back edge of your blade and sense that you have a punched edge, you need to "tune" your blade by taking some kind of stone and removing that nasty sharp edge. That will help. same with most scrollsaw blades.
If your blade is running smack center on your tire, it should run pretty true. If it's running on the back or the front, that CAN alter it, but if your guides and bearings are properly adjusted, they should keep your blade straight.
Traditional bandsaw blades and scrollsaw blades are both recommended to be tensioned to a point where you can pluck it and get a clear note. Doesn't have to be a specific pitch, but it has to be a clear pitch.
Timberwolf says, for THEIR blades, put it a little below what your bandsaw recommends and turn on the machine. Reduce speed until the blade starts to flutter. Tighten until flutter disappears and then back off a prescribed amount. Worked really well for the blade I have on there right now.
Hope it helps. Keep us posted, sir!!
Dean Thomas
KCMO
520, jointer, bandsaw, stripsander
KCMO
520, jointer, bandsaw, stripsander
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dusty
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Bandsaw Fence Alignment
Check the thread on this forum: Shopsmith Forums/Main Woodworking Forum/General Woodworking. A post by hfmann entitled "Band Saw Drift" speaks exactly to what you are describing.
IMO this is a normal characteristic of some bandsaw BLADES. All do it to some degree but some are worse than others. It has to do with how the teeth are set.
Refer to a post on this forum in : Shopsmith Forums/Main Woodworking Forum/General Woodworking entiitled "Bandsaw Drift".
Please correct me if I am wrong!
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Making Sawdust Safely
IMO this is a normal characteristic of some bandsaw BLADES. All do it to some degree but some are worse than others. It has to do with how the teeth are set.
Refer to a post on this forum in : Shopsmith Forums/Main Woodworking Forum/General Woodworking entiitled "Bandsaw Drift".
Please correct me if I am wrong!
___________________
Making Sawdust Safely
Len, you must find the led of the blade. Every bandsaw blade has a led which depends on how the original grind was applied. What you must do is to take a piece of wood with a straight edge and draw a parallel line half the length of the bandsaw table on it. Then stand on the feeding side of the blade and cut following the line very, very slowly. The blade is going to tell you how to move the back end of the board in order to follow the line. When you have made the cut, hold board in place, shut off the headstock and adjust the fence set screws located on both sides of the fence head to make it parallel to the wood. This will allow you to resaw material to a consistant thickness of paper.
If you havn't attended a Traveling Academy, I would advise you to take one when it comes to your area. I'm an instructor for the Academy in the eleven western states and I cover this in the first day. I know the other two instructors also cover this material on their first day. If you have any further problems, feel free to contact me. Rick Davis
If you havn't attended a Traveling Academy, I would advise you to take one when it comes to your area. I'm an instructor for the Academy in the eleven western states and I cover this in the first day. I know the other two instructors also cover this material on their first day. If you have any further problems, feel free to contact me. Rick Davis