Shopsmith Forums

I was just cleaning up an older bandsaw i just bought. I have a couple ?'s. first the tension indicator moved and wondering how to set that? Also, once I got the upper guide roller set, the blade was touching all three rollers, made two cuts. Then i checked it and the blade is now tracking about an eighth of an inch away from the rollers how do i adjust that?

Hi, Jroh_ ! Welcome to the Forum! It is kinda tough to answer your question with certainty, but it seems that your blade has wandered outward on your tires. It also could be that your top wheel is sloping with the top protruding outward further than the bottom. If the top wheel is aligned correctly, a straight edge layed on the outside edge of the upper wheel should also be about 1/4" outside of the lower wheel. You can fix this by grasping the the top and bottom of the upper wheel and bending it back to this position. If it does not stay in this orientation, you need to buy a new upper wheel arm and axle part (517640). Surprisingly this isn't too expensive. If the arm has been bent quite a few times it gets weak.

FYI, some of my blades do wander about 1/16" away from the upper bearing. I think my saw is properly adjusted.

By the way, what part of the World do you call home? You could enter a general description of the area in your personal profile and it will show each time you post.

thanks i'll check that and update my profile

i think i had too much tension on the blade bending the wheel down. how much tension is needed on the blade? The tension indicator is out of adjustment.

Hey Jroh,,,make sure and "run the blade in" for awhile. If that saw has been sitting for some time the rubber on the drive wheels may be hard and need replaced. Let the saw run, as long as the blade is not hitting anything bad, cut a little, get things warmed up and settled in, then re-adjust things and see if they will stay put. Can't help ya on the tension, try to get the book and see if it will tell ya how to adjust it. I know a loose blade on my sawmill will yield wavey cuts. and a blade that's to tight will be hard on the drivetrain and have shorter life. Good luck,,,,,MIke

have the manual but it seems it is pre-set for blade size. but if the indicator gets moved just wondering what tension should be on say a 1/4 inch blade. I am guessing bigger blades need more tension.

jroh1060,

Go to this site and click on Bandsaw Tips and Techniques...

http://www.woodmagazine.com/wood/file.j ... r&temp=yes

I have been hesitant to jump into this thread, as I am by no means an expert. I have found by trial and error that the red gauge on the bandsaw is a guide, not a rule. On the scrollsaw, I can plink the blade and determine the correct tension. If I make the bandsaw tight enough to plink, the blade will quickly run off the track. With a 1/4 inch blade, I have found that a blade tension which allows lateral motion of no more than 1/8th inch give me a smooth straight cut in 1" lumber. This adjustment runs between 3/8 and 1/4 on my bandsaw, closer to the 3/8 mark. If I were to make radius cuts, I would probably loosen the tension just a drop. Again, my opinion from trial and error.

I have always adjusted in accordance with the the built in gauge which calibrates according to blade size. The Shopsmith blade saw does not track like most other band saws. That is why the upper wheel is tilted (not in the same plane as the lower wheel). The blade does not track in the middle of the upper wheel like you might think it should.

You are correct; bigger blades are tensioned more. I feel that plinking is a bad test on the bladesaw.

Given your situation, I would readjust the tracking bearings and then make some saw dust.

Before you do that (after readjusting the bearings) put the cover back on, turn the power on and let it run for about five minutes and then recheck your tracking position.

Start putting pennies in the piggy bank for new tires.

BTW - you did lubricate the upper wheel bearing, right.