Blowing fuse

putttn · Post by **putttn** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:00 am

I was going to use my SS Bandsaw last night and when I turned it on it blew my 20 amp fuse. Only thing I have on that circuit is a telephone and some a 2 tube shop light. I disengaged the bandsaw and ran the circular blade and everything went fine. Engaged the bandsaw 3 or 4 more times and each time it blew the fuse. It has been working fine ever since I purchased it last year (used 1996 model) even though it "screams" like all the others. I manually pulled the blade through it's path and no problems/hangups/abnormal friction.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Thu May 07, 2009 10:23 am

puttn
Sounds like one of two things
1: Your breaker is going bad. It is rare but it does happen
or
2: Your drawing more than 20 amps on startup. Again my first thought is breaker as they should be able to handle a higher amperage that they are rated for instant. However it may be your SS is running at the ragged edge of 20 amps and bandsaw is enough to push it over the line.

First thing I would do is get my hands on a clamp-on Amperage reading meter and see what the SS draws. I suspect you may see a problem there. Possibly a bind in the headstock, or a motor going bad. If the run amperage is not near 20 amps then I would try connecting the bandsaw. Again you might find find a binding that isn't there normally. Have you tried to turn you bandsaw by hand while is still connected to the SS. Possibly the connection is putting a load on the bearing you don't see without the connection.

How is you line cord? How is your plug both have the potential to drop voltage and raise amperage. Run the SS for a while and feel the plug is it warm? Run you hand along the line cord is it warm? Feel the actual plug is it warm? There is a chance the wires the connect to the actual plug has gotten loose which raises resistance, drops the voltage and raises the amperage.

Try another circuit and see what happens.

Let us know what you find!

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Thu May 07, 2009 10:23 am

puttn
Sounds like one of two things
1: Your breaker is going bad. It is rare but it does happen
or
2: Your drawing more than 20 amps on startup. Again my first thought is breaker as they should be able to handle a higher amperage that they are rated for instant. However it may be your SS is running at the ragged edge of 20 amps and bandsaw is enough to push it over the line.

First thing I would do is get my hands on a clamp-on Amperage reading meter and see what the SS draws. I suspect you may see a problem there. Possibly a bind in the headstock, or a motor going bad. If the run amperage is not near 20 amps then I would try connecting the bandsaw. Again you might find a binding that isn't there normally. Have you tried to turn you bandsaw by hand while is still connected to the SS. Possibly the connection is putting a load on the bearing you don't see without the connection.

How is you line cord? How is your plug both have the potential to drop voltage and raise amperage. Run the SS for a while and feel the plug is it warm? Run you hand along the line cord is it warm? Feel the actual plug is it warm? There is a chance the wires the connect to the actual plug has gotten loose which raises resistance, drops the voltage and raises the amperage.

Try another circuit and see what happens.

Let us know what you find!

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu May 07, 2009 10:55 am

putttn wrote:I was going to use my SS Bandsaw last night and when I turned it on it blew my 20 amp fuse. Only thing I have on that circuit is a telephone and some a 2 tube shop light. I disengaged the bandsaw and ran the circular blade and everything went fine. Engaged the bandsaw 3 or 4 more times and each time it blew the fuse. It has been working fine ever since I purchased it last year (used 1996 model) even though it "screams" like all the others. I manually pulled the blade through it's path and no problems/hangups/abnormal friction.

1) Are you 'blowing fuses' or 'tripping a breaker'?

2) IF the former, are they 'time delay' fuses?

3) Please define 'screaming'!

4) Are you sure about the extent of the branch circuit(fuse/breaker) the SS is on?

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu May 07, 2009 11:19 am

putttn wrote:I was going to use my SS Bandsaw last night and when I turned it on it blew my 20 amp fuse. Only thing I have on that circuit is a telephone and some a 2 tube shop light. I disengaged the bandsaw and ran the circular blade and everything went fine. Engaged the bandsaw 3 or 4 more times and each time it blew the fuse. It has been working fine ever since I purchased it last year (used 1996 model) even though it "screams" like all the others. I manually pulled the blade through it's path and no problems/hangups/abnormal friction.

Just to make sure we are fixing the right problem:

Are we talking about two different motors or are you running the bandsaw off the headstock?

If you are running the bandsaw off the headstock, make certain that the power coupler is properly aligned.

putttn · Post by **putttn** » Thu May 07, 2009 12:04 pm

I am running the bandsaw off the headstock. I checked the coupler a few times and it mates up real nice.
I am "tripping the breaker" and it isn't time delayed.
The "screaming" is the noise the bandsaw makes when running and it seems to have done that ever since I got it. Kind of a screaching sound. Hard to describe but I've seen it discussed many times on this forum concerning the bandsaw.
I did grab the blade by hand and pulled it through and felt nothing concerning binding or anything abnormal.
I ran it a number of times without the bandswaw attached and then with the circular saw attached and it ran fine, never tripped the breaker. Attach the coupler to the bandsaw and it starts spinning up kind of slow, gains speed then trips the breaker.
It seems that only when I attach the bandsaw do I have it trip the breaker. When I manually pulled the bandsaw blade through it's cycle I thought I might feel some friction/resistance that would be causing the tripping. I'll try reversing the coupler to see if that has any effect and try another circuit too.
I also felt the plug and wire and felt ok, nothing too warm. It would seem that if the circular blade ran ok then it must be something to do with the bandsaw. I notice that it starts slower and then speeds up when compared to the circular blade.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Thu May 07, 2009 12:23 pm

putttn wrote:I am running the bandsaw off the headstock. I checked the coupler a few times and it mates up real nice.
I am "tripping the breaker" and it isn't time delayed.
The "screaming" is the noise the bandsaw makes when running and it seems to have done that ever since I got it. Kind of a screaching sound. Hard to describe but I've seen it discussed many times on this forum concerning the bandsaw.
I did grab the blade by hand and pulled it through and felt nothing concerning binding or anything abnormal.
I ran it a number of times without the bandswaw attached and then with the circular saw attached and it ran fine, never tripped the breaker. Attach the coupler to the bandsaw and it starts spinning up kind of slow, gains speed then trips the breaker.
It seems that only when I attach the bandsaw do I have it trip the breaker. When I manually pulled the bandsaw blade through it's cycle I thought I might feel some friction/resistance that would be causing the tripping. I'll try reversing the coupler to see if that has any effect and try another circuit too.
I also felt the plug and wire and felt ok, nothing too warm. It would seem that if the circular blade ran ok then it must be something to do with the bandsaw. I notice that it starts slower and then speeds up when compared to the circular blade.

From the sounds of it the machine starts up and begins to gain speed and blows a breaker. Have you tried to cut anything on the SS? Try that and see if you can bog the blade enough to blow a breaker. If not the problem is in Bandsaw. If you do blow a breaker cutting then I would still guess the problem is bind in headstock, line cord, plug, circuit or breaker. Only through the process of elimination can you determine that.

You say you turn the band saw by hand. Try this take the blade off the band saw and disconnect it from the SS headstock spin the lower wheel it should spin freely and keep spinning after you take your hand away. Do the same with the top, again both wheels should spin freely and keep turning once you take your hand way. If they do mount the blade and tension it. Not turn a wheel the whole thing should turn fairly freely not a free as without the blade be fairly easy.

My guess you SS is running at the ragged edge of 20 amps and putting the Bandsaw on it trips the breaker.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu May 07, 2009 12:28 pm

Have you tried turning the bandsaw input shaft by hand? It should be fairly easy to turn.

Take the blade off, turn the wheels by hand. they should turn freely and quietly.

What speed setting on SS are you starting at?

putttn · Post by **putttn** » Thu May 07, 2009 12:29 pm

Thanks Ed. I'll try that tonight. How do I check the draw Amps wise? I have a digital voltmeter I used when I owned my Harley. It is a digital unit from Radioshack.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu May 07, 2009 12:34 pm

putttn wrote:Thanks Ed. I'll try that tonight. How do I check the draw Amps wise? I have a digital voltmeter I used when I owned my Harley. It is a digital unit from Radioshack.

You need a CLAMP-ON AC AMMETER. That is NOT something that would be used on a HARLEY.

Are we correct in assuming it is the Bandsaw that 'screams'?