Shopsmith Forums

Should I be able to repeatedly rip stock using my bandsaw? Since I cannot, if the answer was YES, what is the most likely cause.

More often than not, if I try to rip materials using my bandsaw with the rip fence, I find the blade tracking off line. I believe that it is actually tracking the grain rather than the intended straight line.

Hi Dusty,

I've never had a bandsaw tracking problem once I have adjusted my fence for the drift of the blade that I'm using at the time. Because of the way bandsaw blades are made, each will cut slightly off-line. I was told to adjust for this drift by taking a piece about 1/4 x 1 x 12 and scribe a line right down the center. Then move the fence out of the way and freehand cut along the line to about the center of the piece (about 6 inches in) and stop cutting without changing the position of the piece of wood. Adjust your fence to the angle of the piece of wood and the saw should now cut straight.

Dusty:

I don't believe that "following the grain" is the real problem here. Each bandsaw blade is an individual. To a certain extent, all of them will cut more agressively to one side than the other.

To adjust your fence for this "drift" or "leade", the procedure is as follows;

cut a scrap of 3/4" stock about 3" wide and 24" to 30" long. draw a line down the middle that is parallel to both sides. Then, by hand, very carefully cut down the line about 1/2 of the length. Turn of the bandsaw and clamp the test piece to the table on both ends. You will note that the test stock is somewhat "cocked" at a slight angle to the blade and table. Then take you fence and run it up against the test stock and set it to match this angle.

Now the fence is adjusted for the drift of the blade and you should be able to rip and resaw stock with ease. Note: If you change blades you need to go thru this entire procedure again.

Dusty,

Nick also shows the procedure at about the 6min mark here:

http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Archives/SS123/SS123_Band_Saw_Lumbering.htm

A hook shaped tooth also helps.

Troy

A sharp blade, a slow feed rate, adequate tension and the proper tooth pitch. With those all correct, you should be able to rip easily.

Now I find I suffer testosterone poisoning, and get impatient and push. As in push the wood. Exceeding the cutting ability of the blade, making it twist and screw up my cut. And, being cheap, I tend to run a blade too long, so it's no longer sharp, so I push harder.

And finally having purchased that wood slicer blade, I've learned to love using the correct blade for the job. Goodness gracious but that blade rips wood wonderfully. No, it's not a beautiful finish on the wood I've cut. But that's ok, if that's ok.

Dusty
Long Long ago I went to a traveling academy where the instructors using the procedures in the Bandsaw manual and Power Tool Woodworking book set up a bandsaw from scratch and cut perfect one right after another strips off that were so thin you could see light through them using only the miter guage locked in the slot.
So I know perfect ripping is possible.

I think I remember them speaking to drift and I believe they taught drift was the result of a bad blade or a poor setup. I won't swear to it but I think they taught (it may have been someone else) that you should lightly touch a sharpening stone to non drift side of the blade to touch up the set of the teeth.

I believe the biggest problem with drift is bad blade, not enough blade tension, too fast a feed rate and/or operator error.

I have always heard about drift but frankly I haven't really seen it. I use cool blocks and I believe if blade is parallel to my fence, properly tensioned there won't be any drift. Why do I say that? Probably because I haven't experience drift.

I do know a standard Shopsmith band saw can be adjusted to rip without drift but what adjustment is the one that fixes drift I don't know.

I know I'm a big help.

Ed in Tampa wrote:
. . .

I believe if blade is parallel to my fence, properly tensioned there won't be any drift. Why do I say that? Probably because I haven't experience drift.

. . .

Indirectly this means the table is also aligned to the blade.(the table sets the fence angle). I had 'drift' until I achieved this. This is not easy since the blade is a small reference. Use the largest blade you have to set the table.

dusty wrote:Should I be able to repeatedly rip stock using my bandsaw? Since I cannot, if the answer was YES, what is the most likely cause.

More often than not, if I try to rip materials using my bandsaw with the rip fence, I find the blade tracking off line. I believe that it is actually tracking the grain rather than the intended straight line.

I don't know the answer(s). I've spent some time aligning the fence as instructed by Nick and others. What I've experienced is good rip cuts for short distances (±10"), but then the blade takes off either to the left or the right. Sounds like blocks not closely set or not enough tension doesn't it?

I think I've found that using a 5/8" re-saw blade doesn't work for making rip cuts. I've had better luck using 1/4" blades for ripping, however not good enough! So the latest rips on the bandsaw have been made by drawing a line and following that line by using my re-saw guide. Go figure Don't have the secret (or answer) in my shop, but will live with the alternatives.

Sounds like a lot of different experiences, I use the SS 1/2 inch blade and set it up the way Nick shows. I have not really tried to make resaw cut over about 14" on mine but I was able to make repeated cuts to make small thin planks for a Noah's Ark for my grand daughter and they looked great. But I do see that when I change blades if I am trying to do long straight cuts and using the fence I have to adjust for each different blade that I am using.
Just my story and I ususally only resaw with the one blade the rest I am using free handed cuts.

What about guides?