Accura has always been among our top choices because they have been making these guides for a long time and in that time, they have mastered the craft of making guides. This model sports a premium build and has three bandsaw guide bearings. The main job of the guide is to ‘guide’ the blade so that it stays perpendicular.
Although Iturra does not recommend using its Band Rollers with blades less than 1⁄8 “, I tested mine with 1⁄8 “, 1⁄4 “, and 1⁄2 ” blades, cutting thick stock and making tight-radius cuts to force the blade against the bearings. These bearing guides showed no signs of wear, a big upgrade from my square-block graphite guides. When cutting arcs and circular shapes-and especially in resawing-the bearings proved much better than my old graphite guides at holding the blade perpendicular to the workpiece with no twisting or deflection.
02-11-2013, 8:46 AM #1 Best bandsaw guides I am going to change the guides on mu Grizzly G555LX band saw. Without being able to look, I don’t know if your lower guide and thrust bearing is the same design as a Jet, or a Delta 14″.The Delta guides are closer to the underside of the table than a Jet and are oriented differently. I changed my Grizzly G0555P bandsaw guides to cool blocks.
“The cheap blade guides from my 14” bandsaw were the easiest to adjust. The homemade guides work just as well, and, surprisingly, aren’t any more annoying to adjust than the fancy aftermarket blade guides or the big guides that Ted sent me. A properly adjusted set of blade guides will guide the blade perfectly well, and a fancy aftermarket guides don’t improve on that.
Good, aftermarket bearings, such as the ones from Carter are very nice, as are a good brand of guide blocks, such as Cool Blocks or ceramic blocks. The blocks more so than bearings, but the blocks are cheaper than a good set of bearings. On the larger blades, the blocks tend to wear faster, and it is typically not an issue keeping the bearings away from the teeth.
best bearing bandsaw guides Related Question:
How high should the guide be on a band saw?
Make sure the wheels and blade are in good condition. Make sure the blade is positioned properly on the track. Adjust blade guard height to about 3 mm or 1/8 inch to 6mm or 1/4 inch above the top of the material being cut. Wider gaps will place tension on the blade and increase the risk of breaking.
What are bandsaw guide blocks made of?
What is the Difference? Cool Blocks are made out of graphite impregnated phenolic resin laminate. Ceramic Guide Blocks are made of aluminum oxide powder that has been compressed into shape under tremendous pressure, then heated at over 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
What is the purpose of having blade guides on a band saw?
Bandsaw blade guides keep the bandsaw blade on track while cutting through materials. Blade guides should be set above and below the saw table to help reduce vibration by holding the bandsaw blade in place while cutting. This assures a precise and quality cut.
What is the number 1 safety rule of the band saw?
Safety Rules Safety glasses are required. Never clear small pieces while blade is moving. Never adjust saw or setup while saw is running. Never cross arms.
How far should the safety guard be above the stock band saw?
Keep guards in place at all times. The blade guard should be from 1/8 to ¼ inch above stock. Keep hands away from blade and do not open upper or lower bandsaw doors while blade is in motion. Maintain a balanced stance and keep your body under control at all times; do not overreach.
How many teeth does a bandsaw blade have?
The general rule of thumb is: For wood and soft materials aim for 3 – 6 teeth in the workpiece. For metals and harder materials aim for 6 – 24 teeth in the workpiece.
How do I choose a bandsaw?
The two main things to consider when choosing a band saw are the depth of cut and the throat. The saw’s depth of cut is the distance from the table to the upper blade guides. Many band saws are marketed on this feature alone, which tells the prospective buyer how thick of stock can be cut using the band saw.
What is a skip tooth band saw blade?
Skip tooth blades have widely spaced teeth at a 0 degree rake angle to prevent clogging when cutting soft wood, non-ferrous metals and plastics. Hook tooth blades have a deeper gullet—that is, larger teeth—and a positive 10 degree rake angle. This helps the blade to feed into the material more aggressively.
What does resaw mean on a bandsaw?
A resaw is a large band saw optimized for cutting timber along the grain to reduce larger sections into smaller sections or veneers. Resawing veneers requires a wide blade – commonly 2 to 3 inches (52–78 mm) – with a small kerf to minimize waste.
Can you rip wood on a bandsaw?
A band saw can shape curves, saw rough lumber safely, cut joinery, and even rip boards to width.
What side of a bandsaw should you stand on?
Stand to one side, never directly in line with, of work being fed through the saw. Use the proper blade for the material and type of cut. Do not use a rip blade for cross cutting, or, a crosscut blade for rip sawing.
What is the closest that your fingers should be to the blade in band saw?
Do not put your fingers closer than two inches from the blade. 3. Do not place your hands directly in line with the blade while cutting stock.
What is the margin of safety for the band saw?
Maintain a 4” margin of safety! Your hands MUST be at least 4” away from the blade when the saw is running. 8. Plan ahead saw cuts to avoid backing out of curves whenever possible.
Is more TPI better?
Woodworkers quickly learn that the number of teeth-per-inch (TPI) on the blade has a big impact on the quality of a cut. The general rule of thumb is “the more TPI, the smoother the cut.” The true answer, however, is just a little more complicated than that, as you’ll learn once you understand how saw teeth work.
How thick metal can a bandsaw cut?
Band saws are not suitable for cutting very thin sheet metal; a rule of thumb suggests the metal to be cut should be thicker than the depth of 3 band saw blade teeth, however they are excellent for cutting thin walled profiles such as box and angle.