On a typical wood or metal cutting blade the hook or of point of the blade should be pointing down for a vertical blade bandsaw, or for a horizontal blade saw the hook of the teeth should be pointed such that they enter the workpiece first as the blade moves. During regular cutting on a well set up bandsaw the blade will move or bow backwards a bit as you press the workpiece into it. The side guides will assist in keeping the blade cutting straight, but they are not an iron lock on the blade forcing it to cut straight.
Being a happy bandsaw owner has a lot to do with your approach to coping with the fact that a bandsaw simply will not cut straight, or, in the sage words of veteran woodworkers, “Adjusting for drift.” Even the top performing 14″ bandsaw on the market, Powermatic’s 14 Bandsaw 1791216K, comes with a no-frills fence with 4 bolts on top rather than easy and obvious thumbscrews or knobs that say, “Adjust me here!”. Making the bandsaw cut nice and straight with this fence is a snap.
If your bandsaw is close to the lower range, you’ll get a good cut. The general guidelines for bandsaw use to achieve a straight and true cut are not really different from those applicable to other power saws – – table, jig, chop, skill. Sharp blades, proper tension and speed, using a fence for that straight cut and letting the blade do the work will give you what you want, whether it’s simply ripping a thick slab down or making that fancy curve cut on table legs.
This in turn causes the blade to not cut in a straight line. With a dull blade, there is an expectation for it to cut slower and cut crooked. The main thing that normally goes out is the crown, which is what is holding the blade in place, Most of the time the blade is right at the center, but if the crown begins to wear out, it may start allowing more and more movement, causing the blade to not cut in a straight line.
If the blade twists and the work piece is harder to push through the cutting area, replace the blade. Loose blade tension can also cause the blade to twist and veer off course when cutting the work piece. Check blade tension by pressing in on the side of the blade using a gloved finger.
Plus, most of us actually use the band saw more than we realize, so the blade may have some serious mileage on it. If one bearing is too close to the blade and the opposite one is too far away, the blade won’t travel in a true orbit and the saw won’t cut in a straight line. The more teeth per inch, the smoother but also the slower a blade will cut, so don’t push too hard.
“I bought a used Porter Cable 14” Bandsaw from some guy and it runs well enough, but I always have difficulty cutting straight lines on any thick or long pieces. I’ve tried to crank up the tension, but I feel like the blade continues to try to veer off to an angle instead of going parallel with the tabletop. The guides I have are the original block-type guides, and while I’ve used a feeler gauge set to measure the correct space according to the manual, I wonder if the blocks are not ideal since most vids of BS work seem to have the bearing-type guides on their saws…. I haven’t been able to use my BS for a little while, due to a domestic construction project I had to do in my yard, but I think the coast is clearer and i’d like to get back to the BS or my wife’ll make me sell it!
how to get bandsaw to cut straight Related Question:
Why is my band saw cutting at an angle?
A bandsaw has a spring that you tighten to keep the blade under tension. Your saw will probably have instructions for how tight to make the blade. This spring can loose its ability to properly tension the blade after some time, allowing the blade to twist in the cut.
Why are my bandsaw cuts wavy?
The clasic cause for wavy lumber is pushing a dull blade past it’s limits. Sharp don’t get it.
Why is my horizontal band saw not cutting straight?
Make sure the blade is running in the correct direction. On machines powered by three phases power so it is common to get the wiring reversed and have the blade running the wrong direction. On all vertical blade bandsaws the working portion of the blade should go down. This forces the workpiece down into the table.
How do you straighten a bandsaw blade?
How to straighten a bandsaw blade? It is risky but if it’s absolutely necessary, a temporary fix to straighten a bandsaw blade can be done by placing it on an anvil and gently tapping it flat with a nylon head hammer/mallet or using a pair of gas pliers to straighten out the blade.
What causes bandsaw drift?
Drift is cause because the blade buckles under the load. You can see that by stretching a ribbon between 2 points and applying a pressure to one of the edges, it will turn sideway easily. A sharp blade and high blade speed will help a lot with that.
How tight should my bandsaw blade be?
The blade should deflect no more than 1/4 in. A good place to begin is to tension the blade until the meter reads proper tension for the next wider blade. For example, if you’re tensioning a 3/8-in.
What is Resawing on a bandsaw?
Bandsaw Resawing from the beginning: resawing is cutting a sawn plank of wood into thinner planks on a bandsaw. Thus the cut runs through the plank’s width, which distinguishes bandsaw resawing from ordinary bandsaw rip cuts where the blade runs through the stock’s thickness.
Why does my bandsaw blade wobble?
The blade on a saw left idle for long periods of time can leave an impression in the rubber tire which might cause erratic tracking. Purchase and install aftermarket replacement tires. (Search for “bandsaw tire” at woodcraft.com.) If you still see a back-and-forth motion, the culprit is probably the wheel itself.
Why do bandsaws wander?
Tim Inman: Because band saw blades ride on crowned wheels, they always have a little “camber” angle relative to the vertical axis of the wheel. This causes the blade to tip a little and makes the cut “pull” to the side.