If.there’s a gap, your wheels are not. A crowned wheel has a.slight hump where the blade rides. Check the wheel alignment with your resaw blade mounted and tensioned.
Whether you’re a beginner or could just use a refresher, we’re going to walk you through the process for a perfect bandsaw blade adjustment setup every time, no matter what blade you install. Lower the upper blade guide, open the wheel housing(s) and blade guard and carefully remove the blade. So it should be no real shocker that you’ll encounter conflicting schools of thought regarding blade placement on the wheels and how it affects blade “Drift”.
Knowing something about basic band saw blade alignment and tracking can be extremely useful information. The band saw blade passes through a set of steel or heavy plastic blocks, which keep it aligned as it cuts wood placed on the band saw table. The application of tension to align and provide good tracking of a band saw blade is the key in selecting the size of a band saw blade for its correct application.
“If you put a reasonably wide blade and get it running cleanly where it belongs on the wheels, you can square the table using a straightedge to extend the blade and measuring to the miter slot. If the miter slot is square to the machined front of the table, you can just use a combination square on the table edge and visually verify that the blade and square are parallel.”You are not going to get.001” accuracy on a band saw, but you don’t really need to. Once you’ve got it as good as you can get, verify the alignment by freehand sawing with a sharp, properly set up blade a piece of hardwood stock a bit longer than the table is deep in a straight line marked parallel to the stock edge. If your saw is set up properly, the stock will be parallel of the miter slot.
Removed the table and aligned the guides as he recommended, set the blade with the center of the gullet in the middle of the wheel. The thrust bearing isn’t specifically mentioned so, maybe they mean you adjust that for larger blades and I’m wasting your time. “I do align the gullets with the center of the wheels. My wheels are co-planer. I aligned the saw to cut straight and don’t acknowledge drift as an acceptable condition. I generally set tension using the flutter method. I used to run an array of blades with varying tooth counts for various purposes. I now pretty much just stock 1/4″ high and low tooth count blades for curvy stuff, 1/2″ or 5/8” 2-3 tooth blades for resaw and I use Highland Hardware’s Woodslicer for thin-kerf / clean-finish cuts.
A catalyst for this seems to be Jim Cummings article “Home Shop Bandsaw” in Fine Woodworking #63. From the hundreds of bandsaw owners I’ve talked with since the article appeared, it seems there are lingering questions on how to adjust a bandsaw blade, the blade choice and operation. “To find the correct tension, you can start with the tension scale on your saw, but you will probably need to fine tune the adjustment. With the saw unplugged, increase the tension on the blade until pushing on the side of the blade with your finger using a moderate amount of force deflects the blade about a 1/4” from its normal position. An interesting experiment is to set the side guys too far from the blade and notice how increased feed pressure and turning make the blade wander.
how to align bandsaw Related Question:
How do I get my bandsaw to cut straight?
Band Saw: Why won’t my band saw cut straight? When the band saw cuts crooked, a dull blade, improper feeding, loose blade tension or not using a work piece guide could be the cause. Use the rip fence or miter gauge to guide the work piece uniformly through the cutting blade to make straight cuts.
Why does my bandsaw blade wander?
If the wheels are worn and do not have a distinct top to the crown then the blade will not know where to go, and may wander around. This of course can cause poor cut quality and difficulty in setting the guides.
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.
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.
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.
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.