What I’ve never done is to check the alignment of the fence against the blade. Having bought the UJK Technology Bandsaw Buddy to check for this very thing, I was quite surprised to find some ‘toe out’ on the fence. Having realised some adjustment to the fence was needed, I had a look through the excellent User Manual and there it was on p17a pic of the Bandsaw Buddy in place.
If you feel that back edge of your blade and sense that you have a punched edge, you need to “Tune” your blade by taking some kind of stone and removing that nasty sharp edge. Traditional bandsaw blades and scrollsaw blades are both recommended to be tensioned to a point where you can pluck it and get a clear note. Timberwolf says, for THEIR blades, put it a little below what your bandsaw recommends and turn on the machine.
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.
There should be a way to align the fence itself, however I don’t have one as a reference, so I can’t help you with that. Heck, I have a POS homemade fence I scavenged off an old Ohio Forge benchtop table saw, and made rails from left-over table mounting angle iron from a RAS upgrade. My fence is certainly not parallel to anything, but it still cuts just fine and re-sawing still comes out great.
how to align a bandsaw fence Related Question:
Why is my band saw not cutting 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 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.
Why is it important to adjust the height of the blade guard on the bandsaw?
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. Ensure the blade is tracking correctly and runs freely in and against the upper and lower guide rollers.
What is the purpose of the blade guides on a bandsaw?
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.
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 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.
When operating a bandsaw in which direction do the teeth point?
2. The teeth on the blade of a properly installed bandsaw should point downward in the direction of blade travel.
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.
What is the closest you should put your fingers to the blade while it is running?
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. 4.
What should you not do with a bandsaw?
Never push on back of piece with fingers or thumb. Don’t reach across the blade. Make all cuts under power, not while blade is coasting. Never remove guard unless authorized by Technician or WRL Manager.
When using the bandsaw keep hands near the blade for accurate alignment True False?
NEVER twist the blade on any tool. Fingers should stay in front of the band saw blade as you cut. False! Your fingers should stay to either side of the blade and 4″ away from it as you cut.