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. Using a rip fence on a band saw, like a rip fence you might find on a table saw, will nearly always cause grief – especially when you try cutting long boards. Chris Marshall: A point fence works wonders! My band saw’s rip fence can also be adjusted for front-to-back blade drift, and I’ve actually had good luck using it for resawing once I adjust for the saw’s drift that day.
“Cutting tenons on a bandsaw seems like a fairly simple operation. Several woodworking articles have suggested the 1/4 x 6T blade for cutting tenons. Not sure why I can’t get these 1/4″ blades to cut straight. Since you only have this problem on the SS with a 1/4” blade I suspect the blade. “The first thing I did was replace the backup bearings. Next I aligned the fence to the miter slot. Once I had that squared away I then aligned the table to the bandsaw blade. To do that I used a new 3/8” blade and the Carter FAST jig to help better see the orientation of the blade.
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.
I find it impossible to make a straight, linear cut with my bandsaw. I have to veer the wood off at an increasing angle to cut along a marked straight line. I’ve gotten good at this compensating, but it seems that it must not be adjusted correctly if I have to do that.
If you have the question, why does my bandsaw blade wander so often in mind, keep reading, as we discuss the reasons and possible cures for this problem. When the bandsaw blade is keen and sharp, pushing the material against the blade and getting a cut does not require much force from the user. A keen blade with a fast blade velocity, as well as a personal fence, will help a great deal when your bandsaw blade wanders when resawing and cutting.
how to keep a bandsaw blade from wandering Related Question:
What causes bandsaw blade 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.
Why does my bandsaw mill blade wander?
When you’re sawing a soft wood with hard knots, the engine will slow down each time you hit a knot. If the blade speed drops below about 5000 FPM, the blade will start to wander. The governor will kick in to get the engine back up to speed but by the time that happens you’re through the knot.
Why does my band saw cut to the left?
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 spark?
Ceramics can cause sparks. Or, if your thrust bearing is too far past the blade, more toward the center of the bearing than the edge, then it won’t turn and you’ll get sparks too, and possibly wear a groove in the bearing.
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. blade, I would set the scale to 1/2 in.
Why does my bandsaw blade stop?
Using a dull blade or the incorrect type of blade can cause the band saw to cut through work pieces slowly. The blade will also move slowly through the work piece if the blade is installed incorrectly. A weak drive motor can also cause the band saw to cut slowly. First, check the installation of the band saw blade.
Can you put a bandsaw blade on upside down?
Typical bandsaw blades can be flipped “inside out” to make the teeth point the other direction. On some knife edge style blades and grit edge blades you can get a fresh sharp cutting edge from a blade this way, just by flipping it inside out.
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.