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.
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.
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.
“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.
“After reinstalling the blade comes the alignment procedure. Carter suggests adjusting the top bearings first, then the bottom. I had a problem with this considering a variable which isn’t addressed by the instructions. Depending on how your tensioned blade sits on a crowned wheel, it can come off the wheel at a slight angle. Whichever angle it is isn’t important as long as it keeps this angle both top and bottom – no twist in your blade. Since they suggest a.002” free-space between the side-bearings and the sawblade, it seemed important to make sure the blade stays parallel to the bearing edges. Unlike the original Delta assembly, which is utilized by the Iturra and Johns bearings, Carter rightly turns their thrust bearing 90 degrees so the back edge of your bandsaw blade is shoved against the curved outer surface of the bearing. This one-point contact, linear to the blade travel, seems far better than having the blade pressed against the bearing face where rotation of the bearing actually rubs across the back of the blade.
10-02-2018, 03:21 PM #1. 10-02-2018, 03:24 PM #2. 10-02-2018, 04:06 PM #3. 10-02-2018, 04:27 PM #4. 10-02-2018, 04:31 PM #5 Carbide is my preferred, but as a kid dads wood saw we allays ran tuffnol yeah they would wear but they did just fine with wood cutting blade speed, we used lots bigger than 1/4″ though. Stock blade guides for those little saws use 1/2″ steel blocks. The setup for those blocks uses a dollar bill wrapped around the blade before tightening the block lock screws.
what are the best 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.
How far should the blade guides be from the blade of the bandsaw?
Set the front of the blade guide about one-sixteenth of an inch from the deepest part of the blade gullets (the spaces between the teeth on the blade). The blade guides must ride behind the teeth on the bandsaw blade.
Why are the blade guides so important 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.
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.
Which way should the teeth face on a bandsaw?
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.
How much space should there be between a band saw blade and the upper guide blocks?
The guide blocks should have an air gap on both sides of the blade the thickness of a piece of paper. The upper guide assembly should be anywhere from 1/4″ to 1/2″ above the work piece being cut. If too much blade shows, it becomes dangerous.
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.
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 is a raker tooth bandsaw blade?
A raker blade has an odd-numbered tooth sequence with a uniform set angle. A basic, three-tooth sequence is left, right, and straight, or unset. The straight tooth is the raker tooth.
What are the different types of circular saw blades?
Blade Types: Generally speaking there are four major categories of circular saw blades. They are: Rip Blades, Crosscut, Combination and Specialty blades. Ripping saw blades are designed primarily to achieve a smooth, clean and safe cut when ripping wood or cutting in the same direction as the wood grain.
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 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 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.
Can a bandsaw blade be turned inside out?
Re: Turning a band blade inside out hi ,just get heavy gloves,an uncoiled blade ,step on the bottom and turn the blade inside out,and it will go right on a turner mill and just reverse the blade to sharpen. Thanks.