If the blade’s teeth slice off material faster than the gullets can carry the material away, that material compresses to the point that it can’t compress any more, then it starts pushing back on the blade. Mattias Wandel has an excellent visual explanation and accompanying video titled, The Physics of Bandsaw Resawing, but the same principles apply to any blade. If you still have problems with blade drift after trying a sharp 3-4 TPI blade, there is a great video by Alex Snodgrass demonstrating how to properly set up your bandsaw and guides.
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 one side of the blade has more sets than the other or the blade starts to drift, check to see that the blade is properly sharpened and that the set is still good. After installing the saw blade, applying proper tension, and tracking adjustments, bring the fence next to the blade and see if the face of the fence is parallel to the blade body. The saw blade and machine can both stand more tension, but it isn’t advised nor a good idea to put too much tension on the blades.
Band saw blade drift is a tendency of the blade to veer to the left or right while making a cut using the rip fence. The point of the last paragraph is that if the band saw is not set up properly and/or does not have a good quality, sharp blade installed and tensioned correctly, the chances of accurately adjusting for drift are minimal at best. Since there is little that we can do about blade drift at the blade, we adjust the fence to match the drift angle to essentially cancel it out.
My playing around over the past few years seems to confirm the suggestion that presuming a correctly sharpened and jointed blade that can/has cut straight that the onset of drift is mostly to do with position of the blade on the tyres – that if a previously straight cutting blade starts to drift that it’s probably that the blade has moved on to a different part of the tyre. The other possibility is that something other than normal wear has happened to make the blade cut differently off one side than the other if a problem suddenly kicks in – but it should keep on tracking OK with normal even wear. Prime suspect with a new blade on a saw that has previously been OK has to be a misaligned weld, or a badly sharpened blade…. ian.
The amount of drift varies with every blade, but you can compensate for it by clamping your fence to match the drift angle. SINGLE-POINT FENCE. Another way to overcome blade drift is to use a single-point fence like the one shown in the left photo above and in the margin. SETTING THE FENCE TO COMPENSATE FOR BLADE DRIFT. FEED RATE & TECHNIQUES. With either style of fence, your saw will help you determine the feed rate for resawing.
what causes bandsaw blade drift Related Question:
Why does my band saw wander?
The crown of the bandsaw wheels is what keeps the blade in place. The blade will always try to climb to the highest point of the wheel, the top of the crown. 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.
What causes a bandsaw to cut crooked?
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.
Which way should the teeth face on a bandsaw?
Installing A Bandsaw Blade Make sure the teeth point downward.
How many times can a bandsaw blade be sharpened?
It often makes sense to replace a dull blade with a new one, but you can sometimes get the best value out of merely sharpening an old blade instead of replacing it altogether. You should typically be able to get two to three sharpenings before you need to change your blade completely.
Are bandsaw blades worth sharpening?
Since a carbide-tipped bandsaw blade will cost well over $100, spending a third of the cost of the blade (or more) to get it sharp and working like new again can make financial sense. However the majority of bandsaw blades, the Wood Slicer included, are not worth spending money to have sharpened.
How long should a bandsaw blade last?
On average your bandsaw blade should last 6 months to as long as a few years depending on what your cutting with it. Make sure to match your blade strength and quality to the project and material your cutting.