If the blade twists and the work piece is harder to push through the cutting area, replace the blade. Loose blade tension can also cause the blade to twist and veer off course when cutting the work piece. Check blade tension by pressing in on the side of the blade using a gloved finger.
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.
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.
Having the blade ride centered just behind the gullets between teeth makes a huge difference, as well as learning to set the blade tension properly. Normally the bearing behind the blade should not be in constant contact with the blade, except when you are pressing the work into the blade. You can check this with a transparent protracter, but making one cut with a wood block, then flipping it upside down, checking to see if the blade still fits in that slot.
This in turn causes the blade to not cut in a straight line. With a dull blade, there is an expectation for it to cut slower and cut crooked. The main thing that normally goes out is the crown, which is what is holding the blade in place, Most of the time the blade is right at the center, but if the crown begins to wear out, it may start allowing more and more movement, causing the blade to not cut in a straight line.
Plus, most of us actually use the band saw more than we realize, so the blade may have some serious mileage on it. If one bearing is too close to the blade and the opposite one is too far away, the blade won’t travel in a true orbit and the saw won’t cut in a straight line. The more teeth per inch, the smoother but also the slower a blade will cut, so don’t push too hard.
If your bandsaw is close to the lower range, you’ll get a good cut. The general guidelines for bandsaw use to achieve a straight and true cut are not really different from those applicable to other power saws – – table, jig, chop, skill. Sharp blades, proper tension and speed, using a fence for that straight cut and letting the blade do the work will give you what you want, whether it’s simply ripping a thick slab down or making that fancy curve cut on table legs.
why does my bandsaw cut to the left Related Question:
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 do bandsaws wander?
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. This causes the blade to tip a little and makes the cut “pull” to the side.
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.
What causes bandsaw 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.
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.
What is Resawing on a bandsaw?
Bandsaw Resawing from the beginning: resawing is cutting a sawn plank of wood into thinner planks on a bandsaw. Thus the cut runs through the plank’s width, which distinguishes bandsaw resawing from ordinary bandsaw rip cuts where the blade runs through the stock’s thickness.
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.
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.