# Excellent video on bandsaw set up with Alex Snodgrass



## Graham Orm (10 Dec 2013)

Never heard of him before, but he knows his stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGbZqWac0jU


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## MARK.B. (11 Dec 2013)

He makes everything look so easy =D> =D> =D>


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## blackrodd (11 Dec 2013)

He certainly knows his stuff and very entertaining, but have to say, these Americans seem to be very happy to get up close and personal wiv their blades
Regards Rodders!


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## monkeybiter (11 Dec 2013)

Hmmm, just watched all of that and enjoyed it. Food for thought.


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## Graham Orm (12 Dec 2013)

blackrodd":35ohxn23 said:


> He certainly knows his stuff and very entertaining, but have to say, these Americans seem to be very happy to get up close and personal wiv their blades
> Regards Rodders!



Yes he didn't have much regard for his own safety when making the reindeer.


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## Silverbirch (12 Dec 2013)

An interesting video and very enjoyable. He seems to have a different approach to some aspects of tweaking and setting up, but the proof of the pudding was there to see.
I did wince at some of his high speed manoevering with his fingers only millimetres from the blade. Especially risky in the environment where his demo took place, with all those distractions around. 
Nevertheless, well worth watching.
Thanks

Ian


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## Berncarpenter (15 Dec 2013)

Thanks for sharing this vid Grayorm I must admit that i am a blade thrower  maybe now after watching Alex unfold a blade i will give it a go .

Cheers Bern.


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## hooch (23 Dec 2013)

Watched this video a couple of times just before setting up my new secondhand bandsaw purchase
The video together with a new blade from Ian at tuff saws and my little kitty 612 is performing like a dream


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## Sporky McGuffin (3 Jun 2015)

A bit delayed, but I just set up my Axminster AWHB450 according to these guidelines and it's massively improved. Well worth the hour or so I spent. Got it all cleaned up too. Now for an expensive Tuffsaws order.


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## RogerS (19 Jun 2015)

He's OK but personally I found I got much more out of Steve Maskery's excellent DVD. 

Plus I find the American accent tends to grate after a while. And they always seem to take a thousand words to say something when ten would do nicely !


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## Beau (19 Jun 2015)

Only got in 40 seconds and have to disagree with him. 

Take the table off! 

Not a chance without a chain hoist and an extra pair of hands  
Guess they don't have Wadkins in the US


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## Random Orbital Bob (19 Jun 2015)

Try doing what Snodgrass says with a 1.3tpi 1inch ripper blade from Tuffsaws. Stick those gullets in the middle of your tyre and it'll fall off the back!

Crowned bandsaw wheels are manufactured for a reason. The reason is to aid the central tracking of the blade. Bandsaw blades are essentially the same as any other pulley. Trouble is, you can't use deep poly v belts in a grooved channel because the "belt" is a blade with teeth on one side. So they crown them to aid the flat bit of metal to stay centred. That's why all the manufacturers state in their manuals to track the blade centrally. The North/South orientation is far more critical as is blade tension and the quality of the blade. The number 1 cause of poor cutting performance is a rubbish blade. Tuffsaws alleviate that problem every time

Snodgrass appears to work for many ppl so fair enough but just so you know, wheels are crowned for a reason


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## Beau (19 Jun 2015)

Random Orbital Bob":2d5wt4y2 said:


> Try doing what Snodgrass says with a 1.3tpi 1inch ripper blade from Tuffsaws. Stick those gullets in the middle of your tyre and it'll fall off the back!
> 
> Crowned bandsaw wheels are manufactured for a reason. The reason is to aid the central tracking of the blade. Bandsaw blades are essentially the same as any other pulley. Trouble is, you can't use deep poly v belts in a grooved channel because the "belt" is a blade with teeth on one side. So they crown them to aid the flat bit of metal to stay centred. That's why all the manufacturers state in their manuals to track the blade centrally. The North/South orientation is far more critical as is blade tension and the quality of the blade. The number 1 cause of poor cutting performance is a rubbish blade. Tuffsaws alleviate that problem every time
> 
> Snodgrass appears to work for many ppl so fair enough but just so you know, wheels are crowned for a reason



I was going to start a new thread on just this topic but you kindly started what I wanted to ask.

Not all wheels are crowned. 

First bandsaw I used was when training which was a gert big Robinson with cork covered crowned wheels. We ran the blades just forward of centre with the theory that this gave less pressure on the tooth so not to flatten the set.

Next was a Kity 613 with no crown. The instructions in the manual said to set the blade up with the tooth just off the tyres. This also fitted with not crushing the set on the tooth. 

Then a Grigio again with no crown (rubbish bandsaw)

Current machine is an ancient Wadkin which I had to replace the cork on the wheels and have always wondered how much crown to put on them. Currently have very slight crown but run the blade well forward of centre. Been thinking this is probably not right but do I take off the crown or adjust the blade further back? (could be tricky due to lack of space for guides)


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## woodpig (19 Jun 2015)

I've set my bandsaw up as suggested by Alex and it works great. I don't think you could fit a 1inch blade on the bandsaws Alex was using so not really relevant.


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## graduate_owner (19 Jun 2015)

Very helpful and informative

K


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## woodfarmer (19 Jun 2015)

My Fox bandsaw wouldn't cut even with tuffsaw blades. Once I watched this video a few times last year and re assembled the saw again according to Snodgrass it cuts pretty good, I can now just use it and it works as you would expect . I think when I have completely rebuilt the saw it will be a good saw using these adjustments.


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## Sporky McGuffin (19 Jun 2015)

woodpig":27g0cehb said:


> I've set my bandsaw up as suggested by Alex and it works great. I don't think you could fit a 1inch blade on the bandsaws Alex was using so not really relevant.



Indeed - I think his approach is decent for the sorts of saws intended, and equally those who've pointed out that it doesn't fit so well the really big bandsaws are also right. I found it useful, and my saw is definitely the better for it. As them over the pond say, your mileage may vary.


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## Wizard9999 (20 Jun 2015)

RogerS":28c6fvz8 said:


> He's OK but personally I found I got much more out of Steve Maskery's excellent DVD.
> 
> Plus I find the American accent tends to grate after a while. And they always seem to take a thousand words to say something when ten would do nicely !



I have never seen Steve's video so I am not speaking specifically. However, it does of course highlight the question that Steve himself touched on in his workshop thread, with so much free content out there now what is the future of paid for content. My bandsaw is still in a box waiting to be moved into my workshop, so I have no experience of the content here but it does seem a lot of people have found what this guy has said to be very helpful, so the appetite to go out and pay for bandsaw set up tips must surely be dulled at best.

Terry.


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## Random Orbital Bob (20 Jun 2015)

Which is a shame in the case of Steve's bandsaw stuff because there is content in there that is way beyond Mr Snodgrass's demo. 

I'm in hospital yet again with my youngest so have limited access to resources but if I can I'll dig out a brilliant explanation of the raison d'être behind crowning bandsaw wheels. I've explained it many times and it does (regrettably) drive a bus through the logic of Mr Snodgrass's presentation because bandsaw wheels are crowned because of the laws of physics, which as you know, are immutable!

Now I'm not one to fly in the face of so many folks reporting positive results from his method because clearly it's working in many cases. But it's not working against the physics and it doesn't mean a blade won't cut properly if it's tracked properly and centrally as the manufacturers state in their manuals. I think there are many factors influencing blade cutting performance and tracking is way down the list as most likely culprit. No 1 is poor blade quality and no 2 is blade under tensioned. As long as with the tracking the blades teeth aren't squashed, the blade has traction on the wheel, the blade isn't beyond the adjustment of the guides and its north/south alignment is good then it will work


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## woodpig (20 Jun 2015)

Good advice is good advice whether you pay for it or not.
Here's an article by Alex with some pictures explaining clearly how it works. As you can see he is dealing with modest size blades here. 

http://thewoodworkersnews.com/2012/11/bandsaw-blade/

Working for many years on lots of different makes, sizes and models of bandsaws has perhaps given Alex a unique insight. It costs nothing to try this method and if it doesn't work for you on your own particular bandsaw and blade put it in the middle.


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## Random Orbital Bob (20 Jun 2015)

A wise man once told me it is always important to know "why" you're doing something before you invest too much energy insisting it's the right way to do it.

Perhaps a watching of this will make clear the governing principles behind the "why" crowned pulleys work and therefore the reason they're designed like that. That knowledge can then be fed into the thinking of whether or not it's a good idea to track blades according to Mr Snodgrass's principles, or the alternative which is what the manufacturers say, which is more or less central to the tyre. To me, it's pretty obvious I have to say.

Here's the piece:

http://woodgears.ca/bandsaw/crowned_pulleys.html

Having laid out all the facts like that, I still agree that if Snodgrass's method is working for someone then I'd stick with it on the what the heck if it aint broke don't fix it principle. But just know why...that's really all I'm on about with this.....no dogma......just some intel in case one day it doesn't work, perhaps with a different sized blade and people get confused.


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## Alexam (21 Jun 2015)

Alex Snodgrass, of Carter Induistries has an excellent video on a set up method that works very well and I use his method as I generally use smaller blades, from 1/8" to 1/2". I have not tried a 1" blade, but that may be more difficult to locate the tooth gullet in the centre.

When I first started using a bandsaw, I watched dozens of videos on how to set up and tweak for best performance, but Alex's method was a change from what I originally thought and it works well, particularly when using the Carter Stabilizer for the 1/8" blades I have from TuffSaw, but I do still centralise the teeth when using the normal guides.

However, for anyone starting out, then the Steve Maskery DVD's will show you far more about how best to use the machine once set up and they are a real investment. http://www.workshopessentials.com/shop/ 

Alex


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