Axminster Plus SBW4300WL Bandsaw gauge Help Please???

[seaco]

Hi All

I have just bought on Philly's recommendation an Axminster Plus SBW4300WL Band saw, as some of you may have gathered in the past I'm quite new to band saws.

The saw comes with a tension gauge for the blade, unfortunately the scale is just from 1 to 10 so I have no idea what number to set each blade width to, other saws I've seen have 1/4", 3/8",1/2" etc.

Are there any other 4300 owners out there that can give me a ballpark figure where to set the gauge to for each blade width I know the tension gauges aren't really accurate but it would probably help a band saw beginner like me?

 

[OPJ]

Perhaps Axminster would be able to help you?

You're right about the accuracy of the average tension gauge. You're basically looking for enough tension so that the blade cannot easily slip off the wheels. I use the 'plucking' method personally and crank up the tension until the blade gives a "nice" note, but not one so high that it sounds like it's being strained.

The actual setting isn't as crucial on thinner cuts as it would be when using the saw to it's full capacity for cutting veneers.

Have you got any pictures yet? :wink: I'd like to be the proud owner of one of these myself in the distant future, one day.

 

[seaco]

Thankyou for the speedy reply, I forgot to say I have spoken to Axminster and their reply was.

"As I said the numbered scale is a guide for resetting blades quickly, and all blades will vary slightly in length so the scale would not be precise for new blades. If you have not used a bandsaw before then the blade needs to be tensioned to give a nice note of pitch when you twang the blade , this is just something that has to be learnt and comes with experience."


Which is fair enough but if your new to tensioning then a gauge would at least give me an idea of the tension I need to learn this twanging idea but at the moment it isn't really helpful when you don't know what pitch is correct or when you are straining the blade, hence we are back to the gauge again?

I will add some pics a a small review when I have had a chance to use it a bit... :wink:

 

[OPJ]

I've only got an SIP 12" saw and, when using blades cut the manufacturer's specified length, I find I'm normally looking to go towards the next size up on the tension gauge, approximately (ie. 5/8" setting for a 1/2" blade).

Never crank it up all the way (I'm assuming that would be the top mark on your machine).

I can only imagine the markings on your gauge would go something like this:

0, 1/8", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 5/8", 3/4", 1", MAX.

But that's only nine... The other could possibly be for a 1-1/4" blade but, according to Axminster's site, this saw takes nothing more than 1".

You should never use a 1/8" on a machine with roller bearing guides - they'll ruin the teeth and damage your guides. Cool blocks are what you'd want for that. 1/4" should be fine. Hope this also helps.

 

[Philly]

Lee
Congrats on the new saw - you'll love it (once you bin the rubbish blade it comes with :wink: )
I use a 25mm wide blade in mine and set the gauge to about 8.
The best way to check is to take a cut - if the cut barrels then it is too slack. And it you crank it 'til the blade snaps you've gone too far :lol:
Seriously - crank it up and test try it. If it works fine then its right.
And don't forget to release the tension when you leave the workshop. :wink:
Hope this helps
Philly

 

[seaco]

Thanks for the reply Philly I agree the original blade is crap, I have just bought 5 Dragon blades and they arrived today...

I will have to learn to get the tension right as there seems to be no hard and fast rules that I can see, at least you using 8 on a 1" is a start...

 

[WellsWood]

Congratulations Lee, great choice - I should know as I have one as well. :wink: Lovely machines aren't they? Built like brick outhouses. But the tension meters are pretty useless unless you can calibrate it somehow for the blades you have.

Have a read of this thread, hopefully it will tell you what you need to know.

 

[seaco]

Hi Mark

That looks a really good idea now bear with me if I read correct you clamp the digital meter arms 150mm apart, zero the gauge then 2.5 thou stretch = approx 15,000 psi.

Would this calculation work the same with all blade widths?

Off to Lidl for a digital meter as soon as poss... :wink:

 

[WellsWood]

Hi Mark

That looks a really good idea now bear with me if I read correct you clamp the digital meter arms 150mm apart, zero the gauge then 2.5 thou stretch = approx 15,000 psi.

You got it.

Would this calculation work the same with all blade widths?

Yes, the bigger the blade the greater the cross section and so the more force is required to obtain the same stretch and therefore the same tension in psi.

Biggest blade I use is a 1" "ripper" blade from Dragon Saws (absolutely fan-bloody-tastic!). I run it at about 12000psi which comes up at about 8 on the built in tension gauge. Out of curiosity I tried to get more but the saw didn't feel happy and I wasn't getting any more measurable tension, so I backed off. It cut a full 12" deep in Oak without breaking sweat, and the saw marks cleaned up completely with a couple of passes over the planer - about 0.5 - 0.75mm.
Mostly I use a 3/4" 3tpi M42 blade (again from Dragon), it'll cut just about anything with no fuss and pretty much lives in the machine. I run this one at between 9000 and 12000psi for general stuff, but i'll crank it up a bit for deep cutting if I'm too lazy to change blades.

 

[ivan]

(I've got a 5300,152" blades) The blades Dragon made for me were on the generous size lengthwise, so I often have to wind up the tension screw with the pointer well off the top of the scale. This can't cause a problem to the saw. The 5300 will just about fully tension a carbon steel 32mm blade, (15000psi) or a 25mm bi metal (25,000psi), (the slightly smaller saw is probably a bit more rigid) These tensions are only needed for really deep cuts, perhaps half this for general purpose sawing. The gauge measures tension per sq unit of blade's cross section, so a small blade needs much fewer turns of the spring screw to set the same psi.
Variable pitch blades are good at covering a wider range of thicknesses and cut very smoothly, having HSS cuting edge they are a bit more (~2x) expensive, but last more than 2x longer.