Munty Scruntfundle
Established Member
Hi folks. I need a little help with a band saw. (Axminster AC2602. Bleeping thing!) It's a decently built machine but I'm having trouble getting a true cut. Let me give you some info...
It's never cut quite right, the supplied fence was a joke at best and more like an insult to any sane person and adjusting anything is impractical at best. However, I have made some progress.
Recently I purchased a fence upgrade kit which is more substantial than I need, but it's not going to fall apart. That's fitted. It took a bit of fettling and I had to mount it on a steel plate to spread the load over the cast, but it's on and I reckon you could stand on it! Also purchased was a new mitre slide as the original was awful.
This has been my setup methodology:
Band fitted, teeth running nicely in the middle of the tyre, tension taken up correctly, cold block guides 'just' touching the blade, rear guides have around 1mm gap. Runs lovely.
Table checked square to vertical blade, it is.
I checked the mitre slide is square, it is.
Fence checked square against mitre slide, it is.
And last, table rotation checked in line with the blade. Now, I'm pretty sure this is the problem area. I have one of those aluminium bars with magnets in the middle, it sticks to the side of the blade an gives a magnified view of the blade axis. You rotate the table to match and job done. However when I use this bar I have to rotate the table to one of it's extremities which doesn't seem right to me. The bar is perfectly flat, but I have no way to check the inset magnet position which may be out. I have checked the blade axis with a rule, but of course the splayed teeth cause a problem and I'm relying on touch and eye balling.
Each micro adjustment of rotation requires unlocking the table, tilting it 45 degrees, undoing the 4 locking bolts underneath, tapping the table, then reverse to lock it again. While I'm being as careful as possible there's room for error and things not quite seating the same.
And the problem symptoms...
No matter where I put the table the blade tries to cut inward towards the fence. As the blade is twisting slightly the work is then pushed away from the fence. (Which would suggest (to me) the table needs to rotate anticlockwise) You have to keep a lot of pressure on the work to get a straight cut, but the first inch is always wavy.
I've been at this for hours in between using for rough cutting. I do have a little table saw but I'm working with small things and the blade width wastes as much wood as I'm using.
I know a band saw shouldn't be classed as a high tolerance machine, but it should be doing better than it is. You're probably going to suggest changing the blade which I must admit I haven't done yet. Could you suggest a really good blade for wood and non ferrous?
Sorry for the long post, but I want to get everything in!
Many thanks.
It's never cut quite right, the supplied fence was a joke at best and more like an insult to any sane person and adjusting anything is impractical at best. However, I have made some progress.
Recently I purchased a fence upgrade kit which is more substantial than I need, but it's not going to fall apart. That's fitted. It took a bit of fettling and I had to mount it on a steel plate to spread the load over the cast, but it's on and I reckon you could stand on it! Also purchased was a new mitre slide as the original was awful.
This has been my setup methodology:
Band fitted, teeth running nicely in the middle of the tyre, tension taken up correctly, cold block guides 'just' touching the blade, rear guides have around 1mm gap. Runs lovely.
Table checked square to vertical blade, it is.
I checked the mitre slide is square, it is.
Fence checked square against mitre slide, it is.
And last, table rotation checked in line with the blade. Now, I'm pretty sure this is the problem area. I have one of those aluminium bars with magnets in the middle, it sticks to the side of the blade an gives a magnified view of the blade axis. You rotate the table to match and job done. However when I use this bar I have to rotate the table to one of it's extremities which doesn't seem right to me. The bar is perfectly flat, but I have no way to check the inset magnet position which may be out. I have checked the blade axis with a rule, but of course the splayed teeth cause a problem and I'm relying on touch and eye balling.
Each micro adjustment of rotation requires unlocking the table, tilting it 45 degrees, undoing the 4 locking bolts underneath, tapping the table, then reverse to lock it again. While I'm being as careful as possible there's room for error and things not quite seating the same.
And the problem symptoms...
No matter where I put the table the blade tries to cut inward towards the fence. As the blade is twisting slightly the work is then pushed away from the fence. (Which would suggest (to me) the table needs to rotate anticlockwise) You have to keep a lot of pressure on the work to get a straight cut, but the first inch is always wavy.
I've been at this for hours in between using for rough cutting. I do have a little table saw but I'm working with small things and the blade width wastes as much wood as I'm using.
I know a band saw shouldn't be classed as a high tolerance machine, but it should be doing better than it is. You're probably going to suggest changing the blade which I must admit I haven't done yet. Could you suggest a really good blade for wood and non ferrous?
Sorry for the long post, but I want to get everything in!
Many thanks.
