Band Sawing problem.

[Fred Page]

Would somebody give me a quick opinion?
I run a Startrite 352. Am I asking too much of a three eighths blade to cut 4 inch square ash?
Although all settings are perfectly adjusted to square - and this shows when cutting say one inch stock - as soon as I cut 4 inch quare the cut simply goes out of square. Is this the result of using a narrow blade? Am I expecting too much of this blade? If so, what is the reason? I should add that with this narrow blade I only run at medium tension - should I up the tension and would this help? OR THE OBVIOUS - use a wider blade?
Fred.
Kington in Herefordshire.

 

[Philly]

fred,
I would try 2 things-uping the tension, as you say and also try feeding the timber slower through the blade. I recently cut 6 inch mahogany with a 1/4 inch wide blade and that came out square on my smaller record bandsaw.
Maybe a new blade may be in order as a final measure!
hope this is of help,
Philly

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Fred

Sucking eggs etc. comes to mind, but have you used the blade for cutting at an angle, such as a circle?

Cheers
Neil

 

[Anonymous]

Fred

Been there and found the answer was to purchse a Dure Edge blade. Now I can resaw in a straight line without any wandering

 

[Fred Page]

Hi Fred

Sucking eggs etc. comes to mind, but have you used the blade for cutting at an angle, such as a circle?

Cheers
Neil

Yes Neil,
I have - that was why I was trying to use the narrow blade and save time by not changing it to my standard three quarter inch - BUT WHAT'S THE CONNECTION?
Fred.

 

[Adam]

Yes Neil,
I have - that was why I was trying to use the narrow blade and save time by not changing it to my standard three quarter inch - BUT WHAT'S THE CONNECTION?
Fred.

When you cut circles, you get more wear on one side of the blade than the other - you are effectively working the teeth on one side harder than the other - and hence when you go back to cutting straight cuts, the blade wanders due to the difference in sharpness. Best to keep one blade for curves, and one for straight?

Adam

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Fred

Adam's said it all. Once you've used a blade for cutting curves, you can't use it again for straight cuts.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Fred Page]

Hi Fred

Adam's said it all. Once you've used a blade for cutting curves, you can't use it again for straight cuts.

Cheers
Neil

Great thanks to Adam and Neil,
This is something I'd never heard of before but makes good sense. I was quite upset this morning - well that's the way you get when a favourite machine starts going odd. Thanks for all replies. The panic is over.
Fred.

 

[beech1948]

Hi Fred,

I have one of these too. Startrite 352 is a good bandsaw. I suggest that you could have a look at the following:-

1) Try to use the widest blade you can. I use a 3/4 inch blade at 3 teeth per inch from Dure Edge for all straight cuts. Tension at maximum. BUT take great care to fit the blade on the centre of the tire. Have both top and bottom blade guides backed off all the way as you fit the blade. Adjust the guides , bottom first, to about .001 inch from the blade. Use a roll your own ciggie paper as a measure. Rizzla roll your own paper paper is a legitimate woodworking tool.?? Cheap too.
2) Blade guides need to be flat and square...use sandpaper on a glass piece to rub them flat.
3) A small blade 3/8ths will have less support than the wider blade. If you use it to cut curves/ circles then it will be not too hot for straights.
4) I have cut a 6 inch deep piece of mahogany with such a blade but feed rate was miniscule and grain changes and resistance easily divert the blade. I was just too lazy to change the blade...tough lesson.
5) Small blades can easily get jammed in the cut if the wood is deep or if you need to slightly back out the blade along the cut. Blade is then bent and worthless.

A wider blade for straight cuts, your limit is 3/4 inch on max tension...high ++...properly adjusted will give you straight cuts. I frequently cut 1 inch boards out of 10inch X 4inch X8 ft timber through the 10 inch dimension.

Good luck

 

[DaveL]

Rizzla roll your own paper paper is a legitimate woodworking tool.?? Cheap too.

Just to wander OT

Rizzla blues were the only way I knew to set the timing on the mag used on my old BSA A10, they are less than .001" by the way :shock:

 

[beech1948]

"Rizzla blues were the only way I knew to set the timing on the mag used on my old BSA A10, they are less than .001" by the way"

I must admit that I have never measured them...oooh bother. I did use a feeler guage that gave me .001..maybe its the slack in my tightening technique...?/

But at less than .001 in then I must try to meaure a variety of papers and see what I get. But it seems to work and the cloaeness of the guides seems to give an extra certainty to the support of the blade.

 

[Losos]

Tony - Is 'Dure Edge' a trade name? Who did you purchase from? I last purchased b/saw blades from Axminster but I'm looking for a specialist firm for a huge b/saw I've just inherited.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Losos

Here you are: -

DureEdge
21 Station Road
Woodley
Stockport
SK6 1HN
Tel : 08702-252337
Fax : 0161-430-8008

They don't have a web site.

Cheers
Neil

 

[trevtheturner]

Hi Losos,

Yes -- 'Dure Edge' is a trade name and their bandsaw blades are reckoned to be just about the best available, at very reasonable cost too. It is a U.K. firm and they can be contacted on U.K. telephone number 08702-252337 I don't know how 'huge' you mean, but I am sure you will find them most helpful.

I will not use any other make of bandsaw blade now.

Cheers,

Trev.

 

[Losos]

Trev & Neil - Thanks for the info. I can hold the b/saw blade up with arm vertical & one foot on it (I'm about six foot) Currently it's in four pieces, all cast iron, none of which I can lift on my own, in fact the base can only be lifted with my old engine hoist I found it lurking under a ton of hay & other debris in the barn I'm currently converting to a workshop. There was a pillar drill of similar proportions in there as well