Mark Karacsonyi
Established Member
Is it a new saw with the factory supplied blade, I remember reading somewhere, or maybe on YouTube, an element of tracking can be related to this?
Bandsaw blade tracking problem
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Richard_C
Established Member
I have an Axminster, similar size to the OPs machine, and did struggle with this for a while. I suspect one of the differences between a hobbyists Bandsaw and a trade one is how well the tracking and tensioning work which will in part be affected by the rigidity of the frame.
I found that you couldn't adjust the tracking and then the tension just once, the second changes the first. Its iterative: get tracking right, put a bit of tension on, fine adjust tracking, tension, repeat until you finally get up to the tracking and tension you want.
The other thing is position on wheel. As others have said, gullet close to or just in front of centre helps a lot, so a wide blade appears to be too far back but not to worry, the instructions say to centre the blade, but they don't say which bit of blade. The other plus is that you can change the blade width with minimal or no need to fore and aft adjust the side blade guides just the rear one.
And yes, a brand new blade needs tweaking after a few minutes but my experience is that it all settles down then and stays set until you change it.
After a bit you can do it quickly and without hard-thinking.
I found that you couldn't adjust the tracking and then the tension just once, the second changes the first. Its iterative: get tracking right, put a bit of tension on, fine adjust tracking, tension, repeat until you finally get up to the tracking and tension you want.
The other thing is position on wheel. As others have said, gullet close to or just in front of centre helps a lot, so a wide blade appears to be too far back but not to worry, the instructions say to centre the blade, but they don't say which bit of blade. The other plus is that you can change the blade width with minimal or no need to fore and aft adjust the side blade guides just the rear one.
And yes, a brand new blade needs tweaking after a few minutes but my experience is that it all settles down then and stays set until you change it.
After a bit you can do it quickly and without hard-thinking.
Inspector
Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck!
I suppose you are correct but at this point I don't know if door interlock switches are mandatory here even now. I'll have to take a walk through the local tool supplier's showroom and see. What they should have though would be a window in the upper blade guard so you could watch where the blade was tracking to make the adjustments.
Pete
One point no one has mentioned so far is the weld quality; not is it well stuck together, but is it stuck straight? Test the join with a ruler. Particularly with a small saw, a slight lack of straightness can cause all sorts of tracking problems.
Generally speaking coplanar crowned wheels track stable. If all else fails and the tyres can be slipped off, you can try crowning, if yours are flat, with a few layers of pvc isulation tape wound round the wheel. Blades will run approx centred on crowned wheels if they are coplanar. The crown lifts the teeth off the ruber. If both wheels are crowned, but the top one is not exactly over the lower wheel (coplanar) the blade can attempt to centre on either wheel at random (guides retracted) which is not helpful. This problem can usually be cured by the addition of washers behind one wheel or the other.
Sometimes only one wheel comes crowned, which doesn't seem like a good idea. Flat tyred wheels should have the blade running with the teeth off the edge; this suits wider blades, but not narrow! Crowned wheels are thus probably best for smaller bandsaws, and try to set the middle of the blade backing (the solid steel between the root of the gullet and the back of the blade) on top of the crown.
With luck you'll have a little window to view the position of the blade on the top wheel with the doors closed, so you can tweek the setting whils the saw is running, with the guides all backed off.
Generally speaking coplanar crowned wheels track stable. If all else fails and the tyres can be slipped off, you can try crowning, if yours are flat, with a few layers of pvc isulation tape wound round the wheel. Blades will run approx centred on crowned wheels if they are coplanar. The crown lifts the teeth off the ruber. If both wheels are crowned, but the top one is not exactly over the lower wheel (coplanar) the blade can attempt to centre on either wheel at random (guides retracted) which is not helpful. This problem can usually be cured by the addition of washers behind one wheel or the other.
Sometimes only one wheel comes crowned, which doesn't seem like a good idea. Flat tyred wheels should have the blade running with the teeth off the edge; this suits wider blades, but not narrow! Crowned wheels are thus probably best for smaller bandsaws, and try to set the middle of the blade backing (the solid steel between the root of the gullet and the back of the blade) on top of the crown.
With luck you'll have a little window to view the position of the blade on the top wheel with the doors closed, so you can tweek the setting whils the saw is running, with the guides all backed off.
Alexam
Bandsaw Boxmaker
If you search this site for tuning bandsaw,, you shouldfind anumber of ways that can tune a bandsaw well. The BS250 is a good machine and you should not have the problem. Good luck
Alexam
Bandsaw Boxmaker
I meant to add this but only just found it on the PC again. Hope it helps in tuning your bandsaw
GET THE BEST TUNING FROM A BANDSAW
'Alex Snodgrass of Carter Industries has an excellent video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGbZqWac0jU on a tune up method that works well. His updated version also here -
The following video may help some owners with a Record BS400, but it is similar to most machines blade changes -
Blades can run and cut without any guides whatsoever () as long as the machine is tuned correctly. This is how the blade should be running BEFORE the guides are brought into play on your machine, so that they can 'bump back' the blade should it wander, so please dont get guides near the blade before you know it is running clear and staying in the same place.
CHECKING BLADE TENSION - Flutter test Video's -
and
Tuning a bandsaw is only that and nothing else. If you really want to get the very best use of your bandsaw on an ongoing basis, then the Steve Maskery DVD's will show you far more and they are a real investment that you should own. http://www.workshopessentials.com/shop/ '.
BUY BEST BLADES FROM ..... Tuff Saws
TUNE WITH SOUND ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPyc2iDQnOA&vl ( UNPROVEN )
Whenever you put a blade on a bandsaw, ask yourself the following questions:-
....... are you managing to get the blade running freely and central on the top wheel ( without guides or rear bearing near the blade ) with the gullet of the teeth in the centre of the top wheel ? The exception would be with wider blades, as 1/2" and wider may not sit 'centred' on the top wheel).
That's the first priority before closing in guides and support/thrust bearings. The blade will not be in the centre of the lower wheel as the manufacturer allows the top wheel to be adjusted and tilt to allow tuning.
Is the blade running vertical 90° to the table alignment, front and back as well as side to side?
Once the guides and bearings have been brought to the correct position, (not touching when the blade runs freely) is the blade remaining where it should be when run under power and switched on and off checking several times ? IMPORTANTLY, your guides should all have a locking mechanism and it ius important to make dure that you have tightened those locks tightly. \If not, vibration could allow the guides to move closer and possibly lock the blade.
Make sure that the blade tension is correct, or as near as it can be. Each blade could be different, even if it is the same depth, so needs to be checked whenever changing blades.
If all these things are correct, then you should get a true cut unless you are trying to cut the wood too fast and it's filling the teeth with sawdust and pushing the blade out of line and see if teeth are damaged in any way.
Finally, if you have used the blade before, make sure the teeth are clean, as sawdust and sap can stick in the teeth gullet and side of the blade. Cleaning with a wire brush will result in a far better cut before starting a new job, but certainly on a regular basis. Methalated spirit is good for removing the sap resin if it has built up and don't forgrt to check the wheels for this type of build up.
Carter blade Stabilizer - by Alex Snodgrass. https://youtu.be/w_tv7cm0-VU
This video shows how well a stabilizer works for smaller blades with the guide only above the table. I have one of these which works well. The back of the blade gullet is also on the centre line on the upper wheel as per his usual advice. Product Range - http://www.carterproducts.com/band-saw-products/band-saw-stabilizer
Finally, if you have an older machine with 3 phase connections, this following video may help
https://youtu.be/ZqnfLHhuuUQ = 3 phase converter
Good luck with your woodworkworking.
Location - SB47 5QZ
GET THE BEST TUNING FROM A BANDSAW
'Alex Snodgrass of Carter Industries has an excellent video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGbZqWac0jU on a tune up method that works well. His updated version also here -
The following video may help some owners with a Record BS400, but it is similar to most machines blade changes -
Blades can run and cut without any guides whatsoever () as long as the machine is tuned correctly. This is how the blade should be running BEFORE the guides are brought into play on your machine, so that they can 'bump back' the blade should it wander, so please dont get guides near the blade before you know it is running clear and staying in the same place.
CHECKING BLADE TENSION - Flutter test Video's -
and
Tuning a bandsaw is only that and nothing else. If you really want to get the very best use of your bandsaw on an ongoing basis, then the Steve Maskery DVD's will show you far more and they are a real investment that you should own. http://www.workshopessentials.com/shop/ '.
BUY BEST BLADES FROM ..... Tuff Saws
TUNE WITH SOUND ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPyc2iDQnOA&vl ( UNPROVEN )
Whenever you put a blade on a bandsaw, ask yourself the following questions:-
....... are you managing to get the blade running freely and central on the top wheel ( without guides or rear bearing near the blade ) with the gullet of the teeth in the centre of the top wheel ? The exception would be with wider blades, as 1/2" and wider may not sit 'centred' on the top wheel).
That's the first priority before closing in guides and support/thrust bearings. The blade will not be in the centre of the lower wheel as the manufacturer allows the top wheel to be adjusted and tilt to allow tuning.
Is the blade running vertical 90° to the table alignment, front and back as well as side to side?
Once the guides and bearings have been brought to the correct position, (not touching when the blade runs freely) is the blade remaining where it should be when run under power and switched on and off checking several times ? IMPORTANTLY, your guides should all have a locking mechanism and it ius important to make dure that you have tightened those locks tightly. \If not, vibration could allow the guides to move closer and possibly lock the blade.
Make sure that the blade tension is correct, or as near as it can be. Each blade could be different, even if it is the same depth, so needs to be checked whenever changing blades.
If all these things are correct, then you should get a true cut unless you are trying to cut the wood too fast and it's filling the teeth with sawdust and pushing the blade out of line and see if teeth are damaged in any way.
Finally, if you have used the blade before, make sure the teeth are clean, as sawdust and sap can stick in the teeth gullet and side of the blade. Cleaning with a wire brush will result in a far better cut before starting a new job, but certainly on a regular basis. Methalated spirit is good for removing the sap resin if it has built up and don't forgrt to check the wheels for this type of build up.
Carter blade Stabilizer - by Alex Snodgrass. https://youtu.be/w_tv7cm0-VU
This video shows how well a stabilizer works for smaller blades with the guide only above the table. I have one of these which works well. The back of the blade gullet is also on the centre line on the upper wheel as per his usual advice. Product Range - http://www.carterproducts.com/band-saw-products/band-saw-stabilizer
Finally, if you have an older machine with 3 phase connections, this following video may help
https://youtu.be/ZqnfLHhuuUQ = 3 phase converter
Good luck with your woodworkworking.
Location - SB47 5QZ
