Finally got my bandsaw working properly!

[MickCheese]

Today I needed to dimension some cherry for a blanket chest I am making for my daughter's birthday.

Up until today every time I used it the cut veered to the left so I bit the bullet and properly set it up. It's a 14" Axminster.

I started with a new blade, then adjusted both wheels so the blade ran in the center (I had already changed the tyres for silicon ones). I then moved onto the guides and systematically set each one in turn.

A few tests on some cheap pine gave me nice straight cuts.

Onto the cherry and I was able to cut a 50mm x 200mm piece into two 25mm thick bits and dimension everything I needed in a few hours.

I've had the bandsaw ages, wish I had sorted it when I first got it.

Strangely my wife just doesn't share my excitement so I have to tell someone!

Here's one I made previously in oak. Not a good picture but the only one I could find!

Tomorrow onto planing and thicknessing.

Mick

 

[Beanwood]

I can share your joy - having set mine up once to run perfectly. But enjoy it whilst you can :lol:

Unfortunately, after changing nothing at all, it now drifts like crazy again. I suspect a dull blade, and the guides wearing quickly. (hammer)

 

[Dokkodo]

I think I recently also managed to get on top of mine, finally, a sweet and hard won victory after much swearing, does take longer than one would like to get it in the sweet spot, and im still a bit mystified

sharpening the blades (with a dremel) turned out to be what made all the difference but i still cant get it 100% reliable with thinner blades, sometimes i see people on youtube using tiny blades to rip through thick lumps of wood and it makes me jealous

 

[thetyreman]

it's a good feeling when you get it running smoothly, my aldi/ferrex one might blow up soon with all that I plan on making this year, I found snodgrass on youtube to be the biggest help, his method is no nonsense, now I just need a better bandsaw.

 

[Aquachiefofficer]

I can see this thread striking a chord with many hobbyists. After almost 2 years of using a bandsaw I still occasionally flatten the set on the blade for various reasons.
Don't despair- you are not alone. l'

 

[Orraloon]

Yes starting out with bandsawing is a learning curve. I have also done quite a few of the dumb things during the first year or two. Its also hard learning just from what you read and see on line. Snodgrass gives you a very good grounding and the mistakes are the practical learning part. One of the best things I learned was sharpening the blades as things simply dont work with a dull one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UygEQ-079Ws
I have been using this method but there are a few ways to do it. I can agree with the guy in the video that it does cut better than a new blade. It is only practical with larger teeth like 4tpi and bigger but I seldom use a high tooth count blade anyhow.
Regards
John

 

[MickCheese]

Nice to know I’m not the only one!

It almost rips as straight as my table saw but with less waste. Now able to rip a really small strip from the side of a long piece of stock.

I’m happy now.

Mick

 

[Racers]

Onto the cherry and I was able to cut a 50mm x 200mm piece into two 25mm thick bits and dimension everything I needed in a few hours.

Mick

Wow either a zero kerf blade or one wih a 150mm kerf...

:wink:

Pete

 

[Dokkodo]

Wow either a zero kerf blade or one wih a 150mm kerf...

:wink:

Pete

ah, the old 150mm kerf jig, a system of pulleys and bearings that send the blade zigzagging down across a span of 150mm... what could go wrong

 

[woodbloke66]

it's a good feeling when you get it running smoothly, my aldi/ferrex one might blow up soon with all that I plan on making this year, I found snodgrass on youtube to be the biggest help, his method is no nonsense, now I just need a better bandsaw.

I've set both my bandsaws up (big Ax n' little Ax) using the Snodgrass method and it just works. I check that all is square (blade to table, fence to table) and that the fence is parallel to the blade with a Bandsaw Buddy from Ax. For any deep sawing I always use a 1/2" Ax Diamond Ground 3tpi blade and it's a delight but the needle sharpness on the blade rapidly disappears after a short while and thereafter it still cuts well but much more slowly.
The trick I've found is to crank up the blade tension to absolute max :shock: (remembering to release it at the end of the day) and proceed with all cuts at a glacial pace; try and go too quickly and the blade will do all sorts of weird and wonderful things, so to cut say, a metre of 150mm of oak might take 5mins (although I haven't timed it) My last blade on the big Ax machine was still cutting accurately, (even though the oak sawdust was a dark brown colour :lol after several mammoth sawing sessions so when a new project reared it's head a week or so ago I reckoned it was time for a new blade - Rob