Getting my bandsaw to cut straight

[malc75]

Is there a technique to get a straight cut on a bandsaw or should I just stick to my table saw and save the bandsaw for the curvey bits?

 

[marcros]

Yes.

1. Get a new blade from tuffsaws
2. Get the workshop essentials DVD from Steve maskery
3. Work through it!

It is definitely worth getting it set up properly- if nothing else it allows you to rip beyond the capacity of the table saw and to cut veneers.

 

[AES]

+1 for all 3 points above!

AES

 

[Jelly]

Is the not blade sharp?
Is the blade tensioned incorrectly?
Are you attempting to cut a relatively deep section with a blade which has small teeth/gullets?
Are you feeding too fast?

If you're answering yes to any of those, then changing that will go a long way towards improving things.

Edited for sheer muppetry on my behalf.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

So he's better off with a slack, blunt blade?

 

[MIGNAL]

It's one of those fault finding flow charts. Like all fault finding flow charts it's pretty damn useless.

 

[Jelly]

So he's better off with a slack, blunt blade?

Whoooops didn't mean that...