pls help with bandsaw ttacking prob

[Prizen]

Hi all

I'm s beginner at wood work and have recently purchased a n old Luna bandsaw .

I have clamped a fence to its cast iron table . When I cut, the blade just wants to turn towards the machine and I end up with a ,15 degree cut rather than a straight line .

would I be correct in tinking the first thing to check would be the guide blocks ? The blade tends to twist when I'm cutting.

If I should change the blocks , what type should I get? There's hard plastic blocks installed at the moment .. are the blocks sold in standard sizes as my bandsaw is quite a rare type - Luna bs 320

Many thanks

 

[marcros]

for the blocks, get a lignum vitae pen blank and cut it to size.

I doubt that they are the main problem, however. is it a new blade, correctly tensioned and tracking right on both top and bottom wheels? What are you cutting and what tpi is the blade- too many teeth per inch on mine and i cannot cut to a straight line because (I assume) that it cannot clear the sawdust from the cut. Aim for minimum 3 teeth in the timber at a time, so 3tpi, minimum timber thickness is 1", 6tpi, minimum 12" etc.

If you need a new blade, give tuffsaws a shout.

 

[barkwindjammer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OY3oKtssZk

 

[carlb40]

Not a bandsaw user, but sounds like a few things wrong and need to be set up properly.

1 the tension on the blade is wrong if the blade is twisting.
Always keep the upper bearing as close to the timber for full support as possible. So just leave say a 5mm gap between the timber and top guides.

2 If the blocks are square? Get some lignum vitae from ebay and make a few new ones.

3 The blade wandering is natural and is called drift.
You need to adjust the fence to suit the drift angle. It will take time to do, but you can only do it once everything else is set up. Freehand you cut to a line marked on the timber. Follow the line as close as you can. Once you have cut into the timber about 8 inches, stop the saw. Leave the timber alone, mark a line on the table and adjust the fence to the line. So now the angle on the fence should be the same as the line marked on the table. Try cutting some timber with the fence, if it doesn't wander fine
If it does, just repeat the freehand cutting procedure until you get the fence set correctly.

Oh and one more important thing, buy steve maskery's how to set up a bandsaw dvd

http://www.workshopessentials.com/

 

[jimi43]

Another vote for Steve's DVD.

To be honest...the steps needed are all important but what is critical is that they all be done in the correct order.

Each interacts with the other and just doing one or two tune ups is not necessarily going to work....even though they are spot on individually.

I got Steve's DVD a few moons ago now and I can honestly say that it was one of the best purchases I have ever made in woodworking. Members here kept on about how good it was unanimously...but I am generally sceptical about instructional videos. This is one you shouldn't skip.

At the same time....contact Ian at Tuffsaws and let him know the model number of your saw and get two blades for it made up. What he doesn't know about bandsaw blades is not worth knowing! Ditch the blade you have...even if it is not worn out..most are rubbish and starting with a new blade...work through the steps suggested in Steve's DVD in the right order and you will have a saw which will astound you.

Jim

(usual disclaimer about not having any commercial interest in either party mentioned above!)

 

[Eric The Viking]

Hi all

I'm s beginner at wood work and have recently purchased a n old Luna bandsaw .

I have clamped a fence to its cast iron table . When I cut, the blade just wants to turn towards the machine and I end up with a ,15 degree cut rather than a straight line .

would I be correct in tinking the first thing to check would be the guide blocks ? The blade tends to twist when I'm cutting.

If I should change the blocks , what type should I get? There's hard plastic blocks installed at the moment .. are the blocks sold in standard sizes as my bandsaw is quite a rare type - Luna bs 320

Many thanks

Contary to popular belief, the guide blocks only have an effect if you're cutting curves, or you're forcing straight an otherwise twisted blade. I'm not sayng don't change them - Lignum Vitae sap/resins give it self-lubricating properties, and it's very hard wood too - but a properly set-up blade doesn't run on the guides at all when you're cutting straight.

The issues will be in the basic setup of the machine and the state of the blade. Do some quick tests: first, pull the plug out, so there's no leccy on it. Then hold the blade between finger and thumb (at the sides). Slide your finger to the tips of the teeth and feel them gently. Are they equally sharp on both sides? If a previous owner hit a nail, it's most likely to have been blunted asymmetrically - one side worse than the other. If a lot of repetitive curvy cuts were made, it might have had the same effect. A blade that's not symmetrical will not cut straight, whatever you do.

More importantly, because if this is wrong, changing the blade will not help, is the basic machine alignment. Broadly, the wheels need to rotate in the same plane as each other, the tyres need to be cambered and in good nick, and the blade needs to be tensioned correctly. the wheel alignment needs to be right when the blade is tensioned, too -- on small bandsaws like mine, the machine bends significantly as you tension it up.

There's a process to follow carefully in order, to ensure it's all correct. I wholeheartedly recommend Steve Maskery's DVDs here, as he shows as well as explains, and his method is good for any bandsaw (even ones with three-inch-wide blades!).

If your machine is old, it's probably well made (the ones I've seen have been), BUT it could probably do with a really good clean and a check over. You might find one of the wheel bearings is a bit iffy, which will make precise setup almost impossible. I'd start with Steve's DVDs, so you understand what you need to do, and a full mechanical clean up and check, then setup. Once you have it right, it probably will hardly touch the guide blocks in straight line cutting. I"m sure you'll get really good results from it, too.

E.

 

[Prizen]

thanks for the replies guys . I have the full series of Steve's DVDs on order since Friday .
I've noticed that the rubber on the wheels is cracking . I don't consider it too bad but might like to get this repaired . Anybody know how to go about doing this ?

Thanks

 

[jimi43]

thanks for the replies guys . I have the full series of Steve's DVDs on order since Friday .
I've noticed that the rubber on the wheels is cracking . I don't consider it too bad but might like to get this repaired . Anybody know how to go about doing this ?

Thanks

You could try contacting SCOTT + SARGEANT.

They supply spares for the bigger machines but may have a solution for you.

Other than that it is searching the Net for suppliers in the USA where they sell "urethane" tyres in a very fetching blue! 8)

Jim

 

[Eric The Viking]

Wot Jimi said!

Rutlands used to sell urethane tyres for smaller bandsaws, and you might get away with buying some small ones and joining them round a larger wheel. I haven't checked to see if they still do.

Some while back, Olly PJ did a thread on re-tyre-ing his Startrite. Use the search function on the forum to find it. IIRC, he started with rectangular profile and 'crowned' them by hand (you must have a crown on the tyre, or it won't track properly, and there is a slight risk of the blade coming off in use).

Cheers,

E.

 

[Prizen]

Thanks and one final query
the saw didn't come with fence, so i will order one soon.
does one size fit all? Also should i buy something for the mitre slot?
cheers

 

[carlb40]

Not sure what you have fence wise? If you have the rails or not? This might be an option?

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-ax ... rod362802/

As to a mitre fence / guide it depends if you intend to cross cut with the bandsaw? If yes you need one, if no you don't.

If you do and it is a standard 3/4 inch slot? There are these
http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-ax ... prod22418/
http://www.axminster.co.uk/ujk-technolo ... rod888808/