Question for Scheppach Basa 3 users

[Ollie78]

Not sure where you are in Europe but Dictum might be worth a look or Dieter Schmid fine tools, both in Germany I have bought tools from both of them, pre Brexit nonsense.
A wallet warning should be mentioned before going on the Dieter Schmid site...

The blades I have are 2362mm which is 93 inches I think. There is a certain amount of adjustment so I don't think it has to be mm perfect.
The quality of the blades is in the even grinding of the teeth and the steel type, as well as just general attention to detail.
The tuffsaws site explains these things quite well.

Ollie

 

[I.Q.]

Thanks a lot, @Ollie78 , I'm going to check them both out!

 

[I.Q.]

I can't seem to get the bandsaw set-up right. I did all the things that were suggested in the Alex Snodgrass-video. I also checked and adjusted the table angle as suggested by @Smike . It seems to be less "wobbly" when cutting, but it still "runs away", or rather, towards the fence. And quite a bit so!

With small pieces (some 5cm) rather firmly pressed to the wood guider, it results in a hollow cut, rather than a straight cut. With a longer piece of wood (some 30cm long, 2.5 cm thick/in height) there is a difference of 2mm with part that is cut last being thinner. (At the end of the sawing, I can actually see the saw "jump" back into its normal position after it has run towards the guide fence during the cutting).

I tried to adjust the fence alignment. As @Farm Labourer pointed out: It needs to be aligned to what the blade cuts rather than parallel to the table centre-line. However, I find it difficult see how to correctly align it, since the blade is only a cm broad. Any advice would be welcome!

One of the things that troubles me, is that there seems to be quite a bit of variation in how the saw runs, when the back of the saw is concerned...meaning: you are supposed to set the pressure "bearing" in such a position that it júst not touches the back of the blade. Having done that, and turning the wheel by hand shows that at other parts/lengths of the blade, the backside is then 1, maybe even 2mm away from the pressure "bearing". So, there is a lot of variation, there. That seems weird, to me.

Are others experiencing that as well? Does it have to do with the blade, or with the wheels? (Or something else altogether?). (And I did smooth the back side of the blade with a small diamond file, as suggested by @Ollie78...).

Another thing: the blade is 90 degrees with the table from the sides. But not when I place a triangle measuring tool at the back of the blade. And I cannot adjust the table to that side. Would that have a negative effect?

(I have not yet tried another blade, since I don't have one, yet).

 

[Ttrees]

Sounds like a bad blade weld to me.
Best to try another blade or two.

On a regular tooth count blade, there is no set on every third tooth for a ruler to set the table/fence to, most rulers are far from straight, could use a carpenters square blade to check.

Also sounds like some shims are needed under the trunnion for square cuts like tenon shoulders, might be some nuts there for adjustment already, one can also flatten the table in terms of getting the slot for the blade flush with these nuts if they are there, If not could do similar.

 

[Ollie78]

I think it sounds like a bad blade as well.
However, other things can effect it.
You say the blade is not square to the table (front to back rather than side to side) this can be adjusted a small amount by the tracking of the upper wheel. Is the blade central on the tyre ? You can adjust it a bit either way to help it line up 90 degrees to the table.
Also make sure there is enough tension on it.

A thin blade will wander and follow the grain a bit on a thick bit of wood no matter what you do.

Ollie

 

[I.Q.]

Thanks a lot for the replies!

@Ttrees - Shims, that is a good idea!

@Ollie78 - I followed the Alex Snodgrass-instructions on the youtube video which states that the deepest part of the gullet of the blade should be in the center of the wheel. With the 'tracking of the upper wheel' you mean the angle under which the wheel turns? Which can be adjusted with the knob on the outside of machine? No?

I find it hard to determine the right tension of the blade, t.b.h. But I suppose I could just adjust it and see if it makes a difference (with the risk of breaking the blade if the tension is too high, though..).

 

[Smike]

I can't seem to get the bandsaw set-up right. I did all the things that were suggested in the Alex Snodgrass-video. I also checked and adjusted the table angle as suggested by @Smike . It seems to be less "wobbly" when cutting, but it still "runs away", or rather, towards the fence. And quite a bit so!

With small pieces (some 5cm) rather firmly pressed to the wood guider, it results in a hollow cut, rather than a straight cut. With a longer piece of wood (some 30cm long, 2.5 cm thick/in height) there is a difference of 2mm with part that is cut last being thinner. (At the end of the sawing, I can actually see the saw "jump" back into its normal position after it has run towards the guide fence during the cutting).

I tried to adjust the fence alignment. As @Farm Labourer pointed out: It needs to be aligned to what the blade cuts rather than parallel to the table centre-line. However, I find it difficult see how to correctly align it, since the blade is only a cm broad. Any advice would be welcome!

One of the things that troubles me, is that there seems to be quite a bit of variation in how the saw runs, when the back of the saw is concerned...meaning: you are supposed to set the pressure "bearing" in such a position that it júst not touches the back of the blade. Having done that, and turning the wheel by hand shows that at other parts/lengths of the blade, the backside is then 1, maybe even 2mm away from the pressure "bearing". So, there is a lot of variation, there. That seems weird, to me.

Are others experiencing that as well? Does it have to do with the blade, or with the wheels? (Or something else altogether?). (And I did smooth the back side of the blade with a small diamond file, as suggested by @Ollie78...).

Another thing: the blade is 90 degrees with the table from the sides. But not when I place a triangle measuring tool at the back of the blade. And I cannot adjust the table to that side. Would that have a negative effect?

(I have not yet tried another blade, since I don't have one, yet).

I had a blade that I had somehow blunted but only on one side !
Didn’t realise it was like this until I looked with an eyeglass after trying to get it to cut straight. No chance.
Bought some new blades. Problem solved.
Cheers. Good luck.

 

[I.Q.]

Does anyone have any experiences with the blades that Scheppach themselves are selling on their website? Are they good quality?

https://shop.scheppach.com/search?q=band+saw+blade
@Smike - I hardly used the bandsaw, so far (I've only been working on trying to get it to run straight). And it was not running straight from the first time I tried it out.

 

[BallooTheBear]

Thanks a lot for the replies.

@Spectric - I can move it back and forward, but not side to side, as far as I can tell.

@Farm Labourer - I would really like to know how you did the adjusting. The "bearing"/disc is in a cylindrical piece of copper, and that I can adjust forward and backwards, by loosening the socket head screw using one of the hex keys. But I do not see an option to adjust it to the side.

A couple of additional photos:

View attachment 124336

View attachment 124337

The silver coloured metal thing that houses the counter pressure bearing and the guiding "rollers" (all the copper/gold coloured parts) is connected to the saw band guide with the (M8?) hexagon head screw bolt that you (just!) see on the right of the saw band guide on the picture above. I suppose I could loosen it, and then probably turn the whole of that silver coloured metal thing (that houses the counter pressure bearing..etc..), but then the whole thing is at an angle, including the "bearing" discs. (If the "bearings" were actual bearings, that wouldn't be a problem, but since they are discs with the flat side against the blade, instead of the round side...).

Some more pictures:

In this one here you can see that I can slide out the "bearing" and it does not hit the back of the saw, I can actually place it next to the saw...

View attachment 124338

Or slide it out all the way (is that all that should be in there? No spring or anything..?):

View attachment 124339

Final image from the situation underneath the table, which seems to be in working order:

View attachment 124340
I would much appreciate your advice!

(b.t.w. is it normal that the bandsaw did not come with an electricity cord..?)

Cheers!

Hi, hope you managed to sort this out, just took mine to pieces and re-built it. On your first picture of this post the bolt that goes through the alloy box section (and holds the entire unit to the column) is a cam bolt. If you loosen and turn it you can move the unit left or right by about 5 mil.

 

[Niall Church]

your question regards blade tension, i scanned but couldn't see anyone had answered. The scale is in inches rather than cm, so a 10mm blade and 1/2" (12.7mm) is fine.

10mm =3/8" 12.7mm=1/2 "