John: I have a 13 inch Wilton Bandsaw. It was purchased new at the Jet outlet store in Auburn, Washington about 2 years ago. I received it as a gift. I use it for cutting out rifle stocks, recreating American longrifles. It does a lousy job tracking. Forget trying to resaw, using a fence. I have continually played around with the blade tension and the original guides that came on the saw. Nothing has helped so far.
I was recently told by some professionals at a local woodcrafters store, that I needed to check to se if my drive wheels were in plane with one another. After adjusting the blade gullet, so that it was riding correctly on the top tire, I laid a straight edge accross the top drive wheel. The bottom drive wheel was more than 1/2 inch away from my straight edge. I am more than 1/2 inch out of co-plane.
I started to space the bottom wheel out, but the retaining bolt is too short for any adjustment. I have ordered another (longer) drive wheel retaining bolt (it is left hand metric). My next step was to remove the top section of the frame, to try to re-allign the drive wheels. Because the top and bottom sections are alligned with steel pins, I had to file them flush with the mating surfaces. I still haven’t received my metric bolt yet – so I haven’t been able to test my bandsaw and my attempt to achieve a co-planing saw. After I successfully allign the drive wheels, I plan on installing a set of ball bearing blade guides.
Please tell me if I am overlooking anything or if I am on the wrong track. I don’t want to ruin any of my project wood. Thank you.
Replies
Similar Non-Co-Planar on Rikon
Hello Perceman48. I happen to be building Mr. White's new fangled workbench so looked in his blog to see if there were any extra construction insights. While doing so, I stumbled across your message. I had a similar experience with the wheels on my bandsaw not tracking my blade correctly. However, it was with the Rikon 14" bandsaw, not the Wilton. When I used a blade larger than 1/4", it tracked fine. However, when I attempted to use a 3/16" blade, I couldn't get the blade to track accurately in the middle of both wheels. So, the troubleshooting began, and like you, I noticed my wheels were not co-planar. Specifically, my bottom wheel was further out than the top. After a call to Rikon, however, I was informed this particular bandsaw was not designed to have its wheels run co-planar. Thus, as with most bandsaws, the solution was not to shim the bottom wheel in or out but rather, adjust its camber. On the casing behind the bottom wheel, the axle of the wheel portruded. There were four bolts surrounding this axle, one at 12 o'clock, 9, 6, and 3. For a blade not tracking in the middle of the wheel, you adjust the touchpoints between the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock bolts that mechanically, adjust its camber. For a blade that wobbles while in use, you would adjust the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock wheels to adjust it's toe-in or toe-out.
After I adjusted the camber on the bottom wheel, my 3/16" blade tracked perfectly. Again, this was the solution on my Rikon but perhaps, there's a similar solution for your Wilton. Good luck.
continuing saga with bandsaw
Thank you for the additional insight. It is too bad that these saws don't have simple adjustments designed into them. The blade on mine seems to track perfectly on the wheels and tires. I have it all back together now and I am only about 1/8 inch out of co-planar. The lower wheel is still slightly inset. Before I started, it was over 1/2 inch inset. The blade tracked OK then also, but it still wanted to wander when cutting. My blade is 3/8 inch in width. There was no way that i could resaw, using a fence. It was like I was cutting wedges.
I haven't had an opportunity to try it out yet. I only re-assembled it last evening. I was waiting for a new retainer bolt for the lower wheel. It is a left hand thread, metric bolt. I had to have one manufactured by one of the local screw companies, as no one stocks left hand thread bolts - especially metric.
My entire issue originated when I inquired about installing ball bearing roller guides on my saw, at the Seattle Woodcraft store. One of the techs told me that I shouldn't need them. Our dialog started there. He told me that the saw's wheels must be in co-plane. After that, the friction guides should be sufficient. I guess the jury is still out.
I purchased some video tapes on bandsaw tips and how to fine tune a bandsaw. They don't touch upon the co-planar issue. All of the demonstration saws have the roller guides installed. Maybe that is because the videos were produced by the folks that manufacture the guides. Daa! Maybe I am being too fussy, I just don't want to ruin any gunstock wood. Eastern Sugar Maple gunstocks with high definition curl, start around $250. I always leave 1/16 inch gap from the finish line and rasp, plane and file to finished dimension. Thank you for your input.
Steve in Seattle.
Slow Down
Your method of checking coplanar with the blade on the machine and under tension, won't tell you if the wheels are in line since the top wheel is tilted to compensate for the stress on the blade. So for starters you probably won't need to change the machine's alignment.
Not to be too harsh about this, but the staff at most woodworking stores, and many pro woodworkers, no very little about properly adjusting and servicing machinery.
The single most common cause for resawing problems, 95% of the time, is that you are using the wrong blade or the blade is dull. If that is the case no amount of adjusting of the machine's alignment will correct the problem. On small machines I prefer simple metal or ceramic block guides, ball bearings are expensive and don't improve the cut.
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