I have a Jet 18″ bandsaw and use Wood Slicer blades for resawing, either 1/2″ or 3/4″, depending on what I’m cutting.
I recently upgraded the bandsaw with Carter urethane tires.
The first time I used a Wood Slicer blade I was impressed with how well it cut and tracked. When the new tires were installed I also installed a new 1/2″ Wood Slicer blade. Two problems arose. The first is a “bounce” when the blade makes its rotation. I’ve looked at the weld and it looks straight. So I’m kind of lost there.
The second problem is how slowly the new setup cuts. If I push any harder it loses tracking, not to mention fatigues my hands. Even with pushing at a rate that keeps the tracking on, my hands cramp.
Had I not just replaced the blade and hadn’t the first Wood Slicer blade not performed so well, I’d immediately see the blade as the culprit. And with the new urethane tires, I would have expected smoother and quieter performance but just the opposite is true.
What am I missing/
Replies
I'm not an expert, but I seem to recall that when changing tires, you're supposed to roll a dowel betweeen the tire and the wheel several times around the wheel's circumference to get the tire evenly distributed to avoid a bumpy ride.
When I switched to urethane tires, I noticed that the blade would ride in a slightly different spot (slightly off center) than the blade rode on the rubber tires, so I had to re-set all the guides and thrust bearings to get everything tracking well again.
The new tires are your problem
Juli:
Thankfully, I haven't needed to replace the tires yet on my bandsaw. When I first setup my bandsaw I experienced problems much like what you are describing until I aligned the wheels and trued the tires. I used a 2 x 4 block of wood with sandpaper glued to it and clamped the block against the frame of the saw to hold it in one place while I turned the wheels by hand. I don't remember how long it took me, just a few minutes I think (did this several years ago). Here are a few links that might help you get things back on track (pun intended).
http://www.ccwwa.org/NEWSITE/plans/BandsawTuneup3.pdf
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?168716-Truing-band-saw-tires
https://www.finewoodworking.com/subscription/skillsandtechniques/skillsandtechniquesarticle.aspx?id=30647
A quick search on the web says to do the dowel trick Quickstep mentioned. Some say you can true urethane tires, others say you can't. They also mention that the tire weld may be thick and causing the bounce. Have you tried getting customer support from the tire manufacturer?
gdblake
Now I'm beginning to kick myself. I'm afraid I broke Murphy's Law. The original tires weren't really worn. I had read an article un upgrading your bandsaw and it suggested replacing the rubber tires with urethane tires. The bandsaw is about ten years old but has been seeing a lot of use since I retired. I just thought "Why not upgrade?" Now I'm wondering if I should have left well enough alone.
After reading the replies, I went back to my workshop and looked at the weld on the blade from a different perspective. After unplugging it, I placed a 1/2" metal bar agaisnt the back of the blade. I then spun the wheels by hand and watched to see if the bar moved. Sure enough, right at the weld it popped back just a hair. Ans every time that point hit the roller bearings, it pushed the blade a bit forward. That caused the teeth to dig in a bit more at that point. Maybe that had something to do with the saw blade not tracking evenly top to bottom through the cut when I tried to feed it faster.
But that doesn't explain why it cuts so slowly. Or does it? To resaw a piece of hard maple 3" wide by four feet long takes me about 5-8 minutes. That is if I want it to cut evenly. Any faster and it tracks away at the bottom part of the cut.
It Was The Blade!
After putting some super cheaters on and looking at the blade, I saw a few teeth were flat. When I looked at the entire blade I saw even more. Not all, but a lot of them were flat. Then the lightbulb went on! I replaced the blade because the old one had snagged on a large piece of timber and popped off. That blade was ruined.
After further inspection under the table I noticed the guard had been knocked off line and was rubbing on the blade. Steel against steel and the blade lost. I guess these old eyes need more help than I was willing to admit.
Juli:
I've ruined more than one new blade over the years by being stupid so don't be too hard on yourself. At this point I would try to get the saw tracking properly and without bounce with an old blade (or a cheap one) before putting a new Woodslicer blade on. Let us know when you get your saw sorted out and what all you ended up needing to do. I think it will be a learning experience for several of us.
gdblake
Everything is working fine now. I installed the new blade, filed down a slight bump at the weld (nothing as bad as the other one - guess I got a bad blade), checked the alignments, set the rollers and suddenly I had a working band saw again.
As far as the "upgrade", if I recall correctly, the article talked about several advantages of urethane tires including smoother and quiter operation. Since I don't have the old and new to compare side-by-side, I can only say I don't notice any real difference.
While reading the new FWW Tools & Shops, I was reminded many articles in woodworking magazines are skewed towards encouraging the reader to buy something. While that's great for someone who needs it and for the seller, what I'm afraid is missed is those of us who trust our favorite source(s) like we would a close friend, often see these articles as good advice.
trusted sources
Yep, magazines are published for the purpose of selling something, whether it's a new tool or a new technique. In either case, some restraint may be required on the part of the reader. ;-)
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