I use a small, bench-mounted bandsaw (Craftsman 10-inch) to cut thin plywood (usually no greater than 1/2 in. thick). Most of the time the cutting is free-hand, following a traced cut line.
Recently I had occasion to want to cut several 1/4 in. wide strips of 3/16 plywood. I set up the fence and proceeded to cut. After an inch or so into the cut, the saw started to bind and eventually the blade sprung off the wheels.
I then tried cutting freehand again, but it is very difficult to cut straight. The blade pulls the work to the left.
Guides seem tight, tension seems good. The blade is sharp.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks
Replies
Vince,
Your blade is most definitely in need of being cleaned. Pitch and resin build up on the face and gullets of the blade will cause it to wander. Remember that you are cutting though plywood which also includeds the adhesive used to adhear the ply's together. Take the blade off of the saw and use a good blade cleaner followed by a wipe down with a clean rag - this should solve the problem.
If you're still getting a wandering blade, let me know.
Dan Kornfeld, Owner/President - Odyssey Wood Design, Inc.
Thanks, gentlemen. I will clean the blade and try to devise a splitter. Thanks for your help. (I love this site!)
Vince
Hi,
In additon to what Dan said it is possible that the weld is not flush causing friction and binding. I use a small stone glued to a stick of wood against the REAR of the spinning blade angled to each side to grind it smooth - watch your fingers. Don't do the sides or you'll dull your blade. Another possible cause for binding would be the cut closing behind the blade causing friction. This isn't so easy a thing to overcome but if you could fashion some sort of splitter to keep the wood separated after the cut it wouldn't hurt.
Be safe,
Ken
Set the fence to the blade, not the table. Many people think that the blade should cut square to the table, it usually doesn't. Mark a pencil line on a piece of stock parallel to the edge. Start freehand cutting down the line. When you are confident that you are staying on the line, hold the stock as still as possible and shut off the saw. Mark a pencil line on the table off the edge of your wood. This is the line your blade likes to cut. Set your fence parallel to this line and your trouble should be over. You will have to do this each time you change blades. Most blades have some type of wander to them. I think it has to do with set to the teeth.
Vince
In addition to the good advice already given, you might want to spray your blade with PAM cooking lube. I know this might come as a shock, but this a proven way among WW"s to reduce friction on a BS blade. You spray it after you've cleaned all that ply adhesive. Ply adhesive and resin from soft-woods especially, are prone to get pitch build-up rather quickly.
Just for fun, you might try a point fence as I do. Basically this is a fence that is clamped to the table with only a small point exposed near the blade. It's used as a steady guide and you free-hand the stock with it's support. If you practice this free-hand method, you can get very accurate when you "get the touch".
Regards...
sarge..jt
Thanks, Sarge.
Hand salute!
Vince
Vince; I hesitate to involve myself in this discussion. However if you will check my posts in the old forum,you may find the information useful.
Ask yourself why a bandsaw tends to favor one side or the other. It must be because of the way the blade is sharpened.Most blades furnished with small saws are of soft steel and are finished ,after the set has been put in,by filing. The filing machines do a passable job,but consider,the file is cutting with the grain of one tooth and against the grain of the other. Examine a new saw carefully and I think you will see that the cutting edge on one side of the blade is longer than on the other side.A microscopic difference will cause the blade to lead. It will find the easiest path thru the wood.
Put your fence on the saw and run a cut about 1 inch into the board and stop the saw. now examine the cut in relation to the blade. Is the blade centered in the cut,or is the space bigger on one side or the other? All this is assuming that the saw is properly adjusted and the guides are properly set.
I went thru all this years ago with my 14"Delta Milwaukee with the riser blocks.
I now use only hard edge blades made mostly for the metal cutting trades.These are precision made and are disposable.With a 1/2" 3point claw tooth blade I can resaw a 11"wide piece of aromatic Tenn red cedar for blanket chests With no problem.A trip thru the drum sander eliminates the problem with knots and wild grain. With a finer blade I now make saw cuts normally made on the table saw. Never a problem with lead off.
I hope this is of some benefit.
Work Safely
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬PAT¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
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Pat,
Thanks very much for your input. It is interesting that what I initially thought would be a simple problem has so many facets. Wow!
Thanks to all who responded.
Keep those cards and letters coming ...
Vince
If possible, get Timberwolf blades. I don't know if it's the same for smaller bandsaws, but with my 14" Jet, I was using Olsen blades. They wandered all the time. Then I bought Timberwolf blades, and I never experienced blade drift again. Let me be clear -- Timberwolf blades eliminated drift completely.
You can get them at Woodcraft (http://www.woodcraft.com).
You are Correct. Timber wolf is my blade of choice. Sometimes,when I need to buy locally,I use the dart blade from Do All .I have never had a problem with either one.¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬PAT¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
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