Band Saw Guiding Question

[Nate74]

A few months ago I got a 1/2" Timberwolf bandsaw blade for resawing. I set up my bandsaw as per the instructions on their website and was able to use a 6" tall guide set parallel to the blade and had some great luck resawing some maple.

Since that time I've used it for other work. This past week I tried to do some more resawing and it now pulls (probably wrong word) pretty hard to the left and I can't resaw worth a crap.

I have to be honest, I understand very little about the finer points of bandsaw setup, but it seems that if it worked once, it still should... right?

Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appriciated. Thanks in advance!

N

[WoodMangler]

Wow.... there are so many variable here...

Is the blade dull now?... that is usually the issue... what did you saw and how much of it?

The tension may have changed... as a blade gets used, it heats up, cools down, up... down... and the tension changes.. i.e. the blade "stretches" and the blade will tend to wander...

Is the guide set up to follow the path the bandsaw blade wants to follow?

My suggestion is to check it all again... see if the blade is still sharp, adjust the tension, check the path that it wants to follow...

[Nate74]

OK, here comes probably the lamest question I've asked in years. What's the best way to see if the blade is still sharp?

I'm sure the tension is different as the blade hasn't remained on the saw this whole time.

I'm so lame...

[Nate74]

OK, I've found a couple sources on the web that talk about resawing and this thing called "drift." I'm now understanding that it maybe was a fluke that at some point I had no drift.

In the beginning my resaw setup was a 18"' long, 6" tall piece of 3/4" plywood that was set up exactly parallel with the blade (ie. no drift). It worked perfectly! I'm now guessing that was rare?

So I'm guessing I should remove my plywood and get a 6" tall curved piece as is advertised on rockler, etc.

Is that the stardard way to resaw? So you can let the piece follow the drift of the blade?

Again... I'm so lame...

[Cody Colston]

That Timberwolf blade should cut with hardly any resistance. If you are having to push harder than when it was new when re-sawing, then the blade is dull.

Cody
Tyler, TX

Where facts are few,
experts are many

[Sonny Edmonds]

It's dull.

Did you buy the extended warrentee with it?
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LMAO!
Ya wisker biscuit, what did you think? One blade will last you forever?
Boy, I have wiped out a blade in half an attempt to open a chunk of burl wood by hitting a small pocket of dirt.
BS blades are fragile. Buy extras, they're cheap. ;)

:D

[link:home.att.net/~paul.edmonds/|Sonny Edmonds ]
Saugus, CA
"Precision Firewood Specialist"
God Bless America !
One Nation Under God!
"Lurkimus turdius orifus"

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[beamerweb]

Nate:

IF it's cutting without resistance, the blade's fine. Chances are more likely that the tracking's off. If your bandsaw has crowned tires on it (curved, most do), the position on the wheel that the blade is running on will GREATLY affect the drift. If you're drifting a bit to the left, it might be too far foreward on the wheels and needs to be tracked a little further back. The starting point is always suggested that the blade be riding nicely on the center of that crown, but if you're a little far foreward, the blade will actually be twisted just a little and could easily be the cause of your problem. Don't give up on that blade yet! :)

[Nate74]

Holy Crap, maybe I'll go back to using a coping saw for everything :0

So there's still very little (if any) resistance while cutting...so I'm thinking the blades aren't dull yet.

As I recall though, the instructions with these blades said to have the teeth running dead-center on the wheel. Easier said than done I'm finding as I continue to try to realign them. Yes, the tires are crowned. I'm also noticing small chunks of sawdust caked on the tires. Maybe some soapy water to clean that off? Or are new tires in order?

Seriously, I can't believe this much tinkering should be required... but my '74 Nova was the same way : )

Thanks all for the help and advice!

[TDHofstetter]

Nate, do clean the tires - don't replace 'em. Tires should last in excess of 20 years. I've got a (probably) 1940's Walker-Turner bandsaw in my arsenal, and I'm pretty positive the tires are original. I've been using it largely to cut alumin(i)um, too.

Do - also - set up a resaw fence, the curvy one. The smaller the curve, the better. 1" diameter is great. So's 1/2". You got lucky the first time; don't count on it ever again with a straight fence.

-- Tim --

Veni, vidi, vici
I came, I saw, I hammered.

:)

[Woody 1]

Norm on Yankee Work Shop put a piece of ply wood on his resaw fence it had a groove parrell to the blade and a dow rod the same height of the fence in the groove, only about a 1/3 of the rod was in the groove so you could use it as a piviot. Never tryed it but it was it looked pretty smart. Barry
P.s. I hope you can tell what I`m talking about.