horizontal bandsaw doing a slow hip-hop

[zeeprogrammer]

Thanks Kevin...I'll look into it.
Would changing the blade affect that tension? It was cutting fine before.
I just went through the manual...nothing about what to set the feed rate (tension) to. Any rules of thumb?

 

[ksouers]

Blade tension should not affect the weight.

Sorry, I don't have a rule of thumb. I suppose there is an optimum weight but I don't know what it is.

For me, it's one of those "feely" things, I just adjusted it till the blade was settled in and not bouncing, and then a bit more till I got a steady cut.

The motor counter-balances the saw fairly well so it's not that heavy and you should be able to lift it easily, but if it feels like it wants to come up on it's own you've probably got too much tension on the spring.

I'd guess it feels somewhere between 5 and 10 pounds when lifting by that little cast loop handle.

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Thanks Kevin. That gives me a good idea.

 

[Seanol]

Zee,
The bearing guides should have a hex flange behind the bearing. When you loosen the nut holding the bearing you put a thin wrench (should have come with the saw) and rotate the bearing. It is an eccentric and will move in or out depending on how much you rotate it.

I did mine with a square on the vise bed as you can move the blade forward and backwards enough to put it out of alignment. Move the saw up and down against the blade to check for square. This drove me nuts for a while with crooked cuts!

Also, use a straight edge and check that the 2 drive pulleys are in line. Mine were out and once I aligned them I had no more issues with different blades needing a different alignment.

Hope that helps,
Sean

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Thanks Sean.
I'll look again. Get more light on it. Maybe I was looking at the wrong place.
Thanks!

 

[Seanol]

Zee.
No problem. You may have a different type. That type has a swiveling base that the bearings attach. On this type I believe you set them perpendicular to the table but I am not sure.

Try this site for more info: http://www.mini-lathe.com/Bandsaw/Bandsaw.htm

Worked for me in the past.

Let me know if you need anything else,
Sean
(who is getting a new blade made tomorrow and can't believe how lost he is without it!)

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Thanks Sean.

I took a look at the mini-lathe site. I was surprised! I didn't know it had info on the bandsaw.

Same bandsaw...so I'm just not looking carefully enough.

Let me know if you need anything else,

hm....you betcha!