[rwe2156]

I agree with @MrUnix re: coplanar wheels. I don’t think any bandsaw I’ve owned had had coplanar wheels, including my latest, a Laguna.

As many here know, I am not a fan of Mr. Snodgrass, mainly b/c he causes people to believe there’s something wrong with their saw, when there isn’t. And because he teaches people “drift” is something you can eliminate rather than adjust for.

I tried to “Snodgrass” my Rikon, not only could it not be done, in the process I discovered the wheels were not coplanar. It has the same type adjusting mechanism as the OP. I called tech support. The answer I got was the lower wheel is set at the factory and should never be changed.

I recommend you follow @sunnybob ’s advice!

The only time I’ve seen it be an issue is using a wide blade.

 

[redlee]

I am very grateful for your help

Found this information from a manual on a similar band saw.

I have understood that one should be careful when adjusting the lower wheel. But this instruction feels clear and addresses the exact problem that I have had..

Would you dare to make this adjustment?

If your comfortable with doing it then I would try, your saw is not working now so somethings wrong.
I would check everything else first before.
JMHO

 

[Aj2]

it wasnt just Canada , theres a difference between speaking freely, and putting down a newbie who is asking for help.

I’m not putting him down in fact you are putting me down by saying I’m putting him down.
Im sensing your admiration for that model was questioned by my post? It’s not possible for me to put down someone I don’t know.
I read your post warning him not to mess with the alignment bolt for the lower wheel. I agree without a fixture alignment that connects to the upper wheel it’s very sketchy.

 

[Dutchy]

Is that saw even sold in the USA because I’ve never heard of or seen one. I don’t think it’s fair asking Americans about a euro made bandsaw what Are the chances our machine problems will be the same? If it’s new push the warranty with your concerns.

Your comment suggested to me that LJ is only for Americans, but I can guarantee you that there's a significant number of people from outside the USA as well. Besides Europeans, you also regularly encounter members from New Zealand and Australia.

 

[CaptainKlutz]

Is that saw even sold in the USA because I’ve never heard of or seen one. I don’t think it’s fair asking Americans about a euro made bandsaw what Are the chances our machine problems will be the same? If it’s new push the warranty with your concerns.

Loool Where is it sold does not matter. LJ has members from all over the world. All are welcome as long as they post in English.

FWIW - Axminster Tools is Tool import company in the UK, just like: Delta, Jet, or Grizzy in USA.
Axminster is usually transparent on country of origin, and due UK laws; often provides who made the tool in the operators manual.
For the BS mentioned, the manufacturer is listed as:
Laizhou Fulin Machinery Co., Ltd.
Wenchang Road Street Nanwuli Industry Yard Laizhou, Shandong 261400

Reading the manual closely, it shows this tool has only a single tracking adjustment knob on back to change the wheel angle.

IME - if this adjustment is not working, and band is constantly slipping off: then there is a mechanical problem with BS.
The most common issue is bent/damaged part in the upper wheel bracket or pivot mechanism. Next most common issue is worn bearings.
Both of these issues require removal of upper wheel to check bearings, and upper wheel bracket components.

The welded frame design of this style BS is less bothered by the above pivot bracket issues, than the older cast iron frame 14" BS; but they still can issues. Especially if a blade has been over tensioned; resulting in a bent or broken parts. This same Chinese mfg makes BS for Rikon, as well as other brands. According to quick WWW search: Rikon version of this BS design has a few reported issues with bent wheel axle shafts, and broken weld on upper wheel shaft plate; when BS are abused with widest blade widths?

If the problem is not machine setup; the first thing I suggest is checking wheel bearings and upper wheel components for damage.

Best Luck!

 

[sunnybob]

I've had 2 bandsaws over the last 11 years. the first was a piece of crap that just would not cut true. I fought it for a year before admitting defeat (I have been a mechanical engineer for most of my working life). The second (my axminster) came with a few problems, but they were easily solvable with help from axminster. No, on a new machine, I would never move the lower wheel. But if you feel you have to, then mark each and every connecting point on all bolts and rods in relation to the body of the machine so that you can be quite hopeful of returning it to the original position when you find out you havent solved the problem.

 

[Aj2]

Your comment suggested to me that LJ is only for Americans, but I can guarantee you that there's a significant number of people from outside the USA as well. Besides Europeans, you also regularly encounter members from New Zealand and Australia.

Well Dutchy that’s wasn’t my intention. I would like to defend my post I think it’s important ,there is a dark side to how help groups can go. Let’s break down what my first post was directed towards. The op states I have a problem with my blade tracking on this Ax …… bandsaw model# …
Maybe a better question would be to say what causes a bandsaw blade to wander on the lower wheel of a bandsaw. Without any information blade new ,old ,came with saw found in the side of the road. Then we could go from there that’s fun investigating thread. But that’s not what the op asked.
Instead he said have I have a problem with this specific bandsaw I shall ask in a forum in another country. What’s the big deal? Here’s the problem with our ability now to reach out so far. And soon we will be wading through garbage from AI.
Have you considered too many people willing to help will give bad advise not just for the op. Maybe it’s a design attribute for that saw’s design and nothings wrong. Someone seeking answers in the future will see this thread and ruin a good saw because they listened to someone that doesn’t own that saw. Messing with the adjustment hubs isn’t something we ever offer for advice.
So maybe it rubs me wrong when people give their opinion on something they have no experience. I know people say awe shucks a bandsaws a bandsaw. I disagree I’ve had four bandsaw and they all had different quirks my experience is most of the time it’s just the blade.
At the very most maybe i swatted the op in the nose with a rolled up paper. And I apologize for that.
Good day sir

 

[WoodChuckWood19]

Sounds like you’re on the right track suspecting alignment. If the blade consistently walks forward on the lower wheel, the wheels are likely not coplanar. You can check this by laying a straightedge across both wheels (with the blade off) and seeing if they line up. If not, Alex Snodgrass or Sawblade.tv can be your hero.

 

[aboveboard]

I never worried about making bandsaw wheels co-planer either. If the bandsaw cuts well through its useable tracking range, what is the problem?

Snodgrass' video can be helpful as long as you keep an open mind. Be flexible and do not treat it as the "only way."

What works better for me than Snodgrass is centering the blade over the crown, rather than centering the gullets over the crown. The blade aligns best with the miter slot and fence when it is centered, too. Drift is not a serious issue on my bandsaw.

 

[Dutchy]

Well Dutchy that’s wasn’t my intention. I would like to defend my post I think it’s important ,there is a dark side to how help groups can go. Let’s break down what my first post was directed towards. The op states I have a problem with my blade tracking on this Ax …… bandsaw model# …
Maybe a better question would be to say what causes a bandsaw blade to wander on the lower wheel of a bandsaw. Without any information blade new ,old ,came with saw found in the side of the road. Then we could go from there that’s fun investigating thread. But that’s not what the op asked.
Instead he said have I have a problem with this specific bandsaw I shall ask in a forum in another country. What’s the big deal? Here’s the problem with our ability now to reach out so far. And soon we will be wading through garbage from AI.
Have you considered too many people willing to help will give bad advise not just for the op. Maybe it’s a design attribute for that saw’s design and nothings wrong. Someone seeking answers in the future will see this thread and ruin a good saw because they listened to someone that doesn’t own that saw. Messing with the adjustment hubs isn’t something we ever offer for advice.
So maybe it rubs me wrong when people give their opinion on something they have no experience. I know people say awe shucks a bandsaws a bandsaw. I disagree I’ve had four bandsaw and they all had different quirks my experience is most of the time it’s just the blade.
At the very most maybe i swatted the op in the nose with a rolled up paper. And I apologize for that.
Good day sir

Thank you very much for your response. And I have misunderstood your words.

 

[gerald.polmateer]

Whenever I tension a saw the blade will move as it is tensioned. If I bring the blade to a higher tension the bandsaw frame will deflect more. The upper wheel will dip and rotate some. When it rotates the blade will change position.

 

[S0i7]

Soooo, getting back to your original question. I’ve never had a bandsaw that I had to set up the bottom wheel, BUT, every new one that I or my friends have purchased has a section in it on how to check for it being in line with the upper. This leads me to believe that the manufacturers are providing a pathway for the consumers to fix their own problems. With that being said. I would definitely contact the manufacturer and speak to someone in their service department, if possible. Try to identify the real source of the problem, this may take a while, as in my experience, the days of the grizzled old employee that knows everything, is long past. You’re just as likely to get ahold of a person with very limited experience that is getting paid peanuts as you are someone who really knows their stuff.Factory setup only means that someone followed an instruction sheet and maybe, good enough was in the forefront of their vocabulary. As for doing adjustments and repairs, that depends on you. Are you a mechanical engineer, a master mechanic, someone who doesn’t even own a screwdriver, or a person in between. I’ll tackle anything, AS A LAST RESORT, but that’s me. You need to decide for yourself. Good luck!

 

[imaginationuninc]

What Mr Unix said, with occasional conditions.

I always shoot for centering the gullet on the upper blade. However, with large blades (e.g., 1"), I can only go so far doing that. Still, even a little in that direction helps limit drift.

As to lower blade adjustments, MANY saws have such adjustments.

I have a 14" Powermatic. It doesn't have the lower adjustments. Then I bought my buddy's 14" Rikon at a killer price and discovered the lower wheel was set wrong at the factory. The blade kept pushing in, against the case. I had to resort to the adjustment chart, as posted above. What a pain. It took a few days to get it dialed in.

The Rikon ticked me off enough, once I got it aligned right, I sold it for what I had in to it (gone in 3 days) and bought a 17" Grizzly. I was surprised to see it had lower adjustments too. Fortunately, it was spot on.

My Powermatic runs like a top. That only happened once I abandoned that co-planer nonsense and let the bottom ride where it wanted to (If not hanging off the wheel or causing a blade to rub on a case, it's good to go). Again, I try to run the gullet at center on the top wheel and call it a day.

 

[imaginationuninc]

My buddy's Rikon HAD to have the lower wheel adjusted, because all the blades wandered and rubbed against the inside of the case regardless of if the gullets or entire blade was centered on the upper wheel.

In the end, many bandsaws have adjustable lower wheels and the manual has the adjustment chart for a reason, such as the blades rubbing the case issue with that saw I bought from my buddy.

Generally, no factory puts out products that are all fault free. A loose nut or bolt here, a poorly adjusted part there. . . .

By the way, if I never have to try to adjust the lower tire again that will be more than okay with me. EVERY adjustment meant setting the saw to run, then running it, then going back to the drawing board, so to speak, and starting over with another TINY tweak.

. . . .Messing with the adjustment hubs isn’t something we ever offer for advice.
So maybe it rubs me wrong when people give their opinion on something they have no experience. I know people say awe shucks a bandsaws a bandsaw. I disagree I’ve had four bandsaw and they all had different quirks my experience is most of the time it’s just the blade.
At the very most maybe i swatted the op in the nose with a rolled up paper. And I apologize for that.
Good day sir

 

[imaginationuninc]

The manual on the Rikon and Grizzly go through the process of adjusting the lower wheels. Based on my first hand experience, it is for good, if rare, reason.

To be clear, they talk about tracking issues, such as the blade moving off the lower tire with it running centered on the upper tire.

. . . .No, on a new machine, I would never move the lower wheel. But if you feel you have to, then mark each and every connecting point on all bolts and rods in relation to the body of the machine so that you can be quite hopeful of returning it to the original position when you find out you havent solved the problem.