I have a Steel City 14" band saw. It has started making crazy cuts. As you stand at the saw, no matter what size blade, how tight, loose or just right I tension it, or how carefully I set the guides, it cuts hard to the left and no amount of trying to turn the work against the curve will allow you to straighten it out. The blade is perpendicular to the table. The blade will try to go left and take it to the point of locking up because of the twist in it from trying to straighten it out. There are couple of pics of cuts in a board, plus how it cuts in a crazy compound curve pattern in a thick piece of wood when just trying to make a simple straight cut. One possibility is that on the upper wheel the gullets are centered on the crown, but not so on the lower wheel. I don't think this should be an issue, but hey, I obviously don't know anything at this point.
The guides can't get set quite as close as I thinks they should be, but that shouldn't matter in a straight-on cut. The instant the blade touches the wood it starts to curve off. I have tried different settings on the thrust bearings to no avail.
Saw is 100% dysfunctional right now. Any ideas are welcome.
Check to make sure your blade is centered on your wheels and they are co planer. The picture 2nd from the bottom is centered, the bottom picture the blade is not by the looks of it. You will need a straight edge you know is straight or perhaps an aluminum level that hasn't been dropped yet and dinged up the corner. Don't ask me how I know about that one.
If you google Alex Snodgrass you will find some you tube videos that will teach you a lot about tuning band saws.
Last bit of advice. Relax, it's a machine and they all need care from time to time. You got this.
Hard to tell which picture is of the top or bottom wheel. The bottom picture is extremely not right regardless if it's the top or bottom wheel. Is the bottom picture your upper wheel? The wheels need to be parallel but don't need to be co-planer but that is very extreme. Something is not right.
Start with a sharp blade and the Snodgrass tune-up including the guides then report back. As Snodgrass says, remove the table and back the guides off before mounting the blade. The BS is probably the most complex tool to set up as there are so many variables. Is the blade dull?
I can think of a few causes. Show us a picture of the saw. Can you tension the blade properly? Does the top wheel attach to one of these? They are usually pot metal and break easily.
Check to make sure your blade is centered on your wheels and they are co planer.
That looks like the way a dull blade cuts. If that's a woodslicer blade they dull pretty fast esp if your wood is wet or the exotic nasty stuff.
Good Luck
If the blade tracks fine before you start cutting, but starts moving hard to one side after you start cutting, it's likely a blade issue. It's tough to see if there's any pitch buildup, but that will cause the blade to twist because the pitch hits the wood before the side of the tooth. Since it's a set-tooth steel blade, they're also very sensitive to hitting anything metal on the sides because it ruins the set.
Have you aligned your fence to the blade yet? If so you could test with a thin piece of plywood or MDF to verify setup. If your fence is perfectly aligned to the blade and you cut in slowly only an inch or so before stopping the saw and not moving the wood, the back of the blade should not touch either side of the kerf.
I nearly ruined a $140 carbide-tipped Laguna Resaw King by starting the saw before lifting the tensioner, and then I stepped on the brake in a less-than-ideal reaction. The brake caused the blade to slip off the wheel and scrape against the side of the table, and I had to send it back for sharpening to get it to track right again.
+1 Why is it tracked so far back on the wheel? Before you do anything center the blade or the gullet on that wheel. I assumed the bottom pic was the bottom wheel but probably not.
Check to make sure your blade is centered on your wheels and they are co planer. The picture 2nd from the bottom is centered, the bottom picture the blade is not by the looks of it. You will need a straight edge you know is straight or perhaps an aluminum level that hasn t been dropped yet and dinged up the corner. Don t ask me how I know about that one.
If you google Alex Snodgrass you will find some you tube videos that will teach you a lot about tuning band saws.
Last bit of advice. Relax, it s a machine and they all need care from time to time. You got this.
I used to subscribe to co-planer as well until seeing both the Michael Fortune and Snodgrass tips. They both say it's not required and a little offset is actually a benefit. Edit: Andybb already covered it.
+1 AndyBB comments on pivot bracket in tension assembly.
Check the location of blade on the top wheel. If should be same on front and back, relative to the table.
Have seen where the casting holding the pivot pin on tensioner broke and the wheel was tilted slightly. It should be same distance to sheet metal cover on both side. The bracket can rest on the lower housing, which makes the failed pivot bracket hard to see; until you use enough tension to break the bracket all they way.
The bracket can rest on the lower housing, which makes the failed pivot bracket hard to see; until you use enough tension to break the bracket all the way.
Thanks everyone for the replies, but here is the problem. I have done literally everything suggested, except buy new blades. The blade in the saw now is new and clean and sharp. The problem first started with a different, also fairly new and clean blade.
One thing I have noted is that when the top bearings are lowered to just an inch or so it will cut straight, but anything higher than that and it deflects the instant the blade hits the wood. I can't adjust one side bearing any closer, and it is about 3/32 away from the blade, on the side that the blade deflects to. Again, with a straight-on cut I would not think this would matter. Resawing is one of the big reasons I got a band saw.
Test to see if the guide post stays in line. Maybe some dust got in there and is moving the guide post.
It should be able to cut a straight line with the side guides backed out. Of course, never touching the rear bearing. I follow the advice of moving my blade back. (Snodgrass) Not quite centering the gullets, but further back and it made a world of difference for me.
If this new blade was run and hit a guide, the set will be off and it will not cut a line. I am no pro on a BS, but I made that mistake. Fortunately a $9 Bosch band.
Does the band feel tight? I run my guides about half an inch above my cut. No more.
Look closely at your blade teeth. If they ever came in contact with the guide, it could have removed or reduced the tooth set on one side (Also could happen if the blade came off the wheel rubber and made contact with the steel rim).
Andybb. I have tried the blade in the center and with the gullets centered, and just to test the premise I have moved it to just about every location. When I center it on the top wheel it is lined up with the the bottom wheel (both in center) Makes no diff
Andy,
Have you watched the Snodgrass videos? Ever tried it? I did, and I did and only after moving my blade back could I cut dead true lines parallel with the table. I can cut 3 inch oak with the side guides backed out. We are talking a 10 inch Delta POS here! Of course, it was hopeless until I bought a good blade. My lower wheel is not adjustable. I now understand, guides are for curves. Not strait cuts.
If blade is forward, will track to the right. If too far back, will track to the left.
If the set got damaged, you are screwed.
Dan,
Did this start all of a sudden? Build up over time? What changed?
I still say it's the blade.
- Aj2
And I m still wondering why the blade is tracking almost off the back end of the upper wheel. That can t be right.
What happens when you center the blade on the upper wheel?
Andy,
Have you watched the Snodgrass videos? Ever tried it? I did, and I did and only after moving my blade back could I cut dead true lines parallel with the table. I can cut 3 inch oak with the side guides backed out. We are talking a 10 inch Delta POS here! Of course, it was hopeless until I bought a good blade. My lower wheel is not adjustable. I now understand, guides are for curves. Not strait cuts.
I have watched them so many times I can almost recite them verbatim. Every saw is different. Laguna says to position the blade in the middle of the wheel on my 1412. No drift. If I tried to center the gullet of a 3/4" blade on the wheel it would hang off the back of the wheel regardless of what Snodgrass says. Something is not right if that blade rides that far off the back of the top wheel in his picture above. Most bottom wheels are not meant to be adjusted. And if it's as he says there is no difference then there is another issue with the saw beyond where the blade rides on the wheel dead center or with the gullet centered. Those are minor tweaks. That's why I suggested taking a close look at the upper wheel pivot arm because he said it all came on at once which indicates to me that something broke.
Not sure I understand what you are saying when you say guides are for curves not straight cuts. I resaw 12" hardwood with no drift and depending on the blade width, tight curves, both with the guides within a dollar bills distance from the blade. The blade width is what determines your curve radius, not the guides.
I still suggest posting pictures (or better yet a video tour) of the saw and guides and would really like a shot of that pivot arm. As CaptainKlutz said if it's cracked it's hard to see without taking the wheel off.
One thing I have noted is that when the top bearings are lowered to just an inch or so it will cut straight, but anything higher than that and it deflects the instant the blade hits the wood. I can t adjust one side bearing any closer, and it is about 3/32 away from the blade, on the side that the blade deflects to. Again, with a straight-on cut I would not think this would matter.
- StDane
The guides should be within a half inch of the top of the board and 3/32 is too big a gap. There is something wrong if the guides can't be adjusted so they are both in contact with the blade then backed off ever so slightly.
Maybe I'm over thinking this but in your pics the blade is centered on the lower wheel when it's hanging off the back of the upper whelk and you said it's still centered on the lower wheel when you center it on the upper wheel. That means it's not moving so something is broken I think. My money is still on the pivot. But as my wife will tell you I'm rarely right.
Both pictures of the wheels are bad, but common sense tells me that the top picture of the wheel is the bottom wheel, and the bottom picture is the top wheel.
According to Timberwolf, "While rotating the wheel by hand, adjust the tracking knob until the bottom of the blade gullets are aligned with the tire center. " The bottom picture shows proper alignment of the blade, which is on the top wheel. Timberwolf also describes how to remove blade flutter, which could be part of your problem.
Dan, I couldn't find a website for Timberwolf, so if you need to find instructions for blade tension, you'll have to get over to a store that sells them and look on the back of the package. I'm also not trying to influence you into buying their blades. It's just that they have instructions that works for me. .................... Jerry (in Tucson)
We'll just have to agree to disagree about weather the bottom picture which is the top wheel is aligned properly. But if he has a sharp blade on it like he says he does and it makes a hard left then something is broken. Something is wrong if he can't adjust the guides against the blade on one side. That ain't right.
+1 Get a brand new blade. Set up the new blade with guides out of way. Use the saw briefly without guides to ensure the blade is not making contact with guides and damaging the teeth. Then, If guides can not be adjusted to reach blade: Something is broken!
Another place to look besides the notorious failing pivot arm:
Remove the blade, and drive belt. Spin the wheels by hand.
Do they turn free, and make zero noise while spinning?
If you hear any noise, could have lost one of the two bearings inside each wheel. The outer is easy to see. To inspect the inner bearing, need to remove the wheel. Removal is easy, one bolt in center. Pull off evenly. While the top wheel is off, check the stupid pivot bracket, pretty please.
I've broken 2 pivot brackets on same Ridgid 14" saw with 3/4" blades. Switched to Timberwolf blades that require less tension, and use only 1/2" blades and never broke another one. The 1st time it broke while not being used, but I forgot to release tension when I was done last time. Drove me nuts trying to figure out why blade position on wheel was wrong, and blade was moving during cut. (Just like you are now)
The 2nd time I heard it break as I over tension-ed the blade. Have also rebuilt a HF 14" band saw with broken upper wheel pivot arm.
When things get wonky for me, first thing I do is firmly grab upper wheel and check for movement that indicates bad bracket or bearing. YMMV
Best Luck.
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