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laguna 1412 guide blocks question

1K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  trsnider 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I don't believe I know enough about my 1412 versus other bandsaws. Is it normal for the guideblocks to not be parallel to the blade across their entire width after tightening? The guides toe-in to the rear. It's always bugged me and doesn't seem normal. Maybe it's an artifact of how (poorly) they adjust and tighten. Seems like you need 3 hands to adjust and tighten them correctly.
Thanks.

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#2 ·
I sure wouldn't think that's normal. My saw uses bearings and I've had cool-blocks in the past so it's never been a concern for me. But, that looks like it could make effective setup difficult at best, particularly with 1/2"+ blades.
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
Your guides do appear to be more out of parallel than mine-you may have a defective part. Here's a picture of my upper and lower guides.

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I do notice that you are using a narrow blade and I wonder if that somehow contributes to the problem. One thing you might check is to ensure there isn't any dust or debris behind the guide "blocks" that you tighten down. The right side looks like it is angled just a little-but it's hard to tell from the picture.

Maybe you can remove the blade and then see if you are able to tighten the guide blocks to parallel? I would also contact Laguna support if you haven't already done that.

I agree that getting the guides adjusted can be a little finicky. Sometimes I use a dollar bill or cigarette paper as a spacer. I generally try to get the guides as close as I can without them dragging on the blade. If I wiggle the blade under tension I want little to no side-to-side movement near the guide.
 

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#5 ·
"A little finicky" is a bit understated in my experience with this. The guides on my saw work loose after a bit. I've had to crank them down using pliers. Washers seems to help a bit.
I don't remember having dust around the guide blocks. Adjusting them is always an adventure.

I've contacted laguna. We'll see what they say.
 
#6 ·
I've been tempted to retro-fit the Laguna guides on my MM, but I've read a lot of woes in keeping the guides set. I'll stick to the Carters (bearings) for now.

Would fashioning a shim of the blade thickness+clearance, long enough to span the guides front to back help? It seems you could insert the shim (blade removed) and compress the inserts against the shim while tightening the screws. At least this would/should keep them parallel.
 
#8 ·
If this were a 36 yr old saw shims might be a solution. With a new expensive a$$ saw everything should fit correctly without mods or muking with. (imho)

- trsnider
I was thinking about a tool/jig to set the guides, not anything to leave installed. It really helps my setup when instilling a narrow (1/4") blade. When using a 1" blade, there is enough length to get a good alignment without using a shim to keep things parallel while setting the guides.
 
#9 ·
Update-Laguna tech support sez that the ceramics are worn and need to be replaced for $47. They 'suggested' that the cause was the guide being to close to the blade. I've been careful to not get them close to the blade. I thought the whole point of ceramics was that they were more wear resistant and could (maybe) be adjusted closer than roller guides could. Anyway I'm inclined not to spend $47 on this now.
 
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