band saw blade tension lock-up

Re: band saw blade tension lock-up

Dick Coers

What brand bandsaw are we talking about? On the Delta, you can see the end of the adjustment bar and if it is still contacting the machine or is loose. Can you turn the rod either direction? If that is bound, you likely have a stripped thread. Where did you spray the Kroll? Only two options really, the tensioning rod and the slide mechanism.

Re: band saw blade tension lock-up

bill tucker

Sorry, should have been more specific. It is a Jet 14" and yes the end of the rod is still in contact with the cast iron. You're right, though I hope not, the rod does act like it's stripped. It's a captive system so not sure how that can happen.

bill

Re: band saw blade tension lock-up

Roger Chandler

Dick is probably right about the slide mechanism.......what happens is that at times when the blade is tensioned, the corner of the slide will go above the edge of the hole in the back cover where the hub spins on the shaft of the upper wheel, and that can sometimes be just enough to cause the saw to not release its tension because the downward motion is blocked by the edge of the back cover where the hole is.

Take a flat screw driver and put just a little outward pressure against the slide, and it should clear the hole edge on the back cover, and then you should be able to take the tension off.

Re: band saw blade tension lock-up

Warren White

I have the same bandsaw, and had the same problem. The threaded rod was stripped in one place, but i was able to rethread it and it has worked just fine since then.

Re: band saw blade tension lock-up

bill tucker

Thanks for all of the help. As ya'll suspected, the nut had gotten cross threaded somehow and the threads were stripping. Just got a new rod and nut and will install in the morning. Maybe I need to think about one of those tension release lever mechanisms.....what do ya'll think.

bill

Re: band saw blade tension lock-up

Pete in Holland MI

All of my machines that have threaded adjustments get greased during assembly, and occasionally afterwards. Not lots, but just a bit. Threaded fasteners have a lot of shear action going on in the interface of the threads. Constant use will destroy the threads of the softer material of the two.

Pete

Or stop detensioning

Dick Coers

Controversial these days, but maybe 15 years ago or less, no one ever talked about taking off the tension. I haven't taken off the tension in 40 years and have never seen any problems.

Ditto   I don't relieve tension either

john lucas

I have had the rod strip the threads on my aftermarket 14" bandsaw. I bought the Delta used from a friend who used it professionally and I used it for 10 years. Didn't strip the threads on that one. I did build a detensioning device but it didn't work as good as the commercial ones so I took it off.

I now have a 16" bandsaw and it's work to detension so I probably never will unless I see some kind of problem later on.