Help with Band saw!

Re: Help with Band saw!

Roger

First check to make sure the blade is riding correctly in the guide blocks, both top and bottom.

Re: Help with Band saw!

joe zarnitz

watch alex Snodgrass bandsaw video on YouTube---very informative

Re: Help with Band saw!

Brian Roberts

The guides must NOT be depended upon to track the blade.

Back all guides off completely.

Check the blade to ensure it has not cracked partially through....which can cause an abrupt change in tracking.

Confirm that the lower wheel is working as designed (bearing has not failed....no play, etc.).

Confirm same as to top wheel.

The tires...depending on design are generally "crowned"....which is to say high in the center.

Tires would not lose their crown....or fail overnight.

If the tires have become dished in the center the blade may want to track to the high spots on either side of the hollow....not good.

If all the mentioned things are good.....track the blade properly.....with a hand spin and then a full speed run test.

THEN readjusted the guides to support the blade when cutting pressure is applied.

Re: Help with Band saw!

adrien

On my saw, one of the knobs in the back TILTS the top wheel to move the blade to various positions

on the wheel. Does your saw have such a connection? When the wheel tilts, the blade shifts to a

different position on the wheel......

Besides changing blades what else?

Keith Newton

It sounds like you just need to tilt the top of the wheel forward. Have you fooled with the tilt yet?

Re: Besides changing blades what else?

John C Lucas

Just read through all of the replies. If you go through each one it should solve your problem. Pull the guides out of the way. Loosen the blade and move it back to center. then rotate by hand and adjust the top wheel tilt until it stays centered. If that doesnt work then go through the list and check all the other things.

Re: Besides changing blades what else?

mikeee12345

If all else fails you can have your wife read the owners manual, men are to proud to stoop to that level. :-)

Re: Besides changing blades what else?

Hugh

Make sure there is not a bunch of pitch and such on the wheels. If there is.....scrape it off.

Hugh

Re: Help with Band saw!

Don Stephan

If the current blade had been tracking well, I would not want to begin by changing changing the inclination of the top wheel. First I would move back the bearings/rub blocks and check tracking, then install a different blade and check tracking. If none of the additional suggestions (cleaning the wheel is one I remember) corrects the problem only then would I start fiddling with the inclination of the wheels.

Re: Help with Band saw!

John K Jordan

Was it working one minute then not the next or had it sat unused for a while? Think of whether there was an "event" that changed things. For example, did the blade jam in a piece of wood? Did you just cut something different than usual? Did you change anything such as the tension? Examine the tires - do they look nice and crowned or like they are worn away in the middle?

Re: Help with Band saw!

William Duffield

There's one more possibility, if it's not the failing blade mentioned earlier (which usually makes a ticking sound before it fails completely). The tensioning spring may have failed. That could explain the sudden onset of symptoms.

Tension spring

John K Jordan

Good point. Also, if a blade too large needing too much tension was used the tension bracket on some bandsaws has been known to bend from the stress. The 14" Delta and Jet were prone to this. Ain't nutt'n gonna work right then! Fortunately for me, Itura Design had stronger replacement brackets and springs.

Perhaps Mark will provide some more information.

JKJ

Likely solution!

Doug Wolf

I don't have a Shop Fox but my bandsaw had exactly the same problem as yours. Here was the cause of mine. You might want to check you're top wheel bracket, it probably looks like this.

Re: Likely solution!

Keith Newton

Yikes, that would be a problem. However it seems to me that the tilt would be forward at the top, causing the blade to track forward, or am I suffering another dislexia episode?

I’m not sure the OP is even following this thread since his name isn’t blue, he might not be getting any notification.

Re: Likely solution!

mark paulley

Everyone thanks for the help, internet was down and i could not respond till now.

I was cutting out bread saws and then moved to cutting some square 2" blocks for bird houses when I started hearing this grinding noise. Stopped and notice blade on back of wheel, re-positioned and turned by hand and the blade continues to move to the back of the wheel. I will clean the rubbers on the wheels and start trying to figure this out. Good news is I had all of my bread saws cut and approx 20 bird house squares cut so I can at least build a little inventory before my show on Thursday.

I am not very mechanical minded but will take it slow and work through each suggestion till fixed

Again thanks to all of you machine gurus!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Likely solution!

mark paulley

Everyone thanks for the help, internet was down and i could not respond till now.

I was cutting out bread saws and then moved to cutting some square 2" blocks for bird houses when I started hearing this grinding noise. Stopped and notice blade on back of wheel, re-positioned and turned by hand and the blade continues to move to the back of the wheel. I will clean the rubbers on the wheels and try a different size blade and start trying to figure this out. Good news is I had all of my bread saws cut and approx 20 bird house squares cut so I can at least build a little inventory before my show on Thursday.

I am not very mechanical minded but will take it slow and work through each suggestion till fixed

Again thanks to all of you machine gurus!!!!!!!!!!!