Bandsaw blade tension?

[2wheels4life]

Ok, i have a very old bandsaw that i got from my grandma. all i know is that it is a 14 in and it says bridgewood on it which my guess is the brand! but i got a new blade for it and i dont have any of the books for it so i just guessed the tension for it which probably isnt a safe thing to do. well needless to say i have a problem with the blade wanting to move on the wheels when i am cutting! it will not stay in the center of the wheels and no matter where i put it to begin with it always ends up on the front edge or the back edge of the wheels. i think it mught be blade tension but i could be wrong. i have tightened it pretty far and it still moves! is it the wheels them selves? or is it the guides? or tension? i dont know! i am really hoping that a professional bandsaw tensioner guy will be reading this and be willing to come to my house and show me how to do it properly! or just tell me on here! well i appreciate all the help i can get! A little frustrated :BangHead: ,
Zach Dow
Monroe, NC

 

[cskipper]

I'm no help, but am sure that someone will log on and be able to help.

 

[Mtnman]

It sounds like you need to replace the tires on the upper and lower wheels. When the tires are new they are convex on the upper surface and this helps the blade to track in the center of the wheel, when it is adjusted correctly. Old tires tend to get flat and even concave over time. Replacement tires are available from many woodworking websites, all you need to know is the size of the wheel.
Also I almost forgot to mention that this is why they recommend releasing the tension on the blade when the band saw is not in use. It causes the tires to become flat and not track correctly
Hope this helps, Good luck!

 

[b4man]

Zach, I'm no expert but I'll share my knowledge and experience regarding my own saw.
Re: blade not stating center on the wheel. It's most likely the top wheel isn't aligned properly. Is there a knob on the back of the housing? That's the wheel tilt adjustment. I place my blade on the 2 wheels, raise the tension with the top knob and then rotate the blade to check that it's staying where I placed it. If it wanders I make slight turns on the back knob, back or forward until it stays put.

As for tension, different blade widths require different tension. I tighten my blade until I hear a clear "note" sound as I fleck it with my finger. I turn on the saw, cut a few test pieces and tighten a tad bit more if it seems at all wobbly. Over tightening is the worst case because the blade will snap when too much force is placed on it while sawing. So, take your time, start loose and soon you'll know right off how much it will take.

Another important reminder; Alway loosen the tension on the blade when saw isn't being used. This will keep the blade from stretching and preserve the life of it.

Hope this makes sense. I know others here will be more specific and better at communicating than I but until then it's a start.

 

[DaveO]

Worn tires, wheel tracking, like Barbara said or the wheels not being coplaner is most likely the culpret in your problem. Take a straight edge and lay it across the face of both of the wheels. If the rim of the wheel touch at all four spots then the wheels are coplanner, if not they might need to be shimmed to get them that way. Like Barbara said there should be a tracking knob on the back of the upper wheel that should help adjust the wheel so the band tracks in the center of the tire. With the age of the bandsaw there is a good possibility that the tires have worn flat and might need replacing, none of the above adjustments will do much good if the tires are bad. Contact Iturra Designs for their catalog and everything you wanted to know about a BS. No website..call 1-888-722-7078.
Dave

 

[DavidF]

I would agree that coplanarity is the culprit or top wheel alignment. BTW not all BS have crowned tyres best check your model before worrying too much.

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

A lot of good suggestions here. By you question, it sounds like you are a newbie to bandsaws. Before jumping on any one suggestion you first might want to do a Google search for articles on bandsaws and and take some time to learn about all the parts, adjustments, etc.

Suffolk Machinery has a lot of info on their website on bandsaws -blades, guides, tires, tensioning (especially their Timberwolf blades), etc.

Another suggestion is get a copy of one of Mark Duginske's bandsaw books - arguably the most definitive on the topic. They are available locally at Barnes and Noble, probably Woodcraft too, or online at Amazon.

 

[2wheels4life]

Thank you all for the advice! i think that i can figure it out from hear! you are all a great help!
thanks again,
Zach

 

[cskipper]

... Contact Iturra Designs for their catalog and everything you wanted to know about a bandsaw. No website..call 1-888-722-7078.
Dave

Dave, you are so good about providing this kind of information1:eusa_clap

 

[DaveO]

:-D :-D I got Google on speed dial :icon_thum :icon_thum
Thanks :-D :-D


Dave