Bandsaw blade tracking

[Travis Porter]

OK, I recently did all this work to upgrade my existing Delta 14" saw, and it has now started doing something a bit wierd. When I track the blade by hand it is all fine and good, but when I run it, the blade goes back and forth, or forward and backwards I guess you would say on the tires. It doesn't hit the thrust bearings, but it comes close, and then it goes forward maybe an 1/8". It did not do this when I originally finished upgrading it. I put new urethane tires on it and they seem to be ok.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[DavidF]

Funny you should say that, but I have Exactly the same thing! I fitted the same ureathane tyres too. Over the w/e I clocked the run out with a Dial indicator and in the centre the reading was about 0.2mm, but at the back edge it was all over the shop! on inspection I found that the tyre, although supposidly the correct width did not sit fully in the wheel track and was riding up over the edge. I took them off and am today trying to get different ones - be interested to see what you find.

Mine too was ok at the beginning, but got worse over the next few months

 

[sapwood]

I used to have hair, until I attempted BS alignment after adding riser :lol:

I have installed two risers, had one milled flat (thanks Bernhard), and shimmed until my legs wobble. On riser No. 2 I had the back and forth problem. With the "milled" riser that disappeared and the flat side of blade stayed 90 degrees to table. However, the front to back (thin edge) is off more than 1/16" inch over 7 inches of height :eusa_thin About once a month I go back and work on it for a few hours. I keep getting closer, but still have to readjust top thrust bearing if I raise or lower height more than an inch.

Good luck on your quest gentlemen. My next effort will include removing riser pins to allow me to move the head around a little.

Now wasn't that a big help :eusa_snoo

Sapwood

 

[junquecol]

First, did you check that wheels were still co-planer after adding riser block? Did you remove ALL PAINT FROM MATING SURFACES on riser block? Was riser block properly tightened? Try to get a hold of John White's book "Care and Repair of Shop Machines". It is about twenty bucks and worth a whole lot more.- Bruce

 

[Travis Porter]

I have actually had the riser block for ten years so it was not part of my upgrade. I did take it off as part of my upgrade so I could remount it to the new base, but I reinstalled it. I did shim the upper wheel out and to the right some as they were not coplanar or parallel (which in turn made me have to shim the table).

When I initially got it running again, it worked great. Now this, but I will go back tonight and double check.

 

[4yanks]

I would have guessed that the wheels were not co-planer. But if that's not the case. I might check to see if there is some debris under the new tires. Another shot in the dark would be to check bandsaw tension, especially if you upgraded the tension spring. Good luck.