Timber Wolf BS blade

Keye

Keye
Corporate Member
For no particular reason I bought a TW BS blade. The blade came with instructions for blade tensioning. For lack of a better term, actually their term, I will call it the flutter method. Anyone have any experience with this method. Any comments or experience with this blade will be appreciated.
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
I think it was in a FineWoodworking they used a dial caliper to tension based on stretch. I have not tried it yet but it makes a lot more sense. I have been using my uncalibrated and probably wrong thumb method.
 

Michael Mathews

Michael
Corporate Member
I have used the "flutter" method. Basically, start by raising the blade guard, put some tension in the blade, then start up the bandsaw. reduce the tension until the blade begins to flutter. Then increase tension until it stops then go a little higher the tension. I've run my bandsaw at this tension with decent results. BTW, I have the Rikon 14". I believe model no. 14-325 (?)
 

Henry W

Henry
Corporate Member
I have purchased a Timberwolf blade, and struggled with this method of BS tensioning - I got lots of drift in cutting wet wood (turning blanks) this way. So I now buy other brands and tension by the deflection method (some, but not a lot... v v precise! :D:rolleyes:).
 

Keye

Keye
Corporate Member
I have a Delta 14". The TW blade is 3/16", 10tpi. I had it so loose one more turn and the nut would have come off the tension rod. The blade never did flutter.
 

Pop Golden

New User
Pop
FYI: The "flutter" method don't work well on a Shopsmith bandsaw. The blade guide alinement has been dumbed down. There is no crown on the upper wheel the tire is tilted slightly to the rear were the blade contacts a grooved wheel that sets the alignment. Yes, the rear of any sized blade will be in the same location. This system interferes with the "flutter" operation. FWIW. I have owned, repaired & operated SS for many years. There are some things about this machine are wonderful other things make you ask "what were they thinking".

Pop
 

kelLOGg

Bob
Senior User
On my sawmill band tension is important for tracking and blade life. I assume the same is true for shop saws. I use the caliper method Scott mentions and here is what I have learned over years of sawmilling:

When suppliers of bands provide the stress (lbs/sqin) to be applied to their bands, those of us (who have spring tensioners and no gauge to tell us when we have reached this recommended tension) need more information. Proper stress can be obtained by measuring the stretch (strain, in engineering language) when tension is applied to the band and plugging it into the equation below.

Stress(or tension in lbs/sqin) = E(modulus of elasticity in lbs/sqin) X Strain (dimensionless quantity)

where E=30,000,000 lbs/sqin for tool steel.

Strain can be measured by opening calipers to a specified length and clamping to the band with small c-clamps and tensioning the band. How much tension depends on the band thickness and width. I run Kasco 4 degree, 1.25”, 0.045” thick bands so according to the manufacturer I was told 20,000 lbs/sqin is the recommended value.

Strain=20,000/30,000,000 or 0.000667 is the strain value.

Strain is defined as the change in length of the band as it is stretched divided by its original length, so if I open the caliper to, say, 5.5 inches, the right amount of stretch in the band is 5.5 X 0.000667 or 0.0037 in. So I tension the band until the caliper reads 5.5 +0.0037 or 5.5037” and I should have 20,000 psi on my band. This should remove the guess work in tensioning a band and give better band life.
 

Alan in Little Washington

Alan Schaffter
Corporate Member
There was a long multi-month thread on SMC about tensioning bandsaw blades a "few" years ago (2004?) in which some of the BS guru's like Mark Duginske, Louis Iturra, etc. participated. It dealt with how to do it, what to use, repeatability, and the need for precision, etc., etc. At the time Carter, Iturra, and others had come out with expensive tensioning systems, including Carter's pricey $300 ETG1000 digital tension gauge. One of the guru's, I forget who now (Duginske?), said the markings that come on the Delta 14" and many other similar bandsaws were good enough.

That almost sounded too simple, but somehow logical to me. It got me thinking, so I asked what I thought was a fairly simple question that no one could answer. I asked how blade manufacturers came up with a recommended tension for their blades, which, depending on blade size and metallurgy, can typically range from 15,000 psi to 30,000 psi. Did they use some complex metallurgical/physics/mathematical process? Based on what? No one had an answer, so I offered my speculation which no one could challenge since no one had insider knowledge.

I speculated that blade manufacturers worked backwards- they had one or more of their technicians/woodworkers make a series of test cuts at different tension settings (in different woods and wood thicknesses) and measured the tension setting used for each cut. Then they and/or others judged which cut was the best using some criteria- smoothness, ease of cut, minimal wander, etc. etc. Once they somehow "determined" which cut was the best, the setting that was used became the formal recommended tension. If it was a discrete number 16,125 psi it was probably rounded to the nearest 1000 psi or 5000 psi. As a final check they might test and confirm the setting.

So now, what was really a subjective value took on an objective numerical attribute. As we all know the blade setting can be different for different woods, so frankly now is where experience and practice enters the blade tensioning process. Start with tension marks, simple flutter test, etc. then tweak until the blade cuts the way you want it to. Once you gain experience, setting the blade becomes almost second nature, maybe only requiring a quick test cut or two.
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
Alan, your comments make me wonder if they went to that much effort. Now I wonder if the specs are all just made up. I know I run about one hash tighter than the Havery scale. I have been creeping up, as I think the cut is not as smooth as it should be. Strait, tracks, but not smooth. But I have nothing to compare it to having only had a benchtop Delta before.

At some point though, you exceed the elastic point and streatch the blade which leads down a bad path.
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
Interesting concept, but to measure frequency, you have to know the length that is being struck. That seems to be a problem based on reviews.
 

Willemjm

Willem
Corporate Member
All I can say is after going around the block several times years ago, I have changed to Lenox Diemaster 2 blades and I can no longer remember when last I have changed a blade, they seem to work forever. Never bother about tension either, there is a scale in my bandsaw window and I normally just aim at 4 1/2, never have an issue.

Blade tension is also proportional to feed rate. Feeding too fast has the same effect as not enough tension, the blade bows and will not cut straight if either is wrong. So it follows if one resaws at 12" high and want to use a fast feed rate, the blade needs to be tensioned much higher than cutting 1" thick lumber. I don't bother, just feed slower and do not like too much tension.

The last time I used a Timberwolf blade (3/4") I was cutting 12" Satin Wood veneer slices for a headboard. By the third slice, the blade was dull and the feed rate started getting impossible. I changed to a Lenox 1/2" Diemaster 2 blade, finished the rest of a king size headboard veneer slices and 8 years (I think) later that same blade is still pretty happy in my saw.
 
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