Band saw adjustment...

[OkKeith]

Hey Guys,

Was working on some bows and needed to adjust the blade guides on the saw, but can't find my stinking manual for the thing.

How close do the roller bearings need to be to the blade? Just barely kissing it or close enough that they always roll while the blade is moving?

Thanks for the help.

OkKeith

[kennym]

If I run them too close(bearing turning) the dust builds up on the bearing and makes noise and is most likely hard on bearings.

So I try to tune them as close as I can without turning while NOT cutting. When I start cutting,they will usually turn.

I "think" the blade backer bearing says .016" from blade on mine,but I run it the same way,if it doesn't turn while not cutting,good enuff!

[No-sage]

Do you have the bearings that go on both sides of the blade, or solid blocks on either side of the blade and a bearing behind?

[jonathan creason]

Most everything I've read says to stick a dollar bill between the blade and the guides.  Tighten the guides down and then remove the bill.

[Tater John]

Any paper of thickness .004 or a couple more thousands between the side guides and the blade is ample clearance. The blade gullet should be just in front of the side guide faces, 1/32"-1/16". Some machines use roller bearings some don't.If the blade teeth get past the bearing faces you will lose the set, the blade is ruined.  The bearings behind the blade are thrust bearings.  track the blade then bring the thrust bearings to the backside of the blade. I prefer the blade to NOT ride against the  thrust bearings once I stop feed pressure. There are guide bearings below the table as well and those will be set using the same parameters. just takes a little fiddling

Rusty

[woodworker]

Hi OkKeith,
    Tater John called it the thrust bearings should only spin once you have applied cutting pressure and the space is as he advised on the sides whether they are cool blocks are rollers, the placement should be back to the hollow of the blade so the full tooth should be available.  The tension also is a large factor in performance so adjust it accordingly and test the cut.  All the best, Joe

[2treks]

$1.00 away

[Tater John]

Blade tension, thats an important detail that shouldn't be left out. Thats probably the worst sin I see when a blade gets changed. On chainsaws too... WAY to tight

Rusty

[OkKeith]

Thanks for the help guys!!!!

No-sage, the saw has a bearing set either side and behind both above the table and below. I had a rough turning bearing on the top-side behind the blade so I replaced all of them.

The way the economy is, I'm not sure if I have a dollar bill or not, but I do have an excellent set of thickness gauges.  

I'm trying to get a couple of bows done before OJAM!

Thanks again for all the advice!

OkKeith

[mater]

I leave them touch, but lube the blade with parafin. It quites it down. Bearing are 10 years old and I use it alot.  Mark

[fish n chicks]

I've always used business cards. Readily available and give me just the right thickness.

[Okie 1]

Keith, what kinda bows you makin for OJAM? Better hurry it's right around the corner.

I usually space my bearings with a dollar bill folded in half.

[OkKeith]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the added advice! I used a .016 thickness gauge to set all the bearings. I think the fella I bought the saw from may have had them riding too close and wore them out. I went to Allied bearing and for 30 bucks had six new ones.

Okie 1,

I have a hickory backed osage R/D I am finishing up, a hickory backed straight-up longbow I am right in the middle of (for my girlfriend), a multi-laminate mullberry/hickory/osage bow still in parts and an osage selfbow about 60% finished.

The only one with any imperitive is the longbow for my gal. She likes to have a new bow for each OJAM to go with all her others. A few more years and we will have to rent a UHAUL to get everything there.

OkKeith