Tune-up Simple steps make your sing.

By Paul Anthony

The bandsaw may be the most versatile player in the woodshop. It can rip, resaw, crosscut, a wide blade and riser block, for resawing. and execute all kinds of curved work, including cutting,Despite and its a simple newer appearance, 14" Delta, outfitted a bandsaw with is a cabriole legs, circles, arcs, and serpentine drawer precision instrument. Whether you own a giant with 20" diameter wheels or a 9" benchtop, it requires can chew through thick stock to rough-out parts, periodic maintenance to cut as well as it should. fronts. Outfitted with an appropriate blade, it Here’s how to give your saw a thorough even do detailed scrollwork. Finding this machine once-over to ensure that the parts are all in fine-saw joinery like tenons and dovetails, and room in my shop for two : a 30-year-old 14" common problems and quickly dance through Rockwell,equally desirable set up with for fine a narrow and rough blade work, for curve- I made thegood steps operating involved order. in changing I’ll show blades.you how to fix

60 woodcraftmagazine.com Aug/Sept 2009 The way it works Bandsaw parts The bandsaw does its business by Adjustable virtue of a thin hoop of toothed wheel

tensioned around two tire-covered wheels.steel (the Typically, blade) fitted the motor and drives the lower wheel via belts and pulleys. The upper wheel rises

to establish blade tracking. The table,to adjust which blade supports tension workpieces and tilts Guide being sawn, tilts on trunnions post to allow -cutting. Two sets of blade guides—above and Switch Tire Blade below the table—prevent the guard blade from twisting and shifting Riser block Blade Table guide post provides control alignment pin directlyin use. The above height-adjustable the workpiece.

A regular checkup Guide Table adjustment lock knobs knob general checkup, inspecting the wheels,First things tires, first: guides, Give and your other saw a Lower blade parts to ensure proper alignment Drive guides and good working condition. wheel Drive It’s wise to do this annually. pulley housing Inspect the wheels and tires For precise tracking and smooth performance, the wheels, bearings, and tires must be in good shape. Before scrutinizing each Tensioning knob individually, check the tracking. To Optional quick-release do this, tension a blade according tension lever to the saw’s tension , then use the tracking knob to center Tension the blade on the wheels while gauge and slowly rotating them by hand. Once spring Tracking centered, the blade should not knob wander. If the blade tracks like it should, you’re in for a cleaning and minor tune-up; if it doesn’t, plan on spending time dealing with worn tires or wheel bearings. Safety Alert After the tracking test, remove the blade and listen for Always unplug the saw any bearing noise while slowly when performing checkups turning each wheel. Clicking or blade changes! or grinding noises usually indicate that you need to replace bearings. Next, inspect the tires for grooves, cracks, or other damage that can compromise

Photos: Paul Anthony Aug/Sept 2009 woodcraftmagazine.com 61 Figure 1: Guide Block Adjustment Top View Side View

Guide block Gullet mount Guide block

A Mounted against the lower wheel, Approximately .003" a ti re brush reduces Blade Guide faces should between gullet buildup on both wheels, helping be parallel to blade and guide block the blade track. Approximately .003" tracking. If the tires need made guide block dresser, see replacement, get a fresh set from page 16.) Slide them against the the manufacturer or upgrade to sides of a wide blade, as shown urethane wheels (see photo, page above, to ensure that they are 60) because they’re tougher and parallel. If necessary, rotate are installed without adhesive. the guide mount (Photo B) If the tires are sound, clean to correct the problem. them with a synthetic pad. For good tracking, keep Tip Alert the wheels as clean as possible. Installing a brush in the lower Stock steel guide blocks can wheel housing, as shown in damage blade teeth upon Photo A, can help a lot. contact. I recommend soft er B phenolic laminate “Cool Blocks” Rotate the guide mount on its post Check guide post and guides or shop-made blocks. to set guide block faces (or roller Clean a dirty post with steel guide edges) parallel to the blade. wool and mineral spirits before oiling it. Also clean dirty or gummy bearings by wiping them roller Guides off with mineral spirits (don’t Some come equipped soak them). Reverse or replace with roller bearing side guides a scarred thrust bearing. instead of guide blocks. Both It’s important that guide types work fi ne. Guide blocks blocks (or roller bearings) are provide closer support to the parallel to the sides of the blade. workpiece for bett er curve Before checking this alignment, cutti ng, but their faces wear make sure the block faces are over ti me, while the edges of smooth and . (For a shop- roller guides don’t. As with guide blocks, roller guides are set Tip Alert away from the blade only .003" or so. With roller guides, make To avoid stressing the blade, certain that the thrust bearing wheels, and saw frame, release doesn’t allow the blade to slide blade tension when the saw sits back far enough to suff er tooth unused for long periods. damage from the side bearings.

62 woodcraftmagazine.com Aug/Sept 2009 Illustrati ons: Chris Glowacki Filler blocks

C Trunnion Adjust the table stop to set the table square to the blade. Note the custom filler blocks on the underside of the table, which allow easier clamping of fences.

Check the table and trunnions switchover takes about 10 minutes. a . A hump or dip canCheck cause the shop-madetable for flatness fences using and with a quick-release tensionI outfitted lever my (see saw bottom photo, page D jigs to sit askew. You could have a 61), which makes Use a spring to hold the blade on the upper accessoriesmachine shop as grindnecessary. the table Next, flat, wheel while you wrap it around the lower wheel. usebut ana small easier try fix square is to simply to check shim that the table is 90° to the blade Dismountthe job even the quicker. blade without touching it while it’s with the table registered against Back off the side guides and freewheeling. The traditional thrust bearings and remove approach is to use a dollar bill stop as shown in Photo C. While the throat plate and table as a spacer gauge, but I have a you’reits stop. at If it, it’s clean not, and adjust oil the alignment pin. Release the simpler, quicker approach. contact surfaces of the trunnion tension until the blade is loose to allow easy table tilting. enough to slide off the wheels. Then remove it, taking care The Tension Check belt(s) and pulleys not to kink it in the process. Question Use a straightedge to ensure My approach is to set the that the pulleys on the motor Install the new blade tension according to the and drive wheel are aligned for After carefully threading the saw’s tension gauge and then smooth operation and long belt blade behind the guard and into observe how the blade cuts. life. Excessive saw vibration is the space between the guides, (Remember that a dull blade often due to a stiff, galloping hang the new blade on the top won’t cut well even under belt. Replacing it with a link wheel. Now slip it onto the lower “perfect” tension.) If a sharp belt can help. (If your blade wheel, as shown in Photo D, and blade doesn’t easily follow the slips or bogs down during cut line or bows during a resaw cutting, try increasing motor to create traction. While slowly cut, apply a bit more tension apply just enough wheel tension pressure on the drive belt.) rotating the wheel by hand, and check for improvement. alternately tension and track the Just don’t overdo it, because Changing blades blade until it rides in the center too much tension can stress of the wheels. Crank the upper saw parts and induce blade to make every time you install a wheel to the proper tension. breakage. In any case, never fully There are certain adjustments different-sized blade. It’s nothing compress the tension spring, Set the guides which acts as a shock absorber Always set the guides as to prevent blade damage. tracking,complicated; and you’llblade justguides. need The close as possible to the blade to readjust the blade tension, Aug/Sept 2009 woodcraftmagazine.com 63 Getting The Drift When ripping or resawing using a , you’ll need to establish the saw’s drift angle. Because of a blade’s tendency to cut in a particular direction, it may not be perpendicular to the front of the saw table. • Strike a line 1" from the edge of a piece of straight- It helps to spread the fingers on the sided scrap about as long as your saw table. Cut hand nearest the fence as wide apart as to the line freehand until the leading end of the possible to maintain maximum control. board reaches the far end of the table (top right). • Without shifting the board, hold it down as you shut off the saw. Then use a fine-tipped marker to scribe reference lines on the tabletop at the leading and trailing edges of the scrap piece. This represents your drift angle. • To resaw a piece of stock, determine the cut location in the stock and measure the thickness between the intended kerf and inside (or fence side) face. Using this dimension, mark two lines at the front and back of the saw, making them parallel to the drift angle lines. Next, move the After measuring over the appropriate fence up to this second set of lines, angling distance from your drift markings, mark a it to match the drift angle (bottom). (You’ll second set of lines, and then align the fence actually want to add 1/32" or so for cleanup.) to the marks to establish the drift angle.

First, set the guide post about stop the spin. Lock the bearing Make a test cut 1/4" above the workpiece. To position, then take the blade Test cuts are particularly through a full rotation, checking important before you slice into the outside perimeter, as shown for bearing spin throughout. your prime stock. Close the wheel- inadjust Photo the E thrust, to easily bearing, detect mark housing doors and turn on the rotation. While slowly turning Set the side guides next. Begin Readjust if necessary. it stops completely, make sure forward until the blade spins it, so that the front edges sit a few thatsaw forthe justblade a few is still seconds. tracking After in the saw wheel, adjust the bearing thousandthsby adjusting themof an foreinch orbehind aft, the middle of the wheels. Make a the teeth gullets. (See Figure 1, few test cuts to ensure the blade then back it off just enough to page 62.) Next, set the face of follows the line well. If you plan each guide about .003" from the blade sides. With guide above, for fence-setting steps. n blocks, place each against the to resaw, read “Getting the drift,” About Our Author andblade lock without it down. deflecting (With roller it, then Paul Anthony is a bearings,back the block use the off samejust a “touch tiny bit writer, photographer, and and retreat” technique as with teacher living in Riegelsville, Pennsylvania. His latest E After setting both guides, book is Taunton’s Complete Draw thick lines across the slowlythe thrust turn bearing the blade adjustment.) a few full Illustrated Guide to perimeter of the thrust bearing in rotations to detect any binding, Tablesaws (Taunton Press). order to easily observe its rotation. especially at the blade weld.

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