[Ken Scharabok]

This is the first time I've used a bandsaw for production work. Within the past couple of days the one I bought a couple of weeks ago isn't cutting true on larger stock. For example, on 2" thick wall pipe it will be off by about 1/8". Vise is true to blade and I've double check stock is level. Blade is tight. Can the problem be the blade is getting dull? Have a 10 teeth to the inch blade on it as I usually cut larger stock and stay with the saw while it is cutting (in case the blade catches on thinner stock). Blade seems to cut fine. Just not straight.

Shop tip: When I replaced a universal joint in my haybine I couldn't get the caps in far enough for the lock spring to go into the groove. Was up at the repair shop at the time. Even using ratchet sockets in a vise didn't help. Asked old timer there about the problem. He walked over, put a rod against the inside of the yoke, tapped and it separated enough. Hadn't occurred to me the yoke forks were compressed.

Ken S. in WC TN

 

[kaji1]

This is the first time I've used a bandsaw for production work. Within the past couple of days the one I bought a couple of weeks ago isn't cutting true on larger stock. For example, on 2" thick wall pipe it will be off by about 1/8". Vise is true to blade and I've double check stock is level. Blade is tight. Can the problem be the blade is getting dull? Have a 10 teeth to the inch blade on it as I usually cut larger stock and stay with the saw while it is cutting (in case the blade catches on thinner stock). Blade seems to cut fine. Just not straight.
Ken S. in WC TN

Check your counter balance weight.

Too much weight on the blade causing it force the cut and flexing the blade.

You need just enough weight on the blade to let it cut and not enough to force it.

 

[Ken Scharabok]

I don't see anything which I would think would be a counterweight.

Ken S. in WC TN

 

[gobug]

Are you pushing the material through too fast? I've noticed on radial arm and circular saws that the quality of the angle and cut are influenced by the control of the feed. Although the band saw has the strip blade instead of a disc, the blade goes in a circle. Too much pressure could be pulling the blade in one direction.

Did you plug it in?

 

[Ross]

Can you adjust the band roller guides closer to the work? I agree the counter weight would have to be right to cut straight but if you haven't got one...... Maybe its missing? How heavy does the blade sit on the stock?

 

[owhn]

In my experience, there are two versions of bandsaws. One has the blade in more or less a vertical orientation. The other is used more like a chop saw, with a pivot point. Though they both have bands, I do not believe the construction is the same. Which do you have? Are the comments above all onthe same style of saw?

owhn

 

[Ross]

I took Ken to mean a chop saw style but I think Gobug is thinking the vertical fixed blade style. Similar advice though too much presure on the blade but that's assuming the guides are set right. They can be tricky.

 

[Ken Scharabok]

It is a combination vertical and horizon bandsaw. Vise remains fixed and blade assembly moves to angle cutting.

I shortened the space between the guides as much as they allow, which seems to have made a great deal of difference in cutting straight.

Counterweight actually seems to be the motor. Only came with one belt. Putting on a longer belt would drop the motor, putting more weight over the pivot point to that end.

Although Taiwan built, this appears to be a pretty rugged piece of equipment. I have no way to tell psi of pressure applied to the blade, but it is noticeably heavy to lift.

Work cut is getting warmer and warmer, so likely the blade is getting dull.

Ken S. in wC TN

 

[Ed K]

Counterweight actually seems to be the motor. Only came with one belt. Putting on a longer belt would drop the motor, putting more weight over the pivot point to that end.

Although Taiwan built, this appears to be a pretty rugged piece of equipment. I have no way to tell psi of pressure applied to the blade, but it is noticeably heavy to lift.


Ken S. in wC TN

Rather than moving the motor you might be able to add weight to the motor side of the pivot to lessen the downward pressure on the work. By adding or removing weights you could adjust the downward pressure of the saw to suit the cut. Add weights to the motor for less pressure when cutting plastic remove weights for more pressure when cutting stainless pipe etc. I believe I've seen an adjustable damper on some of these saws to cushion the downward pressure too

 

[horselogger]

Rather than moving the motor you might be able to add weight to the motor side of the pivot to lessen the downward pressure on the work. By adding or removing weights you could adjust the downward pressure of the saw to suit the cut. Add weights to the motor for less pressure when cutting plastic remove weights for more pressure when cutting stainless pipe etc. I believe I've seen an adjustable damper on some of these saws to cushion the downward pressure too

alot of these saws have a small hydraulic cylider that bleedsout to allow downward pressure. retrofit maybe?

 

[Guest]

Counterbalance on this type of saw is a coiled tension spring housed in a metal tube with a plastic hand grip. It is located alongside the saw bed on the opposite side of the blade. Spring tension (feed rate) can be adjusted by rotating the pipe. The blade guides can be rotated slightly to adjust blade angle. A 10 tpi blade is to coarse for pipe ,try a 16-20 tpi. The MSC Catalog has a very informative section on blades. These are great little saws. I have owned one since 1986 and it sees hard use.

 

[deviator12000]

It is a combination vertical and horizon bandsaw. Vise remains fixed and blade assembly moves to angle cutting.

I shortened the space between the guides as much as they allow, which seems to have made a great deal of difference in cutting straight.

Counterweight actually seems to be the motor. Only came with one belt. Putting on a longer belt would drop the motor, putting more weight over the pivot point to that end.

Although Taiwan built, this appears to be a pretty rugged piece of equipment. I have no way to tell psi of pressure applied to the blade, but it is noticeably heavy to lift.

Work cut is getting warmer and warmer, so likely the blade is getting dull.

Ken S. in wC TN

I bought a horizontal bandsaw a few years ago from a local farm store. Farm & Fleet. Gave $300 for it. The first thing I did to it was remove all the 1/4" bolts that had metric heads and installed standard bolts.
As for the blade problem, I Couldn't get mine to track right either, but where there's a will there's a way. Mine didn't have any way to adjust the rollers, that I could see, so I removed the 5/16" bolts and put in 1/4" bolts, then I had my adjustment. Kept at it until I had it the way it should be, using a combination square. I believe blade tension plays a role in cutting straight, also. How about the blade, itself? Is it straight up and down? Is there a tilt to the blade? If the blade isn't at 90 degrees then it won't track right. My saw has an adjustment arm that can be turned and tightened or loosened, with a large spring, that is supposed to control the amount of pressure that's put on the blade, but I don't place much confidence in a chinese made, mass produced product. It's also hinged. I have just enough pressure on my blade to see metal chips coming off the steel.
Decreasing the distance between the roller guides will help you get a straight cut. Picture a straight line. The farther you get from point A to point B, the more chance for divergence. If you painted a straight line for 5 miles, it wouldn't be straight. The further the distance, the more play there is in the blade. More flexibility. More error. Hope some of this gives you something to think about.