|
|
 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
by
Hendrik Varju
photos by Christopher Campbell |
BANDSAW BASICS
|
| Take
a timeout from building and tune-up your bandsaw |
You
may not think you need a bandsaw, but, like most unique tools,
once you have it, you’ll wonder how you lived without
it. No other machine can resaw boards as well—with as
much vertical cut capacity as you need and little waste. It
has a reputation as one of the safest machines in the workshop,
even though it has the power to cut easily through bones in
a butcher shop.
Unfortunately, the bandsaw also has a reputation for something
that’s not quite as complimentary—it can be the
most fussy machine in the shop.
Try
to coax a badly tuned bandsaw to resaw through 6"-thick
hard maple and you’re likely to wonder what you ever liked
about this machine. But with proper set-up, good blades and
a few upgrades, this machine can really perform. If there is
one machine I wouldn’t go low-budget on, it’s this
one. Put your money into a solid brand-name tool and buy it
just once.
 |
| When
you need to change a blade, take the opportunity
to clean and tune your saw at the same time |
|
Cleaning Up
Start by unplugging the bandsaw. Back off both thrust bearings
and both sets of guide blocks (both above and below the table).
Remove the table insert and levelling pin. Release the blade
tensioner completely, open both wheel covers and remove the
old blade. Now you can vacuum out the inside of the machine,
including the wheels and tires. Be sure to remove the built-up
pitch from the tires with a rag slightly dampened with mineral
spirits. Clean the table at the same time. Place the new blade
in the centre of both wheels, being sure that the teeth point
downward where the machine cuts. Teeth that point the wrong
way mean your blade is inside out.
Tensioning and Tracking
With a new blade in place, turn the tensioning knob until you
reach the correct tension for the width of the blade. Most bandsaws
have a scale that tells you where to stop for each blade thickness,
but the scale loses accuracy as the tensioning spring weakens
over time. A 1/2"-wide resaw blade requires plenty of tension,
whereas narrower blades can break if too tight. More tension
is required when resawing or cutting through very thick stock.
Don’t try to track the blade if you haven’t set
the tension yet. A blade under high tension will track differently
than one under little tension.
Next, slowly turn the upper wheel by hand—with the machine
still unplugged—and note whether the blade is moving forward
on the wheels, moving backward or staying put. The tracking
knob angles the upper wheel. Turning it one way makes the blade
move forward; the other way moves it back. Be careful not to
let the blade fall right off the tires. Tweak the tracking knob
a little at a time and move the wheels slowly until you’ve
found the correct setting that places the blade as close to
the centre of both wheels as possible. If the blade is in the
centre of one wheel but completely off-centre on the other,
consider buying a co-planar kit. This upgrade features special
spacers that shim the wheels into alignment, with different
inner diameters to fit both the upper and lower wheel shafts.
Once the blade stays in the centre, lock the tracking knob and
turn the upper wheel numerous times to be sure the blade stays
put.
|
1.
Cleaning Up; Tensioning and Tracking
2. Thrust Bearings; Guide Blocks;
Setting the Fence
3. What to Look for When Buying
a Bandsaw |
|
|
|
|
| FREE
NEWSLETTER |
Subscribe to our newsletter. Every few weeks, you'll get a behind-the-scenes
peek at the magazine, the web site and the folks who put it all together.
CLICK HERE |
|
|
PROJECTS
