Bandsaw basics

Thrust Bearings
There is one thrust bearing above the table and another below. Some machines have a fine-adjustment control, while others are just tapped forward and back by hand. In either case, loosen the hex bolt or thumb screw that locks the thrust bearing's position and move the bearing as close to the back of the blade as you can without actually touching it. Turn the wheels several times, noting whether the thrust bearing turns or not. Move the bearing close enough to the blade that the bearing just starts to turn, or just turns intermittently. Next, back it off a tiny bit at a time until it just stops turning. Thrust bearings should only turn while cutting-not when the machine is running idle.

Guide Blocks
I use phenolic guide blocks, which allow me almost to touch the sides of the blade. If you're using regular steel blocks, you'll need a little more clearance, but as little as possible. (The blade should not rub on the blocks when you're not cutting wood.)

Start by moving the guide block holder forward and back until the fronts of the blocks are just behind the gullets between the teeth of the blade. Then adjust the left guide blocks, both above and below the table, until they almost touch, but don't rub.

Finally, adjust the right guide blocks the same way, being sure not to pinch the blade. After locking the guide blocks in position, turn the wheels by hand again to be sure they turn freely without rubbing or pinching.

Setting the Fence
Bandsaw tires are crowned. Depending on where on the curve of the tires your blade happens to track, the machine might cut straightest with the fence not parallel to the mitre slot. Sometimes the difference is tiny; at other times, it's more dramatic. It varies with each blade change and truly doesn't matter, as long as you set the fence to the proper angle. Some say that you never need to compensate for drift on the really expensive machines, but that is true only if the blade is so sharp that it can handle a bit of a side-grinding cut. I've worked on very expensive bandsaws and still got the best results when I took drift into account.

Reinstall the table insert and leveling pin. Then resaw a 4"- to 6"-wide board freehand (without a fence), following a pencil line that is parallel to one side of the board. After following the line for a distance of several inches, turn off the machine and don't move the board off its cut line. Set the fence against the side of the board, which likely is not parallel to the mitre slot. Check your manual to find out how the fence can be adjusted to the left and right.

Your bandsaw is now ready for high-performance work, including resawing. But remember to expect resaws to be slow and tedious, although accurate, if you have a 14" bandsaw or smaller. Don't expect a smaller bandsaw with 1-hp motor to perform like those huge bandsaws you see at your local lumber mill.

Finally, it can't be said enough that the quality and sharpness of your blade is unbelievably important on this machine.