Getting a Band Saw to track correctly

[GregLaROCHE]

I inherited an older band saw from my father in-law. I am familiar with the saw. He discussed it with me before he passed. He could never get the blade to track straight, even after taking it to supposedly a professional to be repaired. I took it apart to try and get it to function properly. I couldn’t get it to even stay on. I’m wondering if the rubber tire, that is hardened with age has anything to do with the problem. The other thing is possibly the blade is distorted. Is it possible it needs to be adjusted in the other axis using shims? Any advice will be. Greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

[elmacgyver0]

With my bandsaws I find they track worse once the blade gets a bit dull.
They are difficult to get to track right.

[Misery-Whip]

The blade could be welded together crooked, but you need to check the wheels to see if they are parallel, and over the top of each other. A straight edge, string, or laser can help with this. Id check the alignment under tension. Shim as needed. If the frame is bent, this could be a chore.


If the blade will track when running, but comes off in a cut, check the guide bearings at the back of the blade guide are present, and are the correct diameter for the width of blade so it will run in center of the wheels.

Bicycle tubes split and stretched around the wheels can be used to repair the wheels.

[elmacgyver0]

The blade could be welded together crooked, but you need to check the wheels to see if they are parallel, and over the top of each other. A straight edge, string, or laser can help with this. Id check the alignment under tension. Shim as needed. If the frame is bent, this could be a chore.


If the blade will track when running, but comes off in a cut, check the guide bearings at the back of the blade guide are present, and are the correct diameter for the width of blade so it will run in center of the wheels.

Bicycle tubes split and stretched around the wheels can be used to repair the wheels.

Sounds like good advice to me.

[Wayne Smith]

Get the Bandsaw Handbook, it is full of advice about multiple kinds of saws. Yes, you need to replace the tires, but you also need to balance the wheels and make sure the bottom wheel tracks with the top wheel. The book has instructions for this. Tires are available for multiple sizes of wheels, you need to know your wheel size to order the correct tires.

[Handloader109]

If the rubber is hardened and cracked, they need replacing. The upper and lower wheels have to be on the same plane in order to track correctly. Some saws can be pretty difficult, especially older ones and they can be over tensioned and the frame actually bent. Yes. Buy a couple of blades and try them also

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

[country gent]

I would start with the wheel bearings check them as they wear they allow the wheels to droop and cock. Check the blade guides for wear and alignment, also that they are set to match the blade.

[Mk42gunner]

All seems like good advice to me.

Here is what I did in a similar situation when I inherited a cheap chineseium bandsaw (Brand name GMC, Global Machinery Company)from my uncle.

Step one, buy a new blade. they are cheap.

Step two, go to you tube and search for Stumpy Nubs. He had a video in the last year or so about adjusting bandsaws. His advice worked.

Good luck with it, they are a very handy tool.

Robert

[GregLaROCHE]

I can’t get it to turn much past one revolution. I guess I’ll buy another blade to try.

[atr]

the rubber on the upper and lower wheels sometimes starts to slip on the wheel and that will affect tracking.
best
atr

[ulav8r]

Bought a Harbor Freight metal cutting band saw for my employer many years ago. Had to shim the mounts of the sliding wheel in order to keep the blade on the wheels. Used a straight edge to check the alignment and placed shims as needed. The saw then did a very good job.

[beemer]

The rubber wheel should be domed the saw will run on the top, they do get hard and worn. Adjust the tilt on the top wheel to get close to center if you can. Take the covers off and get the guides out of the way and turn a few rounds by hand to see if the blades track on the wheels. The blade should track with the guides out of the way. If it doesn't something is out of line or the blade is bad. Check the bearings in the wheels. See if the wheels have slipped on the axle. It is possible that the axis needs to be shimmed, never seen it but it is possible. The guides only keep the blade from pushing off the back and twisting in a turn. The guides can be very worn but that will not cause the blade to jump off the wheel just not track when sawing.

I ran band saws for a living and usually had to keep the rest of them running. Others have given some good advice as well. Just start with the wheels and go one step at the time.

[Wayne Smith]

I can’t get it to turn much past one revolution. I guess I’ll buy another blade to try.

Please explain that statement, Greg. Do you mean the drive wheel does not turn? In that case it may be a problem with the bearing or the motor, nothing to do with the blade.

Or do you mean that you can't get it to turn much more than one turn before the blade comes off? Agan, get the Bandsaw Handbook, and there is a good chance your library has a copy? I don't know about the public libraries in France.

[MrWolf]

There are a lot of books on band saw. I just got my 30 year old Delta going. The manual for your saw should have info (find manual on the web). I also have Nick Engler's book "Using the Band Saw" which offers tips and such. Good luck.
Ron

[Armorer77]

Years ago I was given a bandsaw that kept kicking the blade off . I put the wheels on the lathe and cut a slight reverse taper on them , worked for 20 years of occasional use . Ed

[Paf]

Good advice given from all members for the bandsaw. In my job ( shop teacher ) I've had to work on a few over the years ( in schools that I taught at as well as helping other shop teachers and friends on theirs ). Worked on all brands and models ( Delta, Powermatic, Davis & Wells, Yates, Walker-Turner, etc. ). The one thing that was done on quite a few of these machines that really boasted/improved their blade tracking was to install aftermarket urethane tires. The rubber tires do develop cracks and flat spots over the life of the machine. Flat spots can occur when a machine isn't used for long periods of time and the blade ( with tension on it ) sits on these tires in the same location. When I was in college, we were taught to take the tension off the blade when the machine sits for such long periods of time. I don't practice this in my shop, since students may forget to put blade tension on before turning the saw on. Anyway, urethane tires may be something you may want to consider.

About a year and a half ago I rescued ( it was going to be scrapped ) an older Delta 14" bandsaw that was being replaced at another sister school in my District. That shop replaced it with a new Laguna saw. The Delta saw had been at that school since 1958 ( year the school opened ). I figured it would be good to have another saw for my students to use ( now have five total in our shop ). I could not get that machine to track a blade worth a darn. Took the top wheel assembly apart and found excessive play in the top wheel shaft and housing that holds it. Fixed it with JB Weld along with tapping a set screw into the housing to hold the shaft in placed while the JB Weld cured. Saw has been running great ever since. Must have been a design flaw for the Delta model, since I bought another one a year later ( had the metal cutting gear box ) that had the same problem. This one was repaired using the exact method as well.

Here are some resources you may find of interest for the bandsaw:

"Woodshop Tool Maintenance" by Cunningham & Holtrop
"Band Saw Tips & Tricks" by Kenneth Burton
"Woodworking Machines" by Time Life Book Series
www.vintagemachinery.org

Also, any references by Mark Duginske and Nick Engler ( he was mentioned in a earlier post ) is worth looking into as well.

Good luck on your saw.

Paf

[lancem]

I would first start for sure with the wheel covers, I like the green ones, though I don't have a link for them off hand. They have to be a little "soft" for lack of a better term for the blade to grip them as the wheels are domed. New covers and a quality new blade and I would think you would be on your way.

[gloob]

Many modern bandsaws have an adjustable lower wheel. There are 4 bolts/nuts to make fine adjustments to the wheel axis if needed.

If the lower wheel is mounted directly to the motor, the bolts holding the motor to the frame can be shimmed to make these adjustments.

If the lower wheel is belt driven and the wheel bearing goes directly into the frame, it's maybe an old saw with a cast iron frame? You can't properly adjust the wheel. Look for some other way. Frames are sometimes cast in two pieces that are bolted together. You can achieve wheel/tracking adjustments by loosening the bolts holding the frame halves together and twisting and/or putting shims there!

You can also shim how far wheels stick out from the frame with washers, and that might be all it takes to get it in range. If the saw worked at first, but lost tracking as the frame took some set, you typically need to put a washer under the lower wheel to make it stick out slightly more.

The wheels need to be in the same plane while under blade tension. So they need to be close to planar when the blade isn't on there, but not perfect. The frame will bend and twist a little once you put the tension on there.

[GregLaROCHE]

Please explain that statement, Greg. Do you mean the drive wheel does not turn? In that case it may be a problem with the bearing or the motor, nothing to do with the blade.

Or do you mean that you can't get it to turn much more than one turn before the blade comes off? Agan, get the Bandsaw Handbook, and there is a good chance your library has a copy? I don't know about the public libraries in France.

When I turn the the saw by hand the blade wants to come off in a turn or two.

[Reg]

Bearings and alignment are very important as is the condition of the wheel covers and you must have a properly made blade of good quality but the one big thing is the actual shape of the profile of the crown on the outer shape of the wheel both the driven and the following wheel. You want it convex and equil on the face of the wheel surface. This “crowning” both on band saws and band sanders too makes the blade “hunt” the center of the wheel and stay in alignment. It dosnt take a lot of this crowning but it must be there or the blade will wander. Hope this makes sense. I have repaired several bandsaws that had your condition and made several belt sanders from scratch and always found this “crowning” to be the most important factor in making them run true.

[GregLaROCHE]

Would someone tell me how the rubber tire is put on the wheel? Does it have to be in a circle and be stretched to put on or is it a band that is held on with something like contact cement?
Thanks

[Wayne Smith]

Mine was a circle that was sized for my wheel and needed to be stretched. I don't believe you have stated the make of this bandsaw. There are multiple designs and multiple makers of each design. There are some commonalities, but I doubt there are many between, for example, a two wheel and a three wheel bandsaw.

[Reg]

They are sized according to the diameter of the wheel and are very tight. Generally they require no adhesive. You can find them on Amazon and they generally come with instructions.

[sailcaptain]

Do you have a “Tension Adjusting Knob” to turn which sets the tension to the blade diameter? Could be they both do not match.
Is the “blade guide”, just above the table, set to far forward or back? That will push or pull your blade and ultimately kick it off the wheel.
Above or below the “Blade Guide” adjuster there should be a “Thrust Bearing Adjuster Knob”. That puts pressure on the back of the blade edge to keep it centered in the Blade Guide.
And also check that the “Lower Wheel” has its “Key” in the Key Way Slot. If not the wheel will catch and spin but slip on the shaft and throw the blade.
All these knobs I mentioned are prone to collecting saw dust and clogging. Which doesn’t allow the blade to run smooth against the wheel bearings. And throw the blade.
Use a dry lubricant on the bearings to avoid any build up.
Bandsaws can and are temperamental from time to time. But run forever with limited maintenance needed.
Hope this helps you identify trouble spots to check and solve the issue

[GregLaROCHE]

Am I correct in assuming that the blade should stay on without the blade guide in place?

[sailcaptain]

The blade should stay in place to hand turning of the wheels. Just to check alignment. THEN, quick off and on bursts of power. But not sustained running. It becomes dangerous to run without the guides and shields in place, as the blade will want to slide.
The important thing to have is the proper tension knob setting, set to the size (width) of the blade.

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These are photos of my bandsaw and the items I mentioned. Blade tension and knob, blade placement in the guides and bottom Key in place with the saw dust accumulation.
Note that the blade tension is slightly off the size to the width of my blade. This happens over time and adjustments need to be made prior to cutting and if you see or hear the blade rubbing in the guides.
Blade movement happens do to the sharp corners you can make with the saw. So it is a constant check. But given the time you really use a bandsaw its not a nuisance and ensures a smooth, plane chatterless cut in tight corners.

[Brokenbear]

If I missed it I apologize but there are two adjustments on the band saws pertaining to the performance ...
1. is the tension knob that that determines how tight the blade is held
2. is the knob with a lock device (like a wing nut) that the wing nut is loosened and then this knob is turned which in turn alters the "run out" of the top wheel ...so with the blade under tension and the machine unplugged and the access panels open grasp the lower wheel and slowly turn the blade in the direction it cuts in and watch the blade move left or right while watching the blade on the wheel and turn the knob and observe the blade's lateral movement on the wheel ..the goal is to get the blade to stabilize on the wheel and not move laterally on the wheel....

NOTE: above picture in prior post is perfect blade to wheel position
You will noticed the wheel ..actually the "tire" is domed and if yours is NOT replace it ..


What you describe of one turn and blade off is not a dull blade (a dull blade I agree when cutting can wander)
The top wheel is the FIRST place you set you blade to be positioned correctly then the lower stuff (guides etc) have to be brought into alignment to support the blade for cutting ..if you were not cutting anything you would not need the guides ...
Which means the blade if properly setup can run all day long without the guides even installed on the machine ..

So think in two parts ..get the blade running on the two wheels free of any contact from guides or any other items

Then introduce the top guide to the blade where there is no contact between the left and right guide blocks and the rear flex bearing ..we are talking dollar bill thicknesses clearance in each case

Then move to the bottom guide and set it up just like the top one

Blade tension ..turn on saw with tight blade and lessen tension until slight blade shake at the top of the table then slowly tighten until shake goes away then 1/8 to 1/4 knob turn (depends on blade width) additional tightening

Bear

[David2011]

Lots of good advice here. Once the tires are replaced and all of the other details above have been worked on, be sure that the gullets ride in the center of the wheels. That’s pretty important for good tracking. I had my small Delta tracking almost as well as a table saw one time and made the mistake of making one cut through 1/8” brass tubing. The blade never tracked straight after that. A sharp blade is “everything.”

There are tons of good videos on YouTube by the woodworking people that deal with making your bandsaw great again.

[beemer]

Am I correct in assuming that the blade should stay on without the blade guide in place?

The blade should stay in place while running without the blade guides in place. I move the guides out of the way when setting the tracking. The guides only keep the blade from pushing off the wheel and twisting while sawing. The blade should make only minimal contact and not bind the blade in any way.