Co-Planar

[Byron Trantham]

I got my Iturra stuff for my Jet and the spacers for the lower wheel need to be (may need to be) installed to achieve Co-Planer operation.

What is required to set up bandsaw wheels to measure their Co-Planner condition? Should a blade be installed, tracking set and tensioned? I notice that when the blade is installed and the tracking is set, the upper wheel is tilted slightly - enough to see. Now the blade tracks on the center of the tire but since the wheel is tilted, the Co-Planer measurement seems to be irrelevant. HELP, it's Saturday and they aren't open until Monday!!! :mad:

I got their tension spring, tire brush, and tension gage. Manwhat a difference in the spring. I now see why they sell the "big wheel" tension adjuster! :eek:

[Jim Becker]

Coplaner adjustments on a band saw are done sans the blade.

[Tyler Howell]

Byron,
If you haven't already, send a few more dollars to Lou for his blade tension adjuster(Spinner 3).
It is heavy, smooth and with a fly wheel effect makes short order of changing blades and removing tension from the blade at the end of the business day.:cool:

[Mark Singer]

The blade should ride closer to the operater on the tires....about 1/3 the tire width. Big blades should have the teeth over the edge of the tire. The tires will last longer. Use a large level to check for coplanar from upper to lower. With coplanar the blade leed will be reduced and it will cut straighter. The force between the upper and lower wheels will be equal. Center tracking method does not give you these advantages but it is easier to set up...just angle the upper wheel until the blade is in the center. The wheels will not be aligned and the saw will have a strong directional leed (undesireable!)

[Byron Trantham]

Byron,
If you haven't already, send a few more dollars to Lou for his blade tension adjuster(Spinner 3).
It is heavy, smooth and with a fly wheel effect makes short order of changing blades and removing tension from the blade at the end of the business day.:cool:

I think you are right about this one! :D

Will be ordering one shortly.

[Byron Trantham]

Coplaner adjustments on a band saw are done sans the blade.
Ok, the blade is removed. I tie wrapped a 4' level to the upper wheel and totally disengaged the tracking knob. What I expected here was the level not touching either surface of the lower wheel requiring the shims I bought. What I got was contact at the upper surface of the lower wheel and no contact on the lower surface of the lower wheel [the two sets of contact points are not parallel]. Adjusting the tracking knob exaggerates the condition [larger gap on the lower surface and a gap at the upper surface]. Backing out the tracking knob allows the level to re-contact the the upper surface of the lower wheel. I rotated the lower wheel and the gap at the bottom seems to be uniform. It appears that the wheel surface planes are not parallel. Any ideas?

[Byron Trantham]

Jim, I have determined that the two wheels do have parallel planes. I attached the level to the bottom wheel and found out that the upper wheel is equally positioned away from the lower wheel. Looks like I got the wrong shim kit. Though they recommended that I get one for the lower wheel, it's the upper wheel that needs shimming! They sell a kit for it as well. Anyway, it looks like I am going to have to wait until Tuesday to talk with Iturra.

Have a great 4th!!! :D

[Byron Trantham]

Unlike the experience at Iturra, my wheels are out of align the opposite of theirs. My top wheel is closer to the frame by .054" than the lower wheel. I will have to return the shim set and get the ones for the upper wheel to move it out .054". :cool:

Oh well, it's only time and money! :D

[Jim DeLaney]

Why spend the money on a shim kit? Go to HD or a hardware store and just buy a washer or two. Take your calipers/micrometer with you and buy what's closest to 0.054". Probably cost you about 50¢.

I'm not a big believer in the need for coplanar wheels when the tires are flat across. If they were crowned, it <I><B>might</I></B> make a difference, but otherwise I don't think so. I've been running a Delta clone for over 20 years, and have never seen the need for that fine an adjustment.

I haven't even checked my Laguna 16. It's sawing quite nicely, so why bother?

[Joe Tonich]

Byron,

On my Delta 14" I made the wheels coplaner and it threw off the blade so it wasn't square to the table. (If I remember right, the top of the blade cut thru before the bottom.) I put it back the way it came & it was square again. Needless to say, it stayed that way. :D

Joe

[Jim Becker]

I seem to remember something about some of the 14" saws being "not designed" to be run "coplaner"...can't remember where, however.

[Byron Trantham]

I seem to remember something about some of the 14" saws being "not designed" to be run "coplaner"...can't remember where, however.
Ya, Jim, it was Jet. Iturra takes issue with them. I'm going ahead with making them coplanar. It just seems better to run coplanar. It will cost me $8 for the shims and if it dosen't work better then I'm out $8. No big deal of course. :p

Joe may be correct. Once I get them coplanar, I will check all the other measurments. :rolleyes:

[Jim Becker]

'THought so...

BTW, did you hear me "wave" when I drove by this morning?? :D Probably around 10a or so...hee hee If it was "just me", I would have made arrangements to hook up, but Dad was in the car (his car...) and I was also "working" while driving. Technology is so amazing...

[Byron Trantham]

'THought so...

BTW, did you hear me "wave" when I drove by this morning?? :D

Oh, so that's why my trees were bending over! :rolleyes: I thought it was the politicians up in DC. :D

If you get a chance in the future.....

[David Rose]

Joe, my experience with a Delta 14 from about 4 years ago was the same as yours. But I didn't have quite enough thread to even get it all the way to coplaner. With everything centered on the wheels it angled the blade a *lot*. With a carbide blade I have yet to experience any lead. That may be partly due to the slightly wider curf or just staying sharper, I don't know.

Most folks on the Pond suggested shimming the trunions to cure the table problem. I loosened the table and stuck a wooden wedge in temporarily to get the blade/table square. It was so out of level that the nickel would fall or roll off with the power off! :eek: Other points on the machine were fairly level, so I undid everything and started happily cutting wood again.

I believe Jim D. is right, though it disagrees with most "authorities". If it is easy to get coplaner, why not? Otherwise, just see how it cuts.

David


Byron,

On my Delta 14" I made the wheels coplaner and it threw off the blade so it wasn't square to the table. (If I remember right, the top of the blade cut thru before the bottom.) I put it back the way it came & it was square again. Needless to say, it stayed that way. :D

Joe